Ryan's frustration was turning into desperation.
As the second quarter continued, every mistake he made was met with an audible reaction from the crowdâgroans, snickers, and even some outright laughter. The worse he played, the more the momentum shifted away from him, and the more fun Jaxon, Ethan, and the rest of the team had at his expense.
Miles smirked as he jogged past Ryan, shaking his head. "Porter, you sure you know which team you're on? Because right now, you're passing to us more than your own guys."
Ryan clenched his jaw. "Shut up, Miles." And swung his elbow back, nearly clipping Miles in the chest. The ref's whistle blew immediately. Another foul.
The North Ridge players snickered as they walked past him, one even shaking his head. "Damn, Porter. You trying to foul out before halftime?"
Lena, confused, turned to Madison, who was sitting beside her. "What does fouling out mean?"
Madison leaned in, still laughing at the joke. "It means he's racking up too many personal fouls. If a player gets five in a high school game, they're out for the rest of the gameâno exceptions. Basically, if Ryan keeps playing like this, he's gonna get himself kicked out before halftime."
Lena's lips parted slightly as she processed that. "So if he keeps playing like this..."
Madison smirked. "He won't be playing much longer."
The ref signaled possession change. The student section erupted into cheers. Ryan looked furious, turning toward his own team for some kind of supportâbut even they were starting to get frustrated with him.
"Dude, get it together," one of his teammates muttered. "You're making us look bad."
Ryan gritted his teeth, looking ready to explode.
---
During a timeout, Jaxon jogged over to Ethan, taking a water bottle from him. "You see his face?"
Ethan smirked. "Oh yeah. He's about one bad pass away from throwing a tantrum."
Jaxon wiped the sweat off his forehead before glancing at Lena in the stands. She caught his gaze and arched an eyebrow, then pulled out her phone.
Lena: You're enjoying this way too much.
Jaxon grinned as his phone buzzed.
Jaxon: You should see his face up close.
Lena covered her laugh with her hand as the teams lined up to resume play.
---
As the second quarter wound down, Ethan decided to push things a little further.
Ethan clapped his hands loudly, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Alright, boys, let's make sure our MVP (Most Valuable Player) gets the ball."
Lena frowned from the stands and turned to Madison. "Wait, Ryan's their MVP?"
Madison snorted, shaking her head. "No, Ethan's just messing with him. He's saying it like a joke."
Ryan perked up, thinking he was being praisedâuntil Ethan deliberately intercepted a pass meant for him, immediately dishing it to Jaxon, who drained an easy three-pointer.
Ryan stood frozen, humiliated, as Jaxon jogged back down the court, winking at him. "Tough break, Porter. But hey, at least you're making our team look even better by comparison."
Ryan snapped.
The next time Jaxon got the ball, Ryan charged at him aggressively, shoving him way too hard. The whistle blew, loud and sharp.
"Technical foul!" the ref called.
The crowd eruptedâhalf in shock, half in amusement.
Jaxon landed on the court, but before he even had a chance to react, Ryan's own coach lost it.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" his coach shouted, gesturing wildly. "Sit down. Now."
Ryan's face was red, his fists clenched at his sides. "Coachâ"
"Sit. Down." His voice left no room for argument.
Ryan stormed to the bench, benched for the rest of the half.
Lena watched from the stands, heart pounding. Because Ryan wasn't just losing.
He was falling apart.
And everyone was watching.