NBA: Road to glory

After showering and changing, I walked out of the locker room to find Kendall Jenner waiting in the hallway. She was leaning casually against the wall, scrolling through her phone.

She looked up when she saw me.

"Took you long enough" she smirked. "I was about to start heading to dinner by myself."

I chuckled, adjusting my jacket. "You can always go."

She laughed, shaking her head. 

I led her out to my car. Kendall got in the passenger side, adjusting her seat as I started the engine.

As we pulled out of the arena parking lot, she turned toward me.

As we cruised through the quiet streets of Orlando, the atmosphere in the car shifted. The light banter from earlier faded, and after a few moments of silence, Kendall turned her head toward me.

"So, what kind of relationship do you even see yourself having with me?" she asked, her voice casual but her eyes locked on me.

I raised an eyebrow, keeping my hands steady on the wheel. "That's a direct question."

She smirked slightly. "I mean, what's the point of dancing around it?"

I let out a small chuckle, but I could tell she was serious. I took a second before answering. "Honestly? You know how my life is."

"You think I don't get that?" she said, crossing her legs. "I live that life too, you know."

I nodded. "I know you do."

She sighed, resting her elbow on the car door. "So what, you're saying you're not looking for anything serious?"

I glanced at her quickly before looking back at the road. "I'm saying, I like vibing with someone, seeing where things go naturally, no pressure."

She tapped her nails against her thigh, thinking. "So you're basically saying you're open to something, but you're not committing to anything?"

I smirked slightly. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It's not" she said, looking out the window for a second before turning back to me. "I just don't wanna waste my time, you know?"

I nodded. "I get that. If I vibe with you, I vibe with you. If not, at least we were straight-up about it from the jump."

She studied me for a moment, then smiled a little. "Fair enough."

I chuckled. "That's all I got for you."

She exhaled, a small smirk forming on her lips. "Alright then, Franklin. We'll see how this plays out." But I felt she was disappointed.

I turned into the restaurant parking lot, handing my keys to the valet as the conversation lingered in the air. Whatever this was between us, it wasn't something I could define yet. And for now, that was fine with me.

After dinner, we stepped out of the restaurant. The soft hum of city life surrounded us as the valet pulled up my car. Kendall stood beside me, arms crossed, her long hair flowing slightly in the breeze.

"Well, that was nice" she said, looking up at me with a small smirk. "Didn't expect you to have good taste in wine."

I chuckled, shoving my hands in my pockets. "Come on now, I gotta keep my reputation up."

She laughed, shaking her head. "I see, I see."

I gave her a look. 

She rolled her eyes playfully before her expression softened a little. "Tonight was cool. I had fun."

I nodded. "Same." There was a slight pause, both of us just standing there.

She glanced at my car, then back at me. "So, what now?"

"That's up to you. I can take you back to your hotel, or…" I let the sentence hang, letting her decide how she wanted the night to end.

She said doubtfully. "Mmm… I should probably head back."

I nodded, respecting that. "Alright then."

I know that our conversation in the car played into her decision, we are young, I'm not in a hurry, we just see things differently.

She chuckled before stepping forward, giving me a brief hug. "Alright, Franklin. Don't be a stranger."

"Don't worry" I replied.

She turned toward her taxi, opening the door before glancing back at me one last time. "Oh, and next time? You're paying again."

I laughed, shaking my head. 

She slid into the car, and just like that, the night was over. I stood there for a moment, before getting into my own ride.

A few days later...

Five games into the season, five wins. 

Practice was intense, the kind of session where you feel every muscle burning, every breath getting heavier. Coach had us locked in, running full-court drills, defensive rotations, and high-intensity scrimmages.

Rose was moving well, showing flashes of that old explosiveness. Norman was proving to be a solid fit. And me? I was just in the zone.

During one of the five-on-five matchups, I had the ball at the top of the key, being guarded by Vucevic. I hit him with a quick hesitation dribble, then exploded past him. As I attacked the rim, I saw D-Rose cutting baseline. 

Coach blew the whistle, signaling a break. We all grabbed water bottles, some guys sitting down, others staying loose.

I sat next to Derrick on the bench, wiping my face with a towel. "You liking it here so far?"

He nodded. "Yeah. We got something real here. I feel like I can really contribute."

I patted his back. "You already are bro."

Before we could continue, Coach clapped his hands. "Alright! One more full scrimmage, then we hit the weight room."

I stood up, rolling my shoulders. "Let's get it."

After practice...

Some players and I walked out of the facility. The sun was starting to set, casting an orange glow over the parking lot as we made our way to our respective cars.

Derrick stretched his arm. "Damn."

I laughed, unlocking my car with a beep. "No easy days."

He nodded, a small smirk forming. "I just wanna get home and chill with my son."

I raised an eyebrow. "D-Rose Jr., right? He's what, one now?"

Derrick's whole face lit up when he talked about his kid. "Two, man. He is growing up fast. Every time I see him, he's talking more, running around… it's crazy."

I leaned against my car, genuinely happy for him. "You want him to play basketball too?"

"You already know, but it's not forced. Having a child makes all this hard work worth it, you will see."

I nodded, taking in what he was saying. It was moments like this that reminded me that basketball wasn't everything, everyone has their own perspective.

Derrick unlocked his car.

I dapped him up before he got in. 

With that, he got into his car, and I did the same.