Pitch

Monday - St. Louise School Campus

Ryker San Juan stood in front of his locker, frozen.

The morning hallway buzzed with its usual chaos-slamming locker doors, squeaky shoes, gossip bouncing off the tiled walls. Students hustled to their first-period classes. But Ryker stood still, staring at the red envelope tucked inside his locker like it didn't belong there. Like it had landed by mistake.

He hesitated before picking it up. The envelope was stiff, heavy. The school crest shimmered in gold at the top center. His name was handwritten in elegant black ink.

Ryker San Juan

His heart thudded.

He hadn't even opened it yet, but he already had a guess.

"You got one too man?" came a voice.

Ryker turned to see Miggy, his teammate and fellow rookie, standing a few lockers down with an identical red envelope in his hand. Unlike Ryker, the seal was broken but still wasn't able to pull it out yet.

"Yeah," Ryker said, holding his envelope like it might crack in his hands. "I think this is it."

Miggy gave a small nod, eyes calm but alert, like he was still processing it too. "And Jacob?"

Before Ryker could answer, a whirlwind of energy came barreling down the hallway. Jacob, their third rookie partner-in-chaos, sprinted around the corner, nearly knocking over two sophomores lugging musical instruments. He waved his red envelope high over his head like it was the final baton in a championship relay.

"Hey guys you got one too?!"

Miggy cracked a grin. Ryker couldn't help but smile, though his hands were still shaking.

"Did you open it?" Ryker asked.

"Nah," Jacob said. "Wanted to do it together. You know, dramatic effect."

The bell rang, but none of them moved.

"Screw homeroom," Jacob muttered. "Let's go somewhere quiet."

They went to the empty stairwell of the Art Wing Department. It was a spot known only to the truly introverted or hopelessly late. The stairwell behind the art wing rarely saw foot traffic, save for students escaping into sketchbooks or earbuds.

The three of them sat on the steps.

Miggy pulled out his envelope first. He unfolded the thick paper and began reading aloud:

"Dear Mr. Santiago, We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected as a recipient of the St. Louise' Athletic Excellence Grant for the 2025-2026 academic year..."

Jacob whooped and slammed a palm against the wall. "LET'S GO!"

Ryker opened his. His eyes scanned the same words. Each syllable sent a wave of disbelief crashing through him.

". . .Full tuition. Meal vouchers. Priority gym access. Academic support. . ."

The first step towards his goal in helping his mom. He wasn't just on the team. He belonged here now.

Jacob tore his open and shouted: "Boom baby. I'm buying everyone milkshakes tonight!"

"Man, you don't even have money for milkshakes," Miggy deadpanned.

"Okay just snacks and a couple of soda cans for once." Jacob grinned.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, letters in their hands, hearts in their throats.

Ryker looked at his teammates. "I still couldn't believe it."

Miggy glanced down at his own hands. "Because we fought harder. Coach saw that. You think Giovanni would chase down a ball like you did last game? He'd wait for someone to hand it to him."