After Ace's dad told him to leave the house, Ace didn't know what to do at that moment. But he saw that his father was serious, so without any argument, he left the house.
When he left the house, he took his phone, opened his playlist, and started playing Juice WRLD. Then, quickly, he looked at the group he was added to and saw from the profile pictures that everyone was on the team. He put two and two together and realized that "Big Ticket" was probably the team name. Although Ace didn't know where he was going, he started walking towards the city. At this moment, Ace still wasn't fully aware of what happened, and since he couldn't return home, everything felt like a dream, so he wasn't worried yet. The night atmosphere with a starry sky and a moon casting a sliver of light, combined with the music playing in his headphones, pulled him away from reality. Even though the situation was serious, he wasn't stressed. Ace had no one to call for help; the only person who might help was Hao, since his school friends were unlikely to help him. So, Ace, lost in thought, started walking towards the city on foot, as no buses ran at this late hour, not thinking about where he would sleep that night.
The scene shifts to Vinny, who answered the call.
Vinny: "Hello?"
Unknown Person: "Hey Vinny, I know it's late, but I assumed you're awake. Can you come over to our meeting spot? We haven't seen each other in a while."
Vinny: "Sure, I'll come. Just grab a shirt for me from your place since mine is all sweaty from training. I'll let you know when I get to our spot."
Unknown Person: "Sure."
Vinny ended the call and started walking towards the neighborhood at the edge of the city. Although he was near the center, he couldn't take a bus since none ran this late, so he began walking.
As Vinny headed towards the meeting spot, Ace slowly started to return to reality and received a reality check.
Ace's thoughts: "Where am I going? I can't possibly sleep under a bridge. Who could I ask for help? The only person who might help is Hao. I have nothing to lose; I'll ask him if I can stay at his place or I'll have to sleep under a bridge. I have no other options."
So Ace took out his phone and sent Hao a message: "I have a problem. Could I stay at your place tonight?" While waiting for Hao's response, he continued walking towards the city.
As time passed, Vinny finally approached the agreed destination and saw a person sitting in a gazebo through the darkness. He got closer and saw a person about 6.8 feet tall, wearing an oversized shirt and designer shorts, completed with a buzz cut and a neck tattoo. When Vinny came into his line of sight, the unknown person nodded in greeting. Once Vinny got close enough, they did their signature handshake, and Vinny said:
Vinny: "What a coincidence, both you and Alvaro arrived from America on the same day."
Bob responded while handing Vinny the shirt he brought: "I know, we were supposed to come together, but I had some obligations, so I had to book a different flight. I tried to call all of you, but Daniel said you were at some scrimmage and wouldn't make it, so I called each of you one by one, and you were the only one who answered."
Vinny: "I know we played against some midget and Hao. You probably don't know him, but he's a good guy. Actually, we signed up for some Summer League, and that midget caused a problem, so Alvaro played scrimmage against them so they can stay on the team. Long story. What do you say about joining us? We haven't played together since the day you and Kobbie had that argument, but that was two years ago. Maybe you can reconcile, and we really need another player since that midget is nerfing us badly. If he ever gets on the court, he'll just create mismatches."
The scene shifts back two years into the past to a same gazebo where Bob, Alvaro, and Vinny were talking about life and how Bob, Alvaro, and Kobbie were going to America after the school year and their school basketball tournament.
Alvaro: "Where's Kobbie? He said he'd be here half an hour ago. He should have finished work by now."
Vinny: "He's probably stuck at work or on the bus. It's not like we're doing anything special, just chilling. We can wait for him."
Bob was sitting quietly, thinking. Since he was closest to Kobbie, he knew why Kobbie was late but said nothing, as he promised Kobbie he wouldn't tell anyone.
Soon enough, Kobbie arrived and said:
Kobbie: "I'm here. There was a traffic jam, so the bus was delayed."
Alvaro: "Finally! Look what I found - a great apartment for two in Miami for us when we go there."
Kobbie casually said: "I have to tell you, I'm not going to America."
This shocked Alvaro, while Bob just stood up.
The scene returns to the present, with Bob nonchalantly replying to Vinny: "You know we agreed not to mention that argument, but that's a minor issue now. I didn't know you guys would form a team and register."
Vinny: "It's a long story. Hao persuaded me, and we managed to put together a team. What's a bigger problem than your argument?"
Bob: "Well, I'm already on a team. Our D1 team received an offer from a sponsor to participate in the Summer League, so I'm really sorry I can't play with you, even though I'd like to. We're still like brothers. But it's not just our D1 team that got a sponsor offer; most youth teams did as well. So, if you want to achieve something in this tournament, I'd recommend preparing well."
While they were talking, Vinny noticed something in the distance.