Javier woke up at 3:17 AM, drenched in sweat, his heart pounding.
The dream had been the same as always. The gym. The lights. The ball screaming toward his face. But this time, the server wasn't Derek. It wasn't Marcus Webb. It was a faceless figure in a black jersey, and Javier couldn't move. He stood frozen, the ball hitting him again and again, and no one came to help.
He sat up in bed, gasping. His room was dark. His clock glowed red. 3:18.
He hadn't had the nightmare in weeks. Not since the conference final. Not since he'd proved he wasn't scared.
But now it was back.
He reached for his phone. 3:19. He scrolled through his messages. Texts from teammates. Comments on his posts. Articles about the upcoming state tournament. Everyone had an opinion. Everyone had expectations. Everyo
