Chapter 3: Collision
679 Words
The basketball rested silently at Ava Bennett's feet.
The entire arena fell into a silence so deep that even the echo of the bouncing ball seemed to vanish.
Every pair of eyes turned toward her.
A freshman standing near the entrance swallowed hard.
"She's done for."
Another student slowly shook his head.
"Nobody keeps Damon Hayes waiting."
Ava looked around in confusion.
Why is everyone acting like this?
She bent down, picked up the basketball, and brushed the dust off it with the sleeve of her hoodie.
To everyone else, the ball belonged to Damon Hayes.
To Ava...
It was simply a basketball.
Holding it close, she walked toward the court.
One step.
Two steps.
Three.
Every footstep echoed through the silent arena.
The whispers followed her.
"She's actually going."
"Doesn't she know who he is?"
"Someone stop her..."
But nobody moved.
Not a single person dared.
Standing beneath the bright lights of the arena was Damon Hayes.
Tall.
Broad-shouldered.
Dressed in a black sleeveless jersey with the number 7 printed boldly across his chest.
A thin layer of sweat glistened on his forehead after hours of practice.
Yet his expression remained the same.
Cold.
Unreadable.
His gray eyes never left Ava.
She stopped in front of him.
For a brief moment...
Neither of them spoke.
The silence stretched.
His teammates watched nervously.
Even Coach Reynolds folded his arms, curious about what would happen next.
Ava extended the basketball toward him.
"I think this belongs to you."
Damon looked at the ball.
Then at her.
He didn't take it immediately.
Instead...
He studied her face.
Not because she was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen.
But because she was the only person standing in front of him who wasn't afraid.
No trembling hands.
No nervous smile.
No fake confidence.
Just honesty.
Finally, Damon reached out and took the ball.
Their fingers brushed for the briefest second.
A strange feeling flickered through both of them.
"So..."
Ava said softly.
"I'll get going now."
She gave him a polite smile.
A normal smile.
The kind people gave strangers every day.
Then she turned around and walked away.
The arena remained silent.
One second.
Two.
Three.
A loud whistle suddenly echoed across the court.
Coach Reynolds blinked.
"Resume practice!"
The players didn't move.
They were too busy staring at Damon.
One of his teammates finally spoke.
"Dude..."
"You just said nothing?"
Another added,
"You didn't even scare her."
A third laughed nervously.
"I thought she was about to become tomorrow's headline."
For the first time that afternoon...
Damon bounced the basketball once.
Twice.
Then calmly continued walking toward the center of the court.
"Practice."
His voice was quiet.
But it carried authority.
Everyone immediately obeyed.
As the players returned to training, Damon's best friend, Ethan Carter, walked beside him with a smirk.
"So..."
Damon ignored him.
Ethan chuckled.
"I've known you for four years."
Still no response.
"I've never seen you stare at someone that long."
Damon spun the basketball on one finger before catching it effortlessly.
"She's different."
Ethan's playful smile slowly disappeared.
"Different?"
Damon looked toward the arena doors where Ava had disappeared moments earlier.
For reasons he couldn't explain...
The quiet girl occupied his thoughts.
She hadn't looked at him with fear.
She hadn't tried to impress him.
She hadn't even recognized the weight his name carried.
And somehow...
That bothered him.
Or perhaps...
Interested him.
Without taking his eyes off the exit, he spoke.
"Find out everything about Ava Bennett."
Ethan frowned.
"You serious?"
"I don't repeat myself."
A slow chill crept down Ethan's spine.
He had heard those words before.
Whenever Damon wanted information...
Something big always followed.
Outside the arena...
Ava walked toward the girls' hostel, completely unaware that her peaceful university life had just taken a turn she would never see coming.
Behind the tinted windows of the basketball arena...
A pair of cold gray eyes watched until she disappeared from sight.
And for the very first time in years...
The Devil of Blackwood University had become curious about someone.
The end of chapter 3
- Writer
