Chapter thirty-six – The Results Are In

Tuesday morning buzzed with tension the moment Ryan stepped into the school. Word had spread that the basketball team tryout results were being posted by the gym doors, and students were already gathering like it was the red carpet.

Ben caught up with him by the lockers, his hair still damp from a rushed morning shower. "You think we made it?"

Ryan shrugged, keeping his usual calm. "Guess we'll find out."

But truthfully, even his stomach was turning.

By the time they reached the gym hallway, a decent crowd had already formed around the clipboard taped to the wall. Some were silent, others whispered nervously. A few stood back, arms crossed, their faces unreadable.

Ryan pushed forward just enough to read the list. There it was:

Varsity Team:

Marcus Ellis

Jordan King

Ryan Whitmore

Ben Carter

Kyle Daniels

Malik Rivera

Eric White

Darnell Shaw

He stared at his name, letting it sink in. Ben's hand slapped his shoulder. "Dude! We did it!"

Ryan gave a small grin. "Yeah. We did."

Just then, a sharp voice cut through the hallway. "You've gotta be kidding me."

It was Tyler—the same guy who shoved Ben in the hallway on Ryan's first day. He stood beside a friend, scowling at the list like it personally insulted him.

"You're telling me that guy made it?" Tyler pointed directly at Ben. "Over me?"

Ben tensed beside Ryan, shoulders stiff. "Maybe Coach wanted someone who can actually pass the ball."

A few students laughed under their breath. Tyler stepped closer. "You saying I can't play?"

Ryan stepped between them, calm but firm. "You heard him. If you got a problem, take it to Coach."

Tyler scoffed, eyes flicking from Ryan to Ben. "You two think you're hot just 'cause you made the list. This school always favors the new shiny toys. Just wait till the season starts. We'll see who gets real minutes."

Ryan didn't flinch. "We're not here for drama. We're here to play."

"Whatever," Tyler muttered, turning to walk off. His friend followed, still muttering something under his breath.

The tension eased once they were gone. Ben let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Well. That went great."

Savannah and Anna came walking down the hallway right after, both already knowing what had happened.

Savannah smirked. "So, you two made the team and already made enemies. That's fast."

"Fast is how we roll," Ben said, recovering quickly.

Anna smiled at Ryan. "Congrats. You looked nervous this morning."

"I wasn't," Ryan replied without missing a beat. Then after a pause, "Maybe a little."

Savannah looped her arm around Ben's. "You earned it. Don't let sore losers like Tyler ruin the moment."

They started walking toward class, the tension left behind with the crowd around the list. As they passed the coach's office, Coach Harris stepped out.

He called out, "Whitmore. Carter."

They paused.

Coach Harris walked over, arms crossed but with a relaxed look on his face. "Saw that scene in the hallway. Don't worry about Tyler. He's got talent, but his attitude's been costing him for a while."

Ben nodded, still a little worked up. "We're not trying to cause problems."

Coach glanced at Ryan. "You've got a calm head. That's good. This team's not just about scoring points. It's about being part of something. You want to stay on this team, you gotta lift the ones around you—even the ones who don't like you."

Ryan met his eyes. "Understood."

Coach nodded. "Practice starts tomorrow. Get some rest. It's gonna get real now."

As they walked away, Ben gave Ryan a sideways glance. "He's actually kinda cool."

Ryan nodded. "Yeah. I think we're in good hands."