Airball

Chapter 2 - I Attempt To Be Anti-Social

November 4, 2019.

The next morning, I woke up to the familiar sound of the alarm on my phone. I picked up my phone to check the time. 7:15. Monday. Perfect.

There were also several notifications waiting on my phone. A couple Snapchats I would forget to open, some new Twitter posts from Donald Trump (surprise), and a text from the school. I opened the text.

Tryouts for the basketball team are Monday of next week, after school. Sign up now in the main office.
Eric Hendrix - Basketball Coach
South Miami High School

I groaned. Tryouts were in a week. That meant I really would have to make up my mind soon. I had already said that I wouldn't be trying out, but it was more of me trying to convince myself to give the sport up than actually making a decision. I got ready for the day and walked downstairs to get lunch together for me and Liv.

I threw together sandwiches, strawberries, and bags of chips into Liv's pink lunchbox and the brown paper bag I use to carry my lunch. I've never used a lunchbox since it was easier to just throw everything away and I knew I'd never be able to keep up with it.

After the lunches were finished, I ate breakfast and let my dog, a small pug named Otis, out to eat his own breakfast. When he was done, I let him back inside out of the cold to roam around the house until my dad woke up and forced him to go out again.

Then I went back upstairs and checked Liv's room to make sure she was awake enough to have time to get ready before her bus arrived. Her light was already on, so I figured she would have enough time to make the bus. Then I got ready myself, slung my backpack around my shoulder, and headed out of the house.

And that's my normal morning.

I opened my Beats and paired them with my phone. Then I fit them on my head and started my daily jog to school.

And, no. My dad doesn't know that I jog to school everyday. As you've probably figured out, there's a lot of things I do that he doesn't know about. It's not because I'm a bad kid or anything, and it's not like I'm hiding anything from him. It's just that I really don't think he would care. So why would I tell him? Is that wrong? My dad thinks I signed up to take the bus, if he even thinks about how I get to school at all.

I like the exercise every morning. I like how it feels to run against the cool air. Maybe I should be on the track team.

When I got to school, I returned my Beats to its case and walked over to the regular meeting spot behind the school, where Cam and Nathan were waiting for me. I walked over to them and Cam and I did our complex handshake. I couldn't explain it to you, you wouldn't get it. It's our thing. After Cam and I are done, Nathan and I did our handshake. I could explain that one to you, but I don't feel like it. Again, it's our thing.

"Where's Max and Austin?" I asked.

Cam shrugged. "Not here yet."

Cam was the small forward and one of my best friends on the basketball team last year.

"Yo, you get the text about tryouts this morning?"

Nathan was another one of my friends from the basketball team. He played shooting guard, small forward, and backup point guard. He could sort of just fill in wherever he was needed. A handy guy to have on the team.

"Yeah," I told Nathan. "Next week."

"You ready?" asked Cam.

I didn't answer. I just smiled and nodded, trying to figure out a way to tell them that I wouldn't be trying out. So I was relieved when Max walked up, followed by Austin and two girls. The girls—Taylor and Teagan—I knew from middle school. They hung out a lot with us back then, but they mostly hung with their new girl friends nowadays. They parted ways with Max and Austin when they spotting some people they knew across the campus.