For The Love Of The Game (Book 1)

Chapter 15: You Got This!

I had been waiting for this moment for such a long time, as I had been training for this moment for a while as well. I knew that whilst I had been getting bigger and stronger, I still might not be big enough, and I might not be tall enough to get on a high school court, as Xavier had told me that I should not be discouraged if I did not make it on to the varsity team, all at the exact same time as well, none the less, once again, at that.
I knew that he was right, but I felt like I at least had to have some sort of hope, as I really did not want to be playing another year in rec league, especially after it was that I had been treated in the last rec league that I had tried to get in to this last summer, all at the exact same time as well, none the less, as I had in fact felt quite a bit bad for my mother, all at the exact same time as well for all of that, as she had not even got her money back from it when she had tried.
I felt like I should have at least tried to play in that rec league, but at the exact same time as well, I really did not want to be on a team where the coach would give me little to no minutes in garbage time, and I would never have the ball handed to me what so ever, and no one on that team was going to take me seriously at all, what so ever, all at the exact same time too, as I knew that as bad as I felt for my mother, I knew that I had made the right decision.
Besides, I also knew that my mother would have had to go out of her way to take me to some of the games and the practices when she did not have the time to do all of that stuff, all at the exact same time as well, once again. I let out quite a bit of a rough sigh to my self all at once, as I just did my best to get my mind and my focus off of all of those thoughts, all at the exact same time too, as I knew that it was all behind me at this point, all at the exact same time too.
I breathed in quite a bit to my self once again, as I just stared at the clock that was in front of me for quite a bit of some time, as I was not all too sure as to just what it was that I should do, or just what it was that was even going on right at this very moment in time, in the very first place any ways, as I had not been paying a single lick of attention to any thing that had in fact been going on in this class what so ever today, as much as Xavier had told me that the first step to being a good player was to have good grades.
My grades were okay I suppose, as nothing really stood out, as they were all A-C in my grades, but I still knew that I did in fact need room to improve on that aspect at the very least. I just really did not care all too much about any of that how ever, as I felt like there was really no point, and there was no reason for me to pay all too much attention in class what so ever, if I was going to go be a basketball player, and not some sort of mathematician where I needed to know what x to the power of 37 was.
I kind of just rolled my eyes a bit to my self, as I just laid my chin on the desk that I was sitting on right at this very moment in time any ways, as I stared at the clock for a little bit longer, as I saw that school was about to end in less than a minute at this point, as I knew that the bell always rang a little bit early every day, all at the exact same time as well, once again. I just watched as the seconds ticked by on the clock, as I hoped that the bell was to go and ring at any moment.
As I seemed to stare at it for just a little bit longer, I then all of the sudden began to start to hear a voice from the front of the room begin to start to speak, that just as soon got my attention on to it all of the sudden, as I tilted my head at first, as I was quite a bit lost as to just what it was that was going on this late in class in the very first place any ways, that seemed like it needed to get all of the attention of the kids, and the students that were in this room on to them, all at the exact same time as well, that was of course until I realized, and I saw what it was.
It was the teacher of our class room right now of course, as I turned my head over to him, and I stared at him with quite a bit of a blank look on my own face for some time, as I was not all too sure as to just what else it was that I should really be doing right now in the very first place any ways besides that, as it felt like it was the best way at the very least, to let the guy know that I was in fact paying attention as to just what it was that he even had to say to me in the very first place any ways, none the less.
Though I suppose that it was not really mainly me, as I knew that he had an entire class room all around him right at this very moment in time as well, that it seemed like most of his attention was directed over towards right at this very moment in time as well, as I breathed in quite a bit heavily to my self all at once, as I just did my best to try to get my mind, and to try to get my focus off of all of the rest of those other thoughts once again.
I just seemed to stare at the the teacher for quite a bit of some more time, as I felt like that was the only respectable thing for me to do right at this very moment in time any ways, as I then did in fact begin to start to listen as to just what it was that he even had to say to all of the kids that were even in this class room right at this very moment in time any ways, as he then began to start to continue to speak to all of us just as he had been trying to do before now, once again.
"Alright every one... I hope that you all have a good day! There is no home work for tonight, so you do not have to worry about that! Have a good week end you all!" He said to us, as I was in fact quite a bit surprised as to just what it was that he had even said in the very first place, as for one thing, I had in fact forgot that today was in fact a Thursday, and that we had a teacher work tomorrow, all at the exact same time as well, none the less.
Not only that though, but I also was a bit surprised as to just what it was that he had even just said to us in the very first place any ways, as I knew that he always gave us home work on the weekends, all at the exact same time too, none the less. Perhaps he was just being a bit extra nice to us, as we did in fact have a shortened week next week, due to the fact that it was going to be Thanksgiving break, all at the exact same time as well, as I cracked a bit of a smile at the thought of that.
Of course, I was happy due to the fact that I knew that I had no homework, and that I was about to have quite a bit of some time off of school, in which I was going to be able to go on ahead and train some more, all at the exact same time as well, never the less. But then there was also the fact that I knew that my mother always made an amazing meal for Thanksgiving for me, all at the exact same time too, for every single year, that always lasted quite a few days for me, all at the exact same time too, never the less.
I cracked a bit of a smile at all of those thoughts all at once, as I did my best to try to get my mind, and to try to get my focus off of all of the rest of those thoughts once again, all at the exact same time too, none the less, as I then instead got my mind, and I got my focus on the thoughts that had to do more or less to the fact that I knew that school was in fact about to end for the day, for at least most of the students that were in this room right at this very moment in time as well.
How ever, I knew that was not going to be the case for me what so ever, as I knew that I was about to go to basketball practice, all at the exact same time as well, once again. I did my best to try to calm my self down, as I got my mind, and I got my focus off of all of the rest of those other thoughts that I had my mind on in the very first place any ways, as I then all of the sudden began to start to hear the bell ring all of the sudden, that signified to every one that the school day was over.
As soon as the bell rang, I heard the heavy sigh of relief from many of the students, all at the exact same time as well, none the less, as I did my best to try to calm my self down, all at the exact same time too, once again, as I then all of the sudden began to get my mind, and get my focus more on to the thoughts that had to do with basketball of course, as I knew that was what it was that I had my mind on for the most of the day before now, all at the exact same time as well, never the less.
I cracked quite a bit of a smile on my face all at once, as I lifted up my book bag all of the sudden, all at once, all at the exact same time too, as I then began to start to head out of the class room with the rest of the students, all at the exact same time as well, as it seemed like as soon as it was that I had in fact got out of the class room, I then all of the sudden began to start to seem to get my mind, and to get my attention on the thoughts that had to do more with the fact that I needed to head over to my locker.
I needed to put my bag, and all of my valuables in the locker, as it still felt quite a bit strange to me even to this day, none the less, that I was even able to do that in this school with out having to worry about the fact that I might have some thing stolen from the locker all at the exact same time as well, all at the exact same time too. I did my best to try to get my mind, and my focus off of all of that once again how ever, as I knew that was in fact besides the point, and it had nothing to do with what it was that I should really have my mind, and I should really have my focus on right at this very moment in time any ways, all at the exact same time as well, once again.
I shook my head quite a bit to my self all at once, as I just let out quite a bit of a soft sigh to my self all at once, as I was in fact like the rest of the kids and the rest of the students that had been in the class room with me, all at the exact same time as well, in the fact that I was glad, and I was relieved to get out of that class room, all at the exact same time as well, as I was ready to get this day, and the more important reason for me being at school today started, all at the exact same time as well, never the less, once again.
I breathed in quite a bit heavily to my self all at once, as I began to start to head down the hall way that I was in right at this very moment in time any ways, as I could see where it was that my lockers were even at right at this very moment in time, in the very first place any ways, all the way from the other side of the hall way, all at the exact same time too, as I did my best to try to calm my self down in the mean time, all at the exact same time as well, as I then began to start to head over in to that direction, all at the exact same time too.
As I began to start to head down that hall way, I then began to start to feel some thing quite a bit strange going on, which I at first thought it might be the afternoon announcements that could be going on right at this very moment in time any ways, but I instantly realized that was not the case what so ever, as I realized that what it was that I was thinking about right at this very moment in time in the very first place any ways, had nothing to do with that at all, what so ever, all at the exact same time as well, none the less.
I did my best to try to calm my self down all at once, as I got my mind, and I got my focus off of all of the rest of those other thoughts that I had my mind and my focus on long before now, all at the exact same time as well, as I then began to start to continue to head over to just where it was that I saw my lockers at, all at the exact same time as well, not all too far away in the distance right at this very moment in time any ways, as I did my best to try to calm my self down all at once, as I got my mind, and I got my focus off of all of the rest of those other thoughts that I had in fact had my mind and my focus on long before now.
That was of course the fact that I had heard some one speaking, which I once again knew that it was not me that they were speaking to at all right at this very moment in time any ways, but I still felt like I could not help but to kind of spy on just what it was that the people were even talking about right at this very moment in time, in the very first place any ways, as I could not help but to hear the magic word in the sentence that they were even talking about right at this very moment in time, in the very first place any ways.
I breathed in quite a bit heavily to my self all at once, as I kind of stopped my self for some stupid reason or another in the middle of the hall way, all at the exact same time as well, as I felt like I was making it far too obvious as to the fact that I was in fact spying on their conversation that they were having amongst them selves right at this very moment in time any ways, as I just stared at the 2 dudes as they did in fact begin to start to continue to just stare at them as they did in fact do as such a thing.
Luckily no one seemed to be paying any sort of attention to me right at this very moment in time as well, as that felt like it was in fact at the very least, one perk of being the small kid in the school, all at the exact same time as well, as I just stared at the 2 dudes, that almost looked to be giants compared to me, all at the exact same time as well, as I saw that the both of them had to be at least 6 feet tall, and also the fact that the dudes also happened to be having beards all at the exact same time as well, once again.
I at first wondered if they were custodians, or they might be teachers that I had never met before what so ever, but I also realized that did not make all too much sense to me what so ever, on just what it was that they were even saying to one another right at this very moment in time, all at the exact same time as well, as I breathed in quite a bit heavily to my self, all at the exact same time too, as I did my best to try to calm my self down in the mean time, as I stared at the both of the guys right now.
No... These were actual students that were in the school, as I had to guess that they had to be seniors, at least I hoped that they were, as I had to guess that they had failed a few grades as well to be looking like the way that they were looking like right at this very moment in time, in the very first place any ways, once again. I did my best to try to keep my self as calm as I felt like I possibly could, as I then did in fact just get my mind, and get my focus off of all of the rest of those other thoughts that I had in fact been thinking on long before now, all at the exact same time as well, as I then did in fact begin to start to listen as to just what it was that the both of the guys were even saying to one another right at this very moment in time, in the very first place any ways, once again.
"Andrew you ready for this season to get started? You think we are going to states this year?" The first guy said to the other guy, as I knew immediately right away, as to just what it was that the both of them were even talking about right at this very moment in time any ways, as I knew that they were in fact talking about the basketball season that was in fact about to get started in just about an hour or so, all at the exact same time as well, as I shivered at those thoughts once again.
I began to start to face to cold and harsh reality, as to just what it was that Xavier had in fact told me, about the fact that he had said that I should not be discouraged about the fact that I was not going to get on the team my freshman year, as I knew that there was in fact some fucking giants that were in front of me right at this very moment in time as well, which I knew for sure that I was not going to get a shot over if they were any where near being close to me, all at the exact same time as well.
I breathed in quite a bit heavily, as I knew that these kids were even bigger than the dudes that I had seen in the pickup games, as not even that, but these dudes if I had to assume were in fact a lot faster than the older men that I had played in that pickup game, all at the exact same time as well, as I felt like that had been hard enough all at the exact same time as well, it kind of scared me to think that I was about to be going up against some dudes like this, all at the exact same time as well, once again.
I had to hope that these dudes were centers, as I knew there was no way I was going to be able to pass, or assist a team mate the ball around these guys, as it seemed like their wing span was long enough to reach around my entire body, all at the exact same time as well, as I was quite a bit freaked out as to just what it was that I was staring at right at this very moment in time any ways, once again, as I was in fact quite a bit glad as to the fact that the guys did not notice me staring at them right at this very moment in time any ways.
I felt like it might not even be worth me trying to take a shot as to the fact that I was to try to even get on the team, if that was how it was that it was going to be, as I felt like it might in fact just be better for me to stick to pick up games, and it might be better for me to stick to rec leagues for the time being, all at the exact same time as well, once again, never the less, as I did my best to try to keep my self as calm as I felt like I possibly could.
I stared at the both of the dudes for just a little bit longer, with quite a bit of a blank look on my face, as I was not all too sure as to just what else it was that I should really be doing right at this very moment in time any ways, once again, as I did my best to try to keep my self as calm as I felt like I possibly could, as I then did in fact hear the guy that went by the name of Andrew, which I knew was quite a bit of a familiar name around school, all at the exact same time as well, as I knew that it was not just due to the fact that it was in fact a common name.
I did my best to calm my self down, as I got my mind, and I got my focus off of all of those other thoughts once again how ever, as I then all of the sudden began to start to pay attention as to just what it was that Andrew, as he was the cool kid in school after all, even had to say to his friend in the very first place any ways at that. I breathed in quite a bit heavily to my self all at the exact same time as well in the mean time, once again.
As I stared at the guy, I watched them walk past me, as it was clear that neither one of them was paying me any sort of attention at all, what so ever, all at the exact same time as well, as they did in fact head right past me, which did in fact kind of upset me at first, as I felt like they were ignoring me, though I doubt that was the case what so ever, as for one thing, I was sure they were used to people staring at the both of them, and also there was the fact that they were too caught up in the conversation that they were having with one another right now, to pay me any sort of attention at all, once again, never the less.
I let out quite a bit of a soft sigh to my self, all at once, as I got my mind, and I got my focus off of all of the rest of those other thoughts that I had in fact had my mind, and I had in fact had my focus on long before now once again, as I then all of the sudden just began to start to listen as to just what it was that Andrew had to say back to his friend in a bit of a response to him, all at the exact same time as well, as the both of them did in fact just blow right past me as if it was no biggy.
"Shit... I hope so... We will be pulling hella hoes if that's so... Hopefully I can get you a scholarship this year too my dude... I so badly want to get you in to Duke with me..." He said to his friend, as it was clear that the guy must have had a scholarship to Duke, as it had already been kind of quite a bit clear to me as to just what it was that the both of them had even been talking about in the very first place any ways, when I had first over heard as to just what it was that they were even talking about, all at the exact same time too.
I was quite a bit surprised, as it now made quite a bit of some sense to me some more now, as to just why it was that Andrew must be so popular in the school right at this very moment in time any ways, as I breathed in quite a bit heavily to my self all at once, once again, as I did my best to try to calm my self down in the mean time, as I got my mind, and I got my focus off of all of the rest of those other thoughts that I had in fact been thinking on long before now, all at the exact same time as well, never the less.
I breathed in quite a bit heavily to my self all at once, as I just stared at the both of the guys were just a little bit longer, as I just let them walk past me, all at the exact same time as well, none the less. I did my best to try to calm my self down in the mean time, all at the exact same time as well, as I just shook my head quite a bit to my self once again, as I was not all too sure as to just why it was that people wanted to go and play for Duke so badly in the very first place any ways.
I mean, I knew that it was a top notch school that was good to get your name on the map for NBA prospects, but at the exact same time as well, I kind of felt like I would just rather stay at a home town school, all at the exact same time as well, as it would prove your loyalty to a team for one thing, but it would also be a lot easier to get your self in to a starting role on your freshman year, all at the exact same time as well, such as DeShawn Glass had done for his team at DePaul, which was not by any means a small school what so ever, at all.
I just let out quite a bit of a heavy sigh to my self all at once, as I felt like I could not judge the guy too badly just yet, as I knew that I did not know the guy at all what so ever, just yet, as for all that I knew, the guy could be from North Carolina, and that Duke could very well be his home town school to go to, and it very well could just be his dream school that he had always wanted to go to, all at the exact same time as well.
Though that did not make all too much sense to me at all either, as it did not make sense as to just why it was that any parents would want to move their kids out of a nice place like North Carolina, all the way over to the Windy City, all at the exact same time as well, none the less. I just shook my head, as I did my best to try to get my mind, and to try to get my focus off of all of the test of those other thoughts once again, all at the exact same time as well, none the less.
I knew that the longer that it was that I was to stand in the middle of the hall way such as I was right at this very moment in time any ways, I knew that it would for sure mean that some one was to notice that I was in fact doing as to such a thing, as I noticed that the hall way was not nearly as packed as it had just been a few moments before now once again, as it seemed like all of the kids that were in the school had already got to where it was that they had needed to go, all at the exact same time as well, none the less.
Of course, I was not one of those kids what so ever, as I got my mind, and I got my focus back on to just what it was that I had even been doing long before now, all at the exact same time too, as I then began to start to remember that I was trying to go and head over to just where it was that I saw my locker at right at this very moment in time too, from the other side of the hall way, as I did my best to try to keep my self as calm and as cool as I could, as I did in fact begin to start to head all the way down the hall way.
I knew that no one was paying me any sort of attention at least yet at the very least, as I felt like that all might very well change as soon as it was that I was to become the star athlete on the basketball team, all at the exact same time as well, once again, though I felt like it was too early in my school life to say as such a thing, all at the exact same time as well, as I kind of just shook my head quite a bit to my self, all at once, as I got my mind, and I got my focus off of all of the rest of those other thoughts that I had in fact been thinking on long before now, once again.
I shook my head quite a bit to my self, as soon as it was that I had in fact got over to my locker, all at the exact same time as well, as I then began to start to roll the lock on the locker that I had in the very first place any ways, to get ready to open it, and to put every thing that I felt like was valuable to me in there, all at the exact same time as well, as I breathed in quite a bit to my self as I did in fact do as such a thing like that, all at the exact same time as well, none the less.
I did my best to try to keep my self as calm as I felt like I possibly could, all at the exact same time as well, as I got my mind, and I got my focus off of all of those other thoughts, all at the exact same time too, as I then all of the sudden began to start to go right on ahead and put my bag, and put my phone in to the locker, all at the exact same time as well, as I got my mind, and I got my focus off of all of the rest of those other thoughts that I had even been thinking on in the very first place any ways, long before now, never the less.
I breathed in quite a bit of a soft sigh to my self all at once, as just before it was that I did in fact begin to start to close the door to my locker, all at the exact same time as well, I then all of the sudden began to start to just close my eyes, as I did my best to try to calm my self down, all at the exact same time too, none the less, as I then all of the sudden began to start to get my mind, and to get my focus off of all of the rest of those other thoughts that I had in fact been thinking on long before now, once again.
I had my mind on quite a bit of a clear mind set right at this very moment in time as well, as I knew that I was stronger than I ever had been, thanks to Xavier of course, all at the exact same time as well, never the less, as I just got my mind, and I got my focus off of all of the rest of those other thoughts that I had once again been thinking on as well, as I knew that things were going to be fine for me, so long as I had some sort of faith in my self, which I did in fact have, of course, as I knew that I was in fact stronger than I ever had been, once again.
I cracked a bit of a smile on my face all at once, all at the exact same time as well, as I began to start to open my eyes all at the exact same time as well, as I was just about to close the door to my locker, all at once, that was of course until I then all of the sudden began to start to hear my phone buzz, as I saw a notification pop up all at the exact same time as well, which at first I thought that it was no big deal what so ever, as I felt like it was simply just an ESPN message.
How ever, I realized that it was not the case what so ever, as I knew that the ESPN messages were usually high lighted as the color red, all a the exact same time as well, mean while this color was high lighted as the color green, which meant that I had actually got a text instead, which was quite a bit of a rare thing all at the exact same time as well, as I breathed in quite a bit to my self all at once, as I did my best to try to calm my self down as I then did in fact realize that.
I knew that I hardly had any friends what so ever, so I felt like if some one really had texted me, than I felt like it had to be important, as I then quickly began to start to grab my phone, as I knew that I had plenty of time, and I was not in a rush at all what so ever right at this very moment in time any ways. Sure enough, it just so happened to be Xavier who had texted me, as I clicked on the message all at the exact same time as well, to let me go ahead and read it out loud a bit quietly to my self, all at the exact same time too.
"Good luck out there kid! You got this!"