Hunting Sunsets

Two

My immigrant parents had considered it a blessing that both my brother and I ended up getting accepted to Stanford, especially when they 'only' lived in Irvine. Sometimes, I thought it was the direct opposite of that. Why? Because I had to share an apartment with my brother whom was too nosy for his own good especially in light of past...events.

Not only that, but his position on the volleyball team and the fact that we were only a year apart meant somehow my little friend group had become our friend group. Granted, Smith had never been my friend. He was always Jake's best friend since the second they met. In Jake's freshman year Smith had needed ACL reconstruction surgery which meant the two had met while at the athletic trainer. If nothing else, Smith Kyoh had perfect timing. He had injured himself before the season could start, meaning he got to save one of his four NCAA years of eligibility. That's how he was still allowed to play this year.

But Troy Chang has always been my friend from the start. Similarly to my program, Troy was gunning to finish college in three years and head off to medical school to become an ophthalmologist. I had met him in organic chemistry freshman year before he could even think of befriending my brother. Likewise, Siya was another friend I had acquired from the tennis team without my brother's influence. But where the real controversy came in was Jessica Gamal. Jake claimed he started dating her before I started hanging out with her, but from what I can remember I sat next to her on the first day of Shakespearean English.

I had to admit, being friends with the same group as my brother was weird at first. The two of us weren't twins, so I'd never really ran into this problem before. Now it was almost like we were a package deal. I was either at our apartment with my brother or hanging out with our four friends and my brother. Our little posse of six used to be one of seven, but that was a story for another them.

Either way, Jake was constantly in my business.

Although I suppose as I sat in a plastic stadium seat besides Siya, I had to admit I was choosing to be in Jake's presence right now with the sound of their sneakers on the polished wood floor and the ball being hit around. I watched the scrimmage somewhat interestedly, paying special attention when Smith's skilled hands softly yet powerfully set the ball for his teammates to hit. Though, there was no doubt in my mind that Troy was the team's best server. He was a right side hitter while my brother served as a libero, wearing a white jersey to everyone else's red.

Troy and Jake were just doing volleyball to win college championships, but Smith was trying to make the national team and maybe even the Olympics in two years. If anyone could do it, he could. Similarly, Siya was only playing tennis for her scholarship while I actually participated in professional tournaments. I wasn't going to be a full time tennis player, just like Smith wasn't going to go full time with his setter's dreams, but we both had the hope in the back of our minds.

"Troy's going to make us late to class again," Siya exhaled while rolling her eyes. "Practice should have ended ten minutes ago."

"Do we ever end practice in the middle of a match?" I asked her knowingly with a raised eyebrow. "That's what I thought."

"Whatever. You're the one that has to sit next to him for an hour and a half when he's all f-ed up and sweaty," Siya pointed out without much more charisma. Troy didn't exactly have time to shower; we were already treading on being five minutes late today. "You know, some professors lock you out of lecture halls once they begin."

I exhaled in annoyance and defeat, "Yes, But Zimmerman never does. Nevil is late every class and he always has a seat. Second of all; it's a twelve person chemistry lab where over one fourth of the class will be missing, not a lecture with five hundred. But go if you are going to keep complaining, I'm watching the rest of practice."