Throughout the night and most of the following day, Lake tried to conjure a plan on how to convince his father to give him one more chance to play basketball.
He knew from the beginning that it wasn't going to be easy. His father was Senator Harold Everett! Convincing a politician was no easy feat.
Lake had seen it firsthand—his father's reputation for being as ruthless and uncompromising as they came.
He'd seen his father in the middle of heated debates, his eyes cold and steady, voice stern as it cut down opposition with sharp calculated words. Lake's father was a master tactician, one who left no room for weakness or sentimentality.
And now, here he was, hoping to convince that same man to let him pursue what the senator had always dismissed as a foolish dream.
Lake imagined that the news of his injury would be bittersweet for his father. On one hand, his son had suffered a terrible injury, and on the other, he could no longer play basketball.
The senator had finally gotten what he wanted even if it was by the hard way. Basketball, in Lake's father's eyes, was nothing more than a distraction, a game for those who lacked true ambition.
How could Lake possibly convince such a man?
Hana had already left for work early, as usual. It came with being the Japanese ambassador, she was always busy and away from home most days.
As for the house staff, they had been hovering around him all morning, treating him like he was made of glass, ready to shatter at the slightest touch.
They fussed over him, bringing him breakfast, adjusting his knee brace, offering to help with anything he needed. Lake hated it. He wasn't fragile. He was angry and frustrated maybe, but he wasn't broken.
To add to all his stress, his elder sister, Nancy, was due to return from university today, and Lake wasn't exactly looking forward to it.
Nancy was the golden child, the one who had followed their father's footsteps into law and politics, much to Senator Everett's pride. She was perfect in every way that mattered to their father, and she never hesitated to remind Lake of it.
Also she boasted of the best looks in the family, and Lake didn't bother to argue about it. Everyone else, especially his male friends seemed to think so too.
Lake wasn't exactly good looking, he was just an okay guy. What he had going for him was his height and his parents' money, and that was pretty much it. He wasn't a basketball player anymore, which was why Vanessa had broken up with him.
And though he tried not to dwell on it, the sting of that betrayal still lingered. What a skank!
By the time afternoon rolled around, Lake found himself in the living room, the knee brace snug around his injured leg.
He was flanked by his two best friends, Chums and Alex, who had dropped by to check on him and hang out. Lake's home being the biggest amongst the trio, was where they usually gathered to have meetings and some guys' time.
The friendship amongst the three went way back. Lake had just joined the Firefoxes and everyone else was giving him a tough time with the rumor that his father had bought him the spot in the team.
Chums was the first to stick up for Lake, especially against Hilton, who Lake had taken his spot. And when Alex joined the team a month later, trying to fit in, the trio had naturally gravitated toward each other.
Chums' real name was Charles Murray the Second, but he outspokenly hated the name Charles and told everyone to simply call him Chums.
He was the son of the basketball legend, Charles Murray the First, and all he wanted was to do something that made people stop comparing him to his father.
Chums' father had a major fall in the sport and almost tainted his image when he lost everything to a gambling addiction. Everyone used to tell Chums that he had great potential, but he should not squander it all like his father had.
Chums hated that they even made that comparison.
Chums was the second tallest in the team at 6 '6, he had a buzz cut that exposed the perfect shape of his chiseled face and jawline. His brows were thin and sharp and he was extremely fit.
If there was one thing Lake envied about Chums, it was his muscles!
Then there was Alex Castillo who was everyone's favorite boy. He was the shortest in the team, at the height of 5 '11, but what he lacked in height, he made up for in looks and charm.
With his curly hair, bright green eyes, and a smile that turned the girls crazy, Alex was the team's pretty boy, and he knew it.
Alex came from a struggling family and he was in the Academy on a scholarship. Basketball was his lifeline to do something great and help his family, he was very good at it.
Apart from his great basketball skills, another thing Alex had going for him was his charisma and his humor.
Which was why he'd had three girlfriends in the last four months!
He had decided to stop being such a man slut and concentrate on his basketball, especially after a huge controversial cat fight had happened amongst the cheerleaders when two of them found out that Alex was dating them both.
Coach Tanaka was not happy about that one bit.
Alex, Chums and Lake. They were an unlikely group of friends, but their dreams, even though stemming from separate reasons, were aligned.
They wanted to be the best and to win the State Cup.
In the large sitting room, they were eating popcorn and watching one of their favorite old basketball games on the large flat-screen TV.
It was a classic—one of those games they used to analyze and mimic back when Lake's only concern was getting better at his crossover dribble.
"Do you really think he's going to listen?" Chums asked after hearing Lake's plan to convince his father.
"I mean—not to be pessimistic, Lake. Because, I never am, but I know your dad," Alex said, filling his mouth with popcorn as his eyes stayed glued to the screen. "He's one tough cookie."
Lake sighed, knowing how right his friends were. "I know. But I have to at least try. I really don't want to get shipped off to medical school."
"First you have to convince him that you can recover from your injury. The doc did say you won't be able to play again."
"I can recover," Lake said with a knowing smile.
Chums and Alex both noticed this and looked at him with suspicious eyes.
"Lake?" Chums called.
"Yeah?"
"Is there something you're not telling us?" Alex asked.
"Huh?" Lake's face flushed with redness. "What? No, no. Of course not."
Chums and Alex glanced at each other, then shrugged in unison. "Alright."
'That was close. I'm not supposed to tell anyone about the system, right?'
"By the way, has Coach gotten a replacement for me, yet?" Lake asked, trying to change the subject.
"Yeah, Hilton is back in the team," Chums replied with a hiss of dismay.
"What?!" Lake's injury almost vanished as he attempted to explode from his seat. "He couldn't put Kaijo in?"
"I don't know, man. You know Coach always had a thing for Hilton. Remember how he kept looking for a way to fix him into the team even when you took his place."
Recalling how Coach used to treat him in his early days in the team, Lake frowned and slumped back on the couch. "Yeah, he was, wasn't he?"
Chums tossed a piece of popcorn into the air and caught it inside his mouth. "Anyway, we're still training for the next game. The Mavericks have been on a win streak, could be a tough match."
"Eh, we can handle it," Alex exchanged their signature handshake with him. "All we need is for Lake to convince his dad, get his surgery done, get better, and get back in the court."
Lake's face deflated. "I'm working on it guys."
Suddenly, they heard the doorknob of the front door twist, and the house staff seemed to be welcoming someone inside.
"Lakesy!" a feminine voice sang through the walls. "Lakesy!"
Lake's eyes widened. "Nancy."
Chums and Alex sat up straighter and turned to look at him. "Nancy? As in your sister?"
They instantly dusted the popcorn residue of their clothes, kept the bowl on the table away from them and took calm and collected poses on the sofa.
Lake raised a brow at his foolish friends. "Really?"
"Doctor Lakesy!" Nancy appeared in the sitting room with her hands on her hips. "What the hell happened to your leg!?"