Out of Bounds

5

"Where have you been?" Slade asked, seeing Shiloh walking toward him. Shiloh stood beside his brother and cleared his throat.

"Where have YOU been? I've been searching for you," Shiloh said. Slade's brow furrowed.

"I was in the entertainment room," Slade replied. "Can we go home now?" he added, looking bored.

"No, we can't," Shiloh said. "You have to be here and know every one of these businessmen and businesswomen because soon you will manage our business," he added.

"Why me? You're here, brother. I don't think business is for me," Slade said, looking at his brother. "I want to major in Arts, not Business," he added.

"Slade, it's because..." Shiloh said, yet he couldn't finish his sentence. His brother couldn't know about him being an omega. Shiloh had plans after he graduated.

"Don't worry, I'll guide you," Shiloh said.

"I still don't want to," Slade answered. The party started with speeches from the host. Slade looked around and saw Archer.

"Hey, that's your rival, right?" Slade asked and pointed at Archer, which Shiloh immediately tapped away.

"Slade, it's rude to point your finger at someone," Shiloh replied and glanced at the place where Slade had pointed. There, he saw Archer holding a glass in his hand while talking with the daughters of businessmen.

When their eyes met, Shiloh immediately looked away. His parents, after mingling with the businessmen, returned to them with smiles on their faces.

"My sons," Judith said. "Did you enjoy the party?" she asked, standing between them.

"Nope, I want to go home," Slade said, earning a glare from his brother.

"It was an excellent party, Mom," Shiloh replied. Judith’s face softened, and she placed her hand on her son’s arm.

"Have you talked with the girls?" Judith asked. While she knew her son was an omega, she also hoped he would find an Alpha who would love and accept him.

"I did, Mom," Shiloh replied, earning a satisfied smile from his mother.

"Very well then. Let’s go," Monroe said.

They walked out of the venue, and with one last glance, Shiloh saw Archer looking at him.

Morning came, and Shiloh went to school early for training. When he arrived at the gym, he immediately saw Kayden holding a basketball near the three-point line.

"Is Coach here?" Shiloh asked, glancing at his watch. Kayden dribbled the ball and shook his head.

"He’s not here yet," he replied.

"Alright, I’ll change first," Shiloh said and headed to the locker room.

A few minutes later, Shiloh returned in his training clothes. Since the coach wasn’t there yet, he started warming up. He began with light jogs around the court, followed by dynamic stretches—lunges, high knees, and arm swings to loosen up.

"Let’s start with ball-handling," Shiloh said.

Kayden and the rest of the team nodded. They began stationary dribbling drills—right hand, left hand, then crossover dribbles at knee height, gradually increasing speed. Shiloh moved into between-the-legs and behind-the-back combinations, keeping his eyes up as if scanning defenders.

After that, they set up cones for a dribble-drive drill. Shiloh weaved through them, finishing strong at the rim with alternating right- and left-handed layups.

"Mid-range pull-ups next," Shiloh called out.

They passed the ball back and forth, practicing catch-and-shoot jumpers from the elbows and the baseline. The steady echo of the ball bouncing against the hardwood filled the empty gym.

Before long, they moved to three-point shooting—five shots from each spot around the arc. Shiloh focused on his form: bend the knees, follow through, hold the wrist. Swish.

By the time they finished with free throws—ten consecutive makes before switching—their coach arrived, and the gym slowly filled with noise.

After training, Shiloh told them to rest and proceed to their classes.

"Shiloh," Coach Torres called. Kayden looked at him, nodded, and Shiloh jogged back toward his coach.

"Yes, Coach?" Shiloh asked.

"Here’s the video of the game," he said, handing him a flash drive. Shiloh took it and clenched his hand around it.

"We’ll defeat them in the Governor’s Cup," Coach Torres said.

"Thank you, Coach. We will use it well," Shiloh replied before leaving the gym with Kayden.

"What did he give you?" Kayden asked as they walked to class. Shiloh glanced at him and looked around.

"It’s the other day’s game footage," he replied. "Let’s watch it with the team," he added. Kayden nodded.

While walking, Shiloh saw his brother Slade surrounded by a couple of students.

"Is he going to try out for basketball?" Kayden asked. Shiloh shrugged.

"Honestly, I don’t know. We’ve played together a couple of times, but I don’t see the drive in him to pursue this sport," he said.

"We’ll never know," Kayden replied. "Tryouts start three months from now. Slade will have plenty of time if he really wants to join the team," he added.

"Yeah," Shiloh said, feeling his phone vibrate. He fished it out of his pocket and saw a message from a familiar number.

Shiloh’s forehead creased as he opened the message.

"I’ll be waiting later. Same time, same place."

Shiloh let out an exasperated sigh and slipped his phone back into his pocket. What does Archer want?

"Are you okay?" Kayden asked.

"Yes," Shiloh answered.

After an hour, class ended, and they agreed to eat at a restaurant near the campus. But when they went inside, they saw the Brighton students having lunch—and worse, it was their basketball team.

"Stathmore," Archer greeted.

"Brighton," Shiloh greeted back. The tension in the air was thick. No one wanted to back down as both team captains measured each other.

"Let’s go, Shiloh. We can find another restaurant nearby," Kayden said, grabbing his arm. Archer saw it, and his eyes darkened.

"No, let’s eat here," Shiloh answered stubbornly.

Archer smirked as they went to find an available seat. Kayden ordered for them while Shiloh and Archer engaged in a staring contest, which only ended when Kayden caught Shiloh’s attention.

"Why are they here?" Shiloh asked. "It’s a bit far from their school," he added, sulking.

"I don’t know," Kayden answered, glancing at Brighton’s basketball team. "Don’t mind them. Just eat," he added, handing Shiloh his meal.

At the other table, Archer couldn’t help but clench his hand into a fist as he watched Shiloh with his vice-captain.

"Hey, you’ve been staring at them for some time now," Dmitri said. "Dude, we’re not here to fight, okay?" he added. He knew about the rivalry between Archer and Shiloh. The two were like cats and dogs who needed to be separated because if not, a fight would soon follow.

"I lost my f*****g appetite," Archer said, standing up. "I’m going back to Brighton. I’ll see you guys there," he added.

Before leaving, he glanced at Shiloh and glared when he saw him smiling at his vice-captain.

"I’ll see you later," Archer whispered before walking out of the restaurant, leaving his teammates behind.