The Long Shot ✰ a.b.

3

✰ Adam Banks

Adam feels the cold wind of Minnesota nip him as he steps out of his family's limo. He watches his driver, Gary, open the door for his father to get out as well. Gary then walks to the back of the limo, unlocking the trunk, for Adam to reach his suitcase.

As he grabs his black suitcase, Adam feel his father's presence shift next to him. Mr. Banks stares at his son as he gathers his stuff together for his flight.

Right now, the team was meeting at the Minnesota airport, to fly out to Los Angeles, for the upcoming Junior Goodwill Games.

Once Adam closes the trunk, his father lets out a deep sigh, "Adam, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I don't want you to slack off at any point. Do you hear me?"

With a back is facing his father, Adam discreetly rolls his eyes. His father has always found a way to put more pressure on Adam than he already felt. It was an uncanny ability Adam has come to hate.

"Of course, I understand. I'm going to work as hard as I can, trust me." Adam says as he turns around to give his father a tight lipped smile.

Mr. Banks reaches out and puts a hand on his son's shoulder, squeezing it tightly.

"I mean it, Adam. There will be college scouts everywhere; they will be watching you from the second you arrive. Don't blow this for us." The busy business man sternly tell his son, while giving him a harsh look through the black shades he's sporting.

Adam simply nods, not knowing what much else his father wants from him, "I promise."

Mr. Banks raises his eyebrows, and takes off his dark shades, looking Adam dead in the eye, "You promise, what?"

"I promise, Sir."

To say Adam and his father don't have a loving son and father relationship is an understatement. Adam's father treats him as if he's one of the many employees at his father's business. Mr. Banks is a CEO, and to Adam's discontent, he continues to act like one 24/7, even at home.

"Alright, well get going. You're going to miss the flight." Mr. Banks says stoically, as he gives his son a concise nod, walking back into his limo.

Gary kindly gives Adam a sympathetic smile, and precedes to also get in the vehicle. The blonde teen watches as the limo zooms off to wherever his father needs to be at the moment.

Once the black car is out of Adam's sight, he lets out a breath that he hadn't even realized he was holding. Adam turns himself around, rolling his expensive suitcase and holding his brand new team USA bag. He heads into the airport, hopeful to find his team.

Adam doesn't expect anything different when it comes to his father's attitude; it always has and will be strictly business.

✰ Grace Hills

"I know this might sound stupid, but I'm terrified of planes. I've never been on one before, am I going to die? Do you think it could possible crash?" Connie freaks out to Julie and Grace as the team sits in the terminal, waiting for their flight to Los Angeles to board.

Grace laughs at her friend's naiveness, and tries to relax her nerves, "Connie, I've been flying on planes my whole life and they're perfectly safe. Don't worry about it."

"But—but, I mean anything could happen in the span of the three hour trip." The brunette argues, as she holds a frightened face.

Grace can't help but smile at the genuine fear her friend seems to posses, "Three hours will go by quickly, trust me. A couple summers ago my family and I traveled to China for a vacation, and that flight was fourteen hours long! Three hours is a piece of cake."