Can The Player PLAY The Player?

Point 3.

A.M

Just who in the world did Zaid Brooks think he was?

Waltzing back into Northvale like he owned every single object in sight. 

It irked every part of me that he was just able to retain the glory as he did, and then the way he stared at me like he had something to say, unfinished business, if one would. It was nice enough that I had the throne for this long, but I was not going to let it go to someone like him. 

"Expect a text from Zaid," Natalia had told me this morning as we were cruising along in my sports car. "Ew, why? I don't want that," I snorted in disgust and she shrugged as if she didn't really care what I wanted. "You have every class with him. What better way to get reconnected with the school than the king of Northvale himself?" She raised a brow in a teasing manner and I sighed heavily, wondering if it was too late to walk off of a bridge.

I was the king, not him. 

What did I have to do to make everyone see that?

"I don't like him," I hissed, clenching the steering wheel tighter and Natalia just pinned me with a stare that told me that she didn't believe a thing I said. "Aaron, that's a lie and you know it," I went to retort and ask how she would know how I felt because the last time I checked, her name wasn't Aaron Elijah Moore, but she continued on. 

"You two were the best of friends growing up," I clenched my jaw taut and said nothing, not wanting to be reminded of that. "Hell, sometimes I think you still are," She murmured and I chuckled in disbelief, questioning what kind of lie that was. Natalia fell silent as I knew she was thinking and I wasn't going to provoke her because there was just no need to. I just didn't really want to talk about Zaid anymore. 

Especially after what happened freshmen year.

I wasn't going to dwell on it, I decided as I pulled into my designated parking spot outside of the school entrance. There was no need because I had zero intentions of repairing what was long gone.

School went by with a breeze as I was exempt from my first two classes of the day to go help make tutoring arrangements for those that needed it. Principal Townsend requested that I help the counselor do so as I was now the top 1 for the highest grade record in the school. That, and the fact that I had absences to use and I wasn't quite ready to deal with him.

Once the free hour came around at 12, I stopped what I was doing to head to the gym. Free hour every day was just like what recess was to little kids, but we spent it either eating, relaxing napping, or if you were on a sports team, you dedicated it to practice. I entered the locker room to see that it was empty, so I quickly changed into our blue, white, and black uniform to avoid being late.

I entered the gym from the side entrance, seeing our starters standing in front of the players on the bench in one line. I gritted my teeth, seeing that asshole standing there next to Owen, nodding to whatever the coach was saying. I just knew that whatever he was saying was not going to be good and as I got closer, my suspicion was confirmed.

"Welcome back, Brooks. You can now return to your position as Power Forward," Coach Johnson said and I could feel hot rage creeping up my spine as I stared in bewilderment. I had to work hard just to prove that I could be just as good as a Point Guard when I started out, but he could just waltz in after a while and it was handed to him like it was nothing?

No. That was not fair at all. 

"You little—"

"You might want to think twice about what you're going to say before I reconsider your role," The coach rook in my arrival and folded his arms, ignoring my slight growling as I clenched my hands. "Captain." I gritted my teeth, taking deep breaths to calm myself down as I stood next to a fellow player.