Chapter 87 The Basketball Game
The crowd went wild, the stadium buzzing with excitement.
James and his teammates were all about the high-fives, their faces lit up with pure joy.
"James, you really put the heat on them right from the get-go! Nice!" one of his teammates shouted, giving him a solid slap on the back.
"Totally! If we keep this up, there's no way we're losing," another one added, eyes shining with determination.
"Go, James!" a third teammate yelled, giving him a supportive pat on the shoulder.
James nodded, scanning the crowd again. Those two seats were still empty.
His eyes started to sting, and a wave of disappointment hit him hard. He'd gone through so much to snag those prime tickets, hoping they'd come to watch him play. But they didn't show. He'd been so excited, only to end up feeling let down.
James quickly wiped the corner of his eye, looking a bit down as he headed back to the court for the next round.
Soon enough, the ball was back in his hands. He dribbled a bit, gearing up for an attack. But the other team had caught on to his skills, and three of them teamed up to block him, making it tough to break through.
Facing the triple team, James felt a sinking feeling. He knew he was the main target now. This game was gonna be a tough one.
Meanwhile, at 4:30 PM, Rachel finally made it to Downtown Sports Arena.
"Ms. Williams, I'll wait for you in the car," the driver said, helping her out.
"Okay," Rachel nodded, slowly making her way to the entrance with her crutches.
As soon as she stepped inside, she heard sighs all around from the crowd. Rachel looked around, seeing their disappointed faces, and wondered what was up.
It wasn't until she saw the scoreboard that she got it. The national team was playing against Amberlia, and the score was 20 to 40. They were down by twenty points.
Although this was an away game, the stands was still packed with national team's fans. Seeing the national team so far behind, no wonder everyone was bummed out.
"Excuse me!" Rachel said as she made her way to her seat, weaving through the crowd.
After some effort, she reached her seat, only to see someone coming from the other direction. Their eyes met, and Rachel was a bit surprised.
It was Michael!
Michael was just as surprised to see Rachel. He nodded slightly and then noticed the ticket in her hand. "James gave you that ticket?" he asked.
When James handed him the ticket yesterday morning, Michael had seen that James had another one, right next to his seat. He'd thought it was for another friend of James, but it turned out to be for Rachel.
Rachel nodded slightly and sat down. "Yeah, he gave it to me." If she'd known James had also given a ticket to Michael, she might not have come. But since she was already there, she decided to stay and watch the game.
Seeing Rachel sit down, Michael also took his seat to avoid blocking the view of the people behind him.
"Are you into basketball?" he suddenly asked, looking at the court.
Rachel frowned. "Are you talking to me?"
"Who else?" Michael's face darkened a bit. They were the only ones who knew each other there. If he wasn't talking to her, who else would he be talking to?
"Sorry, I didn't expect you to talk to me," Rachel said, turning her gaze to the court. "I'm not really into basketball. I just didn't want to waste the ticket."
"I see." Michael's lips moved slightly as he replied, not saying anything more.
Rachel had no intention of chatting and watched the game in silence. Michael turned his head slightly, his gaze lingering on her delicate profile, lost in thought.
At that moment, the crowd around them started to voice their complaints.
"Man, what kind of game is this?" a fan in a jersey grumbled, shaking his head in frustration. "The start was so good, I thought we had it, but now we're getting crushed by Amberlia."
"Yeah, it's only the second quarter and we're already so far behind," a woman next to him added, crossing her arms. "If we play all four quarters, won't the score be even more lopsided?"
"Forget it, I'm done watching," another fan sighed, throwing his hands up. "The more I watch, the angrier I get. I thought the ticket was worth it at first, but now look at this mess?"
A bunch of spectators started losing hope and began to leave. Rachel watched them go, then glanced at James on the court, bent over and gasping for breath.
She muttered softly, "Looks like we're really gonna lose."
Michael squinted slightly, not saying a word.
The whistle blew again, marking the end of the second quarter, and both teams headed to their benches for a break.
The coach immediately started laying into James. "What's going on? We started off so strong, and now look at this! Are you even trying?"
James hung his head, staying silent. Seeing this, his teammates put down their towels and tried to step in. "Come on, Amberlia's ganging up on James. Three or four guys are on him, he can't do much."
"Can't do much? Don't you guys gang up on him in practice too? Didn't he break through then? I think he's just not giving it his all!" the coach shot back, his chest heaving with anger.
No one could defend James after that. The coach had a point.
"I need to hit the restroom," James said, tossing the towel from around his neck and getting up.
Michael pursed his lips and stood up too.
Rachel asked, "Going to check on him?"
Michael nodded slightly. "James isn't himself. I'm worried, so I'm gonna see what's up. You coming?" He wasn't sure why he asked her.
Rachel pointed to her foot and raised an eyebrow. "Do you think I can walk around easily? Besides, I don't want to see him. This is my last tie to your family. After the game, I'm done with all of you."
With that, she picked up a water bottle and took a sip.
Michael stared at her for a moment, then turned and left the stands.
In the men's restroom, James splashed cold water on his face, his eyes reddening in the mirror, reflecting a hint of guilt. He knew he hadn't given his all in this game and hadn't shown his true ability. It wasn't that he didn't want to; he just couldn't muster the energy. Thinking about how Michael and Rachel hadn't shown up to watch, he felt drained, and the game lost its excitement.
"Liars, you said you'd come, but you didn't!" James angrily shouted and punched the marble countertop, tears welling up in his eyes.
At that moment, his phone rang in his pocket. James took a deep breath, trying to calm his frustration, and answered the call. "Hello?"
"James, the third quarter's about to start. You ready?" his teammate's voice came from the other end.
James replied weakly, "Yeah, I'm ready."
"Then hurry back," his teammate urged.
The call ended, and James put his phone away and turned to leave. Just as he stepped out of the restroom, a voice called out to him, "What's on your mind?"
James's pupils contracted, and he turned sharply, seeing the man leaning against the restroom wall. His heart lifted. "Michael, you're here?"
Michael nodded slightly.
James sniffed, his voice tinged with a nasal tone. "When did you get here? I thought you weren't coming."
"I promised to watch your game, so I wouldn't break my word. I was just delayed by traffic, sorry," Michael apologized, ruffling his hair.
James stepped back, pretending to be proud. "I'm not a kid anymore, don't ruffle my hair."
Michael's lips curved slightly. He chuckled, "Alright, I won't. So, tell me, why are you playing so poorly? This isn't your true level."
"It's all because of you guys," James huffed. "Neither of you came to watch my game."
Michael raised an eyebrow. He had thought James had other concerns, but it turned out to be because he and Rachel hadn't shown up.
"Just because Rachel and I didn't come, you're playing poorly? That's pretty immature." Michael's face darkened slightly, showing his displeasure.
James retorted defiantly, "This is my first official game. I wanted you all to come. Wait, Michael, how did you know I invited Rachel? I don't think I mentioned it. Did she come too?" His eyes lit up, joy evident on his face as he leaned forward eagerly.
Michael couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, just like you thought, she came."
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