Family Calls 3

"Alyssa..." The man sitting in the living room said in a low, firm tone.

"Yes, dear?" The woman, who he now assumed to be his mother, responded softly.

And just like that, he knew her name—Alyssa Lin.

"You know how I feel about this son of ours... How dare you bring him into my household!" The man growled, his voice rising with each word. His grip on the remote tightened until the sharp crack of plastic breaking filled the air.

"I know, I do," Alyssa replied cautiously, stepping forward with deliberate care. "But you must remember... he's still our son."

Her emphasis on "our" was met with immediate backlash.

"Your son," his father snapped, rising abruptly from the couch. His sudden movement was sharp and menacing. He turned to face them, his glare cutting through the room like a blade. His furrowed brows and the mix of fury and disappointment etched onto his face left no doubt about his feelings.

He glanced at Jaxon, his eyes narrowing as he scanned him from head to toe, his expression filled with disdain.

"You call this a son of mine?" he spat, pointing a rigid finger at Jaxon before jerking his head toward Alyssa.

"This... this overgrown baby? A son of yours?" he hissed, his voice laced with bitterness. "He had his future in the palm of his hand! Everything he needed to succeed in his career!"

His words cut through the air like a whip, each syllable sharper than the last. Turning his full attention to Jaxon, he continued, his tone dripping with contempt.

"You didn't score a single point in the NBA last season. Not one! And you call yourself a shooting guard? You should be ashamed!"

The venom in his words stung, but Jaxon stood frozen, unable to muster a reply.

His father sank back into his chair with sharp, jerky movements as if he had more to unleash. But before the cushion could settle under his weight, he sprang back to his feet, his fury reigniting like a blaze fed by dry wood.

"Eleven years!" he roared, his voice booming through the room as he jabbed a firm finger in Jaxon's direction. "I spent eleven years fighting tooth and nail to give you your dream life!"

Jaxon stood there, silent and unmoving, caught in the storm of his father's wrath, he only wandered how bad and unworthy the original Jaxon would have been to warrant such a reaction from his own father.

"You couldn't get signed with the Metro Wolves because you weren't good enough!" His father thundered, his voice shaking the walls. "And then, with the Neon Dragons, you had the perfect chance to work your way up, to become the best. But what did you do? You threw it all away! Drugs, partying, chasing women—sluts, no less—clubbing before game nights!"

He spat the words out like venom, pacing angrily as his frustration grew.

"Look at your best friend, Luca Anderson!" he continued, his glare slicing through Jaxon. "You can't even stand in the same spotlight as him! He's surpassed you in every way imaginable. You can't even muster the courage to talk to him, let alone compete against him!"

His tone grew colder, harsher. "And now, because you somehow managed to score a buzzer-beater and win a game in style, you think you can come here and expect me to be proud to call you my son? Get out of my sight! Just... fuck off!"

"Hosoi Lin!" Alyssa interjected sharply, her voice trembling with anger. "Watch your language! Krista can hear you!"

"Let her hear!" Hosoi barked back. "For all I care, she'll probably end up just as useless as her older brother!"

At that, Krista's small frame began to tremble. Tears welled in her eyes as she released her grip on Jaxon's hand and bolted from the room, sobbing uncontrollably.

"She didn't deserve that, Father," Jaxon spoke, his voice firm but restrained. He took half a step forward, meeting his father's glare. "She's just a kid, and she's doing the best she can. I'm the one you should be yelling at. I'm the one whose contract is on probation, who's fighting to keep his place in the squad. She has nothing to do with this."

Jaxon's words hung in the air, and for the first time, his tone carried a weight of accountability.

"Your contract is on probation?" Alyssa turned to him, her face a mix of shock and concern.

"I thought you said you were going to talk to your coach about signing a new contract, about turning things around," she pressed.

"I did?" Jaxon replied, a faint, nervous edge creeping into his voice as he struggled to recall what he'd told her.

There was no way this Jaxon Lin could have said that, not when this was his first time making any kind of contact with these people. But the original Jaxon Lin? He was the type to say something like that just to dodge the heat of his mother's pointed questions.

"Whatever," Jaxon muttered, shaking his head as he pushed the thought aside. He needed to focus on what he could actually control.

"The Neon Dragons got a new board," he began, his voice steady but edged with frustration. "And this board is planning a complete team overhaul. They're threatening to cut any player who doesn't meet their standards and replace them with new signings. They have the money and want to invest it."

"And you think you're going to make the cut?" Hosoi scoffed, a sarcastic laugh stretching across his face.

Jaxon turned sharply to face him. Gently moving Alyssa aside, he strode forward until he stood just a few steps away from his father.

"Yes, Dad. I think I'll make the cut," he said firmly, his eyes blazing with determination.

He took a deep breath and continued. "I don't know what you think of me, Dad," he said, his voice unwavering. "Or even you, Mom," he added, glancing over his shoulder at Alyssa, his gaze softening slightly. "But the old Jaxon Lin is gone. He's not coming back—not now, not ever. And whether you believe it or not, I will become the greatest basketball player to ever grace the court. It might not look like it now, but just wait and see. That last game? That was just the tip of the iceberg. The very tip."

He stepped back slowly, his gaze locked with Hosoi's the entire time, his words hanging in the air like a challenge. When he finally stood beside Alyssa, he leaned in slightly.

"Where's her room?" he whispered.

"Down the hall," she replied softly, her voice tinged with emotion. "First door on the right."

"Thanks, ma'am," he said, offering a slight pat on her shoulder before dashing off, leaving the tense atmosphere of the living room behind as he disappeared down the hallway.

Arriving at the door, he knocked firmly on it, his knuckles rapping against the wood with purpose. He waited, but there was no response. He knocked again, this time a little softer, but the silence persisted.

"Krista?" he called out from the hallway, his voice tinged with concern. He hesitated, his hand hovering over the doorknob. He thought about testing it to see if the door was unlocked, but quickly dismissed the idea. The last thing he wanted was to upset his sister, especially after the warm welcome she'd given him earlier.

Before he could decide what to do next, the door swung open. Krista stood there, clutching a furry stuffed animal tightly in her arms.

Jaxon's eyes flicked over her quickly. She had changed out of her earlier outfit into a casual house dress, the kind one wears on a lazy day.

"You have a stuffed Lokémon," he said, instantly recognizing the familiar logo printed on the plush toy's forehead. A wave of nostalgia hit him—he'd always wanted one of those in his past life. It had been one of those teenage trends everyone wanted to be part of.

"Yes," Krista replied flatly, her tone laced with disinterest.

"Does he have a name?" Jaxon asked, trying his best to sound friendly and genuine.

"This one is Likachu," she said after a moment, holding the toy up slightly. "The lightning Lokémon."

Jaxon's eyes widened, his face lighting up with genuine excitement. It was the one he'd dreamed of owning in his past life. Likachu had been a limited-edition release, and only a lucky few had ever managed to get their hands on it. It was the ultimate bragging right for teenagers back then.

"I love Likachu!" he exclaimed, his enthusiasm spilling out. "How did you get him?"

Krista blinked, stunned by his reaction. She stared at him, unsure of what to make of it. The Jaxon she grew up with would never have said such a thing. The old Jaxon had taunted her for liking things like that, mocking her every time she wanted to play with him or show him her collection.

Now, hearing him say he loved Likachu felt... suspicious.

She stared at him, her expression a mix of surprise and suspicion.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her tone cautious.

"Yes, of course, I'm fine. Why does everyone keep asking me that today?" Jaxon replied, trying to sound casual.

"Because you're acting weird... You've changed," she said, pulling the door open wider to let him into her room.

"How so?" he asked as he stepped inside.

"You hate Lokémon! That's for starters," she said, flopping onto her bed.

"What can I say? I like them now," Jaxon replied, trying to cover his tracks.

Krista narrowed her eyes at him. "And you haven't mentioned Valerie even once since you walked in. You used to be obsessed with her after she broke up with you... because you were lazy."

Her words hit him like a brick, twisting his thoughts into a chaotic spiral.

"She broke up with me because I was lazy," he murmured softly to himself, the weight of the revelation settling heavily in his mind.

Krista smirked, her tone taking a teasing edge. "And because you were a dumbass. A party freak who didn't train. Basically, because you were a dumbass."

"I get it!" Jaxon snapped, cutting her off. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "I've changed now, okay? I'm not the Jaxon Lin you knew before."

Krista sat up slightly, looking at him skeptically. "Okay, let's say that's true. I just hope you're not too late. Because, well..." She hesitated for a moment, then dropped the bombshell. "Valerie met another guy. They went on a date the other day."

"They what?!" Jaxon's voice rose, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"They went on a date," Krista repeated, her voice calm but firm. "And she seems to really like him."

Jaxon froze, torn between two conflicting thoughts. Should he pursue Valerie as if he were the original Jaxon Lin, or should he reveal the truth—that someone else was now living in this body? Either way, one thing was certain: he couldn't let this go. The original Jaxon wouldn't, and neither would he.

"I have to go," he said abruptly, standing up from his seat and heading for the door.

Krista watched him, her expression shifting to one of disappointment. "You know, I thought you were coming to cheer me up," she remarked.

Jaxon paused in the doorway and turned back slightly. "Don't listen to Dad. All of this is going to change. I'll make sure of it," he said with quiet determination before disappearing down the hallway.

As he walked, his thoughts churned. 'I'll use what he left behind and create the life I've always wanted'.