Fatty's Court

Chapter Five: Beginner's Guide (Part 1)

After returning home, Harry announced to his parents during dinner, "I’m going to the gym every night from now on. Don’t worry about me."

Once dinner was over, Harry went back to his room and took out his private savings.

Over the past 18 years, Harry had saved every cent of his birthday money, holiday gifts, and the generous allowances his parents' business associates had given him. His parents never withheld his money when he was young, and since Harry had nowhere to spend it, the funds had accumulated. Between his savings account and extra pocket money, he now had a balance approaching seven figures.

With a few clicks, he ensured his mobile payment was ready. Harry could be considered a "low-key" millionaire-in-the-making.

Because Harry had left his bicycle at the gym the night before, he had no choice but to jog to the fitness center. By the time he arrived, it was exactly seven o'clock. He saw Ruby Sutton already standing by the main entrance, waiting for him.

Harry walked up to her, panting heavily. Ruby looked at his sweat-soaked shirt and frowned. "You ran all the way here?"

"It took almost an hour," Harry wheezed.

"Come with me," Ruby said curtly. She led him to her car.

Once inside, Ruby handed him a bottle of water. Harry took it, feeling a bit self-conscious. "Thanks."

Ruby drove to a nearby upscale shopping mall and marched Harry into a high-end athletic store. "Pick out a few sets of training gear," she commanded. "I'll help you choose."

Harry looked around, overwhelmed. There were so many styles and brands that he had no idea where to start. A sales assistant approached, rambling about moisture-wicking fabrics, seasonal trends, and ergonomic designs.

Harry’s only conclusion: Everything here looks way too tight for me.

Seeing Harry’s indecisive look, Ruby took charge. She grabbed several sets of clothes and held them up against Harry as he stood in front of the mirror, comparing sizes.

The male clerk nearby cast a jealous glance at Harry. This guy is so lucky to have such a beautiful girl fussing over him.

Harry accepted the stares "calmly," feeling a secret sense of pride. Thankfully, Ruby’s focus was entirely on the technical fit of the clothing.

"Go change," Ruby said. "Let’s see if they fit."

Harry emerged from the fitting room, and the fit was perfect. "We'll take this one," Ruby said to the clerk. "And he'll wear it out. Pack up his old clothes."

She then picked out four more sets based on that size. When it came to sneakers, Ruby completely ignored Harry’s preferences. She picked out two pairs of high-performance basketball shoes, made him try them on for size, and had them boxed immediately. Then she added two professional-grade basketballs and other accessories to the pile.

When Harry saw the final bill, his heart skipped a beat. It was over $2,000. Wow, he thought, do you know how many bags of potato chips and orders of meatballs I could buy with this? I could gain another 10 pounds easily.

Seeing Harry’s pained expression, Ruby assumed he was short on cash. She reached into her purse to hand her credit card to the cashier. Seeing this, Harry immediately snatched her card back and handed over his own. "Use mine," he said firmly.

He didn't return her card until the transaction was complete.

Ruby glared at him, a bit surprised. "I didn't realize you, little fatty, had such a large secret stash of savings."

Harry immediately played the victim. "I'm practically bankrupt now, Coach Ruby. Please don't rip me off too hard on the tuition fees."

Ruby couldn't help but smile knowingly. "We'll see how much 'inventory' you have left... I'll rip you off some other time."

With the new gear in the trunk, Ruby drove for about 20 minutes until they arrived at a large Sports Education Center.

Harry followed Ruby inside the massive hall. He was amazed to see six standard basketball courts and several half-courts. All of them were occupied, with two of the main courts hosting intense games.

As they entered, a boy of about 15 ran up to them. "Ruby! Good evening."

Ruby smiled. "Hey, Leo. Where’s your dad?"

"Mom is chewing him out in the office," Leo said, leaning in to whisper. "Mom found a bottle of vintage wine Dad had hidden. That i***t tried to fill the bottle with water to hide it, but Mom knew the second she opened it. I mean, how can wine have zero aroma? He's so stupid! He could have at least used cheap liquor to fool her. I don't know how a genius like me ended up with a dad like that."

Ruby laughed. "Your mother is just worried about his gout acting up again." She patted Leo’s shoulder. "Okay, I’ll go rescue your dad. You take this guy over to the empty half-court and let him shoot around."

Harry followed Leo to a quiet corner of the gym. Leo introduced himself with a confident grin. "I'm Leo Miller. My parents named me that so I'd be 'brave like a lion,' I guess."

Harry nodded. "I'm Harry Lane, a senior at Summit High."

Leo’s eyes widened. "Wait, you’re that Harry Lane? The guy from Summit who got rejected and then tried to end it all by jumping off a building?"

Harry’s face darkened instantly. Great. Scandalous news really does travel fast.

Leo immediately looked apologetic. "Sorry, man! I go to Valley High, but I heard the story from a friend."

Harry forced a smile. "It’s fine. But for the record, I didn't try to kill myself. I was just... dozing off during a storm and accidentally slipped."

Leo nodded, though his skeptical expression suggested he didn't believe a word of it.

Leo tossed the ball to Harry. Harry caught it and, with a very awkward, clumsy motion, heaved the ball toward the basket. It missed the backboard entirely. Leo’s mouth hung open in shock.

"Sorry," Harry said, embarrassed. "I've never actually played before."

Leo almost fell over. He swallowed hard and whispered, "Then... what is your relationship with Ruby?"

"She's my fitness coach," Harry explained. "She's helping me lose weight."

Leo sat down on the floor, looking completely bewildered. "Ruby personally agreed to be your coach?"

"Yeah," Harry said. "She promised last night."

Leo stood up and circled Harry twice, observing him like a strange science experiment. "I don't get it. I just don't get it."

At that moment, Ruby and an older, sturdy-looking man—Mr. Miller—walked over.

"Ruby," Leo asked immediately, "are you really his coach?"

"That's right," Ruby said.

Mr. Miller looked Harry over carefully, then spoke with a gravelly voice. "Kid, show me how you dribble."

Harry picked up the ball and showcased the dribbling skills he had practiced so diligently for... exactly thirty minutes the day before.

Mr. Miller watched for ten seconds, frowned, and then turned to Ruby with a look of pure confusion.

"Mr. Miller, come with me," Ruby said. "Let's talk inside."

She turned to Leo. "Leo, teach him the most basic dribbling drills while we're gone."

Ruby and the older man walked away, leaving Harry and Leo standing alone on the court.

Leo let out a long, dramatic sigh. "I’m the captain of the freshman team at Valley High, and now I’ve been demoted to teaching a rookie how to bounce a ball. How pathetic is my life?"

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