Chapter 44: Training Day

Wilt PoV

I smiled as Loxus and I made our way to the gym. Today would be our first day of proper training with the team. I couldn't wait to see Yosiah again. I had seen him a few times after he graduated high school, usually whenever Sis invited him over for dinner with the family.

"Hey, little bro!" a familiar voice called out.

I gasped as I was suddenly yanked into a hug.

"V-Vanessa!" I said, my voice muffled by her shoulder.

She giggled as she finally released me. "I've missed you, little bro!" she said, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

I felt my cheeks heat up under her amused gaze. Vanessa had always had a knack for embarrassing me, even in public.

"I has only been a few days since I moved into the dorms, Sis," I muttered.

A snicker from my side drew my attention to Loxus. He was grinning broadly, clearly enjoying my discomfort.

Before I could retort, I noticed Yosiah standing behind Vanessa. He was also trying to contain his laughter, finding my predicament amusing.

"Hey, Wilt," Yosiah greeted, his voice filled with mirth.

I groaned inwardly but managed a weak smile. "Hey, Yosiah."

Despite my embarrassment, a rush of excitement coursed through me at the prospect of playing with Yosiah again. I had always admired Yosiah's skills on the court and looked up to him.

"Ready for your first day of training with the team?" Yosiah asked, his laughter subsiding.

I nodded, pushing aside the lingering embarrassment. "Yeah, I am."

"Good." He clapped me on the shoulder. "But don't think it'll be a walk in the park. This isn't high school."

I crossed my arms and snickered. "I know that! I joined the guys trying out to get the vibe."

Vanessa ruffled my hair. "You do know it'll only get tougher, right?"

I grumbled. "Yeah, yeah. No pain, no gain, right?" I replied, trying to smooth my hair back into place.

Vanessa simply laughed, her eyes twinkling with amusement. I frowned at her, but she only laughed harder.

Just as I was about to retort, a familiar figure made his way towards us. Drew.

"Drew," I greeted, my tone neutral. His gaze met mine for a moment, an unreadable expression in his eyes. 

"Drew, this is Yosiah. Yosiah, Drew," I introduced, gesturing between the two of them. I glanced at Sis. "And this is my big sis, Vanessa."

"Nice to meet you, Drew," Yosiah said, extending a hand towards him. 

Drew shook his hand. "Likewise." He smiled slightly at my sister. "Same with you, miss."

Sis chuckled. "Aren't you a gentleman. Yosiah and you should teach Wil some manners."

I grumbled. Manners from Drew? Guy managed to lack more in tact than me. Also, who was Sis to say that? Her manners were as good as mine!

An awkward silence followed, broken only when Loxus cleared his throat. "Well, we should probably head to the gym now."

I nodded, turning to Yosiah, and Drew. "Ready to get started?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Drew replied nonchalantly. 

With that, we made our way to the gym. 

"Hey," Natasha yelled, waving at us. She held a clipboard in her arm.

Loxus blinked. "Natasha? What are you doing here?"

I smiled. "Natasha is working as our manager."

Natasha gave Loxus a little nod. "I'll be helping out with the team's schedule, logistics, and other managerial stuff."

He blushed a little. "T-that's cool."

I turned towards Drew, who was eyeing Natasha with a curious expression. "Drew, this is Natasha. Natasha, Drew."

"Nice to meet you, Natasha," Drew said, extending his hand.

"Likewise," Natasha replied, shaking his hand.

As the introductions wrapped up, the gym started to fill up with players. The atmosphere was buzzing with energy and the noise level rose with each new arrival. 

Drew and I gasped as we saw a familiar figure in back of the gym, throwing hoops by himself. It was Sylvester. 

"Sylvester? What are you doing here?" I asked, smiling as I ran over to him.

He turned around and gave me a shy smile. "The coach told me to come."

I blinked. "He did?" I burst into laughter. "Maybe he wants you to join the team!"

Drew scoffed as he joined us. "Sylvester will only hold us back."

Sylvester lowered his head.

I glared at Drew. "I thought Loxus was a jerk, but you might somehow be worse."

Loxus huffed as he joined us too. "Frankly, I think Drew is right."

"What?!" I exclaimed, looking at Loxus in disbelief. I should have expected that. Loxus had always been a jerk, but I thought he was gradually improving.

"Hey, I'm just being realistic here," Loxus said, shrugging. "Sylvester has never played serious basketball before. It's not like casual basketball where everyone gets a chance."

Drew nodded, a smug look on his face. "Exactly."

I felt my blood boil at their dismissive attitudes. Yes, Sylvester hadn't played organized basketball before, but that didn't mean he couldn't learn or improve. He deserved a chance just like the rest of us.

"Maybe you guys should stop underestimating him," I countered, glaring at both of them. "He might surprise you."

Loxus snorted, clearly not taking my words seriously. But I didn't care. I believed in Sylvester, and I was ready to stand up for him.

"Sylvester," I turned to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don't listen to them. You can do this."

Sylvester looked at me, his eyes wide and unsure. But then, he nodded, determination replacing the uncertainty. "I'll try my best."

"That's the spirit," I said, grinning at him.

Natasha smiled as she walked up to us. "That's good to hear. The coach invited a few people he felt could use a second evaluation over."

Drew sighed and glanced at Sylvester. "So, it's another competition. Better give up now, Sylvester."

I glared at Drew. "Hey, stop discouraging him," I snapped, cutting Drew off. "Sylvester's going to try his best, just like the rest of us."

"Whatever," Drew said dismissively, turning to walk away. "I'll be at the weights section."

Loxus followed him, leaving me, Sylvester, and Natasha standing there.

"Don't mind them, Sylvester," Natasha said kindly. "We all start somewhere. Just do your best."

Sylvester nodded, looking more determined than ever. "I will."

Natasha gave him an encouraging smile before walking off to another part of the gym.

I patted Sylvester on the back. "Don't worry about Drew or Loxus. They're just jerks. You've got this."

Sylvester gave me a small smile. "Thanks, Wilt, but I think they might have a point."

I frowned. "Don't give up."

He sighed. "Okay."

I grinned and picked up the basketball. "Now, how about we practice together?" 

He smiled and nodded.

I wasn't gonna let those jerks crush Sylvester's dreams like that. Sylvester had his strong points. I would help him polish them, then the coach will let him join us. That would teach those two not to judge people so harshly without giving them a chance to improve.