First Day of School - Again

The first day of school always had the same feeling—loud hallways, the lingering scent of fresh wax on the floors, and the collective groans of students who weren't ready to be back.

Lucas walked through the entrance of Lincoln Park Middle School, adjusting his backpack as he moved through the crowd. He had walked these halls before, lived this routine already, but that didn't make it any less tedious.

The first half of the day was exactly as expected. Mr. Richardson, his math teacher, gave the same speech about responsibility and homework policies. English class went over the syllabus, with Ms. Patel—who was new, as far as he could remember—trying to get the students engaged by asking about their favorite books. Lucas gave a generic answer just to move things along. Science with Mr. Bennett was the worst of all, the man's monotone voice making it almost unbearable to sit through the explanation of lab safety and basic scientific principles.

The minutes dragged by, each subject feeling like a replay of something he had already seen. He barely paid attention, instead doodling basketball plays in his notebook and thinking about the tournament. Every now and then, he made sure to nod or jot something down to avoid drawing attention, but inside, he felt like a caged athlete waiting for the real work to begin.

By the time the bell for lunch rang, he felt like he had aged five years. He made his way to the cafeteria and spotted Miguel and Jaylen already sitting near their usual spot by the window.

"Yo, look who survived," Miguel called out as Lucas sat down, setting his tray on the table.

"Barely," Lucas muttered, shaking his head. "That was painful."

Jaylen smirked. "Lemme guess—syllabus, expectations, and at least one teacher acting like their class is the most important thing in the world?"

"Pretty much."

Miguel leaned back in his chair. "Man, I swear school would be tolerable if we could just hoop all day."

Lucas chuckled. "That's the only thing keeping me sane right now."

Miguel picked at his food, his expression shifting slightly. "Still thinking about the tournament?"

Lucas nodded. "Yeah. We were so close. One stop, and that game was ours."

Jaylen sighed. "That shot was tough, though. Nothing we could do about it."

Miguel scoffed. "I mean, we could've done a lot of things before that to avoid the situation."

Lucas agreed. The Kings had outplayed them in small moments. A few missed rebounds, some late closeouts, possessions where they had hesitated instead of attacking. He hated losing, but more than that, he hated knowing that they could've prevented it.

"We'll get 'em next time," Lucas said, confidence settling in his voice.

Miguel grinned. "Damn right we will. And next time? No 'almost' winning. We dominate."

Jaylen nodded. "First step is practice tomorrow."

Lucas exhaled. "Yeah. Back to work."

The rest of lunch was spent talking about their upcoming season, potential matchups, and how they were going to make sure they didn't let another game slip away.

The afternoon dragged just like the morning had. History was filled with a lecture that Lucas had already heard once in his life. PE was disappointing since they didn't even get to touch a basketball, and Spanish felt like an easy repeat thanks to what he already knew from home.

By the time the final bell rang, he couldn't wait to get out. He met up with Miguel and Jaylen as they left the building together, walking toward their usual intersection before splitting off to go home.

"First day down," Jaylen said, rolling his shoulders.

Miguel let out a dramatic yawn. "And it drained me."

Lucas smirked. "You didn't even do anything."

"Exactly! That's what makes it worse."

They all laughed before going their separate ways, Lucas making his way back home where the smell of warm food greeted him as soon as he stepped inside.

His mom turned from the kitchen, smiling. "¡Mijo! How was your first day?"

Lucas dropped his backpack by the couch and stretched. "Boring."

Maria laughed softly. "That's school for you."

He sat at the table, glancing toward the stove. "What's for dinner?"

"Carne guisada," she said, setting a pot on the counter. "I figured you'd be hungry after school."

Lucas' stomach growled in response, making his mom laugh again. "I was just thinking… it's kinda weird doing everything all over again."

Maria raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Lucas hesitated for a second before shrugging. "I mean, every first day is the same. Same rules, same speeches, same boring lessons."

Maria smiled. "That just means you know what to expect. So instead of going through the motions, challenge yourself more."

Lucas paused, thinking about that.

Maria sat down across from him. "When something feels easy, that's the time to push yourself. Don't just sit back and let things happen."

Lucas took a bite, chewing slowly. His mom had no idea what she was really saying to him, but it hit harder than she probably expected.

He had spent most of the day waiting. Going through the motions. But that wasn't what he came back for.

Maria patted his hand before standing up. "Alright, eat up and get some rest. You've got a whole school year ahead of you."

Lucas smirked. "Yeah… and a whole lot more."

After dinner, he went to his room and changed into workout clothes. Even though he was exhausted from the mental drain of school, he refused to skip his routine. He stretched thoroughly, making sure to loosen up every muscle.

Neck Rolls – He had felt a little stiff today, so he took his time.Shoulder Stretch – His shoulders had gotten tight after all those defensive slides in the tournament.Wrist Flexor Stretch – He needed his handles to be sharp.Hamstring & Quad Stretches – The soreness from the games hadn't fully left.Calf Stretch – Explosiveness started from the legs.

As he held the last stretch, he took a deep breath.

He wasn't going to let himself just drift through school.

He had work to do.

Tomorrow, he'd take another step.