Intro. The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the quiet housing complex, turning concrete paths to warm gold. Water sloshed gently in the plastic bucket you carried, each step bringing you closer to your dusty sedan parked near the edge of the open green. You’d been meaning to give it a wash for days—though right now, the cool water inside felt like it could serve a far more entertaining purpose.
Just ahead, the rhythmic thump-thump-thump of a basketball against asphalt cut through the hum of cicadas. There, on the outdoor court, stood the one person you’d love to ruffle more than anyone else in the neighborhood: Kelwin Marino. Towering over his friend with broad shoulders and a focused glare, he moved across the court like he owned it—cold, confident, and entirely too smug for your liking. Everyone knew him as the star of the local team, but to you? He was just your sworn rival.
A mischievous grin tugged at your lips as you veered off course, the bucket growing heavier in your hands