Chapter 9: Spending Time ith My Old Man - Reborn to Spike: My Second Life as a Volleyball Ace

Next morning Jordan rolled over in bed, blinking away the last traces of sleep. Light crept in through his curtains, throwing pale shadows across the room. His phone lay on the nightstand. He reached for it lazily, the screen lighting up as he tapped the button.

Sunday January 28, 2024 10:01 a.m.

He stared at the date, his heart giving a little jolt.

"So… it wasn't a dream."

He swiped up, trying to unlock it only to be greeted by the passcode screen.

"Damn… what's my password again?" He sat there, brain foggy, staring at the numbers until his memory finally kicked in. Beep. Unlocked.

His lockscreen was a selfie of him and Marcus, both grinning wide, arms around each other's shoulders. That alone made his chest tighten. He opened WhatsApp 150 unread messages.

Right at the top was Marcus. Jordan tapped it, scrolling quickly through the flood of texts, most of them random jokes, memes, and trash talk from the days before.

He typed back:

{Jordan: Yo, wanna meet up to play some volleyball, one-on-one later?}

Satisfied, he tossed the phone on the bed and dragged himself into the bathroom. Toothpaste, toothbrush, steam from the shower it all felt oddly… fresh.

One hour later…

"JORDAN! JORDAN! JORDAN!"

The knocking on the door was relentless, Mina's voice cutting through the running water. "You've been in there for two hours now, you bastard!"

Jordan stepped out, wrapped in a blue towel, water still dripping from his hair. "Don't be telling lies on me," he said, looking down at her with a smug grin.

"Ugh, you're not a girl why do you even need the bathroom that long?"

"No, no, it's been one hour," he corrected, wagging a finger at her. "And what? If I'm a man, I can't look good too?"

"No one wants you, so no you can't."

He laughed and patted her head. "Whatever. Enjoy your shower, baby sis."

"Ugh, I hate you."

"Well, I love you."

Jordan walks into his room Back in his room, and shut the door and headed straight for the mirror. "Damn… I missed this face." His fingers brushed along his jawline. "I don't know what happened to my looks in the future."

His gaze drifted downward. "And this body… damn, I'm sexy. I'm handsome."

"You're welcome," a voice said behind him.

Jordan jumped, spinning around. "Dad! How long have you been there?"

Daniel leaned against the doorframe, smirking. "A good minute. I see you're obsessed with the body and looks you got from me."

Jordan narrowed his eyes. "Dad… a man shouldn't say that to another man."

Daniel chuckled. "Fair enough."

"What's up?" Jordan asked, drying his hair with the towel.

"It's Sunday. Your mom's not doing breakfast, so I was thinking we could get breakfast together at our spot."

Jordan smirked. "Wouldn't be breakfast at this time it'd be lunch."

"Even better. My treat. What do you say? Father and son time."

"Yes," Jordan said immediately. "I'd love that."

"Good. Get ready we're leaving in thirty minutes." Daniel pushed off the doorframe and left.

Jordan grabbed his phone, checking for a reply from Marcus. Nothing. He tossed it on the bed and pulled on a blue hoodie (unzipped), a plain white T-shirt, white-and-blue shorts, and matching sneakers. Couple minutes pass a he was getting ready he sat down to tie his laces, a familiar chime echoed in his head.

[Daily Quest – Set 1/2 Activated

Objective: Body Training

Your physical condition is currently below average due to inactivity. Despite being 17 again, this body hasn't exercised in over a month. Athletic performance has dropped.

Tasks:

50 Push-ups × 3 reps = 0/150

50 Squats × 3 reps = 0/150

50 Sit-ups × 3 reps = 0/150

25 Chin-ups × 3 reps = 0/75

25 Jumping Jacks × 2 reps = 0/50

4 Full-Court Runs = 0/4

1 Mile Run (to and from) = 0/2

Time Limit: 24 Hours

Rewards:

Strength +5

Speed +5

Acceleration +5

Jumping +5

Stamina +5

Punishment: Failure = -5 to all listed stats]

Jordan groaned. "Don't worry I'll do it when I'm back from lunch."

He headed downstairs, spotting his mom at the stove, Jace on the couch mashing buttons on a controller playing games, and Mina's voice still echoing faintly from the bathroom.

Daniel was waiting in the chair by the door. "Oh you're ready? Let's go."

"We'll be back soon," Daniel called over his shoulder.

"Bye, Mom!" Jordan added, following him out.

"Bye guys have fun." she replied back

Jordan stepped out of the house, the late-morning sun washing the driveway in a soft golden hue. His dad was already leaning against the driver's side door of a silver sedan, arms crossed, sunglasses catching the light.

"Lets go champ," his father said with a grin.

Jordan smirked "Yea." He walks around and slides himself into the passenger seat.

The engine hummed to life, and as they rolled out of the driveway, Jordan glanced sideways. "So which one of put spots we going to?"

His father tapped the steering wheel in rhythm to the faint rock song on the radio. "Figured we'd hit Eddie's Grill. Burgers, milkshakes… the classics."

Jordan laughs. "Trying to bribe me with my favorite food?"

His dad chuckled. "Hey, I don't need to bribe you. But it's been a while since it was just us."

The road blurred by, warm air slipping in through the cracked windows. For a while, neither of them spoke just the quiet comfort of the hum of the car. Then his dad glanced at him.

"You've been different lately," he said, not accusing, just curious.

Jordan's fingers tapped his thigh. "Different how?"

"More focused. Less… distracted, I guess. I don't know. It's like you're carrying something, but you're not saying what it is."

Jordan looked out the window, watching sunlight dance on the passing rooftops. "Maybe I just realized I've been wasting time."

His dad gave a short laugh. "Most kids your age think they have forever."

"I'm not most kids," Jordan murmured.

They pulled into the small parking lot of Eddie's Grill. The place was old-school red-and-white awning, checkerboard floor you could already picture through the glass windows, and a neon "OPEN" sign that flickered faintly.

Inside, the smell of grilled beef and toasted buns wrapped around them like a warm blanket. A waitress led them to a booth near the window, sunlight spilling over the table.

"What'll you two have?" she asked, pad ready.

"Cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate shake," Jordan said.

"Same for me," his dad added, handing over the menus without even looking at them.

Once the waitress walked away, his father leaned forward, elbows on the table. "So seriously what's on your mind? You can tell me anything, you know that."

Jordan hesitated, tracing the condensation ring his water glass left on the table. "Just… thinking about volleyball. Thinking about what I need to do to get back on the team will I get the second chance."

His dad's gaze sharpened, but there was a faint smile too. "Don't worry about that your tanleted just like your old man and any team that doesn't want you is foolish we will just transfer you to a next school."

"You would do that much for me even though we don't have as much money." Said Jordan.

"What are you talking about your my son your my strength and my weakness so I have to protect you and do what I have to I brought you here so it my job to look after you."

"Ohk dad I will do my best I won't give up again and I will try my best to get back on the team."

"Good. Because I've seen what you can do when you put your mind to something. And I've also seen what happens when you coast. Don't coast, son. You're better than that."

Jordan nodded slowly. "Yeah. I know."

Their food arrived soon after, and for a few minutes, the conversation gave way to the sound of crunching fries and clinking glasses. But even as they ate, Jordan felt the weight of his dad's words settling in a reminder, and a push.

While Jordan was halfway through his burger, his phone buzzed on the table. He glanced downMarcus.

{Marcus: Did you say volleyball? Man, you sure you didn't mistype that?}

Jordan smirked, tapping back a reply.

{Jordan: Yes, volleyball.}

A moment passed before Marcus responded. {Marcus: Ya sure, man… but it's gotta be at school. I'm at my grandmother's and won't be back till late tonight.}

Jordan wiped his mouth with a napkin. {Jordan: Oh, okay. It's fine.}

{Marcus: Cool. I'll text you later.}

He slid his phone back onto the table. His dad was still working on his fries.

"Marcus giving you a hard time?" Daniel asked with a knowing grin.

"He was just surprised, that's all," Jordan replied, shrugging it off.

They lingered at the restaurant for another hour, swapping stories and laughing over old memories. Time slipped by unnoticed until Daniel checked his watch.

"Let's go, son it's already 3 p.m. Didn't expect time to move that fast."

They stepped out into the warm afternoon. The salty tang of the ocean was faint on the breeze. As they reached the car, Jordan hesitated.

"I think I'm gonna check out the beach for a bit," he said.

Daniel opened the driver's door. "Alright, stay safe. You need any money?"

Jordan shook his head. "Nah, I'm good, Dad."

"Alright, don't stay out too late."

Daniel drove off, leaving Jordan alone with the sound of distant waves.