First day of Club practice: Complete
Leonz felt dead tired after the practice. He had done practices of his own, but nothing ever felt like what he had just experienced.
The people around him seem to also suggest the same thing, all of them tired.
Coach Dom clapped his hands loudly.
"Alright, everyone go home and have a good rest. Eat and drink plenty, but make sure it's healthy. I'll see y'all the day after." (Coach Dom)
Club practices were on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
"Yes, Coach!" (Basketball Boys)
A bunch of them started leaving. They had already showered and changed, they simply took their bag and left.
Leonz stayed behind.
"What is it?" (Coach Dom)
"Uh… just wanted to ask when the practice match is, since you never told us the date." (Leonz)
"Against the Jesters? Oh, it's next week." (Coach Dom)
"And you haven't told the rest of them?" (Leonz)
"I forgot about that. But also, think of it this way. If I don't tell them, and they start slacking, they'll learn how to start working their ass off everyday." (Coach Dom)
"Coach! Got the keys!" (Joseph)
Coach Dom gave Joseph a thumbs up before looking back at Leonz.
"You play the 2, yeah?" (Coach Dom)
"Yes." (Leonz)
"Aren't you a little short compared to most of the Shooting Guards out there? Haven't you considered playing Point Guard?" (Coach Dom)
"We'll, my middle school team already has a Point Guard, and I'm not too good with bringing the ball up the court either." (Leonz)
"You're a catch and shoot kinda guy?" (Coach Dom)
"Yes." (Leonz)
Coach Dom nodded and wrote something down.
"I'll take note of that." (Coach Dom)
The coach looked back at Joseph, who was speaking to a few members of the Girls Team about whether it was alright for him to keep the equipment.
Coach Dom sighed.
"This team has a lot to work on." (Coach Dom)
"How so?" (Leonz)
Coach Dom pointed at Joseph.
"What kind of Point Guard do you think that guy is?" (Coach Dom)
"A good passer?" (Leonz)
"That idiot loves lobbing to Crox. Granted, it's a good strategy, considering how well he throws those lobs. But when the big guy isn't there, our Point Guard can barely play." (Coach Dom)
Coach Dom then pointed at Leonz.
"Then there's these two freshmen. Monegotomy is good individually, but I doubt he works well on a team. Worse yet, the only person he seems to talk to is you. What the hell is up with two duos in our team?" (Coach Dom)
Coach Dom sighed and shrugged.
"Well, with a bit of experience, I think it'll be fine. Who knows, maybe next year, we'll finally be able to make it to the playoffs." (Coach Dom)
"We aren't finally making it next year. We'll go to the playoffs this year, and we'll win the Championship." (Leonz)
Coach Dom nodded and walked past Leonz, patting his chest as he walked by.
"We'll see how it goes. For now, Lovehart, go home and rest well." (Coach Dom)
Leonz took one last look at the basketball courts, almost no one left in the gym. The only people were the two coaches and the two captains.
Leonz turned around and left the gym with his bag, feeling more fatigued than ever.
He took a step out, staring at the sky that was starting to glow orange.
When he stepped out, he felt someone grab his shoulder.
"Boo!" (Madelyn)
Leonz jumped away, startled.
"What the hell!" (Leonz)
Madelyn laughed before putting her hands together.
"Sorry, sorry, just thought it would be funny if I did that." (Madelyn)
"It wasn't." (Leonz)
Leonz looked to the side and saw a familiar figure. He pointed at the figure.
"Yeah, my friend's waiting for me, I think. Guess I'll head off first." (Leonz)
"Sureee, I'm waiting for the captain anyway. My captain though, not yours." (Madelyn)
Leonz waved goodbye before walking up to the person who sat on a bench some distance away, looking at his phone.
Leonz smacked the back of his head.
"What the hell!" (Kent)
"Nice of ya to wait for me." (Leonz)
Kent stared back at his phone and groaned.
"I was about to three crown some mofo before you interrupted me, jackass." (Kent)
"Whatever, you still won." (Leonz)
Kent sighed and got onto his feet, slipping his phone into his pocket.
"My club just ended anyways, so I thought it would have been alright if I waited for you. If you had taken another ten minutes, I would've left ages ago." (Kent)
They started walking.
"You should've just gone ahead. My Club ends pretty late. Speaking of which, what Club are you in now?" (Leonz)
"I got into the IT club. It's pretty boring, to be honest." (Kent)
"I think you would do well in the go-home Club." (Leonz)
"Unfortunately the Go-Home Club was disbanded two years ago, so I can't join it." (Kent)
"Sucks, doesn't it?" (Leonz)
They walked with a few seconds of silence between them.
"What d'ya think of the Basketball Club?" (Kent)
"I think we got a good chance, actually. I've only seen the PG and C play, but everyone else seems chill. Asher doesn't talk much, but I think he ain't that bad of a person." (Leonz)
"You still sticking to the #22?" (Kent)
"Ya know it. I've been wearing #22 since I started balling. And yooo, the jersey is fire." (Leonz)
"Show it to me man." (Kent)
Leonz pulled his sweaty jersey out to show the design.
"Smells like shit." (Kent)
"It does not! I sprayed deodorant on it." (Leonz)
"I just found out why it smells like shit then." (Kent)
They laughed once again before Leonz shoved the jersey into his bag.
"The school ain't half bad, eh?" (Kent)
"Yeah, it's actually really cool. At least, from what I've seen." (Leonz)
"You should check out the theatre. Holy hell, that place is massive!" (Kent)
"Seriously? Gotta check it out one day." (Leonz)
Kent nodded.
Another pause.
"I've seen you with a girl quite a bit. School just started and you already got yourself one?" (Kent)
"Nah bro. We're friends and that's about it." (Leonz)
"Is she your type though?" (Kent)
"What the hell man. I ain't answering that." (Leonz)
Kent laughed, looking forward again. Leonz looked at his best friend's expression.
"If ya got something to say, say it. You've been really weird since we started talking." (Leonz)
"Weird? How so?" (Kent)
"Normally, you would've started talking 'bout basketball." (Leonz)
"I guess?" (Kent)
Kent took a deep breath and stopped where he stood.
He scratched the back of his head as Leonz came to a stop too, the sky starting to turn darker.
"Um… I've been holding off on telling you about this. Since, y'know, we're best friends and all." (Kent)
"Are you about to confess to me?" (Leonz)
"What? Hell no! This is serious." (Kent)
Leonz remained silent.
"I enrolled into Zodiac Academy, and it's been nice and all, but something came up with my family recently… Nothing you need to worry about, my dad just got a job somewhere else. But, y'know, the place'll be a bit far from here, so…" (Kent)
Leonz almost dropped his bag.
"So you're telling me you're transferring out?" (Leonz)
"Yeah, basically." (Kent)
"Can your dad, like, not?" (Leonz)
Leonz did not know what words to say.
""No, he has to go or he'll likely lose his job…" (Kent)
Leonz calmed himself down, trying to be rational about it.
"Where will you be headed?" (Leonz)
"City A*, most likely." (Kent)
* They're currently in City E, quite far
"That far? What about your stuff? What about school?" (Leonz)
"We'll, it's been in the works for several days now, my family is ready to move too." (Kent)
"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" (Leonz)
"It's hard telling this shit to friends, okay?" (Kent)
Leonz took a deep breath and nodded. He walked up to Kent and patted his shoulder.
"Are you alright with it?" (Leonz)
"I guess? It's not like I'm being sold. Though I hate the part of going to another place entirely." (Kent)
"If you're alright with it, then I am too." (Leonz)
Kent nodded.
"Besides, even if you go somewhere else, it's not like we can't hang out still. I'll find time to visit ya during the holidays." (Leonz)
"Yeah…" (Kent)
They continued walking again, both of them silent, not knowing what they were going to say.
Eventually, the silence was broken.
"Um… just something I wanted to tell you." (Kent)
"What is it?" (Leonz)
"The Finals for High school… they'll be hosting it in the Caesar Stadium, the big stadium in City A. If you make it to the Finals, if the Zodiac Beasts make it to the Finals, I'll make sure to buy front row tickets and cheer you on." (Kent)
Leonz cracked a smile, though more sad than usual.
"Then I'll make it to the Fianls then." (Leonz)
The two of them shook hands.
"Not just get there though. I don't want the team I'm rooting for to just lose." (Kent)
"Which game will you be going to though? Ain't the payoffs a best of five?" (Leonz)
"I'll go on the third game, the game deciding one." (Kent)
"Aight, bet." (Leonz)
They split ways, each heading to their houses. It was going to be a long time before they manage to see each other again.
"I'm winning the Championship this year! I'm going to the top, and no one's gonna stop me!" (Leonz)
Kent waved back one last time to him.