Ryan's POV
Wednesday rolled in with a chill in the air and a nervous buzz spreading through the school halls. The moment Ryan stepped into the building, he could feel it—something different. Energy, excitement, tension.
As he made his way toward his locker, he noticed the flyers posted on every bulletin board and classroom door.
BASKETBALL TRYOUTS — MONDAY AFTER SCHOOL. ARE YOU READY?
Ben was already leaning against Ryan's locker, his backpack hanging off one shoulder, eyes wide with something between panic and excitement.
"You see this?" Ben said, tapping one of the flyers. "It's official. Tryouts. Monday."
Ryan gave it a glance, then looked back at him with a smirk. "You in?"
Ben hesitated. "I want to be. I haven't played in a while, though. Not since… things got complicated at home."
Ryan nodded. He understood that kind of silence. "You've got four days."
Ben snorted. "Four days and a miracle."
Ryan opened his locker, grabbed his books, and shut it with a quiet click. "Then we better start now."
Ben blinked. "Wait—seriously?"
"Why not?" Ryan said, adjusting his backpack. "After school. Every day. We hit the court, run drills, shoot around. Get you ready."
Ben looked at him like he wasn't sure if he was joking or not. "You'd really do that?"
"Wouldn't offer if I didn't mean it," Ryan replied, starting to walk down the hall.
Ben jogged to catch up. "You know… you're hard to read, man. One minute you're giving me the cold shoulder, the next minute you're like… a solid dude."
Ryan shrugged. "Don't get used to it."
They both laughed, and for a moment, the tension about tryouts faded.
"So," Ben said, grinning, "you think we can actually pull this off?"
Ryan glanced at him, then ahead. "We'll find out on Monday."
As they headed toward class, the buzzing energy of tryouts and the growing bond between them began to feel like something more than just high school drama.
It felt like the start of something real.