Kisses of Fire (boyxboy)

Chapter 1 - Private School Kids Are Weird

Not a day went by where Cooper Adams wasn't practicing. He had to; his dad was the coach, so he was always pushed to do his best. It paid off though, between playing on his schools basketball team and playing in clubs, he was one of the best basketball players at Austin Heights High School, and freshman year hadn't even started.

Before, he would sometimes help his dad with practice by running drills with the team. He always impressed everyone. His dad was proud. The end goal was to go pro, and if he stayed on the path he was on, he would surely make it.

Every year, the high school sports organization held a faux practice and scrimmage. It was two days of teams watching each other to see what they're going up against, and on the second day, scrimmaging against one of them.

"Are you nervous about tomorrow?" Cooper's dad asked, getting into position. They were practicing for tomorrow's practice.

"No, not really. Are the other teams good?" Cooper wasn't nervous, but he always liked to be mentally prepared for anything.

His dad bounced the ball before holding it on his hip. "Well, all I can tell you is that Concordia won last year's Championship."

Cooper rolled his eyes, "Why did they have to let the private schools in this year?"

For the first time, the program had to let in the local private school, Concordia Academy, because they got kicked out of their organization for recruiting players from around the world. Playing with public schools was basically a punishment for them, and Cooper personally thought that was stupid. He didn't understand why they would mix public and private schools. They were for sure going to make fun of the public schools for not being on their level, and it bugged Cooper.

Bouncing the ball again, his dad got ready to pass him the ball. "Hey, don't worry about it, I know you think it'll be tough, but it's nothing you can't handle. Now go left."

Cooper did so, catching the ball and shot it in the hoop, "I know, but we've barely practiced as a team, and yet here we are."

Catching the ball, he goes to dribble while his dad starts to guard him, "Think about it this way; they're in the same position as you. You're going up against other Freshman's who barely know each other too. It's a regular practice, but you need to impress; you're going up for captain, so you need to show your teammates your leadership and skills. I know it, but do they?"

Smacking the ball out of his hand, his dad goes to shoot and score.

"I know." He said, starting to feel nervous.

. . . .

The next day, he and his dad got there early for set up, and an hour later, when the different schools started to arrive, he looked around, seeing the other teams getting their assigned shirts with their school colors. He went to the bright red table that read Central Heights High School to get his, and while he started getting ready, he heard his friends come up to him.

"I hope we play against the private school. I really want to beat them." That was his friend Miles. The two of them have been best friends since pre-k and been captain and co-captain since middle school.

"I don't know about y'all, but I'm ready to cook them up some next-level fire!" His friend Jason said enthusiastically.

Their friend Parker rolled his eyes and got ready, lacing up his shoes. "Next level fire? I'd try hard to make sure you don't let the ball go with your butter fingers."

Cooper just lightly laughed them off, focused on stretching.

"Alright," His dad yells, clapping his hands and waiting for the boys to gather around on one side of the court. "I need JV and Varsity on one side and freshman on the other, so I can do roll-call." He then went on about how the next two hours were going to be. "Also, be prepared because you will be picking your captains and co-captains at the end." Cooper couldn't help but notice how his dad glanced at him while saying that.