Chapter 65: Drills

Xander PoV

"About time you made it," Coach Rodriguez said, smiling as I entered the gym. The guys were doing dribbling drills.

I gulped. She didn't look mad, but that didn't mean she wasn't. 

She sighed. "Hurry and get to work, Mr. Yu."

I nodded and ran over to join the others. Anton grinned as soon as he saw me. It was still hard to believe that the oaf was the older brother of Rosen.

Elyan just shook his head and sighed.

"Hey, Xander!" Anton called out, bouncing his ball with exaggerated flair. "Ready to get schooled today?"

"Yeah, right," I shot back, trying to sound confident. "I'm just here to keep you from tripping over your own feet."

He laughed, the sound booming in the gym. "You wish! Just don't get too comfortable; I'm aiming for MVP this season!"

Elyan scoffed "As if you haven't already claimed that title by sheer volume alone, Anton."

Anton just grinned. Sometimes I wondered if he really was that thick or if he just pretended to be.

"So, where were you at?" Elyan asked as I grabbed a ball. "You weren't on the rooftop."

Anton hummed. "That is odd." He laughed. "Did you end up meeting a cute girl or something?"

My cheeks warmed up at the thought. The only cute girl I met was his sister. Not that I would say that. He would probably punch me if he was as overprotective as Rosen claimed. Instead, I shrugged, trying to play it cool.

"Just, you know, reading," I said, forcing a casual tone. "Trying to stay out of trouble."

Elyan raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Reading? You? Please, you'd rather be here shooting hoops than stuck with a book."

"Hey, I can read!" I protested, feeling the heat creeping up my neck. "It's just… sometimes I need a break from all the noise."

Anton laughed again. "Seems Elyan's nerdiness if rubbing off on you."

Elyan narrowed his eyes at him but the looked back at me. "Knowing Xander, he was probably napping at the library."

I started to dribbled. "Wow, you do know me well," I mumbled.

"Of course I do, we've know each other since we were in diapers!"

"That long?" Anton said, blinking.

"Yep," Elyan replied, chuckling. "Xander used to take my toys and I'd cry and bonk him, but he was like a rock! Nothing could faze him."

I hummed. "Really? I don't recall."

He grumbled. "That's because you've always been so absentminded! You would take a while to feel the bonk!"

Anton laughed. "Yet, he feels the fatigue from practice and from classes right away."

Elyan sighed. "That's because he's lazy."

I shot them both a deadpan look. "I prefer to think of it as strategic energy conservation."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that," Elyan replied, shaking his head. 

As the drills continued, I focused on my form, pushing back any distractions. The sound of the basketballs bouncing and the chatter of the other players faded into a background hum, allowing me to concentrate.

When it was time to move into shooting drills, I stepped up to the line. I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and focused on the hoop. As I released the ball, I felt that familiar rush of satisfaction when it swished cleanly through the net.

"Nice shot!" Anton called out, his voice breaking through my concentration.

I nodded, trying to keep my expression neutral. "Thanks."

Elyan chuckled. "Seems you haven't grown rusty."

"Why would I? I came to practice yesterday."

He grumbled. "One or two days isn't enough! You need to come every day!"

I rubbed my left ear and pouted. Ugh, he really was a nag. Maybe I should've stayed at the library after all. It was warm and comfy there. Now I was all sweaty and stuff.

The remainder of practice was a blur of drills and shooting. I pushed myself, trying to shake off any lingering fatigue while focusing on my form. The drills shifted from shooting to passing, and then to defensive maneuvers, with Coach Rodriguez calling out corrections and encouragement as we moved.

Anton was relentless, always trying to outshine everyone, while Elyan maintained his usual steady pace, his eyes sharp and focused on each play. Despite the friendly banter and teasing, I felt the weight of their expectations, and I was determined not to let them down.

As practice wound down, my legs felt like lead, and I was panting like a fish out of water. I grabbed a water bottle and took a long drink, trying to catch my breath. 

"Hey, you alright there, Xander?" Anton laughed, noticing my struggle. "You look like you just ran a marathon!"

"Very funny," I managed to reply, still gasping for air.

Elyan sighed and shook his head. "You should really work on your stamina. I swear, you're the only person I know who can lose breath just from shooting hoops."

I shot him a deadpan look. "Now you're just exaggerating."

"Yeah, but you get my point," Elyan continued, crossing his arms. "You won't last long in a real game if you keep this up."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," I replied dryly, wiping the sweat from my brow. 

Anton clapped me on the back, nearly knocking me off balance. "Come on, you know you'll get there! Just keep pushing! Besides, if I'm going for MVP, I need you to be at your best!"

"Right. Because it's all about you," I said, rolling my eyes.

We wrapped up the last few drills, and I felt a mix of relief and accomplishment. Coach Rodriguez called us in for a final huddle. "Great work today, team. I want to see you all bring this energy to the practice game next week against Kellen University. Remember, teamwork is key!"

"I think Xander needs a bit more energy than this, Coach!" Anton yelled, pointing at me.

The other guys snickered. I glared at Anton for embarrassing me in front of the whole team.

Coach Rodriguez raised an eyebrow at Anton, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. "Don't worry, Anton. I'm sure Xander will find a way to power through. After all, he's the one with the strategic energy conservation plan."

The rest of the team chuckled, and I felt my face heat up. I shot Anton a glare, but he just laughed, clearly enjoying the attention.

"Alright, enough teasing," Coach continued, her tone shifting to a more serious note. "Remember, guys, it's about improvement, not just winning. Focus on your teamwork and communication. That's what will make us great."

"Got it, Coach!" we all replied in unison.

As practice officially wrapped up, we began gathering our things. Anton was still bouncing around, full of energy, while Elyan and I shared a more subdued approach, our movements purposeful as we packed up.

"So, Xander," Anton started, leaning against the wall, "I'm counting on you to bring your A-game against Kellen. We need you out there!"

I nodded, trying to keep my expression neutral. "I'll be there, don't worry. I wouldn't miss it."

"Good! I know you'll help us crush them," he said.

Elyan sighed. "It won't be easy, though."

Anton blinked. "Why's that?"

Four eyes shook his head and sighed. "Do you never bother to do opposition research?"

"No, I don't. I just make sure to bring my A-game!"

Elyan sighed. "I sometimes envy how simple minded you are."

"Does Kellen have strong guys?" I asked.

"Yeah. They have the stars from both the high school teams that went to nationals, Drew and Wilt."

I gasped. Wilt?