2 First day of Highschool

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The time has flown by, and I'm now 14 years old, and I'm currently 6'5. I had huge growth spurts in middle school, and it's nice to know that I'm going to be 6'11 without shoes. I grew the most this summer. I was 5'11 by the time middle school ended. So I've grown a total of 6 inches this summer. I haven't really talked to anyone this summer. Not even Mitchel knows how much I've grown. "Sweetie!? Are you awake yet?!" I get out of my small bed. It used to be perfect. Ellie has spent so much money on buying me new clothes and beds. This one is a regular queen, and it barely holds me. I put my size 13 shoes on and make my way downstairs.

I take my phone out as I sit down at the table for breakfast. I see the date, and it's September 19th, 2022. The current NBA season has been trying to readjust to the normal schedule after the two seasons in lockdown. It's a disappointment that it happened at all. I can see the position of the NBA and wanting to take the right steps to get back to a regular league. "Are you excited for the first day of Highschool? Let me know how surprised people are when they see you. I can't believe how much you've grown this summer. My bank account sure did suffer." She ends that with a laugh, and I grin. I'm already much taller than I was back before all this happened. She places some eggs and bacon in front of me. She does this every first day of school. I didn't play any peewee basketball in middle school. I decided to practice in private and hone my game. I pull up my system to see my stats after the 3 years of hard work.

[Ulysses Kennedy]

[Class - The Singularity][Legendary]

[Age 14, birthday January 24th, 2008]

[Shooting- A] [Dribbling- B+] [Passing- A-] [Speed- A] [Defense- A] [Lateral Quickness- B+] [Dunking- A] [Rebounding- B] [Endurance- A-] [Current Height- 6'5] [Final Height- 6'11 without shoes]

[Badges]

[Quick learner][A] [Shooters Touch][A+] [One of a Kind][S+] [Incredible Work Eithic][B+] [Dribbling Talent][A+]

My stats are graded at the NBA level, not the high school or the college level. So in truth, I'm at a superstar level in the NBA, and I'm just starting high school. It's the greatest feeling in the world being good at something you love. "I heard that the basketball program really needs some work at Holden. Are you going to play for the high school? I see you play at the park sometimes, and your great, Ulysses. I think you should really give it a shot." I intend to play basketball now that it's no longer peewee ball. There are no major organizations for kid prodigies in rural Oregon. So I saw no need to play in middle school. It would be nice to play on the hardwood floor instead of the concrete at the park for a change.

Holden High school doesn't really shine in basketball. It does shine in football and baseball, though. "That's the plan, Ellie. In fact, if I want to get some practice in at the school indoor court, I need to leave right now." I finish my food quickly, and Ellie tosses me a sack of lunch as I head out the door. I run to school and use the gym showers before classes start. Since the high school opens at 6 am, I don't have to play on the outside court as I did in middle school. I was always late to first period because of the showering, but hey. My grades didn't suffer. I start my run and sling my backpack on my back and make my way towards Holden High School.

After a 20 minute run, I make it to the front doors, and I head inside. A lady from inside the office comes out to meet me and looks up. "Sir, enrolling kids is not in this section of the school." I chuckle and show her my student ID from middle school. She looks back up, and her mouth hangs open as she does. "What are they putting in that lunch food..." She hands my student ID back and lets me go. I make my way down the hall and follow the signs around school until I make it to the basketball gyms. Even though it's cold September, I still wear shorts every day. I take my backpack off, and I unclip the separate bag that holds my basketball. I dribble it a few times and do some warm-up exercises.

I do a basic shoot-around and some dribble exercises for the next 30 minutes. I hear footsteps coming up behind me, and I make my last shot before I turn around and see a man wearing gym clothes and holding a clipboard. He must be Coach Rodgers. "Hey kid, I would've remembered you from last year. Where you from?" He must not think I'm a freshman. I take my student ID from middle school out once again and hand it to him. He looks back up at me with a cringe on his face. "You're a freshman? Damn kid, you must be taking horse steroids or something." We both have a laugh after he says that.

I go and pick up the basketball and hold it as I stand in front. "I'm 14. I'll be turning 15 in January. I could've played basketball in middle school, but I didn't think it was a good time to play. So I decided to wait till high school. It's nice to meet you." I hold out my hand, and he shakes it with a firm grip. I'm not on the buff side or skinny side. I'm the exact weight I need to be for my height. "So when does basketball season start?" I want to know when I'll be expected to practice and prepare for the season.

Coach Rodgers smiles and looks at his clipboard. "A new program is starting up here in Oregon for all schools. Sports seasons are going to be longer and have more games. Practices start tomorrow, and the first Scrimmage game against Edwin is next Friday. You want me to put you down for the team? I was watching you play, and you got some serious skills. We'll need to do official measurements and calculations before the season starts, though." I nod my head with excitement. I'll actually get to start practicing tomorrow. It'll be weird having a defender for the first time. "I'll mark you down for Small forward. You sure as hell don't move like a center or power forward." I can play any spot he'll need me to.

I see that it's approaching 7 am, and I still have half my drills to go through. "Yeah, that all sounds perfect to me. I'm going to finish my drills. Mind if I use the locker room to take a shower?" He gives the green light, and I resume my drills. I spend the next 30 minutes finishing up everything, and I still have a free 15 minutes before taking a shower. I spend this time practicing fadeaways and jump shots. The time passes, and I barely missed a shot. I pack up my stuff and head into the locker room to take a shower. I quickly get cleaned up and exit the locker room in a change of clothes.

I'm likely going to be the tallest player on the team, and many will be upset at the position changes. Most high schoolers in rural places like Oregon don't grow past 6'3, so the competition won't be taller than me. In some cases, there will be other kids at the height of 6'7 or 6'8, but they won't be able to move around as I can. I can already hear people walking around the halls from the other side of the gym doors. I push them open as I look at my schedule sheet. I see many looks from pretty much everyone. In a couple of years, I'm going to be even taller, so get over it. "Someone ate their vegetables this summer." I turn around and see Mitchel. As 14-year-olds, we aren't done growing. However, he is around 5'8. I passed him in 7th grade.

We give our signature fist bump and start talking about what classes we have together. We have 4 out of 7 classes together. Which is pretty cool, and our first-period language arts class is up first. We walk to class together, and I see many people give me weird looks. I ignore them and enter the freshman class. The teacher Ms. Viller looks at me in surprise as I enter the room. "Are you seriously a freshman?" I nod my head, and she shakes hers as she goes back to doing her morning work. I find a seat at the front of the class so I can stretch my legs out. More and more freshmen poor in, and I see plenty of familiar faces. There are glow-up, new cliques, and I fit into that category of the kid that grew 6 inches the summer before high school.

Some stop by and say their hellos, and after a little longer, the morning bell rings, and class starts. In truth, I can't wait till tomorrow. First basketball practice is going to be awesome. I wonder how good the rest of the team is. Little does Ulysses know, the team captain is pretty good for a high school player and doesn't like losing the spotlight.