CHAPTER TWENTY
ALEX DAVALO
No touch of arrogance!
For the first time, I found myself unable to speak back or bully Nadia while she spoke in front of me. It was like someone had hit the mute button on my mouth. I just stood there, speechless, and I couldn’t tell why. Was it a shock? Annoyance? I wasn’t sure, but it was unnerving, to say the least.
I had been desperate to improve my basketball skills. I knew I had a lot of potential, but I wasn’t where I wanted to be. With the college’s big basketball competition coming up, I knew I had to step up my game. That’s why I joined the college basketball team. Phil, the captain, was all for it. He had put me on a different routine, something more intense, to whip me into shape ahead of the competition.
I’d been putting in the hours, working hard to get to the level I needed to be. The sessions were brutal, but I could feel myself improving. I didn’t have time for much else. It was all about basketball, making the team, and proving to everyone that I had what it took. I had my sights set on being a starter, and nothing was going to stop me. Or so I thought.
Once the exam period was over, I was finally allowed to join up with the main team for the regular practices. I was pumped. This was the moment I’d been waiting for-the chance to show everyone what I was made of, to take my place on the team, and to let everyone know I was a force to be reckoned with.!
As I walked into the gym, I felt that familiar rush of adrenaline, the kind that comes when you know you’re about to do something important. The team was already there, running drills, and I could see Phil over by the bleachers talking to someone.
I squinted, trying to make out who he was talking to. As I got closer, I realized with a jolt that it was Nadia. Of all people, why was she here? Nadia was the last person I expected to see in the gym, and seeing her talking to Phil like they were old buddies set my teeth on edge.
Nadia was that girl I loved to hate. She was too quiet, too serious, and she always had her nose buried in some book. She didn’t fit in with the rest of the crowd at college, and that made her an easy target.
And I didn’t miss any opportunity to remind her of how out of place she was. I took pride in it, honestly. Seeing her flustered and fumbling for words whenever I threw a sarcastic comment her way-was like a sport for me.
But today, things were different. I noticed the way she was standing-straight-backed, confident like she had nothing to hide. And that made me uncomfortable. Something wasn’t right.
I approached them, trying to catch what they were saying, but they were speaking too softly for me to hear. As I walked up, Nadia suddenly turned to leave, her face set in a determined expression. But before she left, she said something that shocked me to my core.
“I’m sorry, Phil, but I can’t be part of the team for the competition. Not with him on it.”
Her voice was clear, and it carried a finality that made my chest tighten. She didn’t even look at me when she said it. She just turned on her heel and walked away, leaving me standing there like an idiot.
For a second, I was too stunned to react. Nadia refused to be part of the team because of me. I felt a surge of anger bubbling up inside me. Who did she think she was, acting like she was too good to play on the same team as me? But deep down, I knew it wasn’t just anger. There was something else-something that felt a lot like guilt. I hated that feeling, so I pushed it down like I always did.
Once she was out of sight, I turned to Phil, who was still standing there, looking a bit lost. I took a deep breath and asked, trying to keep my voice steady, “So, is it just because of me that Nadia refused to be part of the team?”
Phil looked at me, his expression unreadable at first. But then he shook his head. “No, Alex, it’s not just that. Nadia’s got other things on her plate.”
I frowned, confused. “Other things like what?”
Phil sighed, running a hand through his hair. “She dropped out because she needs to work. She’s trying to raise enough money to pay her bills for the next session. She doesn’t think she can juggle both work and basketball, not when we have only a few weeks before resumption.”
That threw me for a loop. I hadn’t expected that. Nadia, working to pay her bills? I had thought about what her life might be like outside of school, but I didn’t know it was so bad to the point she would have to give up playing basketball.
Phil looked genuinely upset. “I wish I could help her, you know? She’s a great player, and we really can’t afford to lose her for the competition. She’s one of our best.”
I stared at him, my mind racing. Was Nadia that important to the team? I hadn’t realized she was such a big deal. All I’d ever seen her as was this quiet, bookish girl who was an easy target. But now… now things were different. If we lost her, it could seriously hurt our chances in the competition.
Without really thinking, I said, “You won’t lose her.”
Phil looked at me, surprise flickering in his eyes. “How? What do you mean?”
I shrugged, not sure where the words were coming from. “I don’t know yet. But you won’t lose her.”
Phil stared at me for a long moment, trying to figure out if I was being serious or just messing with him. But I was serious. Dead serious. Something had changed in me, even if I didn’t fully understand it yet.
After that, I just smiled and walked away, leaving Phil standing there with a puzzled expression. I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I knew I had to do something. And for the first time, I wasn’t thinking about basketball or proving myself. And I wasn’t thinking of bullying the girl from the slumps…
The rest of the practice passed in a blur. I went through the motions, but my mind kept drifting to Nadia-her determined look, the way she walked away like she’d had enough. I couldn’t shake the image from my head.
After practice, I tossed my bag into the backseat of my car and sat there for a moment, staring out the windshield. Why did I care? I wasn’t supposed to care. Yet the thought of her struggling to balance work and the sport she loved gnawed at me.
The drive home was quiet, but my thoughts were loud.
By the time I pulled into the driveway, I still had no answers. I went straight to my room, collapsing onto the bed. I didn’t like Nadia-that much was clear. But something about the way she handled everything on her own made me feel… something. I wasn’t sure what it was but it made me want to help her.
Not that it would stop me from bullying her.