The people in the back probably didn’t pick up on the atmosphere between them. Someone said, “Big Eric is in the second year of high school.”

“Oh.” Brian Carter replied.

What a coincidence.

Chapter 6

Brian Carter sat with his arms crossed, legs stretched out long, looking a bit unhappy.

The guys who had been playing earlier weren’t that great. If he’d been wearing basketball shoes, teaming up with Henry Cooper for a two-on-five probably wouldn’t have been a problem. Still, watching them play was kind of entertaining, giving him a sense of superiority, like standing atop a mountain peak.

But now, with Eric Bennett and his two friends on the court, the whole vibe changed.

Because Eric Bennett played... extremely well. If this were their old school, he’d definitely be the type to get all the girls screaming during the city high school league. The guy playing with him, the “is a bird” half of the “not a good bird” duo, was also pretty good. Gone was the thug slouching in the grocery store chair; their teamwork was impressive, making the other two on their side seem almost unnecessary.

So for Brian Carter, watching this kind of game didn’t give him that sense of superiority anymore.

He didn’t particularly dislike Eric Bennett, but he definitely didn’t have any fondness for him either. At times like this, he’d think, hey, this guy’s pretty good, but then force himself to correct it—good my ass, he’s just showing off...

“This guy plays pretty well,” Henry Cooper said, not picking up on the mood at all. “How do you know him?”

“He was just average on our old team,” Brian Carter said.

“Oh, you were on the basketball team?” Before Henry Cooper could respond, Jason Thompson chimed in, his tone a bit provocative. “How about we swap someone from the other side and let you play?”

Brian Carter turned to look at him. “No.”

“No?” Jason Thompson was a bit taken aback, probably expecting him to accept the challenge, not refuse. “Why not?”

“Take a guess.” Brian Carter stood up and walked toward the gym entrance.

Henry Cooper stretched and followed, leaving a few confused people behind.

“What’s got you so worked up?” Once outside the gym, Henry Cooper hunched his shoulders. “Got a grudge with that guy?”

“It’s only my third day here,” Brian Carter said.

“True, not enough time to make any enemies yet,” Henry Cooper sighed. “Anyway, you’re not happy with anyone right now.”

“You’re all right,” Brian Carter glanced at him.

Henry Cooper laughed. “Hey, seriously, how do you know that guy? He’s a second-year?”

“...Neighbor,” Brian Carter said.

“Lives in your building?” Henry Cooper asked.

“On the street next to mine,” Brian Carter answered simply.

“Oh.” Henry Cooper responded.

Actually, Henry Cooper probably didn’t quite get the concept. They’d both grown up in gated communities, and there were only two kinds of neighbors: people in the same building, and people in the same complex. The former you might nod to, the latter you might just glance at.

Neighbors from the next street over—they’d never really interacted with that kind.

Brian Carter sighed softly, feeling like he’d somehow ended up on a reality show about adapting to a new life.

“Are there any mountains? Let’s go see the snow.” Henry Cooper clapped his hands.

“Climb a mountain in this cold? Aren’t you afraid your brain will freeze? It barely works as it is,” Brian Carter said. “Haven’t you seen snow before?”

“It snows more here than back home,” Henry Cooper slung his arm over his shoulder. “Cheng’er, let me take you out for some fresh air. It’s just a new place, what’s the big deal? Just new parents, what’s the... okay, that’s kind of a big deal, let me think how to put it...”

“All right, let’s go climb a mountain,” Brian Carter was amused, swinging his arm. “Screw it, what’s the big deal anyway.”

After a game, Eric Bennett felt warm all over. The groggy feeling he’d had for days was finally gone. He put on his jacket and glanced back at the court, where a few people looked genuinely happy that he was finally leaving. “Thanks.”

“Not playing anymore?” someone asked, probably out of habit.

“How about one more game?” Eric Bennett said.

No one answered, all looking awkward.

Eric Bennett laughed, zipped up his jacket. “Let’s go.”

After leaving the gym, Ryan Clark bounced a couple of times. “Lame. I told you we should rent a court at the sports center, but you insisted on coming to your school.”

“How exciting do you want it to be?” Eric Bennett said.

“What’s the point of playing with high schoolers?” Ryan Clark said.

“You’re only two years out of high school yourself,” Jason Thompson shot him a look.

Eric Bennett flipped him off, holding his middle finger in front of Ryan Clark’s face. “If you can beat me one-on-one, you can say whatever you want.”

Everyone laughed.

“Damn,” Ryan Clark slapped his hand away. “Let’s get something to eat, I’m hungry.”

“I’m not going,” Eric Bennett checked his phone. “I’m heading home.”

“Back to the shop?” Jason Thompson asked. “Isn’t your mom at the shop today?”

“I’m taking Er Miao for a checkup. I picked up the paperwork earlier, scheduled it for today,” Eric Bennett said. “It takes forever to get her to the hospital.”

“We’ll come by and hang out tonight,” Ryan Clark said.

“We’ll see,” Eric Bennett took out his car keys. “I’m off.”

“You’re usually the type to just leave without a word,” Jason Thompson said. “You’re so friendly today, it’s weird.”

“You’re just asking for it.” Eric Bennett turned and walked away.