Slam Ducklings

e children of oligarchs, tech barons, and old-money dynasties. But on this particular morning, the true currency wasn't the thin, expensive atmosphere

presence was a challenge to the established order. His movements were a language of pure, unadulterated physics and grace-a crossover dribble that seemed to defy traction, a fadeaway

s scrambled to meet him. It was a feint. With a powerful leap that seemed to coil from the very floor, he soared, the ball cocked behind his head like a spear. The slam dun

apturing the moment for a hundred social media feeds. Coach Richter, a bald, stoic Swiss man whose face was a permanent monument t

ick, confident flash of white teeth that said, Yeah, I know. He drank in the adulation; it wa

another sound cut through the din-a v

g to know some of us use our brains to

ut of the adjacent Rhetoric Hall, fresh from their own triumph. Sofia was their undisputed queen. Her blazer was impeccably tailored, her hair pulled back into

becoming a challenge. He sauntered towards

rain's on a coff

she replied, her gaze unwavering. "Perhaps something

em. This was better than any scheduled sport or academic event-this was a

mble. "Like the trajectory of your... what's the word? Condescens

ed Sofia's cheeks. "At least my lines are

d loved it. Dami just laughed, a rich, g

opping to a frosty whisper mean

ing to acknowledge a teammate's slap on the back, leaving her standing

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irs, Monsieur Laurent Dubois. His office was a temple of modern Alpine chic-all light wood, floor-to-ceili

e he uttered with the reverence of a priest reciting a holy text. He beamed at Dami and Sofia as

of La Rose's excellence! The raw, physical poetry of sport, and the sharp, crystalline ar

horror. Dami looked more amused than anythi

bois?" Sofia asked, her tone carefully

ter: Courts & Quills. Miss Vega, you will lead the organization of the Debate Gala-a symposium on 'The Ethics of Modern Ambition.'

und, thick enough to curdle the fre

finally broke it

er at assemblies, design the promotional materials, model a healthy, competi

er, felt a slow, intrigued smile spread across his face. He looked

awl as he rose from his chair. "Look

raped against the polished concrete fl

hrase fits," he repeated, his

as genuinely convinced she was going to hurl it at his head. Monsieur Dubois,

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Sofia in her debate blazer, a single eyebrow arched, her gaze piercing the lens. Dami in his basketball jersey, a ball resting

ectrified. The hallways

showcase even starts," a junior whis

her friend sighed, starin

This is a battle to the death. An i

a stood at the podium in the grand debate hall, her voice a weapon of mass persuasion as she deconstructed the moral failings of unreg

te, the way her mind worked at a speed that was its own kind of athleticism. He wasn't following the argument abou

was a masterclass. Dami was everywhere-stealing passes, sinking three-pointers from what seemed like another zip

was watching, her body tense with the flow of the game, her breath catching when he leaped for a rebound, a cluster of powerful, straining bodies, an

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y's silent study wing, a space that smelled of old paper and sole

ernate promotional appearances. Mondays and Wednesdays, you focus on rallying the athletic teams. Tuesd

back at her. "Joint ventures? You ma

fficiency," she sai

ds energy. Passion. You can't spreadsh

tball is the key to unlocking

ard, his elbows on the table. "Look at us. We're the show. The brain and the

a. There was a sharp intelligence in his eyes, a strategic mind that un

sting?" she asked,

run a basketball drill. I sit in on a debate practice. We show them that the two

ly good idea. And i

questions. Not stupid ones. Challenging ones. About her premises, about her counter-arguments. He played devil's advocate with the natural talent of a point guard br

he ball clanged off the rim. But she listened as he corrected her stance, his hands gently guiding her elbows, his voice a low murmur near her ear. The simple contact sent a jolt through h

ognition wasn't just blurring; i

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ing

cial blog, The Alpine Quill. The lead article was about the upcoming Courts & Quills

ackboard a testament to his impact. On the right, she was captured mid-speech, one hand extended, her face alight with fierce

by some anonymous, mi

Academy's Fiercest

and let her head thump back against her

d at the photos, at the perfect, furious intensity on Sofia's face, and then at the ca

between a smirk and a blush, between a slammed dunk and a perfectly argued point, the carefully constru