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Today is the team's first practice, and I'm pretty excited. I've got the first meet nerves. It'll be cool to meet my teammates for the first time. I walk through the halls of Holden High School and head towards the gym now that school is over. Practice starts at 3:30, and while I practice every single day. It's going to be cool to actually have someone guard me this time around.
I see the gym doors up ahead, and I quickly jog to them, unable to hold in the anticipation. I push the door open, and as I do, I can already hear some basketballs dribbling. I fully enter the gym and see around 15 guys just shooting around. They see me enter and look at each other. I place my stuff against the wall and get my basketball out of my basketball bag.
I dribble it a couple of times to make sure it's at the right pressure. "You know there probably won't be any room on the team for you. All the starting spots have been filled already, and I'm pretty sure none of my starting lineups wants to give up their spots." I smirk as I turn around to meet the voice. There are always these guys on every high school team.
The one that wants to make it hard on you. I look at the guy who spoke, and he is the same height as I am. He must also be the team captain I heard about. His name is John Foe. I'm not afraid of competition, and I'm not afraid of any of these players. I can school them if I want to, and I will if they force me.
I stop dribbling the ball and walk up to the guy. I look him dead in the eye. "Afraid of some competition? I'm looking at this team, and barely any of you are over 6'2. If this is the state of the team, you need me." Mr. Foe has a slight twitch go through his face.
He takes the role of Alpha, but no one has ever challenged him for it. "If you think you're so good, how about a little one on one? I'll even let you have the ball first." I won't lie.
I take pleasure in getting in his head. Tearing down a basketball player with this type of attitude will be one of my new favorite things. "Unless you're scared of losing to a 14-year-old freshman?" As I say those words, he tosses his ball to the side and gets to the top of the key. It looks like we're using my ball.
I take my position across from him. I toss the ball to him. "First to 11." He tosses it back, starting the check. I toss it back to him with a nod, ending the check and starting the game. I immediately give him no space to dribble to he has to keep the ball in his hands and play the pivot game.
He bumps my chest a few times, but my defense is an A grade at the NBA level. He isn't going to get a bucket on me. He creates some space with a dribble out, and now the ball is on the court. "I'm going to show you why you aren't needed or wanted." He tries an average dribble move, but I poke it out, and he trips up in surprise. "Foul!" I sigh.
This is going to be one of those games. Respect the call, though. He gets back at the top of the key, and we check the ball up. I give him space to start dribbling this time. As two white boys, many would say we don't have hops. I got serious hops, though. I get close defense on him, but not smothering like the first possession.
He works his way into the paint and goes for a layup, but I leap from my spot as it leaves his hand, and I send it flying. "All ball." I speak before he can. The ball flies out of bounds. I smile, knowing I'm starting to inch in his head. I can see it in his expression. He is growing frustrated. "Check up, Mr. Foe." He checks it up fast and is now looking serious. I play closer defense now. I play really close as he dribbles, and I poke my hand at the ball every so often.
Just to make sure that he knows he needs to protect it. He pulls his left shoulder back slightly, a sign he is going for a step back. He does so, and I'm there to meet him. I want possession next, so I don't block it. He tries to sink the shot, but it airballs out. "My Ball." Now it's my turn to dump some buckets on this kid. I'm The Singularity, after all.
We check it up, and I immediately hit a perfect nothing but net three, which is a two in a one on one pick-up game. I have a very beautiful shot and high release point. "Two for me. You're starting to look a little nervous." I see his eyes move to the bleachers, and I see a girl watching. She is very pretty, a junior by the looks of it.
Now I feel a little bad. I'm likely crushing him in front of his crush. Maybe even girlfriend. However, I never leave a fight unfinished, and I'm going to rip this guy's heart out.