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Dave exhaled deeply, eyeing his appearance in the dirty bathroom mirror. It was after school and he was currently in the boys locker room, preparing to try out for the basketball team. Principal Jordan had set up a practice for him with Coach Russell, the interim varsity coach. Dave felt nervous and anxious, mostly because he was used to playing basketball just for fun on the street courts and this was different. It would place in him under a spotlight he wasn't used to.
Vzzzt! Vzzzt!
Dave took out his vibrating phone, seeing he had an Instagram DM from Nicole.
Good luck on your tryouts! You got this! 🙌🏾
A smile spread across his face as he text her back, thanking her for her encouragement. The two had been texting off and on since Christmas break, sending reels and memes to each other in between conversations. Dave couldn't deny that he was intrigued by Nicole but he kept their convos light knowing she was Principal Jordan's daughter. There were certain boundaries he couldn't see himself crossing even though he was attracted to her.
"Dave you in here?"
Principal Jordan's voice jolted his attention and Dave quickly put his phone away. "I'm in the restroom!" He called out, bending down to lace up his Nike's.
The sound of Principal Jordan's dress shoes drew closer as he turned into the restroom where Dave was. "How you feeling?" he asked, sitting on a nearby bench.
"A little nervous. This is really out of my comfort zone," Dave admitted with a deep sigh.
"Understandable," Principal Jordan nodded. "Anything that requires growth is gonna be scary and uncomfortable. But on the other side of that feeling is transformation that pushes you closer to achieving your goals and showing you what you're capable of," he spoke, standing up, and dusting off his slacks. "You got this. Just tune out everything else and focus on your game," he encouraged, patting Dave on the back.
"Thank you," Dave exhaled deeply, trying to shake off his nerves. "I needed that."
"No problem. Go out there and show them what you got."
Dave only smiled in response, before leaving the locker room and heading to the gym where Coach Russell was. A few players were practicing their layups and free throws.
"Hi, I'm Dave East. Here for the private tryout for varsity," Dave announced once he reached the table where the coach was.
Coach Russell looked up from his clip board, glancing at his apple watch. "Perfect timing Dave. You're actually up next. You can have a seat at the bleachers in the meantime," he instructed.
