8 Kidnapping I tell ya!

The bell reverberated through the classrooms, signifying the end of the 5th period. Luke stretched lazily in his chair, casting a glance at Max who was barely suppressing a yawn.

"Just hear me out," Luke proposed, a dreamy tone in his voice, his eyes half-closed. "What if we ditch practice today? It's not like anyone's better than us at basketball. A single day off wouldn't hurt."

Max gave him an unimpressed look that could easily be represented by the emoticon -_-. Shaking his head, he replied, "Luke, you've skipped three practices this month already. You're on thin ice. You're just lucky the coach hasn't called your mom yet. Don't be a fool."

Defeated, Luke exhaled a sigh that resonated with his fatigue. Rising from his chair, he shouldered his backpack, preparing to leave the classroom. Max trailed behind him, looking equally tired. However, his expression seemed to reflect more the monotony of school rather than physical exhaustion.

The two navigated the school corridors, their tired steps leading them to the gymnasium. The echo of their sneakers against the polished wooden floor filled the cavernous room. They entered the locker room, the familiar smell of sweat and metal greeting them.

Slumping onto the benches, they unpacked their gear and changed into their practice jerseys. The motions were familiar and routine. The vibrant numbers on their jerseys stood out against the deep blue material: '11' for Luke, '7' for Max.

What stood out even more were their matching Hello Kitty armbands, contrasting sharply against the vibrant colors of their jerseys. Luke wore his on the left, Max on the right. It was an inside joke from a bet they had lost in junior high, but it had stuck around, much to their friends' amusement. Although they would never admit it, they secretly enjoyed the unique trademark, a testament to their enduring friendship.

Max, now fully dressed, stood up and tossed a basketball at Luke, interrupting his reverie. "Let's get this over with," he said, pulling open the gym door.

Max's words echoed through the locker room as Luke caught the tossed basketball with practiced ease, his earlier fatigue seemingly forgotten. "Race you to the court," he retorted, sprinting out the door before Max could respond.

The squeak of their sneakers marked their arrival on the polished wooden expanse of the basketball court. The vibrant colors of their jerseys blended with the rest of the team members, a sea of movement and energy.

The practice began with a series of warm-ups. The gym echoed with rhythmic counting as they stretched their muscles and worked on their agility. The coach's whistle punctuated the air, a sharp reminder to maintain their pace. Amidst this, Luke and Max could be seen leading the pack, their competitive spirits pushing them to outdo each other.

Next came the much-dreaded conditioning. A collective groan went through the team as the coach outlined their regimen. Reluctantly, they set out, jogging around the perimeter of the court, their breaths growing labored with each lap. Despite the exhaustion, Max and Luke maintained their pace, their matching armbands serving as a beacon of their perseverance. They exchanged grins between gasps for air, turning their ordeal into yet another friendly competition.

After the torturous running, they moved on to shooting exercises. Sweat dripped off their brows as they took turns at the hoops. Luke was particularly known for his three-pointers, effortlessly swishing the ball through the net. Max, on the other hand, demonstrated uncanny ability for layups, often outmaneuvering his opponents with his quick footwork and agility.

The training concluded with a small scrimmage. Divided into two groups, they faced off, their earlier exhaustion replaced by adrenaline. The gym buzzed with energy as they raced across the court. Despite being on opposing teams, Luke and Max shared a few grins and friendly jabs, their matching Hello Kitty armbands standing out amidst the whirl of action.

Once practice concluded, they retreated to the locker room, their bodies weary but spirits high. The air was filled with post-practice banter, laughter, and the occasional groan as they compared sore muscles and recounted memorable moments from the scrimmage.

Quick showers followed, the warm water washing away fatigue and grime. Conversations continued under the showerheads, making the ordeal of cold showers more bearable.

Dressed in their usual attire, Luke and Max began their journey towards the school's main entrance, the warmth of the shower seeping into the cooler hallway. Their hair, still damp from their rushed rinsing, clung to their foreheads, providing a stark contrast to their otherwise dry and clean clothes.

Just as they were about to step through the entrance, a shout caught their attention. Turning around, they spotted Olivia jogging towards them, her own hair slightly damp, suggesting she had just wrapped up her own practice. Beside her walked Gwen, who seemed to have waited patiently for Olivia to finish.

"Yo yo yo!" Olivia yelled out, her hands raised, aiming for a simultaneous high-five with the boys.

"Sup?" Luke and Max responded in unison, their palms meeting Olivia's in a loud clap.

"Not much, not much!" Olivia replied cheerily. "Where are you guys headed?"

"Home," both boys replied simultaneously. The coincidence of their identical responses only added to their uncanny similarities, making one wonder if they were long-lost brothers.

Gwen, however, interrupted the playful banter. "Uh- no you aren't, we have a project?" She glanced at Luke, her eyebrows raised in anticipation of his forgetfulness.

"But- we have a whole week for that," Luke retorted, fear creeping into his eyes.

"If you wanted to procrastinate, you shouldn't have partnered with me," Gwen countered, her tone leaving no room for negotiation. "Come on, my dad's here. He can give us a ride to my place, and we can start planning this out."

Despite the unexpected change in plans, the four found themselves approaching Captain George's cruiser. Gwen turned to Max with a puzzled look. "Aren't you heading home...?" she asked.

Max retorted, mock indignation in his tone. "Just because you wrangled Luke into this project doesn't mean I'm not gonna hang around while he does it. Isn't it obvious?" His words carried a playful bite, clearly enjoying Gwen's bafflement.

Olivia burst into laughter at Max's response, waving a friendly hello to Captain George who sat patiently in his cruiser. The law enforcement officer didn't seem perturbed by the presence of the two additional boys, though a question did cross his mind. "How exactly do you all plan to fit in my cruiser...?"

Before anyone could answer Captain George's question about how they planned to fit in his cruiser, Max cried out "Shotgun!" and swiftly claimed the front passenger seat.

That left Gwen, Olivia, and Luke to negotiate the cramped space in the back. With Olivia settling on the left side, Gwen found herself sandwiched in the middle, while Luke squeezed himself into the right side. The cruiser, usually reserved for upholding law and order, was now filled with the chatter and laughter of the four friends, adding a unique touch to the start of their unexpected afternoon together.

During the drive to Gwen's house, Captain George addressed the group of teens, or more specifically Luke and Max, the two good-looking boys going to his house to spend time with his daughter... "Why exactly are all of you coming home with Gwen?" he asked, a fatherly tone underscoring his question.

"Well, uh...," Luke began, "I was planning to head home, before your daughter practically kidnapped me to work on this project."

Max agreed enthusiastically. "That's right, Officer! She's committing a crime! We could have been playing video games at home, but she's forcing Luke to actually work on the project. And it's not even due until Friday!"

Captain George, hearing the boys' complaints, wore an expression of mild astonishment. "Are you two serious...? You have a project deadline coming up... and you were going to play video games?"

Their confident smiles faltered under his disbelief, and they sunk back in their seats, anticipating the inevitable lecture about responsibility.

"Back in my day, we always did our projects right as we got them," the Captain started, his voice taking on the distant tone of reminiscence. "We didn't have those fancy video games or phones you kids have these days. You know, getting to do projects for us was actually one of the best activities..." His voice faded into a monologue about the importance of academic diligence and time management.

In the back seat, Gwen and Olivia snickered under their breath, unable to contain their amusement at the boys' predicament. Luke shot them a glare from the corner of his eye, a gesture that Max quickly mirrored from the front seat, their faces a mix of exasperation and resignation.