The Archrivals of White Springs

After 5th period, she breezed through it without much more drama. She always liked her last two classes, her 5th being another elective; Photography. Once that was finished, she returned to the fourth floor where her final class was held. In a moment of of help from the universe, her best friends also had this class last. The truth was, they actually transferred from other slots to being in the same class as her, and Sora appreciated them both. Jordan kept on making the lowest form of humor - puns - and teasing both Sora and Axel as they ascended the stairs, avoiding the opposite flow of students that were going down.

Once they both got to the top, the trio headed over towards Ms. Jones' class - whom was also her advisor class. The students were all ready to close out the day already yet with one last class to go, they would have to begrudgingly wait for the clock to tick down to the last minute. Jordan was babbling on about something with Sora, her voice trailed off when they entered the room. The air had grown tense in just the few seconds it took the junior to spot the overgrown troll in the back. What was with him sticking to the back of the room, did he enjoy being a loner?

Sora staked claim to the front row, Axel propped up behind her and Jordan was next to her. She felt like a robot as she pulled out her notebook, binder, and book. Already finished with the book report, she got up to put it in Ms. Jones' black basket then return to her seat. She rolled her eyes at Anthony as she retook her seat and waited for the remaining students to trickle in, then the teacher.
 
The back was the prime location for Anthony to sit, because he could usually push his desk back to give himself more leg room. Once Sora walked into the class he simply smirked. He hadn’t ever been assigned a book report so he awkwardly sat there while the other students turned theirs papers in. He looked around the room for anyone to associate with much to no avail.

Anthony analyzed the room for anyone to associate. The only people who seemed interesting stood to close to Sora, which was a no go. He put his head on his desk in frustration. This had been the worst day of school he had in a while. The fact he hadn’t been able to find anyone to get along with was only fuel to the fire.

the stress had begun to weigh down on him, and he was ready to have his usual one on one practice time with James. He glanced up at the clock nearly every few seconds.
 
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The teacher started spouting out an original refresher/rubric to the class, then would hash onto the next lesson. Ms. J would then say that Seniors, starting next week would begin the largest project of their remaining year in high school; a 15 page report on any subject they wish to do, not including the last few pages as citations and sources of where they got their information. Sora smiled, knowing she didn't have the pain of dealing with that major headache yet. For the juniors, they would simply keep turning in book reports, and have quizzes every other week to see how it would go - then test their knowledge in a major test at the end of this semester's class. With class in full swing, she started jotting down notes again. With the occasional commentary from Jordan, she would just nod as she went along with Ms. J writing on the whiteboard.
 
Anthony decided he should research for his article. After a couple minutes, he decided on basketball as his subject, simply because it would be the easiest . He titled his paper Poetry in Motion. This was line often used on commentators used to describe the game he loved. He pulled out his laptop and began searching. Honestly he could right a novel about the game, if he had the time. The first part of the essay would be about the history of the game. Which was easy enough to find. He opened up the google doc which he would be working on and began passionately writing.
 
As soon as the bell rung out for the last time of the day, Sora was already packing her things up. Wrinkling her nose again, to express her disgust for having two classes with Anthony. Two! And they had to be in one of her favorite subjects, no less. Just why were the weavers of fate testing her today? After packing her things up, she'd leave with her friends towards the Main Office - she was going to make a formal transfer. There just had to be some open slots in other periods. She was willing to depart with one of her electives if she had to.
 
Anthony leapt right out of his seat as soon as the bell rang. His phone started ringing as soon as the bell rang. James voice cam through the phone as soon as he picked up. “You. Me. Gym. Now.” James promptly hung up after he said his few words. Anthony didn’t even have enough time to reply. He put his supplies in his backpack and sped out of the room. He entered the practice gymnasium which only had a few people in it. There were only a few people in the gym. The gym was quiet except for the occasional dribbling and bouncing of a basketball on the hardwood.

James sat by the gym door. James was around the same build as Anthony, but seven inches shorter. They both were in shape and muscular kids. Both had the dedication to the game, but only one had the athleticism and size to make it further than college. Anthony walked towards him. He placed his bag on the floor and stretched.
 
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Sora left the school building, frustrated and hell-bent on getting what she wanted. But with an ever-pleasing attitude, she accepted her fate and left the school with her two friends trailing besides her—or more like failing to keep up with her. Jordan was cracking wise-guy jokes as they headed towards the clunker sitting in the Junior’s lot across from the campus.

“Hey, least we can finally head to the park and I can show y’all some new tricks I learned.” Jordan said.

“I don’t think—” Axel cut off with Sora’s curt, “No.”

“Aw! C’mon! I promise I’ll make it worthwhile.” Jordan was walking backwards in front of Sora’s brisk onslaught towards Axel’s clunker. It stuck out like a sore thumb with his faded gray paint and much older model than those that surrounded it.

“Can’t change my mind, J.” Sora says, her stomping footsteps loud.

“C’mon! You need to chillax, girl. Don’t let a boy get you down – no offense Ax – they’re all the same in the end. Look, if it’s a crush—”

Sora stopped in her tracks, her face in sheer horror and red, “W-why! I-I do not have a crush on the sniveling, two-timing, boot—”

Axel’s hand covers her mouth, muffled curses go unheard against his hand. “Sora, you need to breathe. You put on a mask all day, let us treat you for once.”

“To what?” She said as she removed his hand from her face.

“My tricks!” Jordan pipes up, “There was actually a competition today taking in the skate park. I already joined up and if I win today, I’ll promise free food. I know you want something more than what yo mama prepares ya – no offense.”

“None taken. I guess I can indulge in junk food.” Sora’s anger dispels, and nods as they climbed into the clunker, pulling out the lot.
 
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James gestured Anthony on to the court and passed him a ball. “One-on-one, to twenty one, loser buys milkshakes.” Anthony dribbled the ball once and smiled before picking the ball back up.

“James, you owe me a lot of milkshakes, your ball,” Anthony jested. He passed the ball back James. James tucked his shoulder and started his dribble. The shorter teen attempted to make his way to the hoop, but Anthony could match his speed.James had to settle for shot seventeen feet from the basket. Anthony grabbed the ball out of the air after hit the rim with a loud clank. Anthony took the ball to the three point line to clear it.

Anthony backed James into the paint and muscled his way to the basket. James fell backwards leaving tons of room for Anthony to do whatever he pleased on the court. Anthony leapt into the air and threw the ball into the rim. After dunking he hung from the rim to taunt James.

James grabbed the ball and ran to the top of the three point line. He checked the ball to Anthony. Once Anthony passed the ball back, James stared at him. Without hesitation James got into his shooting stance and shot. The ball sailed through air and glided through the rim with a satisfying swish.
 
While at the skate park, most of the seats already taken by the competitors’ relatives. Along with friends who wished to support their own friends in the competition. Sora and Axel sat on the left side of the stone slabs. Though Jordan appreciated their support, she knew Sora was privy to studying. And in under current circumstances, she couldn’t help but sigh as she saw Lee with a book sitting open in her lap.

‘Alright, Sora. You better appreciate this trick.’ Jordan thought as she gave a look to Axel.

It was always like this, Axel was merely the middle-man in their game of playing monkey-in-the-middle. The teen musician nudged Sora in the side, earning a glare then she looked towards Jordan, who was now performing a FS Flip to glide onto the metal railing on the back end of her board. The other skateboarders around her doing different tricks as the timer was counting down. Judges were sitting at a makeshift table, pens to the paper as they watched under the autumn sun.

“That should be physically impossible to do.” Sora was commenting. The various tricks were going against physics laws set in place.

Axel told her to shush and enjoy the show. Calming the ever-tense student seem all, but unfruitful as she continued multi-tasking. Her eyes always shifting from the book and to her friend. Axel let out a sigh, leaning back into the stone bleachers as he chewed on some cheap chocolate bar.
 
The score was 2-1. Typically One-on-one games of basketball go by a score of ones and twos instead of the typical twos and threes. It was Anthony's ball now. He intended to even the score. Anthony drove towards the basket keeping his dribble, and James kept up with him. He stopped his momentum and leaped off the ground and shot the basketball. The ball sailed through the air. The arching shot clanked off the rim and fell into the hoop.

"2-2" Anthony said as he recovered the ball and passed it to James. James dribbled towards the basket and pulled up for a jump shot. Anthony always envied James shooting form, it was what unreal how he had mastered it. The ball left James' hand and flew towards the basket.

Not long after the ball left James's hands, Anthony jumped into the are and swatted the ball with his right hand. His palm engulfed the ball and hit went flying the other way. "Damn, nice block," James said as the ball sailed off in the complete opposite direction James had shot it. Anthony sprinted towards the other end of the court to recover the ball. Anthony managed to recover it before it went out of bounds. Anthony dribbled down the court and stopped three feet in front of the three-point line. Without hesitation, Anthony shot the ball towards the hoop. The ball bounced off the rim a couple of times before falling through the hoop.

"2-4." Anthony exclaimed.

"Ok but you're a freak of nature how am I supposed to guard you!" James pouted.
 
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Sora was reading over a paragraph in her book as the crowd around her erupted into cheers. She looked up in time to see Jordan skating away, apparently she landed some trick that she missed. Axel was hollering at Jordan, encouraging words shooting out of him as he proclaimed to Jordan as his friend. He sat back down, elated with the crowd. Only for it to grow sour at Sora blinking at him.

“What happened?” She asked, quite confused.

Axel bit back his words, instead he grabbed Sora’s stuff. The teen protesting against him, failing to pull back the spine of her book as he snatched it away. Axel sat on the back cover, “Now, pay attention. You’re always in your dang books.” He scolded her.

Shrinking back into the seat, she shifted in the uncomfortable stone. Her eyes flicking from the male’s to Jordan. Sora kept quiet, hoping not to squander the excitement of her other friend with her remarks on the impossible. She was ready to pull out her phone instead, when she found it already dangling in her face.

"Looking for this?" Axel wryly smirked.

"Hey!" Her hand failing to swipe the clunky mobile from his grip.

"J brought us out this far. Least you can do is pay attention to what she likes instead of multi-tasking. Okay?" He inquires.

Like a child throwing a fit, she stamped her foot and crossed her arms. Pretending to be mad at Axel as she turned her head from him, looking towards the skaters - specifically Jordan.
 
((OOC: Apologies for the delayed reply))

James picked up the ball the and looked towards the basket. He was going to need to use craftiness to outplay Anthony’s athleticism and size. James dribbled towards the hoop, only to be stopped by Anthony. James entered his shooting motion but the ball stopped in his hands. Anthony leapt into the air to attempt to block the shot, but he overestimated and flew past James. James laughed and squared up for a shot attempt, this time, the ball actually left his hands. The ball soared the short distance to the hoop and elegantly through the rim.

“3-4” Anthony said as he recovered the ball. He stared down James and began his dribble. The 6’7” forward sprinted towards the hoop with incredible speed, James struggled to keep up but managed. Anthony jumped into the air off one foot. He went up with two hands, but much to his avail, the second arm was pulled off the ball by James in a last ditch effort to stop him from scoring. He clamped onto the ball with one hand a dunked. The ball crashed through rim and Anthony and James both fell to the ground.

Across the practice gymnasium asiu, Mr Collinsworth watched the pair play basketball from the distance, analyzing how both of the teens played.
 
Eventually, her childish tantrum subsided when she kept track of the multiple tricks being performed. Enthralled by the way Jordan could break against physics laws set in place. Like Axel, she was getting a hang of the competition, shouting out cheers of support for Jordan whenever she landed a trick. For a loud blabber mouth, Jordan sure knew how to work up a board—and a crowd it seemed. When the timer finally counted down to one, she landed a last trick that elicited the crowd to roar out. Then, the competition stopped, and the participants went back on the yellow line on the other end of the skate park.

“I don’t understand what happened, but I can guess that’s good…right?” Sora said, looking at Axel.

Axel turns his gaze to her and nods, nudging her in the arm, “See? Told you’d get it.” His attention turned elsewhere when a small group of friends came up to them both.

“Your adoring fans await.” Sora joked, wanting to roll her eyes instead. But she could relate to meeting your idols. All hers were long dead and maybe in another life she’ll get to meet them.

Axel shot her a wink and moved out of the seat to join them onto the sidewalk. Sora continues to watch as the judges are calculating the results. It seems it didn’t take long until they announced the results. The announcer read the winners, being Jordan and two other kids Sora couldn’t remember. Sora gave her a thumbs up when her friend was looking at her for support. Who had a smile plastered on her face despite her eyes asking where Axel was? She pointed to the sidewalk where he was talking with the group from earlier. Jordan cast her a wink back and went towards the judges’ table to claim her prize.
 
Anthony blew past James one last time and easily laid the ball in the hoop, The final score was 21-9. James slumped his head in defeat. The much taller Anthony patted James on the shoulder and said,” Better luck next time dude, you keep at it, and I might actually have to try next time.”

James slapped Anthony’s hand away and jokingly said,” Shut up asshole.” He picked up his ball and wiped sweat of his brow. Mr Collinsworth approached The pair from the other side of the gym.

“Great game boys, if you keep it up and have good try outs, you two might find yourself a part of our second unit,” Mr Collinsworth said. Anthony clenched his fist and cursed under his breath. He had his fair share of run ins with Mr Collinsworth in basketball games, and Anthony couldn’t stand him. In last years Elk Grove/White Springs rivalry game, the White Springs roster had to keep Anthony from fighting Collinsworth after he spit at Anthony while he was shooting free throws.
 
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Jordan came tearing from the judges’ table on her board, pulling up smoothly onto the pavement and in front of Sora. A smirk hanging onto her lips, “Alright, S. Let’s go get that food I promised.”

Sora lifted a brow, “Shouldn’t Axel—” She put emphasis on his name, “Be treating you to a delicious victory?” She briefly glanced at her friend, who gave her side-eye before returning to the conversation at hand.

“Damn girl, what’d he do?” J looked between them, failing to find the spite in Sora’s words.

“He stole my stuff.” Sora points to his hands, books tucked underneath his arm, and her phone sticking out of his pocket. Jordan started laughing and clapped a hand on Sora’s shoulder, “S, you paid attention though, didn’t you?”

“Y’know I did.” She looked back at J, “But you know it was hard to keep my mouth shut about you doing the impossible. Axel might have a word or two to say about it. Watch.”

Jordan let her arm fall and looked at Axel, just as he was making his way over. A smile on his lips, “You ready to go, S? Are you still sulking?” He teased. In retort, she rolled her eyes at him, snatching her stuff back from him – along with her phone.

“Someone’s eager to get in my pants.” Axel teased her. Sora grew red in the face and stomped away to his clunker in the parking lot. Jordan gave those two a wink, laughing at the expense of Sora’s embarrassment and whacking Axel for teasing her so damn much. “Better quit teasing my girl, she might just hit you back with somethin’ you don’t want gettin’ out.” She warned as they both met Sora already at Axel’s car.

“We’ll see.” Axel says, unlocking the doors and climbing in the driver’s side. After everyone shut their doors, the old girl roared to life. “Where to? Betty’s?”

“Betty’s!” Jordan exclaimed, turning the radio on to a random rock station playing music from the ‘80s. Sora couldn’t believe she was best friends with these two as they tore away from the skatepark. She almost wished she was an ant.
 
Anthony looked at Mr. Collinsworth with disgust. Second Unit? Who does he think I am, I’ve torched White Spring every time I’ve played them, Anthony thought.

He looked towards Collinsworth and simply said,“ Yeah we’ll be there for try outs.”

James sensed the tension between Anthony and Collinsworth. In an attempt to stop any conflict that might arise, James grabbed Anthony on the shoulder and said “Well, if your not busy we can hop on over to Betty’s and I’ll get you all those milkshakes I owe you. I’ll drive.” James proceeded toward the door.

“Yeah that sounds good,” Anthony said. He followed James toward the door, but then turned and gave Collinsworth one last glare before heading out the door.

The pair walked outside the school together and made their way too James‘ car. It was beaten up old four door. Anthony couldn’t exactly place what brand it was, but it seemed to be about a 2000 model. James got in the driver’s seat and started the ignition. Sound blared across the parking lot as Anthony hoooed in the passengers side. Anthony couldn’t even hear himself think So he turned down the volume of the loud hip hop blasting through the parking lot. He also didn’t want to be an asshole and blare his music all over town.
 
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To no one’s surprise, Jordan was making obscene gestures while she sang along to Joan Jett & The Black Hearts. One of the few female-lead rock bands that were her favourite. Rocking her head to the beat, her curls wilding around every which way. Axel, on the driver’s side, was enjoying seeing Sora look out the window with a red tint to her ears.

Several ear-splitting songs and dancing in the passenger’s seat later, Axel turned the music down as they pulled into the crowded parking lot. Betty’s was a local favourite hangout for students from WSHS. It was one of the few places you wouldn’t find elks prancing around in. Pulling his 1980s 2-door Civic Honda up to the last parking spot in front of the diner, Axel shut her off and look back at Sora.

“Let’s go tomato, time to treat you to some real food.” Axel teased and hopped out the driver’s side. Jordan followed suit, pulling the front seat forward to help Sora out of Axel’s car and shut the door. Out of all the cars in the lot, theirs was most outdated – not like Axel cared.

Sora was going to rip into Axel before Jordan pulled her back, whispered something into her ear, and they entered the diner. Overlooking the booths that lined windows and the small counter up front, Sora could already smell the home cooking and hollering from Betty herself in the back. The small mom and pop diner stood to attest modernity as skyscrapers were overshadowing the diner. Established in early 1980s and still going strong, Betty’s was one of the few relics to not be wiped away by corporations.

She followed J and Ax to the last booth on the left. Sora sat beside Jordan, preferably next to the window. There was no way she was going to sit next to Axel when all he did was tease her and the many fans that always popped up out of the blue. One of the younger servers, Sally, a student from their school, came by to hand them menu’s and take their preferred drink.

“C’mon S! Live a little. She’ll have a coke.” Jordan said to Sally, who wrote it down and left before Sora could protest.

“Soda erodes your enamel away faster; I wanted water.” Sora shot her a look.

Jordan laughs, “Oops! Shoulda said something earlier.” She nudges her elbow with her own. Sora rolls her eyes, “Whatever. I wanted coke anyway.” She huffed out.
 
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