Despite the need to get a good night of sleep because of the importance of tomorrow's game he just couldn't get even a single second of shut eye.

He tossed and turned in his bed as the sound of gunshots rang out for the second time of the night.

​​

For any normal person it would be understandable if the sound of gunfire would be the main problem in the issue of insomnia.

But he was used to these sounds. He grew up hearing gunshots and in his neighborhood their presence was a common thing.

But they weren't the problem. The reason why he couldn't fall asleep was because his nerves were beginning to get to him.

Tomorrow the stakes would be higher than they ever were. And although he was confident in the team he just couldn't help but have a sense of unease for some reason.

Maybe it was because he himself had never stood on a stage such as this one before. A stage where the lights shine just a little bit brighter and where the air gets a little bit harder to breathe.

As a kid he had always had a bit of a knack for basketball. He still remembered how he had never lost a pick up game against any of his friends from the moment that he first picked up a ball.

But once he started playing the game for real he realized just how big the world was and how much he had over estimated himself.

It wasn't until he started competing against other kids who took the game seriously that he saw just how much he was lacking.

The huge gap that existed between him and the top level talent in his age bracket gave him a sense of helplessness.

Just as there didn't seem to be a way for him to overcome this gap he saw something that brought hope back to him, he saw Jason.

At first he thought that Jason was just like him. A kid who could ball a bit but who mostly stood out because of the lack of talent on his team.

It would also be a lie to say that he didn't have the same idea as the large majority of people when he first saw Jason.

He thought that the fact that Jason was Asian was the reason for all the noise that surrounded his name.

But after watching him as his season at Jefferson progressed he realized that Jason was a legitimate basketball star.

And not only was his talent and skill top notch, so was his ability to elevate his team and the players on it.

It was the moment when Jefferson lost in the state tournament. That was when he knew that Jason was the guy that he needed.

When he first made up his mind to transfer over to Jefferson he didn't actually know what he was looking for.

Did he want to find out Jason's training routine? How to reach his level? What kind of drills he used?

No, that wasn't it. If it was that kind of information it was easily obtainable on the web. By the end of his first year at Jefferson Jason was already a trending sensation in the basketball world.

All sorts of tidbits of information about his daily life were already widely known on the internet thanks to his constant exposure on Through The Hoops.

But as soon as tryouts started and Jason took the lead he knew what he had come here to find. He knew what he wanted to obtain from Jason.

The confidence to not care about what anyone thought about him, the work ethic to have your own independent training schedule separate from team practice,

the crazed mentality that allowed him to push himself to his very limits, and the dedication to follow that grueling routine day in and day out.

That was what he wanted. That's what he came to Jefferson to obtain. The months that followed him making the varsity team passed by like a blur.

From off the court incidents to on the court incidents, to things happening even in their private lives, the days that he spent as a member of the team were both exciting yet calming.

The constant chatter about them and the team and all the mud that the media were trying to throw on their name made every day and every game an exciting battle to prove all their haters wrong.

While the intense practices and boring group study sessions had a odd calming effect that he never thought would happen.

The seemingly boring and mundane moments that he shared with the team and all his teammates made him feel at ease whenever he was around the other guys.

Something that he never thought possible considering his not so social attitude and lack of communication skills.

Maybe that was another thing that attracted him to Jason. Even though they seemed so similar in terms of exteriors the people surrounding them and the looks on their faces indicated that they couldn't be any more different.

- - -

He didn't know when but he must have been able to fall asleep sometime during the night as he was now being woken up by the alarm that he had set on his phone.

He stood up and started stretching as a satisfying yawn exited his mouth. Seeing the time on his phone he made his way to the restroom and began to get ready.

A quick look around the small house that he was in would be all that you would need to know that the community that he lived in wasn't the best.

The small house only had three bedrooms and one bathroom. And all of the windows had bars welded to the outside to try and deter any burglars.

After he was done cleaning up and changing into his clothes he walked out to the kitchen and poured himself a bowl of cereal.

Or at least that was his plan until he realized that there was only half a cup of milk left in the carton.

After a small sigh he walked over to the sink and filled the remaining space in the bowl with water as his cereal began to float in a diluted white mixture.

As he began to dig in to his breakfast he felt his cellphone vibrate in his pocket. There were two new notifications.

One was telling him that he had used a portion of his limited data plan for the month and the other was a text message from his dad.

Attached to the text was a video. When he tapped play on his cellphone an image of his dad appeared.

He was dressed up in his uniform and the background looked like it was somewhere in a factory. He had a round frame with his gut sticking out a bit and his hair was cut short like a buzzcut.

His skin was a dark brown and his hands and face had some traces of grease as he smiled at the camera "Hey Donte. Sorry I couldn't wish you luck in person.

The factory called because someone got hurt during the graveyard shift and they needed me to fill in for em.

But I'm sure that you didn't need it anyways. You got yo mother's spirit and my hard head so I know that you are ready for whatever will come your way today.

It breaks my heart that I can't make it to your game today but even if I'm not there in person just know that I'm always rooting for you.

Now hurry up eatin that breakfast and get yo butt to school. Just because you're playing basketball don't mean you can let up on your studies.

I'll see you when you get home bud." A rare smile could be seen on Donte's face as he looked down at his phone.

"Thanks dad. We're going to win today, I promise. For you, for me.... and for mom."