One Shot of Chance

Chapter 5 - Training together

Rowie Ravdin opened the gymnasium’s door slightly and observed the atmosphere. The players were playing blissfully. It was obvious, though, they had just won the trophy. Anyone would be this delighted after winning against their rival school.

A slight smile formed on her face as she watched the whole team training. She entered the gym without anyone noticing her. Disturbing the team would be the last thing she would do. She should wait for Patricia quietly here at the side.

She really loved the sound of the basketball court: the sound of the ball dribbling, the friction between the court and their shoes, and most especially, the waves of laughter and shouts from the players inside. They were really having fun despite the cruel and harsh drills.

Kazu jumped to dunk the ball and it was as if his feet were made up of springs.

How come he could do that when he did not even have that much muscle in his legs? It was so thin that Rowie was afraid it would break whenever he landed on the floor.

As Rowie glanced at every player, he saw a specific guy dribbling so professionally. He was not as fast as Kazu but he was like dancing in the air. She could not believe that she had just stared at him the whole time.

Ever since that time, Rowie could not stop thinking about Shin. After that confrontation in front of The Midnight Bar, she only had thoughts of that guy. She did not even know why. All she knew was every time Shin’s piercing gaze landed on her, she went weak on her knees.

She was a shooting guard, and she could do three-pointers as well, but not as smooth as that guy. The guy could shoot the ball in the middle of the court! What was with that angle? It was too high. The anticipation was killing her.

It was a given that tall players must be good at attacking and pushing in the middle. But unlike other tall players, Shin was more effective outside. Or maybe he just wanted that spot and hated it when other people bump into him.

Her mouth was slightly open when Patricia chuckled beside her. "I know that you like Kazu but not to the point that you will not even notice me coming in."

Rowie wanted to say that it was not Kazu she was looking at but she chose to close her mouth instead. Think about whatever she wants to think. She did not want the teasing to go on forever.

"Aren't we going to have a meeting? Lunch is almost over," Rowie said grumpily.

Patricia smirked. "Changing the topic, huh? Okay, then." She called out to Marcus.

Almost all of the players turned their gazes at them. Rowie scratched her nose and tried to smile at the men's basketball captain. They both went over to Marcus, who was smiling widely at them.

Marcus was a tan, six-footer guy with average muscles. His hair was curly and always disheveled. It looked like he did not know how to comb his hair, but the thing is, it suited him. He looked like an innocent kid stuck in an adult's body.

In Rowie’s opinion, he was so bright that she could not help but be blinded by it. Whenever she bumped into him in the hallway, he was always all smiling and his eyes disappeared every time. Even though they did not know each other at first, he would smile at Rowie like they were old friends or something.

It was not bad, though. But for someone like Rowie, she did not know how to react to such a person. She could only smile back a little so that she would not look like the rude and boring girl that she was.

"You are here! Can we have the meeting with my team?" asked Marcus as he motioned to his teammates.

They had already stopped playing and gone to where their captain was. Rowie could not keep up with the stares, that was why she looked down at her feet instead. This was her first time standing in front of a crowd, aside from class recitation where her classmates did not really pay attention to any of the things she was saying.

"Sure!” Patricia beamed. “It is fine. I will handle my team later after school to inform them."

They all gathered in the bleachers while the captains of the basketball boys and girls were standing in front of them. Rowie sat beside the player, whom, if she remembered it clearly, was Charles Thompson, another foreigner from the U.S.

She smiled at him a little before facing Patricia. She was giving her an odd look before glancing at Rowie’s back, but she did not know what she meant by that. She just chose to ignore it.

"So, the two of us had a little talk, like, two weeks ago," Marcus started. "We had this conversation about the basketball girls aiming for the trophy next year."

"And as you all know," Patricia continued. "The basketball girls were formed only recently. We, honestly, are having a hard time training with just the two of us in charge," she said while glancing in Rowie's direction.

"What we are trying to say is that we planned on having the training together," he announced.

The guys from behind Rowie started to whisper. A hint of confusion was masked on Rowie's face.

Before she could even ask, a guy behind him spoke, "What you are saying is that starting next year, the basketball boys and girls are going to train together?"

Rowie could not be mistaken. She knew who the guy from behind her was. She held her breath unconsciously.

"That was what I was trying to say, Shintaro," Marcus replied.

"That is nice, isn't it, Shin-chan?" Kazu teased him while poking his best friend's cheek, which was now turning pink.

"Stop being a kid, Kazu," he complained, a little annoyed at his childish friend.

"Okay, okay! You do not have to hide your smile, idiot." Kazu laughed heartily, not minding their teammates who were now watching the two bickering like usual.

"So!" Marcus interrupted everyone and continued talking. "The basketball boys are going camping this Christmas vacation, right?"

The guys cheered without even finishing their captain's sentences. It was like they were going to a party, not camping.

"Chill down, guys. I know you are excited but not because we had this meeting about camping. The girls are already allowed."

Some people groaned in disapproval. Some made a fake cry which caused the two captains to laugh. Rowie could not hide her disappointment either. She wanted to go camping because she knew that her Christmas vacation would be boring. Add the fact that they would be going with the basketball boys made her jump for joy inside.

The meeting finished after half an hour. They were mostly interrupting Marcus from saying anything more. The Christmas camping has already clouded their minds. They did not even think about the fact that the girls’ team would not agree with this.

Marcus shook his head and called it a day. Tomorrow was the last day before the break and they planned on celebrating tomorrow instead of training. Players needed a rest, too.

Rowie frowned at Patricia every time she teased her. She could not help but feel conscious of how she looked around them. Patricia thought it was Kazu, but she knew better. It was not him this time.

Ever since she noticed Shintaro, ever since that night at The Midnight Bar, she knew that something had changed. Kazu was out of the picture now. It was Shintaro Yamazaki that was filling her mind right now. And she knew to herself that she would be thinking about him.

She just wished that she would not bump into Shin after that.

AFTER THE CHRISTMAS party, Rowie was soaking wet. The icing that Jennica put on her face was still there. She felt the stickiness all over. That was why she decided to change her clothes and wash her face.

Jennica and Charlotte had already gone home to have their other plans, like getting together with their other squad.

On the other hand, Rowie did not have any other friends aside from her schoolmates. But, in the end, she chose not to go home yet. There was nothing to look forward to at home. Though, she was kind of worried about her stepmom and her stepsister.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she sighed. She picked up her phone and called her stepsister to find out how they were.

On the third ring, her stepsister picked up and answered in a jolly tone, "Hi, sis! How was the party? Did you enjoy it?"

"Of course, Raven. How about you and Mom?" Rowie asked worriedly.

"We are fine. Mom is cooking snacks for me because I am craving pancakes."

Rowie frowned even though she could not see her. "You should help Mom, Raven. At least give her the ingredients while cooking."

"I am helping her. Do not worry about it too much and enjoy your party," she said to her older sister.

"I understand. Take care, okay? Give Mom the phone so we could talk. Just call me if you need anything."

"I will. Bye!" She heard her stepsister calling for her stepmom and in a minute, her mom spoke on the other side.

"How are you, baby?" she asked Rowie.

"Mom, I am not a baby anymore." Rowie pouted and almost rolled her eyes.

"Oh, you really liked it when I call you baby every time," her mom teased.

"That was years ago!" Rowie exclaimed but laughed in the end.

"Okay, okay, I get it. So, why did you call? I told you to enjoy the party and do not mind us here. We are fine!"

"I know. I am just—" She fidgeted. "I am just a little worried, that's all."

Janice, her stepmom, sighed on the other line. "You know we are fine as long as your dad is not around, right?"

Rowie sighed as well. "That is what I am worried about. What if he comes without me?"

"I will call you, then. Do not worry too much and enjoy it. This is your last day before the Christmas break, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. Just —just call, Mom, okay?" Rowie asked again. She could not help but feel worried from time to time.

"I will. I will. Really, this girl."

Rowie smiled at herself after the call. Just listening to her little sister's voice calmed her. Her worries just disappear whenever she hears Raven's jolly voice. On the other hand, if she heard her mom's voice, she could not help but be worried about her.

It was Christmas break already and this was the time of the year when her evil of a father comes home.

Rowie sighed as she heard her mom's voice in her head: Don't think of something like that, Rowie! He is still your father! And the good daughter that she was— if she was still considered a good one for calling her dad an evil person— would just sigh and say sorry about what she said.

While walking on the covered walk, she paused. She was having second thoughts about playing basketball alone. It was only two in the afternoon and she still had three hours until the school finally closed. She wanted to release some steam before going home. She wanted to exhaust herself.

She continued walking, her eyes looking down her feet, counting her steps. She decided to do what was on her mind. Her house was too far from school, but one bus ride would save her from the hassle.

She stopped on her track. He saw a pair of hands in front of her. Her eyebrows furrowed out of confusion. She immediately lifted her head to see who was in front of her. Her eyes widened and her mouth almost dropped after seeing who it was.

"W— what... are you... I mean why—?" Unable to finish her sentence, she pursed her lips into a thin line. She did not know what to say after confirming who was standing in front of her. To think that he was offering something, which was undeniably a ticket, she just could not find the right question to ask.

It was Shintaro Yamazaki.