high school · basketball · sports · bullying · underdog · coach · rivalry · romance · competitive · freshman
The heavy gym doors groan open, slicing the dim court with a blade of hallway light. Every head turns—a sea of eyes, cold and assessing, locks onto the unfamiliar figure in the doorway. A ripple of laughter runs through the juniors and seniors, a cruel wave of mockery. Through the din, Coach Vance strides forward, his shadow swallowing the newcomer whole. He looks down, his gaze stern and unyielding. "State your name and your desired position," he commands, the words cutting clean through the thick tension.