Good Luck

After The Game

A few minutes after Luke exited the basketball arena.

The game was now over and as expected, Raven College won the tournament courtesy of Liam.

They were now inside the locker room, changing into their clothes.

“Hey, Liam, why did you run off like that?” One of his team players, Adkins enquired.

“Yeah, that's true. What happened?” The others chorused, coming closer.

“Nothing happened.” Liam deadpanned, resuming to put on his shoes.

“But you don't look okay.” Watson probed further, “After you came back, you had a hard time focusing on the game.”

“Did you notice that too?” Jacob enquired, “I thought it was only me.”

“Is there something you'd like to tell us, mate?” Edwards asked, “You know we're here for you right?”

Liam paused and sighed, “Look, guys, I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me. We won the game didn't we?”

“It's not about the game we are worrying about.” Edwards stated, “It's you.”

“Yeah, that's right.” The others chimed in.

“Okay, I thought I saw someone. But clearly, I was mistaken.” He lied through his teeth. Even though he had been friends with these guys for the past two years, they still knew absolutely nothing about him, except for the fact that he was great at basketball, and had a little sister named Megan. “That settles it, right?”

From the looks on their faces, Liam could see they were still skeptical but they decided not to probe any further.

“Right.”

They resumed putting on their clothes.

A few minutes later, the fifteen basketball players were already on the bus, heading back to Raven College.

Throughout the ride, the whole team was rejoicing in their victory while Liam just sat by the window side and stared out at the room.

It pained him that Luke still hated him, after all these years. He felt horrible for how he treated Luke.

He kept sighing throughout the ride.

A few hours later, the team arrived at Raven College, which was located in South Beach. Their coach called them and gave them a speech before dismissing them.

“Hey, Liam, aren't you coming?” Jacob asked.

Liam arched his eyebrows, “Coming where?”

“We're going for a drink.” Edwards replied, “Have you forgotten?”

Truly, he has.

“Oh, yes. I totally forgot. I um…” Liam stammered, “I can't make it tonight. I'm deadbeat. Go enjoy yourselves though.”

And then with that, he turned and headed towards his dorm.

He found Caleb, his roommate, playing as always. Caleb paused his game and pulled out his earphones from his ear, getting to his feet.

“You're back.” He said.

“Yeah,” Liam replied, his voice dry. He moved over to his bed and threw himself on its surface.

Caleb stood beside the bed, “What happened?” He queried, “Didn't you guys win?”

Liam rubbed his forehead, “We did.”

“Then, what's the matter?” Caleb probed.

Caleb was the quiet type of kid who always observed things around him without getting himself involved. One could say he kept his ear to the ground.

He knew the secret of everyone around campus and they also came to him to find out things they wanted to know, and of course, they paid him.

Two years ago, after Liam got admitted into Raven College, he was still afraid of admitting he liked a guy. He wasn't necessarily gay… he was only gay for Luke.

Due to his charms and skills on the basketball team, he began to date another popular girl on campus, just so people wouldn't become suspicious of his sexual preference.

But Caleb knew this.

He found out by himself and asked Liam about it. Liam finally admitted after weeks of denial.

So he told Caleb all about Luke and how horrible he felt. Caleb consoled him that day and became a brother he never had.

“I saw him, Caleb,” Liam admitted, tears dripping from his eyes. “I saw him. He still hates me.”

Caleb didn't need to ask questions to understand what Liam was talking about.

“Come here,” He sat on the edge of Liam's bed and pulled him up, then he embraced him. He patted his back as Liam sobbed.

“He still hates me.” Liam wailed.

“It's okay.” Caleb cajoled, “It's okay.”

He broke the hug and wiped Liam's tears with his thumb.

“Hey, it's okay. Stop crying.” He said.

It took a while for Liam to calm down.

They sat side by side.

“Sorry for my hysterics,” Liam said apologetically, his eyes fixated on the floor. He felt embarrassed for crying like that.

“It's okay.” Caleb patted his shoulders, “I'm just glad you told me, instead of just bottling the whole thing up.”

“I was just overwhelmed with happiness when I saw him.”

“How did he react?” Caleb asked, “Was he also glad to see you?”

“No… he was… he looked horrified,” Liam answered. “He said he's forgiven me, but then when I asked if he hates me…”

“What did he say?”

“He said he can't answer that but that he's forgiven me.”

“Hmm.” Caleb thought for a while, with a slight nod. “Did you say it was Evermore College that you guys competed against?”

“Yeah.”

Caleb brooded for a while, “Hey, wasn't it Evermore College that sent you a sponsorship email last month after the NCAA March Madness?”

Liam paused.

Then he turned to stare at Caleb.

“Yeah, it is.”

“Why don't you accept the sponsorship?” Caleb suggested.

“What?” Liam gawked. “Why would I do that? I'll be betraying my team.”

“Do you want to see Luke again?”

“Of course I do.”

“Do you want him to forgive you?”

“Yeah?” Liam answered, “But I'm not betraying my team.”

Caleb shrugged, getting to his feet, “Okay.”

He left Liam with his thoughts as he resumed his game.

“I won't betray my team,” Liam muttered, staring down at his feet.

Four days later, Liam thought he was losing his mind.

He could no longer focus on practice. He could no longer focus on his studies.

It was Luke, Luke, Luke!

Fuck!

He found himself sitting in the office of the basketball coach.

“I'm sorry coach.” He apologized, blinking back his tears. “I'm really sorry. I have to do this, or I'll go crazy. You don't want me to go crazy, do you?”

The coach, a tall, buff man, had a disappointed look on his face. It pained him that their star player was thinking of abandoning them.

“What can we do to make you stay?” He asked, “Is it the sponsorship? We can sponsor you too.”

“It's not.” Liam replied, feeling awful, “It's for personal reasons. I'm doing this for me.”

The coach hesitated, “You sure there's no way to convince you?”

“I'm afraid not sir.”

“Seems like your mind is already made up.” The coach said, his voice laced with sadness.

“Yeah.”

“Alright then. Good luck.”

“Thanks coach.“