String of Fate

Chapter Fifty Four

I didn't see why our basketball team had to have a training weekend with the members of our biggest rival team. It was a stupid idea. They were from the other half of our school, which meant that we were really meant to be one big team that played under two different names just in the hopes that we would perform better. We were meant to get on well with each other and not be competitive at all, but that was not the case.

We actually hated each other. We fought because each team thought that they were the 'better team of the school', which was stupid because both teams were pretty even. Our 'friendly' matches were taken way too seriously and had even ended in a few sprained ankles, for both teams. We were all too competitive and hated to lose. Plus, we never spoke to each other more than necessary.

The only reason that we were going on this training weekend together was because it was too good of an opportunity to miss – we would be training for three days under the country's top league basketball team. For some of us, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity that was too good to pass up. It was too good for any of us to pass up, but the deal was that we all had to go together as one big team.

After all, the only way the teams had been able to get the funding was on the condition that both teams participated and went as one school team. I did not like the idea of spending a few nights under the same roof as the idiots from the other team, but needs must for this amazing chance.

Luckily, we had our own minibuses, so, we wouldn't need to travel with them. That was always a bonus. I didn't think that I could deal with being in the minibus with them for over three hours as we travelled around the country.

"What do you mean one of us will have to share a room with one of their team?" My teammate asked the coach after hearing the news in the lobby of the hotel after the three hour bus journey. We were all piled into the lobby of the hotel, our holdalls all slung over our shoulders as we tried to sort out the room situation.

"Well, there are an odd number of members on each team, eleven on theirs and nine on ours." The coach began explaining to us as the other coach was trying to explain to his team. "We have twelve rooms – one each for us coaches, five for their team, four for our team, and one room to be shared. The member of their team has already volunteered, sixth form captain Ethan Wyatt. I don't want to pick someone, so, I better get a volunteer."

The team was quiet for a little bit while they all hoped that someone else would volunteer. A part of me thought that it was a little annoying since we needed to get on with the actual training weekend. Well, no one else was volunteering and the coach was getting impatient. I rolled my eyes and raised my hand. "I'll go."

"Thank you, Tyler." The coach spoke, seeming grateful that at least one of us had volunteered. He headed back to the counter with the other coach and they picked up the keys before coming back to us. "Guys, follow me to the rooms."

We followed the coach through the hotel lobby and up the stairs to the second floor rooms, which just seemed to be an endless corridor with doors either side. At least we weren't that far from the stairs because I always seemed to think of hotels as mazes. The coaches had rooms 201 and 202. Our team occupied the next four rooms, and I was in room 207 with Ethan. I ignored the comment that Ethan's teammate made. "Wow, cap, you're sharing with Shorty."

"I'm sorry about what that guy said, he doesn't tend to think before he speaks. It would be really great if he had a filter sometimes. I suppose you can't help it that you're the shortest member of the team. It's not your fault that you missed the height gene in your DNA." Ethan said as we dumped our bags on the beds. I was a little grateful that he had just gone towards the bed that I hadn't picked. I didn't know how to reply to him, so, I didn't. I felt bad that I was probably going to make the weekend difficult for Ethan, but I didn't know how to have a proper conversation with any of that team because we had never actually gotten along since I had joined my team. "Look, Tyler, I hope that the two of us can get on with each other over the weekend."