18/07/17

No expectations were good. In fact, no expectations were great. He didn't have to delude himself into thinking that there was actually someone breathing down his neck to do better, live better. When in fact, it was all just his own wishful thinking.

Once that film had cleared from his eyes, he saw there was more he could be poring himself over instead of pining for affection that wouldn't come to him no matter what he did. Like, finding a way to win over Hayley's heart. Things couldn't be better between them, with him going over to hers to fix things and having a short while with her to himself.

However, in all honesty, he was greedy for more. Well, he was only human and having tasted the sweet feeling of being around the one he liked, he only wanted more. He just needed to think of a way to properly win her heart and if things went well, he'd just ask her out.

Just, what would be the best way to even go about that? Maybe he could ask—

"Dammit!" Nigel couldn't help cursing under his breath when his door suddenly flew open, knocking the short table behind it with a bang. He quickly put the book into his drawer before glancing back to his doorway where Saxon was standing with an apologetic expression. "Do you mind?"

"Sorry," he said before making his way in. "Are you ready yet? Do you want to catch a ride? Mom and dad are just on their way to the office."

They were willing to let him tag along? Nigel was more likely to believe that hell had frozen over. So, thanks but no thanks. He'd probably be discomfited to death.

"Nevermind," Nigel said. He could just take the subway or walk. Anything was better than subjecting himself to that.

"Are you sure?" Saxon pressed, only a few meters away from Nigel who was now shoving some of his notes into his bag.

"Quite," his tone was curt in response. To be honest, after his whole sick 'episode', Nigel was even less exercising of patience and restraint when it came to dealing with his twin. It was hardly his fault but Nigel found it hard to look straight at his face without getting annoyed.

"Oh," Saxon said and there was a long pause. In fact, if he was asked, he still wasn't sure what had compelled him into asking and thinking his twin would agree. "Well, do you mind breakfast? Pancakes and. . ."

Nigel toned him out. In fact, from the moment he opened his mouth to ask his opinion, his appetite had simply flown away at the thought of having to sit with his family. They were anything but.

"I'm late," he said and went ahead, mechanically greeting his parents as he passed through the living room and grabbing a protein shake on his way out.

Saxon had followed him out and now watched him leave, expression vacant as he wondered when his family had suddenly become like this.

–

"Didn't get breakfast this morning?" Alfie asked, lip arching in amusement and softening his already gentle features even more as he offered more of his mom's carefully made sandwiches to his starving friend.

Nigel happily helped himself. He'd thought he could hold on till break at least but soon collapsed as soon as he got to his seat, looking upon Alfie like he was a shimmering gold brick when he offered his sandwiches. He'd happily dug in, ignoring Aries' snicker and Glenn's curious stare as he downed it with his protein shake.

"That's enough," Nigel protested when Aries suddenly pulled him up but upon remembering Coach indeed wanted to see them before the start of school, quietly grabbed one more sandwich and strode over to keep up with his friend.

It was more or less the same old drill. It was their final year and the old retiree just wanted to make ever day of the session count with some of his better players. He'd been holding off conducting tryouts for the basketball team for late returners. Now four weeks into the new school year, he was finally ready.

"Hayley," Nigel stopped the quiet girl on her way out of the school building, smiling back just as easily when her lips cracked gently on seeing who it was.

"Hey," her eyes glimmered. "What's up?"

"Want to watch tryouts?" he asked, hopeful. He wouldn't necessarily participate in it. He'd been captain for three years with Aries as his running co-captain. Coach Sanders just ran normal drills on them and let anyone who wanted to challenge them do as they liked. It was basically just for other members of the team and new recruits.

"Oh," Hayley usually didn't pay attention to tryouts or anything about the various teams of Westbrook High but made a conscious note to know more since her possibly future boyfriend was on the basketball team. "Sure." She followed his lead until they were seated side by side in the bleachers, Aries languidly sitting on Nigel's other side.

Nigel glanced down where Coach was currently briefing those trying out, unable to help his brows furrowing at the sight of one particular person. "What's he doing?" he leaned in closer to ask Aries.

The redhead scanned the few persons before his gaze came to rest on the person his friend was pointedly staring at and he darted a speechless look on his friend. "Glenn's shown his interest in the team since last week at lunch," he pointed out. "Where's your head always at?"

Nigel was willing to bet on one of two things. Either he'd been too absorbed in conversation with Hayley or he just didn't care to bother on seeing Glenn was their topic of conversation. He'd give a hint, it wasn't the first one.

"You really don't like him?" Hayley extricated herself from her small talk with Alfie on her own right on catching bits of the conversation taking place next to her.

Nigel gave a half-hearted shrug.

"Why though?" It was one of the things she was curious about, especially since it concerned him and he was one of the most easygoing people she knew.

"I just don't like his face," Nigel said.

Hayley wasn't sure if it was her ears or it actually sounded like he was sulking. Eyes glancing down too, she stared thoughtfully at Glenn.

"Don't look," Nigel said exasperatedly, earning a full fledged snort from a previously snickering Aries. He turned a look on him, earlobes heating up. It was only this pig who knew the real reason and he'd like to keep it that way.

That, however, didn't stop him from plotting against the new student that had wormed his way into his circle of friends. Yes, he was petty. Happily so when it concerned the one person he'd liked for as long as he could remember. Perhaps fate was on his side to back Glenn up a bit but he was the last to be tried out.

Only four of the seven before him passed Coach Sander's rigorous set of drills and right when it was Glenn's turn, Nigel excused himself before jogging over and whispering his suggestion to the older man.

Coach shot him a puzzled look as though asking why he waited so long to involve himself in the assessment. Nigel stopped him before he could decide to start the whole thing over.

"It's fine if it's just him," Nigel said and just when the man was about to refuse, convinced he had something against the kid, Nigel defended by spouting bullshit. "I just noticed his foundation to be even more lacking than the others. It should be fine if I can test him."

Nigel smiled when the man nodded appreciatively, meeting Glenn's gaze across from him.

Glenn thought he was being devious and up to no good.

Nigel wasn't sure who posted the news on the school forum first but soon the bleachers were densely packed. The basketball tryouts, or that of any other sports team, weren't usually made into a whole affair. Even if there were interested individuals or thirsty girls who liked to drool over the hot guys on the team, it had never reached a level like this.

Nigel's smile widened because after all, the bigger, the better, right? He'd never participated much in tryouts. In his first year as a senior and he became Coach's preferred captain of all who had tried out, one particular senior had challenged him and ended up getting trashed. It had been sensational at the time and in the end, hardly anyone dared to do same. They just either approached Aries or met up with him for a friendly exchange.

Nigel glanced at the bleachers once, moving from Hayley whose expression he couldn't accurately make out from so far off and the near multitude fanning out from her spot in the very front and then to Aries who averted his gaze as though saying he didn't want to associate with this kindergartner seeking revenge in such a petty manner.

"What's the drill?" Glenn asked, trying to ward off the uneasy feeling in his gut as he watched the other bounce the ball.

"Score twenty points against me," Nigel simply said.

Glenn thought he looked like a peacock and just wanted to smack off that infuriating smirk that made his green eyes, speckled with amber come alive. He got ready, barely having finished nodding to show his understanding when the soft whistle blew and the ball sailed over his head.

Nigel smiled, eyes disappearing into happy crescents as he watched the nemesis of his love life literally turn green in the face.

In fact, Glenn knew he didn't have to look behind him to know Nigel had made the mark from where he stood in the middle of the court. A freaking three-pointer.

Nigel's smile was easy, taking the ball from the junior who happily jogged over to hand it over with a ward of appreciation.

Just like that, Glenn suddenly turned helpless as he watched him consecutively score three-pointers up until the eighteenth point, hardly breaking a sweat in his defense against him.

Nigel maintained his smile, that only eased at this moment when Glenn finally managed to free the ball from his grip and made to start in the direction of Nigel's own net. He retrieved it just as easily, enjoying the deafening screams of the crowd as he bounced over to his opponent's own net. In the end, he scored a two pointer.

Twenty points. No more, no less.

Only he knew that even as Glenn tried to tag after him, he'd quickly made his shot since he didn't want to score any point over twenty. Midrange was closest to that and in all honesty, he was too lazy to run all the way over despite how easier it'd have been shooting from there.

"You're welcome to try again next year," Nigel smiled.

Glenn felt his lip twitch. Was he cursing him to repeat his final year? "I want a rematch," he piped up.

"Have some dignity," Nigel wasn't really interested. "Accept your loss."

"I'd be just as good if I had the ball," Glenn persisted, making his own suggestion to Coach when he made his way closer.

Nigel arched a brow at the challenge. "All right, try to score twenty points against me," he mocked, tossing the ball he'd accepted once more over. He looked even more like a strutting peacock in need of a beating. But at least it wasn't so off-putting since he had the ability to back it up.

Glenn bounced the ball with a tense expression.

Nigel just arched a brow infuriatingly. In fact, this kind of match had no suspense at all for him. In no time at all, he scored twenty points against the other. "Next year," he said before walking off.

The score board showed twenty to one point, the latter being the pity point he'd scored in his own net for the sake of the other's pride. Alright, he knew that was even more damaging. Bite him.

"Thank you," he happily accepted the bottle of water and let Hayley dab the little sweat on his forehead, lowering his upper body for her convenience and ignoring the few stray gazes on them.

He was the happiest he could be.