Leonz Lovehart graduates middle school with an unimpressive 110/200 total score, which was below average.
Throughout the entire graduation, Leonz looked dead most of the time, just staring into space. Eventually, the speech by the top scorer passed, and the picture-taking would commence.
Leonz took a picture with his class in which he forced out a smile. He later took a picture with the Basketball Club, also forcing out a smile.
Without Leonz, he doubted the Basketball Club would be able to do much anyways. Unless, of course, they got their hands on some top rate talent.
With a score of 110, normally, the only schools that would have accepted Leonz were the worst school in town. Filled with bullies and gangsters that did not give a fuck about school, much less Basketball.
"I'm screwed." (Leonz)
"It ain't that bad." (Kent)
The both of them were at the park, seated on a bench side by side. Kent held an ice-cream in his hand as he ate, looking out at the empty park, a basketball court somewhere in sight.
"I can't play basketball if I go to one of them yankee schools! Hell, I think the guys there might be interested in the wrong type of balls!" (Leonz)
"Well, I mean, that's what you get for doing badly on the Examinations." (Kent)
"I'm not smart and you know it, don't have to rub it in." (Leonz)
Leonz hopped onto his feet and let out a long sigh.
"Guess that settles it. I know exactly where I'm going to do for high school." (Leonz)
"Really?" (Kent)
Leonz scratched his head, not sure of whether he was going to regret his actions later on.
"There's one school I should be able to go to even with my crappy score." (Leonz)
"Are you being serious? You sure you wanna be there?" (Kent)
"Where else? I'll build the Basketball Club all the way from the ground, we'll reach for the top! I'm gonna revive that trash Basketball Club with my talents!" (Leonz)
Leonz was going to accept Zodiac Academy's invitation.
Going by a Sports Offer was different from entering normally. By prioritising certain skills of individuals, school are able to accept students even if their scores were below the requirements.
On average, the required score for a normal high school was more than 120. For Zodiac Academy, their required score was 133. For Leonz, he would not have had a chance of enrolling had he not been offered a spot in the school.
Kent, on the other hand, could easily enter the school without any problems.
That night, Leonz called up the school.
"Hello?" (Leonz)
"Hello, this is the General Office of Zodiac Academy, how may I help you?" (Lady)
The person sounded like a lady.
"Um… Hi, this is Leonz Lovehart. I was offered to be apart of the Basketball Club…?" (Leonz)
Leonz spoke nervously, afraid that the offer had somehow been cancelled or deemed null.
"Sorry, can you repeat your name?" (Lady)
"Leonz Lovehart. First name spelt L-E-O-N-Z." (Leonz)
There was a moment of silence before she spoke again.
"Oh, I see. Your name is indeed under the list for students offered the Sports Offer." (Lady)
"Well, I was wondering if there were any requirements for me to enter through the Sports Offer." (Leonz)
"The requirements aren't too complicated. You would need a score of at least 100 in your middle school Examinations, as well as having received an official letter of invitation. If you are willing to enrol into the school through the Sports Offer, please have your parents sign the form and submit it to Zodiac Academy." (Lady)
"Alright, thanks a lot." (Leonz)
100 points? Check.
Official letter? Check.
Leonz guessed he was in.
The next day, his parents filled in a form and submitted it to Zodiac Academy, just as the Lady over the phone had instructed. It was a relatively simple procedure that Leonz tried not to think too much about.
Not long after he submitted the form, he sat down with Kent once again in a relatively empty Starbucks.
"Guess I'm in?" (Leonz)
"Hold on, I'm checking the results…" (Kent)
Kent had his laptop once again. It was the day where they received the results of which school they were going to. Leonz could not lie, he was nervous. If he was unable to enrol into Zodiac Academy, he would have to enrol at one of the delinquent schools.
"We both made it to Zodiac Academy." (Kent)
Leonz punched the air.
"Lessgo!" (Leonz)
"Guess you're one of the Zodiac Beasts now, huh?" (Kent)
Leonz had a wide smile on his face, and Kent too had a smile.
"Zodiac Beasts? Has a good ring to it. It's going to win the Championship next year." (Leonz)
"You're getting really big-headed. Calm down man." (Kent)
"I ain't getting big-headed. I'm stating facts." (Leonz)
Kent scrolled down on his laptop again, looking through some social media.
"Watcha looking at?" (Leonz)
"Trying to see where some of the bigger prospects went." (Kent)
"Tell me if anyone's going to Zodiac." (Leonz)
"So far nothing…" (Kent)
Leonz sat there, waiting for Kent to finish looking through his social media.
"Well, No. 2 went to the Spartans, no surprise. No. 3 went to the Rockers, didn't see that one coming. No. 5 went over to the Knights. No. 11 went to the Aliens. Yeah, nothing about the Beasts." (Kent)
Leonz was curious about something.
"What about No. 1? Is he still injured?" (Leonz)
"Well, I don't know. His Social Media doesn't say anything about high school, so I have no idea." (Kent)
"That's that, then." (Leonz)
"Surely he had gone over to one of the elite schools." (Kent)
"Probably. No way he didn't get any offers." (Leonz)
"Yeah, I mean, he was the middle school MVP. He could have won the Championship if he did get injured during the Finals too. He probably went to the Devils or the Knights, hell, maybe he teamed up with No. 2 to play for the Spartans." (Kent)
"That'd be unfair." (Leonz)
Kent looked at his laptop before looking back at Leonz.
"The Spartans are looking really sharp, I don't think your journey to the top is gonna be easy." (Kent)
"I can do it." (Leonz)
"Nah, it ain't about you anymore. It's about the team around you. You've seen how trash they play." (Kent)
"I just need one guy. Someone like… you remember when I played the half-court game? Someone like the dude with the piercings, or the dude with the shooting sleeve. If I got a teammate like that, I could take on the Spartans any day." (Leonz)
"That's big talk man. The Spartans have one of the most well-rounded team there is. Just looking at the sophomores and seniors,!they're already Championship contenders. Adding top tier talent in No. 2, who knows how good they'll be next year." (Kent)
Leonz had to admit that he was getting slightly concerned for his future. Playing against all the top teams seriously in a professional match, Leonz was worried if he would even be a match. In the half-court game he played, he had gotten completely exposed on defence by Sleeve.
"I'll manage." (Leonz)
"I wish you the best of luck man. But if you ever fail, I'll be there for ya." (Kent)
"Sometimes I wonder if you're unironically trying to be homoerotic." (Leonz)
They managed to laugh cheerfully with one another. They were going to enter Zodiac Academy together as Freshmen, and as good friends. Whatever happens to Leonz on his journey to the top of high school basketball, it was going to happen. Leonz was ready to face it head on.
Somewhere else…
"Yes." (Boy)
There was a boy lying down on his bed. The room was dark and messy. In the house, the only person on it was the boy at the time. Along the walls, there were posters of basketball legends. Micheal Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and many others.
On the table laid several awards that simply rested there, collecting dust. Some of them sports related, others not as much.
The boy held a phone to his ear, making a call.
"Yes." (Boy)
Pause
"I am aware, yes." (Boy)
Pause
"I'm fine now." (Boy)
He shifted, turning in his bed to look at a picture directly across from where he was. A pair of shoes laid messily on the ground, a worn out basketball in the corner.
"I won't regret this decision." (Boy)
He let out a sigh, slightly frustrated by the phone call.
"I don't care if I don't end up winning!" (Boy)
Pause
"Yes! Stop asking me this!" (Boy)
He held the phone to his ear for a few seconds, listening to what the person on the other side of the phone was saying.
"What I decide is what I want! Leave me the fuck alone!" (Boy)
He hung up the phone before pressing his forearm over his eyes. He felt tired, more tired than he should have been.
"What a pain…" (Boy)