The Brothers Battle :3

THIS IS NOT A TRUE STORY. THE END MIGHT ACT LIKE IT IS, BUT IT IS NOT.

George sat down on the bench, watching his friend finish his match. He played middle-school tennis. It was his favorite thing today, and he always won. Well, almost always. Today was the day he would go against his biggest rival- his brother. His brother went to a separate school, and every year they had one match where they got to play each other. He was determined to win this time. His older brother, Gregory had always cast a long shadow with his academic achievements. He was a straight A student, always winning awards and being cheered on in sports. George was different. He struggled in school, and tennis was the only sport he was good at. He was determined to win this time. Every time they had a match against each other it would last hours, neither of them being able to beat the other until one got too tired to carry on. But that wouldn't happen today. Gregory had been out for half the season due to an injury, and George had worked his hardest to improve. He finally had an advantage. He was interrupted from his thoughts by his friend coming off the court. "It's your turn," He said. "You got this" They clasped hands, grinning at each other. George felt excitement flooding his body. He would finally beat his worst enemy. He ran onto the court, unable to sit still. His brother came on slower, looking deadly serious. George had never seen him like this. He felt worry worm in his stomach. Maybe he couldn't beat him... They came to face each other, shaking hands. They locked eyes for a moment. George felt his excitement start to die down. His brother had an intense look to him. He was locked in. He would have to do the same. Gregory spun his racket, letting it land before looking on which was the M landed. It was facing up. George got the first serve. He backed up, readying himself. I can do this. He threw it up in the air, and with one beautiful serve the game started.

George was never really awake when he played. When the matches started he would always slip into this world of adrenaline and sound. He was only aware of one purpose. Win. He played like a wildfire, as the ball went back and forth. He played and played. Usually he never broke a sweat. Today however, he did. His brother was a worthy competitor. They were basically passing the ball back and forth until one of them made a mistake, and then the point would be made. It seemed like they played for hours, which they might have. The sun was beginning to set when the coaches told them to take a break and get some water. George looked at the set score. He was winning, 5 to 4. His heart almost skipped a beat when he saw it. Never in his life had he gotten a lead over his brother. It was by only one, but it meant the world to him. He sat down, drinking some water. They were the only ones still on the court. His brother sat across the court from him, his head low, talking to his coach quietly. George began to feel bad. He knew losing would be hard for Gregory. When you win so much it always hurts. But he couldn’t give up. He deserved this win. His coach came over. “Hey, you're doing great, kid” He said, ruffling his hair. “Thanks..” He smiled a little, wiping the sweat from his brow. “Listen, right now we’re tied. Whoever wins this match will bring their team to a win.” George stared at him wide-eyed. “Really?” The coach nodded. “Just keep playing how you’ve been and you’ll be fine. You’ve got this in the bag.” The coach patted him on the shoulder and left. George looked over at his brother. I’m sorry Greg, but I have to win this. 

The game kept going on. The scores kept going up. It soon came to be 10pm, and he was one away from winning. George had 30, and Gregory had 0(Love). This was the moment he had waited for his whole life. He had a true chance. He readied himself, shutting all his thoughts off. His only purpose was to make the next point. Gregory had the serve. He served the ball, a beautiful serve. George slammed it down onto the other side, bouncing it up high. He expected Gregory to hit it but.. He didn’t. He attempted to, but fell. The point was his. He had won. He felt a rush of adrenaline and excitement. He had finally won. He came to his brother's side. Gregory sat there for a moment, looking shaken. He held out a hand to him to help him up. Gregory stood, wincing. His ankle must have been working up again. “You won…” He said, looking at him. George nodded. “I did… good ga-” Gregory cut him off with a tight hug. “I’m so proud of you” George froze. He hadn’t gotten a hug from his brother in so long, he forgot he did that. He smiled, then hugged him back. “Let's never do this again, ok?” Gregory nodded. “Agreed”

George ended up winning the entire match for the team. His team advanced to Tri-State, and won. He never did end up playing his brother again. During the summer Gregory had to go through surgery on his ankle, and ended up being on crutches for a while. During this time he joined an improv group and found a love for theater. He never did return to tennis. George however continued to play through high school, and found himself playing professionally. When people asked who his idol was, he would always say it was his big brother, who would always be the hardest person he’d ever played against. They stayed friends throughout both of their lives, and their wives ended up being sisters. They lived on a cul-de-sac for a while, and occasionally Gregory would play tennis for fun, and it would always remind them of the fun matches of their childhood.