Chapter585TheShowdown
LysanderremindedDaphne,saying,“<b>Wake</b>up.That’saminor.”
“I’mnotgoingtodoanything.I’mjustlooking-
Finished
BeforeDaphnehadevenfinishedspeaking,therefereewhistled,signalingtheendofthefirst<b>half</b>ofthpetition.Asexpected<b>,</b>Joseph’steamhadthelead.
Whenitwasthesecond<b>half</b>,thingssuddenlycametoahalt.Alongtimepassed,butthewhistlesignaling
Daphnewassomewhatanxious.“What’sgoingon?Whathappened?”
Agirlbesideherexined.“Itseemsayeronteamfivehastoleave,sothey’reshorta<b>yer</b><b>.”</b>
“Is<b>that</b>Joseph’steam?”
“No.It’stheirrival<b>team</b><b>.</b><b>”</b>
Daphnebecameevenmoreanxious.“Doesthismeanthebasketbalpetitioncan’t<b>go</b>on?”
*Itdependsonwhethertheycangetsomeoneelse.Butmanyofthoseinthesenioryearhavebeencalledbackbytheteachers,sowecanonlyseeifanyfreshmenorsophomoreswould<be</b><b>to</b>standin.”
Rightafterthegirlhadsaid<b>that</b>,afamiliarfigureappearedatthebasketballcourt’sentrance.
Thegirlspresentletoutanotherroundofcheer.
Daphne’sbrowsfurrowed.“Doeshereallyhavethatmuchfreetime?Attendingtheschonniversaryishing,butheevencametowatchthebasketbalpetition?”
Lysanderremainedsilent.
AsJosiahwalked,hecasuallyunbuttonedhissuitjacket.
Then,heundidhistieinafewswiftmovementsandcasuallytossedhisjacketontoachairatthesideofthecourt.LookingatJoseph,hesaidmildly,“Iheardyou’reonthestate’sbasketballteam.”“
Josephpuffedouthischestandliftedhischin.“Indeed.”
Josiah’s<b>voice</b>droppedlow.“Itseemslikethey’reshort ofayerontheotherteam,anditlooksliketheywon’tbeabletogetanyoneelseforawhile.Howabout…Igiveitatry?”
Josephhadnorecollectionofthe<b>man</b>.<b>But</b>whenheheardthat,hipetitivespiritzed,“Sure.Butdoyouhaveajerseyandsneakers<b>?</b>Competingindressshoesdefinitelywon’tbe<b>as</b>convenientassneakers,andevenifIwin,itwouldn’tbeafairvictory.”
Josiahsmiled.“That’sifyouwin
Uponseeingthat,everyoneelsehadnoobjectionseither.Theymerelywaitedforthebreaktoendbeforethmencementofthe<b>second</b><b>half</b>ofthpetition.
Allthestudentsinthe<b>audience</b>knewwasthatJosiahpreviouslysatwiththeprincipal.Atthatpoint,they
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waslikelyanesteemedalumnus,whileothersthoughthemightbeapartnerbroughtinbytheprincipal.
Amidstthesurroundingchatter,Daphine tuggedatLysander’ssleeve,whispering,“DoesJosiahknowhowtoybasketball?”
Lysandertrulydidn’tknowtheanswertothat.
Shehadneverseenhimyorevenheardofit.
Therefore,sheshookherheadhonestly.
“No?”
“Idon’tknow.”
“Wow,youtwoasacouplereallyare…
Meanwhile,Josiahsensedsomethingandlookedupattheaudience.Hisgazewasdarkandunfathomable,andheexudedanauraofcalmnessbeforethestorm.
Withanonchntexpression,LysanderncedathimbrieflybeforeshiftinghergazetowardJosephfromhim.
Beep!
Therefereeblewthewhistle.
Josiahretractedhisgaze,castingacold,sidelong nceatJoseph,whowasuntingaway.
Noteventenminutesintothpetition,theaudienceinthestandsallheldtheirbreaths,notdaringtomakeasound.
WithJosiah’sparticipation,theatmosphere duringthefriendlymatchinthefirsthalfwasallbutgone.Mostyersonthecourtbecamemerebackdrops,leavinghimandJosephtpete.
Josiahwasaggressiveonthebasketballcourt.Fromthebeginning,heexpertlydribbledtheballpasttheothers<b>and</b>scoredathree–pointerinonego.
Thedefenseontheothersidewasineffectiveandasgoodasnon–existent.
Joseph,whowasalreadygivingithisall,becameevenmoredesperateuponseeingthesituation.Duringthefirsthalf,hewasfocusedonhistechnique,maintainingastylishandbriskshootingposture.ButfacingoffaformidableopponentlikeJosiah,hehadnochoicebuttobulldozehiswaythrough.
TherestofhisteammateswereattheirwitsendwithJosiah.
Withgrittedteeth,Josephchargedforward,swiftlpletingaseriesofmovesfrominterceptiontoscoringabasket.Finally,hemanagedtoscoreapointforhisteamthathadbeenlosing.
Daphnecheered,“Holysh*t,thejerk<b>has</b>someskills!”
Withhertakingthelead,thefemalestudentspreviouslystunnedbyJosiah’sperformance,snappedoutoftheirtrance<b>and</b>begancheeringhimonenthusiastically.
<b>Joseph</b>liftedhisjerseyandwined offhis<b>sweat</b>,revealinghisleanvermuscrwaistand<b>abs</b>.Danhne
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Chapter585TheShowdown
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couldn’thelpbuttugatLysanderagain.“ButIstillrootforJoseph.Hisyouthishisgreatestadvantage.HecanweardownJosiahjustbyoustinghim<b>.</b><b>”</b>
Lysander’sexpressionremainedindifferent,andher<b>brows</b>creased.
Oust?Mustshemakeitsound<b>so</b>suggestive?
Anyway,hergreatestconcernatthatmomentwastheissueofsafety.
Josephwasyoung,andwhenhechargedahead,herecklesslysenttheyersontheopposingteamflyingseveralmetersawayonmultipleasions.
Josiahhadanadvantagewithhisvastexperienceandcalmdemeanor.Seizingtheopportunities,hecouldinstantlyrenderJoseph’sstrengthsuseless.Then,withoutmissingabeat,hecouldorganizeacounterattack.Hisleadershipskillswereunparalleled.
However,the<b>conflict</b>betweenthetwomenwasclearlyescting.AfterJosephwasdodgedbyJosiah forthethirdtime,henoticeablylosthisbnceandstumbled.Hiskneehitthegroundhard,<b>causing</b>himtogrimaceinpain.Ittookhimawhilebeforehemanagedtostandupandcontinue.
“I’mafraidsomeonemightgethurt,”Lysandersaidworriedly.
Daphnepattedherandcoaxed,“Don’tworry.They’reallgrownmen.Alittlebumphereandthereisnothingtofussabout.It’sasportsgame,soconflictisinevitable.”
Thpetitiononthecourthadreachedfeverpitch.
Josephtriedtoreplicatehisgloryinthefirsthalfofthpetition,butJosiahwasnoeasyprey.Heonlymanagedtoscoreabeautifulthree–pointerfromafarbeforehewasblockedmultipletimesinsession.thoroughlyhemmedin.
Josiahwasdressedinafittedshirtthatwasnotexactlysuitedforvigorousactivity.However,onceherolleduphissleevestohiselbows,themusclesonhisarmscameintoview.Itgavehimanascetharmbelongingtoamature<b>man</b>.
Thegirlsatthpetitionwere<b>all</b>thereforJoseph.Quiteafewofthemevencraftedanimatedscreensaverscheeringforhimontheirphones,holdingthemuphighinsupport.
Butatthatmoment,countlesscheerleadershadswitchedsides,turningtheircamerasontotakephotos.andvideosofJosiah.
<b>Josiah</b>hadareserved<b>and</b>icydemeanor.Atthatmoment,hesteppedontothecourtwithanairofbroodingintensity,andhisyingstylecouldonlybedescribedasaggressive.Afterinterceptingtheballonceagain, heunexpectedlymadeareversethree–pointer.Hemovedwithsuchgracethatitwasasightto
behold.
Theaudienceeruptedincheers.
However,Lysandercouldn’tmusteranyexcitement.Shemerelyfixedhereyesonthecourtwithaheavy
heart.
Forthefirsttime,Josephfoundhimselfbeingupstaged.Hecouldn’thelpbutfeel<b>a</b>senseofurgency,SeeingJosiahabouttomakeanotherthree–pointjumpshot,hewasdeterminedtostophim.Throwingcautiontothewind,heleapedfromtheside,intendingtoknockintothemanandsnatchthebaway.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .
Chapter585TheShowdown
Josiahhadbeenpreparedforthatandstoodhisgroundfirmly.
Finished
Inthenextmoment,Josephmadeamistakeandhit theground.Adullthudechoedthroughoutthecourt.
Therefereeimmediatelyblewthewhistletohaltthegame.
WhenLysander<b>saw</b>thatanidenthadurredforreal,herfaceturnedpale.Shehurriedlyrusheddownfromtheaudienceseat.
Alltheyersfrom bothteamscrowdedovertocheckonJoseph’scondition,except<b>Josiah</b>,whoremainedrootedtothespot.
Joseph’sconditiondidn’tlookgood.Hehadtakenasolidhittohisrightkneeandelbowandwasbleedingprofusely.Hiswoundslookedghastly.
BythetimeLysanderarrived,bloodfromhiscalvesandarmshadalreadypooledonthegroundandwasflowingtotheside.
Thestudentsaroundhimwerealsosomewhatfearful.“ShouldwetakeJosephtotheinfirmary?He’sinjured.
“No.Hedoesn’tseemcapableofwalkinganymore.”
“Couldsomeonegoto theinfirmaryandgetthedoctoroverforalook?”
“I’llgo!I’llgo!”
LysanderwentovertoJoseph,reachingoutandsupportinghisarm.Uponsensingthatthebonewasn’tdislocated,shefinallybreathedasighofreliefandasked,“Howareyoufeeling?Canyoustillmove?”
Josephdrewin<b>a</b>sharpbreath,hisbrowsfurrowingashelookedatherandreplied,“Myleghurts,Ms.Thorne.”
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