"Hey Coach Brown, this is Ryan Smith speaking. I wondered if you had some time to chat regarding the scholarship offer that you extended to me a while back."
The line was silent for a while before a sigh rang out.
"Kid, didn't you receive anything from the NCAA? You've been blacklisted for the next 12 months." Coach Brown stated in a regretful tone.
Ryan's face turned up in shock. "W—What do you mean blacklisted?"
"You signed a letter of intent, but pulled out at the last moment. Since you didn't apply for a release with Kansas State, you can't play for another College for an entire year." He responded simply.
It was at this moment that Ryan knew something was fishy. He had never signed any letter stating that he would be attending Kansas State, meaning his father must have been the one to forge his signature.
A surge of anger crept up, threatening to burst forth. However, doing so would not help his situation at all, in fact, he might burn some bridges with Coach Brown.
"Coach… Is there any way you would still take me in?" He asked, trying to calm himself down.
Another bout of silence stretched out, more uncomfortable this time.
"Look kid, I can't justify wasting a full year of a scholarship on someone who won't be able to play for us. If you want to join the team, you'll have to enroll and pay your tuition like everyone else."
The words echoed in his mind like the sound of a gavel striking down. Ryan's face turned somber in that moment, knowing full well that he would not be able to enroll in Columbia University through regular means.
After all, it was an Ivy league school and he was far from academically sound enough to pass their standards.
"Understood Coach. Thank you for speaking with me." He said, hanging up a moment later.
As Ryan sat on his makeshift bed, he cradled his head in his hands. A warm liquid dripped between his fingers, landing on the carpet beneath him.
Just when he thought he had escaped the clutches of his controlling father, the man had screwed him over from afar. Not only had he forged his signature on the letter of intent, he'd also kept it a secret.
The result being that he was now ineligible to play for another college for an entire year.
"You want some of this dinner?"
A voice caught him off guard, causing Ryan to sit up to attention in a flash. He saw his friend and new roommate Leo waiting by the table with some plain looking food.
His gaze lowered, seeing the plain chicken breast and broccoli with steam coming off it. Leo was many things, but a good cook was not one of them.
"S—Sure." He answered, feeling like eating might help cheer him up.
Of course beggars couldn't be choosers, especially since he hadn't been contributing at all to rent, food or even utilities. He made his way over to the table and sat down across from his friend, wiping the tear marks left on his face.
"Thanks for this Leo…" Ryan said, feeling a lump in his throat.
Leo shrugged, "Don't worry, I've completely itemized your share of expenses. I'll send you an invoice when you get your first professional check."
Ryan blinked a few times, but he soon let out a hearty laugh, feeling his anxiety melt away. He knew that Leo was serious, but it gave him a feeling of warmth, knowing that the guy wasn't treating him any differently than usual.
For some reason, it felt nice to have a sense of normality in this tumultuous time period.
With his mind now cleared, Ryan dug into his bland meal of broccoli and chicken. He poured a boat load of salt and pepper onto the food, only to see Leo take out a notepad and write down a few things.
Curious, Ryan peaked his head over, only to see the most recent entry.
"June 18th - 15 grams of salt, 8 grams of pepper. $0.07"
Ryan shook his head, a smile appearing on his face once more.
After putting his pen down, Leo silently began eating his food. Even when he ate, the guy had a certain mystical air about him, making those who witnessed it feel a sense of awe.
"I overheard your conversation." He stated. There was no hint of apology, as if he were relaying a simple fact.
Hearing this, Ryan wasn't mad. He nodded, "Yeah… It looks like my father signed an NLI on my behalf and now I'm not eligible to play college ball for the next year."
Leo's expression didn't change, merely returning his attention to his food. The two ate in silence for a while, the sound of cutlery working away on their plates.
"So what's your plan then?"
Ryan lifted his gaze and smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I don't know right now. I'll probably have to apply to a College and wait it out a year."
Though he said this, just the thought of not being able to play in any official games for a year was quite saddening. Especially since he'd been told from a very young age that he was special.
But if the alternative was going back to his father, he'd rather waste away.
"I see." Leo replied simply.
Ryan didn't really know how to react, so he went back to his food once more.
"I heard that there's a new pitcher dominating the 18U circuit."
Hearing this, Ryan let out a scoff. Why would he care about another pitcher? Especially now that he was in such a predicament.
Leo looked up at him and smiled, his flawless white teeth and masculine features almost blinding Ryan for a moment.
"Oh I think you might be interested in this guy." He said playfully.
Taken aback, Ryan queried, "Is that right? Who is it then?"
"Ken Takagi."
Ryan's eyes widened clearly not expecting to hear this name.