On and Off the Court

VI

Dilemma

—

Adonis

As I watched Imani effortlessly sink her shots in during tryouts, a storm brewed within me. She was good—no, scratch that—she was damn good, and I hated to admit it.

"Man, Did you see Imani's jumper?" James exclaimed, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Yeah, she's actually not as bad as I thought she would be," Alec added, nodding in agreement.

I clenched my jaw, trying to push down the surge of frustration bubbling inside me. It wasn't fair. I'd worked my ass off to earn my spot on the team, and now this girl comes along and threatens to steal my spotlight.

But as much as I wanted to sabotage her chances, I knew I couldn't. Coach had made it clear that tryouts were fair game, and I couldn't risk getting caught by pulling some sneaky shit. So I swallowed my pride and let her do her thing. And damn, she was too good at it.

When the final whistle blew, Coach called us back to the center of the court for a final debrief. "Alright, everybody," his voice boomed over the court, commanding our attention. "Good work out there. I'll be posting the cuts first thing in the morning outside my office on the board for you all to see. I've made my choice, and there won't be a second tryout. Don't be discouraged if you don't make the cut. There's always a next time."

As we dispersed, Coach's voice cut through the air once more, calling out names that made my stomach drop. "Adonis, Alec, Ethan, Issak, and Nathan. I need you guys to come with me. I have to talk to you in my office.

Leaving our belongings behind in the gym, we followed coach through the halls towards his office, Alec and Ethan shooting me questioning glances that I brushed off with a shrug. As we entered the office, Coach settled into his chair, exhaling deeply before speaking. "Don't worry, guys. You're already on the team."

Relief flooded through me at his words. "And remember, keep your grades and attendance up for this semester. I can't risk pulling my best players off my team."

"Of course, coach. We got this," Alec reassured, echoing the sentiments of the group.

Coach's tone shifted, his expression serious. "Oh, and one more thing," he said, his gaze landing on each of us in turn. "I've decided to put Imani on the team as a guard."

My blood ran cold as I processed his words. Imani? On the team? As a guard?

"What the fuck?" The words slipped out before I could stop myself, earning a sharp look from the coach, but I couldn't bring myself to care. This was bullshit. I was the starting point guard, and now there was a chance she could take my spot as a starter.

"She's good, Adonis," Ethan interjected, attempting to ease the tension. "You gotta admit it."

"Yeah, I hate to say it, but she's better than most of us," Alec added, shooting me a sympathetic look.

Gritting my teeth, I struggled to contain my anger. This wasn't how it was supposed to go down. I was supposed to be number one, not some girl that just came out of nowhere.

But deep down, I knew fighting it would be futile. Coach had made his decision, and I had no choice but to deal with it. Whether I liked it or not, Imani was now part of our team, and I had a sinking feeling she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Fuming with anger and disappointment, I stormed out of the office, leaving the others behind. Snatching my belongings from the gym and the boys' locker room, I made my way home, the weight of Coach's decision heavy on my mind.

The unease gnawed at me, refusing to let go. How was I supposed to share the spotlight with someone who hadn't earned it like I had? And what if she turned out to be better than me? The mere thought sent a chill down my spine.

As much as I tried to push these doubts aside, they lingered like a shadow, casting a dark cloud over my confidence. Only time would tell how this would all play out, but one thing was for sure—I wasn't going down without a fight.