Friday – 7:11 p.m.
Hartwell Invitational – New Jersey
Three courts. Bright lights. Dozens of D1 scouts in branded polos. Every time a ball bounced, a sneaker squeaked, or a dunk rattled the rim, someone's future changed.
Kyle sat on the bench.
Numb.
Not from fear—but from irrelevance.
Game 1 was halfway done, and he hadn't seen a minute.
Coach DeMarco leaned down. "You're not ready yet."
Kyle clenched his jaw. "Mi ready."
"You think New York prep ball is soft? These boys been grinding for years."
Kyle didn't respond.
He just stared at the scoreboard: Down 32–45.
Halftime Locker Room
The team was silent.
Connor, the starting forward, threw a towel across the room. "This kid from Jamaica ain't even hooping—why he here?"
Kyle didn't move.
Coach said nothing.
Just looked at Kyle.
"Third quarter. You get 4 minutes. Don't waste them."
Third Quarter – 4 Minutes
Kyle checked in.
Ball came his way.
Crossover. Attack.
He went up—blocked hard to the floor.
Crowd winced.
Ref swallowed the whistle.
Connor laughed. "Welcome to varsity, island boy."
Next play: Kyle got burned on defense.
Then threw a pass too hard for a cutter.
Coach yanked him after 2:31.
Benched again.
Post-Game
They lost by 18.
Coach ignored Kyle.
Trey—the junior point guard—tapped him after. "Hey... you got next game, don't trip."
Kyle nodded, but inside?
He was drowning.
That Night – Dorm WiFi Lounge
Kyle scrolled through IG.
Clips of the game were already online.
"Prep washed the Jamaica boy."
"Kyle Wilson a bust??"
"Where the dawg in him??"
He locked his phone.
Then it buzzed again.
Unknown Number:
"You look better back in the Heights. Soft now."
"Mi not done wid yuh yet."
Kyle stared at the number.
Jamaican country code.
His chest tightened.
Another message dropped:
📷 [Image Attachment] — His mother on her porch.
Caption: "Protect who you love."
Kyle nearly dropped the phone.
Saturday Morning – U16 Pressure Mounts
Coach Barrett texted:
"U16 camp next weekend. You flying out or nah?"
Then Dre:
"JABA coach vex. Said yuh better choose. School or ya nation."
Kyle stared at the messages.
The Hartwell Invitational had two more games.
Scouts would be at both.
But U16 national camp was once-in-a-lifetime.
Pre-Game Practice – Game 2
Coach pulled Kyle aside.
"You play tonight. Start."
Kyle blinked. "For real?"
Coach nodded. "Scouts saw flashes last night. I told them you were still adjusting. But if you fold again, I pull the plug."
Kyle's blood pumped.
"I won't fold."
Coach nodded. "Good. Because this team is one loss away from elimination."
Game 2 – Haverford Prep vs. Western Academy
The moment the tip went up, something changed in Kyle.
He didn't just move with intensity.
He moved with purpose.
First Quarter – Kyle Wakes Up
First play: He baited a pass, intercepted, and went coast-to-coast.
Two defenders closed.
He elevated.
BOOM. Dunk.
The gym exploded.
Second play: stutter step, crossover, hesitation—stepback three.
Swish.
Scout pens scribbled.
By end of the quarter:
Kyle – 11 points, 3 assists, 2 steals.
Score – Haverford leads 22–14.
Second Quarter – The Fire Builds
Connor kept trying to freeze him out, so Kyle took over the spacing.
He cut. Ran off screens. Crashed the boards.
Midway through the quarter, he got doubled, kicked it to Trey in the corner—Bang.
He didn't just prove he could score.
He proved he could lead.
By halftime, the gym was watching him.
Halftime Locker Room
Coach stood in front of the whiteboard.
Didn't talk strategy.
He looked at Kyle.
"You play like this again, you start full time. Scouts are already asking who you are."
Then he said something nobody expected:
"You're the future of this team."
Kyle didn't smile.
Just wiped sweat off his face and whispered:
"Mi just getting started."
Third Quarter – Trouble Returns
Kyle's phone buzzed in his bag during timeout.
He checked it.
📲 "If you don't fly home next week, your mother might not be there when you get back."
No name.
Same number.
Same threat.
His stomach turned. Sweat chilled.
But he stayed on the court.
Fourth Quarter – Kill or Be Killed
Score: 58–56 Haverford.
3:12 remaining.
Western turned up the pressure.
Connor got stripped. Turnover. Tie game.
Kyle clapped. "Give me the ball."
Coach nodded.
They ran a spread offense.
Kyle worked the defender, drew contact, and-1 layup.
Fouled again next possession—two free throws.
Then assisted Trey on a dagger three.
Final score:
Haverford – 71. Western Academy – 65.
Kyle Wilson – 22 pts, 7 ast, 4 stl.
Post-Game
Coach DeMarco: "D1 scouts from Syracuse, Temple, and Georgia State all asked about you."
Kyle nodded, but his eyes were elsewhere.
His phone buzzed again.
Dre:
"Yo. That number threatening yuh again?"
"JABA coach say if yuh miss camp, yuh benched for tournament."
Kyle replied:
"Mi have to finish here first."
"U sure? Chino don't play fair."
Kyle typed back:
"Then neither will I."
Later That Night – Dorm Room
He stared at Rico's picture.
Then at his mother's face in the photo from the threat.
Then at the scout emails Coach sent him.
He was almost free.
But freedom came at a price.
Final Scene – Burn Decision
Kyle opened his window.
Cold air hit his chest.
He took his U16 jersey out of the drawer.
Stared at it.
Then pulled his duffle bag out.
Packed it.
Then texted Dre:
"Tell them mi coming home after the final game."
"But only for one reason…"
"To end this."