Chapter 1: The Beginning of the Best

Today's practice was tough, but I was feeling a different kind of energy. At the school sports court, the heat was relentless, but whenever the ball hit my hands, I didn't think about anything else. Not to sound full of myself, but I knew I was having a good day.

"Pass the ball, Alexandre!" Noah shouted, coming up on the right.

I saw the gap, but I also saw that his defender was closing in fast. Instead of passing right away, I did a simple feint, got my rhythm, and took the shot. The ball went straight through. I didn't need to say a word; the sound of the net snapping said it all for me.

After practice, I sat on the bench, drinking water and thinking about what I still had to do. Besides basketball, my story website was taking shape, and the code I wrote last night finally worked without any errors.

"You played well today," Thales said, sitting down next to me.

"I know," I replied with a smirk. "But tomorrow, I’m going to play even better."

The truth is, I like being the best at what I do. Whether it’s shooting hoops or programming a new page, the goal is always the same: to improve. I packed my things into my backpack, said goodbye to the guys, and headed out. It had been a productive day, but I felt like this was just the warm-up for what was coming next.