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Pure Domination
FINAL SCORE: 21 - 4
I won the game without breaking a sweat.
It was easy, even as my team consisted of third stringers and theirs second stringers.
It was easier than I expected.
All I needed to do was score and stop Pierre from advancing into our side. It seemed I had vastly overestimated Kendrick's range too.
I thought he was some deadly three pointer but turns out he was a turnover machine more than anything. He kept on making bad passes and hogged the ball to the point his teammates were getting irritated.
The hallmark of a selfish player.
The shots he made that day must have been desperation shots. As he couldn’t buy a three pointer this practice.
They couldn’t stop my floaters, fadeaways, hook shots and layups. Every time they found a way to double me I found another way to score. My skills and stamina killed them! The scary thing I was only getting better.
The final whistle sounded. I could see Kendrick on his knees staring at the wooden floor in disbelief. His jaw was hanging low.
Pierre walked out of the court and sat on the players bench, looking like a zombie!
Completely Lifeless and beaten!
They physically couldn't process what was happening so their body just shut down.
I wanted to say something mean to them, but I didn’t have any of the previous anger in me. Besides I was still cheating with superpowers and I didn’t want to get too cocky lest I tempt fate.
“Alright, good game!” The coach said without taking his eyes off of me.
“The losing team runs 10 more laps. I want everyone to run regardless of their status or seniority!” He was looking at Kendrick and Pierre when he said that though, both of whom couldn’t look at him.
“Third stringers…You’ll be doing your standard dribbling drills at the side. Now off you go.”
‘Ooh Dribbling drills, that sounds fun. Maybe I’ll pick up some new tricks!’
I turned to go with the other third stringers when….
“Not you…Peter! Come with me!”
I turned back to see the Coach calling me out to the side, so I went towards him.
“Yes Coach.”
“Why did you lie to me?” he said with a serious face.
“Coach?...” I said with increasing caution.
“Why did you lie in the application that this was your first time playing basketball! You don’t move like an amateur..You make great split second decisions too! I know an amateur when I see one!”
“Coach…I just play in the park at times. It was my Uncle who taught me everything I know.” I lied. My uncle never plays ball, only watches it. I hadn’t touched a basketball before this week. Ever. In this life, of course.
“Well whatever… What matters is you're good. No, that's selling it short. In terms of talent you might be the best player I’ve ever seen with both of my two eyes. I owe you an apology!”
“Oh no..no sir, I mean coach. I’m grateful for you just considering me! I’m doing this for my uncle actually. He’s a big Knicks fan and he recently got sick so I thought making the basketball team would cheer him up.”
The coach stayed silent for some time,
“...”
“To be honest I wasn’t really serious about staying on the team. So if I slow you-”
“You’re starting.”
“Coach…?”
“Don’t be absurd. You’re starting on the team. It would be a complete waste of your talent otherwise!”
“Coach, I might have to start working. I mean tutoring others! I have to chip in financially back at home. Things have changed since I first joined. I might have to quit.”
I was lying here. I knew Uncle Ben’s cancer diagnosis before I joined the team but the coach didn’t need to know that. This way I could smoothly quit the team and start working on the spider-cement compound mix.
This way I could get out scott free from any verbal agreement I made to the coach.
“Son, I’ve had countless NBA Players play under me here and I don’t tell you this lightly, you’re better than all of them. You’re shooting alone will make you millions but the fact that you run around like a squirrel and defend like a bull. If you stick with me, I’ll make you a star. No, a superstar if you’re really committed.”
My eyes widened, I knew all of this but still when you hear it coming from someone else's mouth it hits differently.
‘He believes in me!’ I thought. I know he was buttering me up but there was something about being validated from someone other than May and Uncle Ben. It reinforced my confidence that I could save Uncle Ben.
However I quickly reeled in that thought,
‘No…I have to focus on the business idea. Sure In time I might be rich and famous but what matters now is Uncle Ben’s Life.’
“Yeah..I get that coach but…I need to work. My uncle is sick, he…”
The coach looked at me with sympathy.
‘I hated this. I hated his sympathy but..’
“I’ll play for you for a while Coach but I don’t plan on staying for the entire term. I need to earn some quick cash to help out with the household.”
The coach again didn’t say anything for some time instead he was content with studying me.
“You’re an amazing player Peter but an even more amazing person!”
“Thank you coach.”
He slapped my back and told me to sit down on the bench which I promptly did. I took my first cup of water. I didn’t break a sweat during the whole thing which made me rethink leaving the team if my invention did take off.
‘Who knows, maybe I could be a basketball player and a genius inventor. I mean, wasn't Tony Stark a part time superhero and the CEO of one of the biggest tech companies here. It’s definitely doable but…I want to spend some more time with my uncle.’
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The first stringers were about start their game when Will called out to me,
“Peter!”
‘Oh great what now..?’
“Join my team!” He said intensely,
Suddenly the gym exploded with rumours, my super hearing was able to make out the reason.
This was the first time a third stringer played with the first stringers on the very first day. Showcasing the talent difference between both of the tiers.
‘Damn I really didn’t want to stand out too much. It’s a shame I would have loved to play with Will but I’m gonna refuse!’
“I’m gonna sit this one out chief.” I said with a modest smile and exaggerated exhaustion.
“No. I refuse your refusal. Now shut up and come play with me, you’re the point guard.” he said sternly
‘What.’
“No..Will…I mean captain I’m tired I just played two games back to back.”
“Is that it?” His eyes peered into me.
“What?” I said with irritation seeping into my voice.
“Your resolve! Is that it?” He spat out.
“..”
“If you’re really tired then I guess I overestimated you. You can sit on the bench if that's the case! ” He turned his back but I got up from my seat.
“Fine, I'll show you my resolve.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________
POV - Coach William Sharpe Sr.
The taunt worked, he could clearly see it on the boy's face. He was angry at his son William, for the disrespect!
‘Now lets see how it affects their teamwork! Will they fight and bicker throughout the game or will they play the game as it was intended.’
He could see both Will and Peter as Co-Superstars but only if the both could coexist with each other. They both had huge egos.
However, that was not the main problem! It would be one thing if Peter was unmanageable as a diva, he had handled plenty of players like that.
The problem was if he wanted to outshine Will… if that were to happen then he would let the boy walk away from the team.
‘I can’t risk my son's future, Peter may be talented..no more than that. He was practically a basketball genius. I’ve never seen a player with that much raw talent, especially one that was 5’9!’
He took another look at the boy who was lacing his free gym shoes.
‘If everything goes according to plan for this game then I’ll make Will take him Sneaker shopping! I’ll even pay for his shoes if it makes him more indebted to me!’
They lined up and were about to start the game with a jump ball.
‘If Peter can take a step back and play number 2 to Will, then all is well and good! I don’t care how many trophies we win. If William isn’t the MVP(Most Valuable Player) at the end of it all then it’s useless to me! I have to prioritize my boy’s future over everyone else’s success, even the team’s success comes second.’
Will and Peter’s team won the toss and they got possession of the ball.
.
.
It was pure domination from the get go!
The next two minutes of the ball game left the Coach William Sharpe Sr. speechless. The sheer ferocity in which both Peter and Will played! Using their frustrations with each other as fuel they began attacking ruthlessly!
They involved their teammates too when it was required!
It was a marvelous sight.
In the next ten minutes he saw the ultimate culmination of the sport.
The other team, despite having three of the starters on it. Could not find an answer for Will or Peter’s offensive onslaught.
What made it even more amazing was their teamwork. It was like they knew what the other wanted and played to their strengths. It was like they had been playing alongside each other for years!!
He always knew his son had incredible talent but to find another player of that caliber was incredibly lucky!
“Hey Peter!” His son shouted and without even looking back the boy Peter Parker passed it over his head.
‘Did he have eyes behind his head? And what was that speed and accuracy?’
His son caught the pass and shot it without a hesitation.
SWISH.
The entire gym was silent, Peter nor Will celebrated, they simply got back to defense. No wasted movement.
What made their combo even more dangerous was their defense! They were relentlessly attacking their defenders without mercy.
Will got the steal and led the charge, he turned his back and posted up Jayson. Jayson was no slouch either. He kept applying pressure on Will but unfortunately for him William was too strong and drew out the foul.
Will made both of his free throws! They were up 9-0.
‘This was madness. For Will’s team to be beating them like this.’
William usually volunteered to play with the weakest team. To make things fair for everyone involved but this was anything but fair!
“There Jerry, watch out!” he yelled out but Peter was way too fast.
‘They’re making me the coach, side with the other team! This game was really hopeless’
The combination of Will and Peter was too much for any High school team in the US. They were that good. Strong, ridiculously fast and scary good shooters.
If you doubled one the other would take advantage of the free space!
To make matters worse both of them were ready to pass and involve the others into it.
Peter is the one, I thought Pierre would be Will's partner but Peter is clearly much more suited! Pierre is also shy to take offensive load when needed. Instead he was more comfortable playing off of somebody!
He looked at his son now and he saw the sight that he never thought he would ever see again. It was his son, he was smiling! He was having fun while playing the game!
The cherry on top was that he was the leading scorer!
Now he looked at Peter,
‘This boy! He’s the key to everything. I’m gonna make sure he plays with Will even at the collegiate level! They were the perfect combo! The right mix of athleticism and Basketball IQ. Selfishness and Selflessness. Force and Grace.’
For the first time in a really long time Coach William Sharpe Sr. looked at his son’s face rather than the scorecard.
‘I’m going to retain him to the team no matter the cost!’
________________________________________________________________________________________
POV - Peter Parker
‘That ended way quicker than I thought it would!’
I fistbumped Eddy, James and Earl!
Will walked up to and said, “Good game guys!”
Eddy replied with a snarky comment, “We should be saying that, you two. Damn you guys were cooking them.”
Earl turned to me and said, “When I first saw you I made a rude comment. I thought you were just some uppity newcomer. Yo I’m sorry about that! We’re lucky to have you on the team!”
“Yeah me too!” added James with a wide smile.
“Don’t worry about it! As long as you buy me lunch all will be forgiven!” I say snarkily.
“Man you’re the rookie, you’re supposed to get us food…you know what forget about it! Since I talked trash I guess I’ll pay for your food this one time.” Earl said good naturedly.
The first stringers were great! Not only did they have the right competitive spirit but they were also really good people.
Even the opposing team was nothing but Kind and respectful. It seems that the problem was with the entitled second and third stringers.
All the first stringers have been nothing but kind to me!
“Okay..Good practice! We’ll do an entire team game tomorrow to prepare our upcoming game with the Green Horns. I want you all primed and ready!”
((“Yes Coach!”)) Every player yelled out.
“Good. Will, you will help Peter learn all of our schemes, defensive and offensive! Can I count on you to do that?”
“Yes sir, Coach Sir!” Will answered back like a soldier.
‘Admirable. Maybe this team wasn’t so hopeless after all.’
“Peter you will stay with him and brush up on our schemes, It won’t take too long. I’m sure you’ll pick it up fast.”
“Yes coach!” I said with firm determination.
“You will also buy new shoes! William will help you pick the correct ones!” he looked at his son who answered with a nod.
“Good, Now run for another 10 laps all of you.”
The entire gym groaned. Well except for me and Will as we quickly started our laps.
When it was all said and done, the practice was done by 8 AM. The same as the day I first came into this gym.
The writing was on the wall and everyone now knew that I was very clearly a first stringer. This made a lot of the players wary of me to a certain extent.
Pierre and Kendrick being part of that group.
Will let me know that we’ll be shopping for sneakers after classes are over.
I showered and got back before the second bell rang. My ideas on Spiderweb-Cement were going along smoothly. I got the theory down, now all I had to do was actually make it and make it quick.
Applying for a patent was a little expensive but I’m sure some conglomerate can handle all the details. If they give me a check for ten million dollars and lifetime royalties, they can have the whole thing.
As long as I can cover for Uncle Ben’s treatment I don’t care what they do with it.
I was sitting on my chair in the classroom, ‘Huh that weird usually Harry is here before I do.’
“Hey Stuart, where’s harry?” I asked Stuart who was sitting near me.
“Oh…peter…I…uh…..don’t know actually.”
‘Why was he so scared?’ I raised my brow which caused him to flinch.
“Please don’t hurt me, I really don’t know.”
‘What the hell? Oh wait a minute, maybe that rumor about me beating up Flash spread and embellished a few details! That explains why everyone's acting a bit squirrely around me!’
“Oh is that right! Alright dude.” He nodded quickly and went back to his book afraid that I would smack him or something.
‘There is literally no winning I guess, either I get bullied or I get painted as one!’
I sighed.
A good twenty minutes passed, still no signs of harry.
‘Maybe he’s feeling a little bit under the weather.’
Mr White decided to burst into the door with a dirty shirt at that moment!
‘Woah!! That’s insane!’
Mr White began making excuses about why he was late again,
‘Geez..I mean this is the second time he’s come late! Wasn’t he the same guy who was lecturing me on the importance of investing in yourself! Well maybe he should invest in a washing machine because my god that shirt looks like someone wiped engine grease on it! Wait a minute…What was I thinking about?’
I heard one of the students say Flash was late again.
‘I mean that was no surprise there! It’s more surprising that he even comes to school at all. He has his sports scholarship. So there's that!’
Mr White started his lesson on chemical bonds,
‘God this is so boring!’
I was almost tempted to yell out that I was working on a new ground breaking bonding agent but I had to keep it to myself.
‘Man it’s days like these that I really miss that idiot’s yapping.’