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Sunny didn’t like exercise. All the sensations were uncomfortable; the sweat always made him feel clammy and the exertion winded him. After getting checked into the hospital before moving though, his doctor advised him to start doing something more physical than staying in his room all day. He couldn’t really disagree with him; his emaciated figure was apparent even to him once he had recovered. Some form of exercise was direly needed in his life.
So, when Kel offered to teach him basketball, he couldn’t see why not to take him up on it. It’s not like Kel’s persistence would let him avoid it: his eyes lit up as soon as he heard Sunny tell everyone that he needed something active to do. Sunny had wanted to give the idea some thought, perhaps even find a different sport that he'd be into, but Kel spent their next few hangouts “subtly” mentioning basketball to Sunny as they sat by the lake or at Gino’s. Eventually, after one too many stories that somehow involved basketball, Sunny relented. They agreed to meet at 2 o’clock at the Faraway Park basketball court for a little “one-on-one training session with a pro,” as Kel had put it.
Walking to the park in a black basketball jersey and shorts, he started wondering if Kel would be on time for their session. Unfortunately, the growing sound of a boombox blaring Rex Orange County alerted him to his presence as soon as he passed the gate. Sunny set his bag down on the picnic table as he watched Kel warming up.
Kel looked like he was already working up a sweat, running around and throwing a few shots into the net from the inside line. He capped it off with a slam dunk before noticing Sunny. The sweat dropped in rivulets from the force of the dunk.
“Oh, hey Sunny! Didn’t expect you to come early!” He let go of the hoop, landing gracefully on the court. Kel picked up the ball and ran over to the picnic table. He gave Sunny a sheepish smile and turned down his radio. “Haha, sorry for the noise.”
Sunny set his bag down. “It’s okay,” he said. He looked out to the rest of the park. Mostly empty, save a few picnickers and old folks rambling. After emptying his pockets into his bag, he walked towards Kel, facing him.
Kel was about a head taller than him, clad in his orange basketball attire. His smile beamed down on him. He looked at him from head to toe. “Huh, never took you for a Nets fan.”
Sunny looked down at the jersey he was wearing. The logo of the second-worst team to come from New York was emblazoned across his chest.
“I… only got it because it was black.”
“I know, Sunny; I’m just messing with you.” Kel chuckled and ruffled Sunny’s hair. “It looks good on you anyways. Don’t worry!”
Sunny smiled at him. It had been a while since he’d hung out with Kel, but his congenial liveliness helped smooth over the distance between them. “So, let’s get started?”
“Sure, time for you to warm-up.”
They got started trying to get Sunny used to holding and dribbling the ball. While holding the ball comfortably was easy enough, dribbling proved to be more of a challenge. Kel hadn’t realised how much losing an eye, even if temporarily, would do for his vision. Starting off, Sunny miscalculated his dribbles, the ball either running away from his hand or bumping against his body as he tried to run with it. Kel kept trying to demonstrate a proper rhythm to him, showing him ways to time it just right.
After likening it to the music he had on, it seemed that Sunny’s instincts started to kick in once again. Soon enough, he managed to find a steady rhythm to dribble the ball to.
Kel decided to move on to the throws.
“Hey Sunny, I’m gonna step back for this first one. Show me your shooting skills!” He gave Sunny a smile and a thumbs up as he stepped back to the edge of the court.
He could’ve sworn Sunny’s face turned a whiter shade of pale.
“No pressure, Sunny. Just do your best.” His smile grew compassionate. Don’t worry so much, Sunny; just get your head in the game and you’ll be fine, he thought to himself.
He didn’t expect a perfect score, just a simple airball or something. Perhaps, if he was lucky enough, Sunny would’ve scored a clean hoop. He didn’t want to say that out loud, in case Sunny felt pressured or discouraged. He kept his smile on as he watched from the court line.
Come on, Sunny. You can do this!
It was in that moment that Sunny realised why basketball was a bad idea. It wasn’t a sport he knew much about. He didn’t even watch basketball for fun. All he knew about it was that it was a ball sport, that involved running and hitting that Kel loved.
And here he was, standing before a hoop as Kel was eagerly waiting for him to pull off a throw.
Sunny tried to probe his memories for any hints but he came up blank. He knew he had watched Kel do it earlier, but his conscious mind was… elsewhere. He started mentally grasping at whatever ball sports he knew: anything he saw people playing or that he saw in some cartoon or movie.
The first thing that came to mind was baseball but as far as he knew, bats didn’t exist in basketball, so that was a no go.
The second thing that came to mind gave him enough to work with, though.
Aiming up the net, he lined himself up.
With a quick push, Sunny threw the ball into the air. He put his hands together as it came down and struck it towards the backboard.
The ball fell short, slamming against the metal hoop, its metallic resonance ringing into the air before coming back to Earth and bouncing to a stop.
“Whoa! Wrong sport, Sunny! That’s volleyball!” Kel stifled a giggle.
He picked the ball up and went over to Sunny. “Alright, now watch this.” He demonstrated the proper shooting procedure, pulling off a clean three-pointer in the process.
“Now try to copy that!”
Sunny tried to get his posture to fit what he saw, but it felt unnatural, awkward.
The confusion must have come through on his face, as Kel said, “Don’t worry, I’ll guide ya.” He came up behind Sunny to correct his posture, adjusting his footing and putting his arms into the right position. Sunny tried to play it cool but feeling Kel’s touch threw him off his rhythm.
His touch felt so warm. He could feel Kel’s muscles, toned from what was probably years of basketball practice. Even so, his movements were graceful and gentle; there were a softness to them that Sunny had never felt before. Kel’s long arms wrapped around Sunny’s as he carefully positioned his fingers around the grooves of the basketball.
“Here, Sunny, you need to shift your hands a little lower. It’ll help you get more force in,” he said, his head resting lightly on Sunny’s left shoulder. Sunny could pick up the faintest scent of orange along with something floral. Did Orange Joe make deodorant or something?
It felt strange to have someone speaking so close to him after spending so long being distant, but Kel being that person felt different.
Sunny turned to look at him. They were so close together, about a few centimetres apart. His brown eyes focused solely on arranging Sunny’s grip. His brown eyes sparkled in the summer sun, his shaggy hair getting a small halo as the light hit its edges.
Kel turned to Sunny. The two of them looked at each other head on, Kel’s hands still on Sunny’s. It took the both of them a few seconds to snap back into focus. Kel suddenly let go of Sunny’s hands, brushing them as he brought his hands back to himself. Sunny could’ve sworn he saw the faintest signs of a blush forming before Kel turned away. “Haha… so yeah, that should be the proper form,” Kel said, scratching the back of his head. He kept his face away from him, focused on the hoop. “You can do it.”
Sunny pushed the ball, netting a simple score into the hoop.
“Good shot, Sunny!”
Kel gave him a thumbs up with a cheeky grin. His blush seemed to have died down a little bit, a faint redness remaining. Sunny could feel the blood rushing to his own cheeks, even if it didn’t show.
“Sunny! Get your head in the game!”
Kel’s pass landed square in Sunny’s face. Sunny’s distractedness had coupled with his warped depth perception to let the pass slide. The ball hit him on the head: not hard, since they were only practicing, but it still hurt a bit.
The ball returned to the ground as it rebounded off of him. Passing practice wasn’t that bad, but Sunny had a problem with focusing on the ball when it was thrown by Kel.
Sunny shot off a quick “I’m fine!” to allay any fears of injury before running to get the ball once again. They proceeded to go for another passing rally.
They both gradually began to escalate the speed and height of the passes. The rising difficulty wasn’t much for Kel but Sunny enjoyed it; it made the development palpable, almost like levelling up in a game.
Once it got to a fairly decent pace and distance, Kel held onto the ball for a quick stop.
“Sunny, you ready for a far pass?” Kel stayed in position as he spoke.
Sunny considered it. The passes have been pretty okay so far. It can’t be that bad, can it?
“Sure!” Sunny nodded.
Kel dribbled the ball once, preparing to throw.
“Alright then, if you say so…”
Kel threw a long pass to Sunny, soaring just above his outstretched arms. It was a fast ball. Sunny could hear the rushing wind trailing as it passed overhead.
“Go long!” Kel shouted.
Sunny tried to catch the ball. He moved backwards faster and faster, nearing the end of the ball’s parabola. He could nearly reach out to grab it when–
A rock stopped him. It tripped him at the end of his stride.
The split-second of recognition felt like an eternity of weightlessness.
He was free-falling through the air. The trees seemed to give way to sky in the blink of an eye. The world turned into a blur of green and gold. He could comprehend the sound of squeaking sneakers and Kel shouting, as they stretched on into infinity in his mind.
In that moment, Sunny simply came to terms with his fate. This is it, he thought. This is how I’m going to die. Falling over a pebble.
Sunny thought over the irony of that fact. He almost laughed. He resigned himself to his fate. He could visualise the crash in his head.
He closed his eyes and waited for the sweet embrace of death to come.
Suddenly, he felt his arms being tugged. He looked up to see Kel’s worried face as he held him.
“You okay, Sunny?” Kel’s voice was airy, winded from the quick saving run he did. His hand gripped Sunny’s wrist like a vice.
Sunny realised the steep angle at which he was leaning from the ground. If he stretched his other arm out, he could probably have planted his palm on the asphalt. From the looks of it, the landing wouldn’t have been a nice one: coarse asphalt and rocks. It would’ve scratched him up at the very least. He probably wouldn’t have died, but it would probably have sucked.
If Kel hadn’t caught him, it would’ve sucked really bad.
After a pause to return to his senses, he nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Lucky I caught you, that would’ve been rough!” Kel shot him a cheeky grin. Sunny blushed a little.
“Th-thanks.” He got up slowly, Kel supporting him gently. He placed his arm on his shoulder.
“Make sure your leg’s okay, alright? Don’t want you to get injured on your first day.”
Sunny lifted his leg and moved it around to check for damage. He didn’t feel any sprain or abrasions. With a quick nod, Sunny confirmed that he was okay.
They continued their practice session as normal, if a bit more carefully.
Once they moved on to simple tactics, Sunny began to find his feet. Sunny’s mind was sharp, the four years of thought alone having honed it into a whole new stage. His body wasn’t quite there yet, but his wits were about him. Kel moved slower to give Sunny more of a fighting chance, letting him take the ball from him every now and then. In the intervening time, Sunny managed to steal the ball away and score a few hoops. On the last score, Kel picked up the ball as it fell from the net. Sunny stayed put at the three-point line.
“All right!” Kel stood facing Sunny, hands on his hips, basketball in clutch. Sunny stood behind the half-court line.
Kel cast his eyes to the ground.
“You have mastered the basics and you’re not bad at sparring. So…”
Kel turned dramatically to Sunny, an outstretched finger pointed in his direction.
“It’s time for the final showdown! Show me what you got!” His wide grin showed the infectious determination he had. It filled Sunny with a mix of excitement and fear.
Sunny looked at him and nodded, trying to put on a strong front. “First to 5?”
“Sure. Get ready to ball, bitch!”
Kel and Sunny eyed each other up from opposite sides of the half-court line. The determination in Kel’s eyes sent a shiver down Sunny’s spine. This isn’t going to be an easy fight. He took a deep breath, bracing for the beginning.
As soon as the ball hit the ground, the game was on.
Kel started running circles around Sunny. His hands dribbled the ball around him and Sunny. He took every intervening moment to slip past Sunny’s side. He ran for the opposing hoop and dropped a point in. Only fifteen seconds had passed.
Reset. Back to the centre line again. 1-0.
Slowly but surely, Kel’s little tactics grew clear in Sunny’s mind. A few points had been scored, but Kel seemed to be slowing down. Was he getting cocky?
In one of his moves, he saw an opening. Sunny dashed to seize the free ball. With a deft push, he ran with the ball to the line. He got into position and propelled it into the hoop.
The score was now 3-1. The surprise on Kel’s face was palpable.
Their movements grew clearer to each other. Kel’s dance formed patterns in Sunny’s mind. He could see through his feints and fake lefts. Quickly, he managed to close the gap between them both. He noticed Kel slowing down, losing his rhythm every now and then, whenever they grew close fighting for the ball. He took each opportunity to gain control of the ball, running and scoring. He began knowing his own footing better too, estimating his shots better, taking more risks.
With each point scored, he and Kel started being able to see through each other’s tactics.
Soon enough, the score stood at 4-4. The next shot would be the game-maker. They faced each other. Despite his tiredness, Sunny tried to act strong.
“Come on Kel, don’t hold back. Have at you!” Sunny tried to channel a cocky grin, hoping to throw him off his rhythm.
Kel’s confidence faltered for a split second before he recovered.
He reciprocated Sunny’s smirk. “Hope you’re ready for the storm. Good luck catching up, Sunshine.” He threw a wink at Sunny.
The flock of moths in Sunny’s gut set off into a migratory flutter. His heart was racing, and he couldn’t isolate the source of it. All his thoughts and feelings felt like they were coalescing into a heavy mass.
The resonant sound of the ball hitting the ground brought Sunny back to his senses. The final battle was on.
Kel ran at double speed, his movements growing erratic and flighty. He deftly made his way around Sunny. Despite this, he seemed to falter before being able to take a shot. He froze up at points, seeming to be lost in thought in the middle of defending or advancing. Sunny took the opportunity to grab the ball. He ran towards Kel’s hoop, only for Kel to double down and yank it away from him mid-dribble. This endless tug-of-war continued.
Until Sunny saw an opening.
Kel took too long looking for a chance to break past Sunny. He slowed down. With his left hand, Sunny reached out for the ball in mid-bounce. He silently hoped that his depth perception wouldn’t let him down this time.
He felt the rigid rubber of the basketball against his hand. He quickly pushed it down to dribble past. Kel made an involuntary shout at his loss of control. With the ball firmly within his reach, Sunny moved closer to Kel’s hoop.
Kel tried to block Sunny, stretching his arms wide. Sunny put a quick feint into practice. He angled his body to the left. Kel leaned in towards the left, as expected. Sunny couldn’t help but let a smirk crawl across his face.
Now’s my chance!
With a snap of the wrist, he flicked the ball to his right hand and sped off in the other direction. The gap was wide enough that Kel couldn’t have covered the distance in time. He ran forward to the centre.
With a quick turn, Sunny faced the hoop head-on.
He was well-positioned for a free shot.
He got into position; the heel of his palms balanced on the bottom of the ball. Lining up his shot, he crouched slightly to concentrate his energy to the ball. He said a silent Hail Mary, hoping his eye wouldn’t let him down this time.
Sunny propelled the ball towards the hoop. It struck against the backboard with a loud thud.
It circled around the ring at a slow but steady pace. Each movement it made got to Sunny: would it or wouldn’t it go in? He stood there, watching as the ball proceeded to grow unstable. It teetered around the hoop.
Rolling.
Circling.
And then, with a click, it fell in.
4-5.
Sunny had won.
He hadn’t realised the ball had gone in until he heard Kel’s clapping behind him. Sunny turned around to look at Kel behind him.
“You’re a pro now, Sunny!” Kel bore a wide grin. He looked truly happy for him.
Kel ran towards Sunny and wrapped his arms around him. He was caught off-guard by the hug; Kel held him so tight, his wide arms enveloping him completely. Sunny felt overcome by the warmth. He tried to wrap his arms around Kel too, but his arms could just barely meet. He basked in the comfort of his embrace, letting him hold on tight.
Kel pulled him away after a few seconds, holding him by his shoulders. They looked into each other’s eyes. In Kel’s eyes, Sunny saw a sea of emotion: a gently flowing current of joy, kindness, and warmth.
Suddenly, he felt himself drawn closer and closer to Kel’s face—
Kel kissed Sunny on the lips. Sunny stood there, letting the initial wave of surprise give way to a slowly radiating joy. Sunny wrapped his arms tighter around Kel. He felt comfortable, at home in Kel’s embrace. The two of them held each other close.
It took Kel a second to realise what he had done. He let go of Sunny and walked a few steps to the left, leaving Sunny’s embrace and looking away.
“Um… sorry about that.” He gazed off into the distance and scratched the nape of his neck. “I uh… got caught in the moment.” His hand gestures looked shakier than usual.
Sunny tugged on his jersey and gave Kel a quick kiss on the cheek. Kel brought his left hand reflexively up to his cheek as a scarlet blush began to form across his face.
“Thanks, coach,” Sunny said, sporting a wry, genuine smile.
Kel’s expression of surprise quickly shifted to one of sheer joy. Sunny could see his eyes begin to become glassy, watering up. He ran over to Sunny and wrapped his arms around Sunny once more.
“Sunny, I love you.” Kel pulled him tighter into his embrace.
“I love you too, Kel.” Sunny smiled. They both lingered in that hug. Sunny felt the radiating happiness within him coming out, like the first sunbreak after a summer storm. He felt warm on the inside. Kel’s gentle arms let him know that he cared; that he had someone who was looking out for him after all this time and all that they’d been through. After a little more time, they let go of each other.
Sunny could see the beaming smile on Kel’s face, basking in its glow for a moment; a smile he mirrored. They were both winded from the long basketball session, but they were happy. The evening sun painted the whole scene in a soft, serene orange. Soon enough, Kel broke the silence between them.
“So uh, wanna grab a soda?” Kel gestured in the general vicinity of the vending machines outside the park.
“Sure!”
Kel broke off into a run. “Last one there owes the winner a soda!”
Sunny willed his tired legs to run once more, knowing full well his wallet and pride was on the line.
Two Orange Joes™ poorer, Sunny walked alongside Kel, drinks in hand. After the adrenaline started leaving his system, he could feel the soreness in his legs and shoulders begin to pulsate with every step. It was annoying but he had to admit: the physical activity was probably good for him; he’d never felt that energised in years. Regardless, he was eager to get back to the picnic table.
At the picnic table, they sat across each other. Kel’s stereo was playing something downtempo. The soft music helped give the whole place a feeling of overall calm, save for the occasional rising commotion of heated picnic conversations.
Kel and Sunny opened their cans at the same time. Sunny was about to go for a sip when Kel spoke.
“You know Sunny, you really got a knack for basketball. That was a good session!” Kel waved his can around lazily in his right hand. He leaned back, resting his left arm against the bench for leverage.
“It helps to have an awesome coach.” Sunny said. He took a sip, trying to hide a smile he felt coming on.
Kel laughed. “Heh, you flatter me!” He gazed at the can in his hand. Sunny continued drinking, letting Kel gather his thoughts for a moment.
“Did you have fun today?” he continued.
“Yeah, today was great.”
“Well…” His growing smile and rising inflection spelled no good.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want a rematch, Sunny.” Kel struck a mischievous grin. “I need to defend my pride!” he said in a mock-Scottish accent.
Sunny laughed at his theatrics. “Sure thing, Kel. Same time, next week?”
“You’re on!” he said with a wide grin. He lifted his can out towards Sunny.
“Cheers. To us and basketball!” With a quick, enthusiastic clink, they toasted to the start of something new.
Kel and Sunny sat there, continuing to chat about anything that came to mind. The influx of orange-flavoured sugar syrup and the setting sun intermingled in his mind, tinting this memory in mottled, warm sepia. Before him, Kel’s orange shirt and shaggy hair seem to glow in the evening light. The horizon reflected itself in his eyes. Thinking back to the events of the day, Sunny smiled to himself.
Perhaps, trying basketball was the best mistake he’d ever made.