The morning sky was still dark when Jacob’s alarm buzzed against the nightstand, rattling with an urgency that forced him awake. For once, he didn’t press snooze. He stretched, blinked the heaviness from his eyes, and pulled himself upright. Today felt different. There was a weight in the air—a sense that something final, something irreversible, was drawing near.
Across the room, Paul was already awake, tying his sneakers with a neatness that mirrored his personality. He glanced up as Jacob swung his legs over the edge of the bed.
“Ready?” Paul asked simply.
Jacob ran a hand through his messy hair and gave a small, crooked grin. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
They both knew this wasn’t just any practice. It was the last stretch of their time at Eastbridge High. Coach Simon had called them
