The three items that concern Heather most in this fantasy basketball league are trade rules, salary cap treatment for injuries, and scoring. This league is far less restrictive when it comes to trading, because I don't need to worry about draft picks, nor aprons, and we have $220M each, a number fairly close to the real-life second apron.

"You understand the game much better than some family of past or present VA hoopers!" Logan gives her another reason.

"Just because I understand basketball as a player doesn't mean I can function adequately in a fantasy setting!" Heather retorts.

"Sure, you might be the youngest player in the league, if you join, but don't worry about how the other players will see your age. They know there's a first time to everything..."

"Hang on, I just need to text my parents!" she sighs.

Heather: Can you please let me join the town's fantasy basketball league?

Lana: Only if you can play in it for free

After Heather's parents answer her, she asks one last question to Logan, who seems to see something special in Heather that seemingly makes her a good fit for fantasy basketball.

"One last thing: is this league free to play?"

"Yes"

"And here you go..."

Logan then gives her the link to the fantasy league's Google Sheets and its Discord server, before Heather, tired from this practice, returns home.

Three days later, on July 3, 2026, an early morning football practice is about to end, just before breakfast. Albert, Qian and Richter focus on agility drills, and other drills as relevant to defensive players. Along with Hank, an offensive guard, who joins the trio this morning, in the park.

It's then that Albert receives a text message from Daisy about tonight's diagnostic SAT test:

Daisy: Don't forget about tonight's diagnosis test at 8 PM!

"We'll go through one more lateral quickness drill!" Qian announces to the other two players.

"Please wait, my friends want something..." Albert tells his teammates.

"What is it now?" Richter fumes at Albert.

"It's about SAT studying... I guess it can wait a bit"

After studying for the SAT every night, there comes a time when Albert and his study buddies need to schedule their diagnostic test. But then the four players slalom through a course lined with pylons.

Once their early morning, player-directed practice ends, Richter questions the DT:

"Why are you studying for the SAT during the summer? It's a little early to do so, Al!"

"I just want to make sure I have a future after graduation; so many among our opponents, and even a few of our own, think only of the next football season!"

On that count, he's right. So many people join the team thinking they'll become the next Travis Etienne or the equivalent at their position... Richter thinks of the unrealistic expectations of his football teammates.

"If you're studying for the SAT this far out, maybe I should study for it, too..." Richter sighs, struggling to think of how to do so.

"I'd say, just use the daily question service I'm using!" Albert explains to the defensive end.

"Studying on your own can only do so much..." Richter retorts.

"If you feel like studying with someone else could help, you could always try asking whoever you know on academic teams!"

Just not Sadie because she was always busy with her own things. That's what made her such a horrible lover, and made me break up with her a year ago. I pity Qian, who must endure her, Richter ruminates as he struggles to think of who he could study with, as Qian, the lightest of the four, returns home.

"In that case, who are you studying with?"

"Anna, Daisy and Rebecca. The booster club made me study with them so they'll pay for the August SAT!"

After Hank put the pylons away, and overhearing the defensive linemen talking about his girlfriend, he comes to Al. "Speaking of Rebecca, how do you feel to be studying with my girlfriend?" Hank asks him before Richter returns home.

"She's the best at math of the three, and the most advanced. Sometimes it feels like Anna, Daisy and I are all playing catch-up with her!" Al answers the offensive guard.

"I didn't mean it in that sense..."

"What do you mean, Hank?"

"It's about her as a person, more than simply as a tutor..."

"Reb doesn't seem to be my type. She's a little... cold!"

Albert returns home by this point, when he asks something of his parents. But, rather than inviting his studying buddies to come over, he's the one getting invited to Rebecca's place.

"Mom, dad, I'm going to be at Rebecca's home tonight!"

"For what purpose?" Cody asks him.

"Our weekly SAT diagnosis test!"

"Just come back home after the diagnostic test ends, son!" Lana warns him.

Heather has been awfully quiet about trade and signing rumors today. I guess since free agency hasn't begun yet, we might have a few days of peace at home, but the way she kept talking about it, I really hope that I can get away from her the day FA begins, and I might need to pray I get overtime that day, Albert ruminates before he texts Hank about tonight's SAT diagnostic test at his girlfriend's place.

Albert: Do you want to take a SAT diagnostic test with your girlfriend tonight?

Hank: Do you think I'm as college-obsessed as she is? Of course not!

Albert: What do you mean?

We never interacted much outside of football, but I feel like my girlfriend's obsession for college made him obsessed, too, Hank sighs, while painfully reminded that the relentless pursuit of SAT scores is made pointless by his lackluster grades.

When he finally responds to Albert:

Hank: She knows I don't like doing it

Albert: I know you date her, but no more than that

So why is it that I feel more drawn to Daisy than Anna? They're both smart girls who are relatively pleasant to have around, Albert is then led to think about the other girls with whom he studies. But perhaps it's because we're both away from the town's spotlight.

"What's the SAT?" Heather asks Albert, a little shaky. "It seems like everything you do outside of work or football is about that!"

"You see, Heather, the SAT is about getting into college, and especially paying for it. It might be three to four years away for you, so that's all you need to know for now!" Cody answers his daughter. "And it's a little early to study for it!"

"Let's not forget about the ACT, which is mostly used for the same things, and that you'll take junior year. Again, it's a little premature, just saying that it's in your future..." Lana keeps quiet about the deeper implications of ACT scores, or of studying for it.

"What this all means is that, especially for you, Heather, this summer is the calm before the storm at school... so make the most out of it before it's too late!" Cody harangues his daughter before turning to Al. "And AP US Government for you! it's your one AP for the year, make it count!"

Joy... dad made me take AP US Government, especially since this course was seemingly treated by so many at school as one of the easier APs, Albert ruminates on his course choice. I know for sure that Daisy and Rebecca took it, debaters tend to take it at the first opportunity. But they're not the best people to ask about the experience of taking the course, because they operate at a much higher level in that stuff than the average person.

Albert: Did you take AP US Gov?

Hank: Yes, why?

Albert: It's a little early to ask, but is there anything I can do to prepare for it?

Hank: I'd say follow political and economic news regularly, but do review history some

That's how I first met Rebecca: the teacher referred me to her when I needed help in that course. I'll send you the syllabus, Hank reminisces about his memories of that course as he sends Albert the syllabus of when he took it, over a year ago.

Shortly afterward, Heather's face starts showing signs of mood changes. She appears ready to confront her brother about what she feels is amiss lately, right as he seems to get away from her.

"Al, you seem to want to avoid me lately!" Heather yells at her older brother.

"What do you mean?" Al rolls his eyes.

"You took overtime earlier this week, and now you plan to spend the night at Rebecca?"

"It may seem like I'm avoiding you, but I took overtime that day because someone else called in sick at work!" he feels his blood pressure rise.

"What are you doing at Rebecca's tonight then?"

"I already told you about the diagnostic test! While I study for the SAT now to get better financial aid down the road, sometimes you need to study for it with someone else!"

"You're using your studies to avoid me!" his sister keeps accusing him.

"I'm not actively trying to avoid you! It's just a coincidence, even when I made myself clear earlier..."

"Whatever..." Heather sighs before leaving.

"Now, I need to study some..."

Did my obsession with basketball's transactional aspect rub him the wrong way? Or he's simply preoccupied, as he's implying, with his future? There's a reason why I kept quiet about NBA news after my team lowballed the first year of their first-rounder's rookie deal! Heather ruminates on her brother's actions as of late. He might have made some effort to understand the business side of sports, though.

By the end of the day, they take a diagnostic test at Rebecca's home to see if there has been any improvement. For this outing, he brings his tablet with him, and take it online.

It seems like both Anna and Rebecca scored in the high-1500s, but there was next to no room for improvement for them.

I got an 800 on reading and writing, as I did last time, so I focused much more on the math portion, in which I went up 50 points. That should be enough to ease up on studying a bit, or just focus more on pre-calculus since they are again my biggest sources of mistakes, but less so than at first, Daisy realizes that the gameplan is to focus on one's weaknesses, and not only from a material standpoint. Developing speed is important and they all know it.

Especially Albert, who was unable to answer all the math questions in the allotted time. And it shows when he gets his own diagnostic score back. 610 reading and writing, 550 math.

"After all the effort we made to learn pre-calculus, and, for me, Algebra II as well, I feel like I'm too slow: I left some questions blank because I ran out of time!" Albert laments. "I wonder what I can do to answer faster!"

"If you don't quite know the material in math, what's helpful to you would be to bracket the answer" Rebecca explains to the others.

"Bracketing an answer?" Albert asks, confused.

"It's when you know the answer lies between two numbers, but can't decide among choices. Also, there is no shame in giving up on a question if it's too hard, and you should write your answer on the question booklet, and only put these down on the grid at the end"

"The last one is a dated hint for the paper version of the test, Reb. Might be useful for other paper tests at school, though..." Anna sighs. "However, if you know a certain type of questions takes you longer to answer, you should practice these. If all else fails, but you're able to eliminate at least one choice, guess! Just not on grid-ins..."

"And, of course, if you come across a pair of reading questions and the second one is a "find the evidence" one, often reviewing the evidence presented will help you answer the first one!" Daisy gives additional tips to get faster.

"You may also want to use the visuals or plug answers in math questions, if applicable..." Reb gives him one last piece of advice that goes beyond bracketing answers.

They make me feel like the difference between good and great SAT/ACT scores are more about test-taking abilities than about learning the material alone, Albert comes to a grim realization that test-taking skills are often the decisive factor. That perhaps learning more material, while helpful, could only do so much.