The Grind Never Stops

The buzz of morning conversations filled the hallways of Lincoln Park Middle School, but for Lucas, everything felt quieter than usual. Maybe it was the lingering exhaustion from last night's game, or maybe it was the feeling that, despite taking down Lakeview Academy, there was still so much work to do.

He walked toward his locker, his backpack slung over one shoulder, sneakers still slightly scuffed from his late-night workout at Harrison Park. The victory had been sweet, but he knew better than to celebrate for too long. One game didn't define a season.

Miguel strolled up beside him, stretching his arms with a loud yawn. "Bro, I'm still sore from yesterday."

Lucas smirked as he unlocked his locker. "That's 'cause you were out there doing too much. You burned half your energy talking trash."

Miguel scoffed. "Trash talk is part of the game, my guy. Gotta let 'em know."

Jaylen walked up behind them, shaking his head. "Y'all can talk about trash all you want, but I need to know who we're playing next. Coach better have that scouting report ready."

Lucas nodded. That was the real question.

Their Lakeview win had put them on the radar, but now, teams would be watching them differently. No more sneaking up on anyone. From now on, Lincoln Park had a target on its back.

They made their way to first-period history, where Coach Harrison also happened to be their teacher. The man didn't switch up—he was as serious about teaching as he was about basketball.

As soon as they entered, Coach glanced up from his desk, eyeing them. "Glad to see my players actually showing up to class after a big win."

Miguel grinned. "Gotta let the school see what champions look like."

Coach rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the slight smirk. "Sit down, Soto, before I assign extra homework."

The team chuckled, taking their seats.

Coach continued writing on the board, but after a moment, he paused.

"Oh, and since I know you're all waiting to hear it—our next game is against Hyde Park Prep."

A few murmurs spread through the room. Hyde Park. They weren't as dominant as Lakeview, but they were no pushover either.

Lucas tapped his pencil on his notebook. "What do we know about them?"

Coach leaned against his desk. "They're not as big as Lakeview, but they play a much faster game. They run a lot of full-court pressure and rely on forcing turnovers. If you're not careful, they'll turn a bad pass into points before you even realize what happened."

Miguel groaned. "Great. More press defense."

Jaylen smirked. "Nah, that's fine. Lucas handled Lakeview's press. He'll cook these guys too."

Coach nodded at Lucas. "It's true. Turner, you're gonna have to be the steady presence out there. Hyde Park plays aggressive defense, so you need to keep your composure and get the team into our sets."

Lucas took a deep breath. "Got it."

Coach glanced at Miguel. "And Soto? If you try to dribble through three defenders again, I'm benching you."

The class laughed, and Miguel threw his hands up. "Man, one mistake and you never let it go."

Coach grinned. "You made more than one."

The rest of the school day dragged on like usual. Lucas sat through lessons he had already lived through once before, forcing himself to stay focused. Math was boring, but he worked through it quickly. Science was interesting, but nothing he couldn't recall from his past life. English? That was just a chance to finish homework early.

At lunch, the basketball squad sat together, the win against Lakeview still a major topic around school. Some kids even came up to their table, giving them props for the upset.

Jamal leaned back in his seat. "Y'all realize this ain't normal, right? We won one game, and now people acting like we won a championship."

Miguel smirked, flexing. "They just recognizing greatness early."

Lucas shook his head. "It's cool, but it won't mean anything if we don't keep winning."

Jaylen nodded. "Facts. Hyde Park ain't gonna roll over just 'cause we beat Lakeview."

Miguel took another bite of his burger, chewing for a second before speaking. "So, what's the move? We hitting the gym after school?"

Lucas didn't even hesitate. "Of course. If Hyde Park likes to press, we need to practice breaking it."

The team agreed, and after the final bell rang, they made their way to the gym for another hard practice session.

Coach had already prepared drills to simulate Hyde Park's aggressive play style.

Lucas spent most of practice running the offense under pressure, making sure he stayed calm even when defenders were swarming him. Coach set up double teams, forcing Lucas to make quick reads and get the ball to the right spot.

Miguel worked on protecting his dribble, making sure he didn't try to force his way through traps. Jaylen and Evan practiced breaking out of the press, catching quick outlet passes and making fast decisions.

"Ball movement!" Coach shouted as the team ran through a full-court scrimmage. "You're not gonna dribble through this defense. Pass, cut, relocate!"

Lucas took that to heart. He kept moving, staying active off the ball, looking for every small gap in the defense. Every time he got a clean look, he fired. Catch. Shoot. Bucket.

By the end of practice, the team was exhausted, but Lucas felt good. He could see the pieces coming together.

As they packed up, Coach gathered them one last time.

"This game won't be easy," he said. "Hyde Park is gonna test us. But if we execute our game plan, we win."

Miguel nodded. "Then let's make sure we execute."

Jaylen smirked. "Yeah. We ain't done proving people wrong yet."

The gym had emptied out, but Lucas lingered behind, sitting on the first row of the bleachers. His duffel bag sat beside him, the straps loose from how often he slung it over his shoulder. The faint squeak of sneakers from the janitor mopping the court echoed through the space, but otherwise, it was quiet.

He let out a slow breath, rubbing his hands together. His muscles ached, his body was tired, but his mind? His mind was working harder than ever.

It had been just over a week since the season started. One game played. One game won. But it already felt like a different world from when he first woke up in his twelve-year-old body.