The Bash

Before he knew it the week had flown by and his new schedule had become the norm and the day of the Summer Bash had arrived.

DJ returned home, the satisfaction from practice still lingering.  But the thought of his rocky relationship with his mother weighed heavily on his mind. He knew it was an issue he couldn't ignore any longer. He found her in the kitchen, scrolling through her phone.

"Hey, Mom," DJ began hesitantly.

She glanced up briefly, her expression indifferent. "What is it, DJ?"

"I was just thinking...we haven't really spent much time together lately. Maybe we could do

something this weekend?"

She sighed, her eyes barely lifting from the screen. "I'm busy this weekend. Maybe some other time."

DJ felt a familiar pang of disappointment. "Okay, sure," he muttered, turning away. It was always the same. He knew better than to expect anything different, but it still hurt.

'Seriously what's even the point .'

'I may as well hit the sim I'll use 60 points for an hour.'

Before he was going to continue he unexpectedly saw the missions tab flaring trying get his attention.

RECEIVING MISSIONS:

> 500 receptions

successfully – 100 FK points + Bronze Lottery ticket

> 500 contested catches

– 100 FK points + Bronze Lottery Ticket

> 1000 catches with the

QB set to the lowest level – 100 FK points + Silver Lottery Ticket

> 1000 game winning

catches on 4th down – 1000 FK points + Gold Lottery ticket

[Note: 1000 FK points are

required for a system upgrade]

"Whoa this is crazy!" DJs eyes seemed to about pop out of their sockets as he looked at the mission and the rewards that appeared in front of him. 'This is crazy, its tiring enough

getting a catch on max difficulty for High School but seriously how am I even supposed to work with a QB who can barely get the ball up 30 yds.'

'But at least I finally got an opportunity to get some badges, this is what I need.'

>NFL

>Professional

> College

>Highschool

> [Lower Levels will

not contribute to the mission]

'Well there goes that idea I guess I just gotta take it one step atta time then.'

——

That evening, Malik and Travis called him again.

"DJ! You coming to the summer bash tonight?" Malik asked, his voice buzzing with excitement.

"I don't know, man. I'm pretty tired from practice," DJ replied, feeling a bit down.

"Come on, dude," Travis urged. "You need a break. Plus, it's gonna be a blast."

"Yeah, and who knows? You might meet someone," Malik added with a teasing tone.

DJ chuckled, their vibe infectious. "Alright, alright. You guys convinced me. I'll go."

"Great! We'll pick you up at eight," Malik said, the excitement noticeable in his voice.

DJ got ready for the bash, opting for a tank top and beach shorts, adding a silver chain for a bit of style. When Malik and Travis arrived, they were dressed similarly, ready for a fun night.

The summer bash was a grand event, a tradition in their community. Multiple people had arranged and hosted it, creating an atmosphere of celebration and camaraderie. As DJ arrived, he saw classmates, teammates, and familiar faces. There was alcohol, people grilling left and right, games of football and beach volleyball, and

laughter and music filling the air.

As DJ was dapping up some old friends and taking some picture for Instagram with different people, he truly felt back where he belonged. Everyone was having fun with guys doing back flips and random drunk people coming to talk to him in third person as if they

were best friends since they came out the womb.

The funniest thing he probably saw all day was guy who started talking in sushi ingredients.

He glanced up at him, looking up from the sand. "Bonito flakes," he said dryly

Malik sat near him and patted the dudes back. "Yeah I hear you man you gotta use what hurt you as motivation."

Eventually the dude started tearing ,"Kelp"

Malik nodded his head," I hear you buddy you gotta go from wanting to do it for them to doing it for yourself."

Malik seemed to become a sage as he said ,"Look man you gotta realize your parents didn't sacrifice this much for you to give up." Honestly I could see stars in his eyes at this point

"Just Ignore him he has a bad habit of messing with drunk people." Travis said while trying to look he never met Malik a day of his life.

DJ was speechless, he honestly wanted to know how Malik understood what the guy was saying

"DJ, check out those girls over there," Malik said quickly changing the subject, pointing to a trio of girls standing by the beach.

DJ followed Malik's gaze and saw them: Addison, a blonde with blue eyes and a petite frame; Ellie, with black hair and fair skin, holding a drink and trying not to look at Travis; and Brianna, with light brown skin and braids, who seemed a bit shy and was

stealing quick glances at DJ.

"Let's go talk to them," Malik said, nudging DJ forward.

They approached the girls with easy smiles. "Hey, I'm Malik," he introduced himself, flashing a charming grin at Addison. "This is DJ and Travis."

"Hi, I'm Addison," she replied, smiling back. "And this is Ellie and Brianna."

"Nice to meet you all," DJ said, his eyes lingering on Brianna.

"So, what brings you to the bash?" Travis asked Ellie, who seemed to be struggling to keep her eyes off him.

"Oh, just here to have fun and relax," Ellie said, finally meeting his gaze.

"What about you, Brianna?" DJ asked, trying to break the ice. "What do you like to do

for fun?"

Brianna's eyes lit up.

"I love reading, painting, and sometimes I play a little basketball."

"Really? I used to play a bit too," DJ said, smiling. "Maybe we could hoop sometime."

"I'd like that," Brianna replied, her smile growing.

"Addison, you seem like the bold type. What do you do?" Malik asked, his tone playful.

"I guess you could say that," Addison replied with a laugh. "I'm on the debate team and

love a good challenge."

"Well, you've met your match, If debating was a person it'd be me" Malik said while patting his chest, causing Addison to laugh even more.

"Ellie, you seem athletic. Do you play any sports I think I've seen you play before at the

volleyball games?" Travis asked.

"Yeah, I play volleyball," Ellie said, her eyes lighting up. "I love the team and the competition, I've been playing for as long as I could remember."

"That's awesome. Maybe you can give me some pointers," Travis replied, smiling.

The conversation flowed smoothly, with jokes and laughter filling the gaps. Malik kept the mood light with his humor, teasing DJ about his dance moves and making everyone laugh.

"DJ, you should show them your moves," Malik said, nudging him. "He's got some secret talents."

"Oh, really?" Brianna said, raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe another time," DJ replied, chuckling. "I don't want to scare you off."

As the night went on, they exchanged numbers and social media handles. DJ made sure to get Brianna's Instagram and number, feeling a growing connection with her.

They spent the rest of the evening together, chatting and laughing, enjoying the party atmosphere. By the time the party started winding down and it was getting late, DJ offered to give everyone a ride home. They piled into his car, the energy still high from the

night's events as Malik immediately called aux. Malik and Travis were dropped off first, and then Addison and Ellie leaving DJ and Brianna alone in the car.

"I'm really glad I came tonight," DJ said, glancing over at her.

"Me too," Brianna replied softly. "I had a great time."

"By the way Brianna are you on the basketball team?" DJ asked

"Yeah but I didn't have that big if a role last year since we had a lot of good seniors." She seemed to smile as she remembered them

"That's awesome, honestly before football I used to play basketball almost every day while doing tournaments and anyway I could play, but I don't think anything comes close to

a football crowd." He said while smiling

Brianna's eyebrows seemed to raise "yeah even from the stands the crowd does have a different type of atmosphere, but why'd you stop playing?

"I don't know honestly I think some coaches just made me lose the love for it, and I think right now I'm not confident to split my attention between football and basketball."

She seemed surprised as she said "Honestly DJ you're a lot more approachable and down to earth than you look."

"What's that supposed to mean, I could say the same for you." DJ said taken back

"Take it as a compliment." She laughed

As they drove, they talked more, finding common interests and sharing stories. When they finally reached Brianna's house, DJ felt a connection he hadn't felt in a long time.

'I might be going crazy c'mon man you met her today.'

"Thanks for the ride, DJ," Brianna said, smiling shyly.

"No problem. Maybe we can hang out again sometime," DJ suggested.

"I'd like that," she replied, her eyes meeting his.

As DJ drove home, he felt a sense of contentment. The summer bash had been more than just a party; it had been the start of something new. With his phone buzzing constantly with Malik bragging about how he put on a performance of a life time and scored her number and Travis making the group chat with the three of them and the girls since

they said they wanted to hang out again.