Downfall of the nation's hero

Chapter 6

After the conditioning test, the rest of the pre-season can be considered quite manageable. Yes, running is still involved in every training session, but it's no longer pointless. What is the difference, you may ask? Well, it's no longer just running. It's running after a ball which adds a whole new purpose to it. Simple as that. No wonder dogs are so happy when someone plays fetch with them. It's refreshing to have the motivation to continue running, even if it's such a stupid one.

When sets are added, it becomes even more fun. Don't get me wrong, I love improvisation, especially on the floor, but not every player is made for it, and we, as a group, have been together only shortly, so not everyone gets what I'm trying to do and it often results in chaos. Sets are like the manual for the brainless to achieve some sort of symbiosis with the creative ones.

I've noticed how easy it has been for me to slip back into playing with Sophie. As if we never left that high school season. I can do literally anything and she knows where to stand to have an open shot or when she should cut to the basket. There's this connection between us that turns every single one of our offensive possessions into a beautiful symphony that almost always ends with a basket. Fox has, of course, noticed it. I mean, he would be a horrible coach if he didn't. I think that's the reason, why we play together a lot, and why certain sets rely on our mindreading abilities. Sophie is truly my favourite teammate and no one matches what we have going on. Well... almost no one.

The strange thing is that Ren and I might work even better. Yet we shouldn't. After the 'shower incident', I haven't been able to bring myself to look at her, let alone talk to her. She has seemed to be avoiding me as well, which I appreciate, but it definitely doesn't help the awkwardness. But somehow, all of this makes us a perfect match on the court. There's something special about playing with Ren Martin, and I don't like how it makes me feel. Because, unlike Sophie, Ren is also creative and gets me wide-open looks. She also loves to play hard on defense. Basically, she's me if I was a slightly worse shooter. But the tension... I really don't like the tension between us.

"What are you thinking about?" Sophie notices my absent-minded look.

"Nothing." I lie. It's easier than to admit that Ren lives in my mind rent-free.

Sophie rolls her eyes at me. She always sees right through me. "Riiight." The corners of her mouth twitch. "So that's what we're calling her right now?"

I jump at her, knocking her to the ground to make her shut up and the whole locker room goes silent. All eyes are now on us, but I only care about a single pair. Ren is staring at us with an arched eyebrow and a smirk on her face. I pray to God that she doesn't know what this circus is all about.

"Get off me, Mattie." Sophie shoves me away from her body. "Not in front of the others, jeez. Wait until we get home." She teases and everyone begins to laugh. Well... almost everyone. Ren's gaze gets cold and the smile that has been nearly as bright as the sun just a moment ago disappears. I search for any clues to find out what has caused this sudden change, but I find nothing. Ren avoids my looks, grabs her stuff, and heads out of the lockers.

Sophie gently nudges me with her elbow to my ribs. "Go get her." And before I try to protest, she adds: "Either you go, or I'm making the two of you share a room during our trip to Iowa. And I'm serious, Mattie, you know that I am."

So without a single hesitation, I run out of the room to chase after Ren. Who would have thought that I'd ever be doing this?

"Hey, Martin!" I call after her. "Hold up!"

Ren twitches when she hears my voice but doesn't stop walking. She only slows her pace down, allowing me to catch up to her with a little jog.

"What do you want, Matonis?" I wasn't expecting her to sound so... mad? But when she talks, I can basically feel the anger coming from her mouth. She also starts speeding up again as a form of I don't know what, but that makes me angry for instance.