39 Turning Serious

"What the!?"

Nathan exclaimed as he stood speechless at Chris's action.

Chris smiled as he looked at everyone's reactions. He actually felt good watching other's disbelief.

He looked at Nathan's gaped mouth, Allan's dilated pupils and Lance's surprised look.

'I understand... It's not every day that you see someone jump'

Chris smirked as he basked himself in the light of his opponent's astonishment.

Chris landed on two feet with the ball in his hands. He looked at everyone before he dribbled the ball away when he saw Nathan and Lance coming.

"Kaha! Wanna see something amazing?"

When the court resets he looked at Lance who switched to guard him. Chris did not mind and just laughed it off.

Without any warning, his handling began to speed up. The ball bounced to and from the ground at a higher frequency.

Lance found it hard to keep up. His eyes tried to follow the ball but Chris handled the ball in a confusing way.

Chris was elated. He looked at Lance with a smile on his face and watched guard dance in front of him.

"Tsk. He's starting again!"

Chris's teammate whispered as he saw Chris dribble at a fast pace.

They knew that Chris is starting to fan the fire of his ego once again.

Lance who is trying to keep up with Chris became troubled. Then he unconsciously stepped in the wrong direction and got distracted.

'Crap!'

Chris smiled when Lance became distracted and began to bring pressure. While dribbling, he moved an inch closer within each dribble he made. Unconsciously, Lance began to step back every time Chris moved closer.

'What to do?'

Lance finally noticed what is happening. He looked at the court and saw that they were already in the paint. It would take only a couple of steps to make a shot or lay the ball up.

'To think that he has already pushed the defense this far, it's amazing!'

His eyes focused on the ball and did not take his eyes off of it. It moves fast but he can't just let it bounce around Chris.

'Should I steal the ball.'

He does not know if his hand can reach the ball nor if it is fast enough to touch the ball. Chris's dribbling speed is rarely seen even in professional leagues which is why Lance is thinking twice about what to do.

He looked at his hand and began to decide.

He tried to read the pattern and while being mindful of Chris's moves.

'From left to right... The ball should go to his Right!'

Lance saw the ball where he expected it to be and began to stretch his hands while preparing for a steal. Although the ball moved fast Lance doesn't have to follow it with his eyes.

He can just anticipate where it will go.

He looked at Chris and saw that he was about to dribble the ball behind his back.

Lance's eyes quickly traced the expected trajectory of the ball and analyzed Chris's movement.

It was time. Lance knew that the ball will surely appear at the best point where he can steal it! His hands reached out like a snake biting towards its prey.

As fast as he can, he reached for the ball as soon as he heard it bounce off the ground.

He caught nothing but air.

"*whistle"

Lance saw Chris looking at him as if expecting him to steal the ball and then he saw the ball in Chris's left which surprised him.

He was fooled!

Chris changed his pattern in that instant when he noticed that Lance is going for the steal.

Instead of dribbling the ball from the left to the right, he faked it in a way Lance wouldn't notice. His body was covering the ball as it bounced behind him so Lance wouldn't know where it is gonna go.

Chris smirked and smile before shifting his sight away from Lance and towards the basket.

Lance could not do anything as he couldn't kill his momentum forward.

Chris dribbled the ball for one last time before taking two steps and a jump to the hoop. He extended his arm which is holding the ball as he took off from the ground a meter away from the board.

He is aiming for a dunk.

Allan saw him and began to move.

He nimbly went around his guard and moved in front of Chris who is in mid-air. He was tall enough so it didn't take long for him to block Chris's path in mid-air.

"I won't let you!"

With both of his hands up he also jumped and began to contest Chris's dunk attempt.

Chris was amazed when he saw Allan's hands completely.

'So tall!'

His eyes glistened at awe when Allan conveniently raised his hands and jumped low. He did not need to jump high, he does not need to.

As both of hem soared mid-air, Allan began to reach fro the ball as Chris inched closer to the basket.

'Not good!'

Chris felt like he would get block and decided to make a clutch mid-air! Retracting his extended arm and up again, he avoided Allan's block attempt.

Allan's eyes constricted at Chris's action. He was surprised by his immediate reaction and decision.

Then, when he looked back he expected Chris to attempt a layup but suddenly heard a loud bang.

Bang!

Everyone was further surprised by Chris' action. Instead of laying up the ball, he forced a dunk from the clutch with a reverse.

His hands clamped on the hoop for a second before he let go and smiled while looking at Allan.

Chris smirked and looked at Allan in the eye and waved his index finger in the air.

"Nice try, tall guy!"

Allan frowned and clenched his hands while looking at Chris.

"This will be the only time, though."

Allan seriously said while he walked past Chris without looking at him.

Chris chuckled and said, "Is that so? We'll see."

Nathan looked around him and looked at Lance. "Isn't this getting intense?"

Chris clapped his hands and took everyone's attention. He raised his hands and said, "That is a point for us!"

Lance looked at Chris.

'He is skilled...'

He remembered Fin's playstyle when he looks at Chris. They have almost the same skill set but Chris can jump higher.

As if the hoop is waiting for his arrival, Chris marched with might in the paint and jumped at the right distance to slam the ball into the net! He soared high and looked at only the hoop.

He was someone who plays with a great thirst for scoring points.

Bang!

He slammed the ball into the hoop and dunked hard. The ring and the backboard vibrated and wiggled when he dunked.

He landed on two feet satisfied with his performance.

Allan was pissed. He can see that Chris is just playing with them and is just casually taking them on.

Chris did not put them in his eyes.

Then, Allan's spirit was awakened. His eyes squinted and looked at Chris.

"Don't think we are that easy to beat!"

Chris heard and chuckled.

"Then, don't be all talk-?"

He noticed Allan's burning eyes. It wasn't really burning, it just felt like it to Chris. He can feel the sharpness in Allan's gaze.

"I admit you are skilled..."

Allan spoke and took the rolling ball with one hand and looked at it.

He continued, "But you are in no way enough."

Chris frowned.

He was somehow triggered by Allan's.

"You know, you are looked like a dog who is all bark just now."

Allan chuckled and replied, "Speak for yourself. Blowing your own horn since the beginning!"

"What did you say!?"

"Hey, don't-" A teammate noticed Chris walking up to Allan and tried to stop him but was cut off before he could finish talking.

"Wanna make a bet then?

Chris's teammates looked at Chris.

Chris continued, "Then prove it with this game. If you can't, then you'll have to go home naked."

Allan looked at him with a frown.

"Then watch like a kitten." Allan suddenly smiled as he answered.

He looked at Lance and threw the ball towards him.

"Do it seriously!"

The ball flew fast and heavily met Lance's hands. He looked at Allan and did not reply.

Lance looked at his hands and felt the pain stinging on his hands.

Allan looked around the court and began to look a little more serious.

Then he turned to the opposing team and said, "Alright, let's continue."

"Hmph."

Chris harrumphed.

He looked at Lance who started the dribble the ball. He looked at the 5 foot 7 tall high schooler in front of him.

He thinks nothing of the guy.

He believed that it would be easy to guard the guy, assuming that even if Lance can move fast he shouldn't be as fast as Chris, himself.

Chris is quite confident of himself and he has the right to do so. He is quick, athletic and skilled in the sport. It is rare for him to see someone who can play against him toe to toe.

In high school, there is no one who can play better than him. Though he admits that there is someone better than him outside the school. When he saw one though, he has the confidence to at least hold his ground against them.

Actually, his high school team sees him as their ace that can help them topple every other team in the city.

Can the one in front of him outplay him? Maybe, with pure luck, but...

Looking at Lance's stature, he doubts that it would even be possible.

He looked at the ball and saw through them completely. Lance's dribble was nothing fancy in his eyes.

The speed is average.

The course is average.

'... It seems like the tall guy is the only one here that I can look forward to playing with... I just hope he isn't all talk.'

Then a strong dribble caught his attention.

He saw the ball bounce heavily in the ground. Lance's fingers caught the ball and dribbled it down again.

'What is this guy thinking?'

When the ball bounced up, he saw Lance step forward attempting to drive to his left.

'naive'

Chris's lips drew into a dry smile. He quickly reacted and looked at Lance as if he won't let Lance get past him.

But then, he did not expect the next thing he saw.

Lance suddenly pulled back with another dribble leaving Chris unable to follow as he was in the motion of going backward.

Lance created a distance with a strong step back.

Chris frowned and got annoyed about himself. He bit the bait and got tricked by the cross over but when he was expecting Lance to go the other way he saw him take a long step back.

Then he noticed the distance.

'What?'

A meter and a half of distance were made in an instant.

But Chris did not think of this as a threat. He thought that it was too far to make a shot, he believes that it would be foolish to make a hard shot that can easily miss.

He did not even think for a second if Lance is someone who can shoot from the distance.

But then, Lance jumped and threw the ball in the air. A jump shot from long distance.

The ball drew a perfect arc and fell perfectly into the basket.

It surprised Chris as he did not expect it. He looked at Lance and chuckled.

'So he is a shooter, huh...'

As Lance got a point for the team the possession of the ball is given to Chris's team.

Chris's teammate threw the ball in, towards Chris.

Chris started to dribble and look at Lance.

'So what if you can shoot... Can you even stop me on defense?.'

He looked at Allan and Nathan who are inside the perimeter.

'No one can.'

Chris quickly dribbled past Lance towards the hoop but Allan got in the way so he quickly made a small distance that he thought was enough to safely shoot the ball.

But...

Bang!

To his surprise, as the ball left his hands in the air Lance jumped and blocked it with his hand midair.

What!?