In a world divided between the gifted and the non-gifted, Raheem Sterling, Hiroki McKenzie's best friend, stood tall among the chosen. His prowess in football, basketball, and track and field marked him as a natural-born king of sports. Meanwhile, Hiroki lingered in the shadows of the non-gifted, unable to save his life in any sport. This is the tale of how Raheem and Hiroki, unlikely comrades, rose to ascendancy in the realm of lacrosse.
"Lacrosse is often dubbed a football rip-off, but how can it be when it produces gods like Mika Johnson?" Raheem, a Trinity First Year student and Hiroki's best friend, spoke with infectious enthusiasm. "She's the first high schooler to play for a club region at 18 and has scored 29 goals since."
"And you're really into lacrosse?" Hiroki asked, intrigued by Raheem's newfound passion.
"Yes, and it's not just her. Joshua Lakwa, the man with the highest goal count since Brandon Hunter, stands at 63 goals, while Mr. Hunter, still playing, has a goal count of 57," Raheem explained.
"Did you say 'Keekee'?" Hiroki interrupted, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
"Yes, she's the new coach for the school. I can't wait to meet her," Raheem said with starry-eyed anticipation.
They entered the auditorium, taking their seats as a man on the stage introduced himself as Principal Karl Jackson. He hinted at a special guest, sparking a ripple of excitement through the crowd.
TEP! TEP! TEP! A woman in her early twenties stepped onto the stage. Short brown hair framed her face, and she wore a short black skirt with a white long-sleeve shirt, exuding confidence and a touch of mystery.
"No way."
"Is that Keekee?"
"Damn, she's pretty."
"Not to mention sexy."
"I can't believe she's here in front of me. Didn't she used to come to this school too?" Raheem whispered.
"Oh, so that's Keekee," Hiroki thought to himself. "She's younger than I thought."
"Don't tell me you didn't know what she looks like, D-man," Raheem teased.
"What gave you that idea?" Hiroki replied.
"Your reaction."
Hiroki chuckled. "Oh, should I have said, 'Oh my God, I can't believe it's Keekee,' while clutching my chest?"
"Relax, dude. Don't mock her or her fans," Raheem advised.
"Right," Hiroki acknowledged.
"Alright, everyone, please be quiet," Mika Johnson, also known as Keekee, the world's #1 female lacrosse player, called for their attention.
Raheem gave Hiroki a nudge. "See, see, I told you, didn't I?"
"You did," Hiroki agreed.
"Huh? Raheem is acting differently. She is his hero, after all," Hiroki mused silently.
"When I was going to school here, I was taught to play lacrosse by the world's greatest coach. Unfortunately, we didn't win, and we didn't even make it far in the U-20 School Cup. But I'm here now to change that. We will go to the finals and win. So please, if you're interested in lacrosse, please join," Keekee declared.
TEP! TEP! TEP! She turned around and walked off the stage.
The principal stopped her backstage. "Do you really think they can win the U-20 School Cup?" he asked.
"No, I don't. I know they can win with my help. We will show this world that Trinity isn't just good in football and netball or in academics," Mika confidently asserted.
"Are you going to join?" Hiroki asked Raheem.
"Nah, what about you?" Hiroki inquired.
"Yeah, dude," Raheem replied.
"No way," Hiroki protested.
"It's going to be too hard for me, though, if you don't join," Raheem pointed out.
"But wait, isn't lacrosse a rip-off of football?" Hiroki questioned.
Raheem got up fast, ready to react, but Hiroki held him back and forced him to sit back down. "Chill out."
"!?"
The tension between Raheem and Hiroki lingered momentarily, but the school bell's chime prompted a truce.
"Let's not fight over this now. Let's go to class." said Hiroki
Exiting the classroom, Raheem nudged Hiroki, persisting in his inquiry about lacrosse.
"Hmm, nah. I'm not good at sports, remember?" Hiroki deflected.
"Who knows? Maybe this one is for you," Raheem insisted.
"Let me guess, you want my company?" asked Hiroki
"Yes." said Raheem
"Don't worry; I'll wait for you. Speaking of waiting, where's the lacrosse gym, anyway?" Hiroki asked.
"They did say it's the new big one," Raheem replied.
After a bit of exploration, they discovered the massive lacrosse gym.
"Wow, it's huge," Hiroki marveled.
"I know," Raheem agreed.
Upon entering, they drew the attention of everyone present. Mika, the coach, emerged from a room and welcomed them to the lacrosse gym, outlining the training areas.
"Aren't you joining lacrosse too?" Mika asked Hiroki, who hesitated.
"Oh, no." said Hiroki
"Why not?" asked keekee
"Because I'm not like my parents. I'm bad at sports. Really bad," Hiroki confessed.
"Who are your parents?" Keekee inquired.
"Rihanna Mckenzie and Nathaniel Mckenzie." said Hiroki
The revelation sent shockwaves through the room.
"Did you hear that he's their son?"
"No way he must be lying."
"I'm saying."
"Your parents are them, the current world's best football and netball players," keekee acknowledged.
"Yes," Hiroki confirmed.
"So, that explains why his eyes are like that. The moment I saw him in the auditorium, something was bothering me," keekeethought to herself.
"No matter if you're bad, please join for now at least," she urged Hiroki.
"Yeah, come on, bro," Raheem chimed in.
"Fine." Hiroki yielded, walking over to where the others were gathered.
"As I was saying, there are 50 of you, and I will train all of you, but only 10 can be on my field with 4 subs. So, go home, get some rest; tomorrow is going to be hell. Bring some clothes to train in too," Keekee announced, setting the stage for the lacrosse journey ahead.