A Surprise Phone Call

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~~~(POV: Ulysses Kennedy)~~~

~~~(Date: January 22th, 2026)~~~

~~~(Time: 7:31 AM)~~~

~~~(Location: Indoor basketball court at the local RAC, Holden, Oregon)~~~

My time has been spent mostly here the last couple of days... Basketball has helped clear my head, and my progress hasn't faltered... Even when my head isn't in it, I'm not missing shots... "You really had to drag me here so early? I want some extra sleep..." Hannah is here with me, albeit sleepy. She's sitting on a chair, watching me practice.

We've decided to skip school today and enjoy ourselves a little. Her tired voice proves how much she'd rather be in bed right now... "You know if you told me what you want to do... We could do that instead..." Her eyes widen, and she stands up. I can't help but smile... Having the right motivation can do wonders for you...

I'm done with my drills anyway, and having fun with something Hannah wants to do is fine with me. "The RAC has a private hot tub... I've heard it hardly gets used..." Hot tub, huh... I usually wouldn't since hot tubs are disgusting, but if it's hardly ever used, I don't see a reason not to. She's waiting for my answer, but there is one problem she's overlooking.

We don't have any swimwear. I didn't prepare to go into any form of water today other than a shower. "I'd do that, but we don't have anything to wear. Maybe we can drive to your place than mine and get some swimming clothes?" My heart races as she steps forward with a devious smile and a look in her eyes I only get when she's planning on causing trouble for me.

The good kind of trouble, though... She grabs my hand and pulls me forward, looking up at me. She's only 5'4 at best, so we both have to crank our necks to look at each other. "That's not a problem... The bubble will cover us up..." She presses her body against mine, and it feels way better than I'd like to admit. Her perfectly sized chest squishes against my abs.

If we do this hot tub thing... It'll be one of the most intimate things we've ever done... "Don't be nervous... I won't tell anyone, and I'm sure my sugar baby won't tell anyone..." Taking a chance like this... It could be a bit dangerous... "C'mon... Let's have this... Just for us..." She grabs my hand and pulls me towards the exit of the court. I drop my basketball and walk side-by-side.

~~~(POV: Ellie)~~~

~~~(Location: At Home, Holden, Oregon)~~~

~~~(Time: 7:51 AM)~~~

My phone has been going crazy the last hour, and I'm getting really sick of it. I've never had the same unknown number call me. I have the house all to myself this morning, and I was intent on enjoying it. As this sentiment crosses my mind, my phone starts to ring again. The phone would break in my grip if I truly wanted to break it.

I finally decide to accept the persistent caller, and I make my anger apparent. "What!? What is so important that you've called me 19 times in the last 45 minutes!?" There is silence on the other end of the phone, and my blood boils at this. In the next second, a man clears his throat and tries to speak. "I swear to God if this is a telemarketer, I'll scream until you hang up!!" More silence.

I've made whoever is on the other end of this line nervous. He takes a breath and begins to speak. "Hello, my name is Rob Pelinka, and I'm the General Manager for the LA Lakers. I was hoping to talk to you about your nephew's upcoming birthday?" My anger slowly dies down, and I take a deep breath. We've had teams call before, but not with this approach.

It takes me a minute to level myself out and gain some polite mood. "Hello, Mr. Pelinka. Ulysses isn't home right now, and I'm not sure of your intentions regarding this phone call. It's weird that you'd call regarding his upcoming birthday, and how you found out about this is strange in itself." Ulysses's birthday isn't common knowledge. At least, I don't think it is.

He takes a moment to find his words, and what I hear surprises me. "Ulysses posted on Twitter that his birthday is coming up on the 24th, and he's really down since his teammates are... Gone... " Yeah, you don't have to tell me that... "We were wondering if you'd like us to fly you guys down to LA for his Birthday for the weekend?" Well... I can say that's not what I expected...