Chapter 7

Upon hearing Jerry's remarks, the crowd burst into laughter. 

Jerry's smug smile widened as he soaked in the attention, feeling victorious, even before the competition had begun. 

He had every reason to believe that Dave would crumble under the pressure.

"Come on, Dave! Prove you’re not just a waste of space!" someone shouted from the crowd.

"Yeah, Dave, show us what you’ve got, if you’ve got anything at all!" another person added.

Dave, however, was not someone that could be easily pushed around or manipulated. 

He gave Jerry a cold look.

"Hey, man, if you’re so eager to make a fool of yourself, then I’ll grant your wish. I’ll compete with you. And when I win, everyone will see who the real fool is."

The crowd fell silent for a moment, shocked by Dave's retort. 

Then the laughter resumed, louder and more boisterous than before. 

Jerry's eyes narrowed with his smile fading into a tight-lipped grimace.

"How could a loser like you even talk of winning? I'm sure you've never played sports like this all your life!" Jerry sneered. 

"I’d rather eat a can of worms than lose to a dumb skull like you. Let’s go to the field and settle this!" Jerry said, arrogantly.

The crowd cheered, eager to witness Dave's supposed downfall. 

They followed Jerry and Dave to the field, a sea of eager faces ready for the spectacle.

 Ava and Hannah trailed behind with their concern for Dave evident in their eyes.

As they reached the field, Jerry strutted confidently, waving to his supporters and basking in their adulation. 

Dave, on the other hand, walked with quiet determination with his focus unwavering.

"So, what will it be, Dave?" Jerry asked, his voice dripping with condescension. 

"Pick your poison."

Dave and Jerry took their positions on the court with the tension palpable in the air.

The members of the club jeered and taunted Dave, eager to see him humiliated.

"Come on, Dave! Show us what you’ve got, if you’ve got anything at all!" someone shouted.

Jerry smirked, basking in the support of his peers. 

"Get ready to eat your words, Dave," he sneered.

The referee signalled the start of the game, and the match began.

To everyone's surprise, Dave played with ease and skill. His movements were fluid and his strategy was impeccable. 

With each rally, the crowd’s jeers turned to stunned silence and then to murmurs of surprise.

Jerry's frustration grew with each passing minute. He had underestimated Dave, and it was showing in his performance. 

Sweat dripped down his face as he struggled to keep up with Dave’s pace. 

The final rally began, and with a perfectly executed backhand, Dave sent the ball past Jerry, securing the win! 

Dave won!

Some of the crowd hailed Dave for his victory, while some fell silent in bewilderment.

"I said it, you can't judge a content by its container."

"That guy is smart!" 

"He probably has some experience."

Some of the onlookers gave positive remarks about Dave.

Almost immediately,  a voice from the crowd cut through the silence. 

"Wait a minute! How did the lowlife win so easily?" 

The question hung in the air, sparking a wave of murmurs and suspicions.

Another voice chimed in, "He must have used some underhanded tactics! There’s no way a commoner like him could beat Jerry fairly."

The murmurs grew louder, and the crowd's mood shifted once again.  

"Yeah, there’s no way he could have won without cheating. He’s just trying to make a fool of all of us," Hannah added.

Jerry, seizing the opportunity to salvage his pride, sneered at Dave. 

"Looks like your victory isn’t so clean after all. Did you really think you could pull one over on us? You’re a nobody, and you’ll always be a nobody..."

"I clearly saw how he cheated." One of the onlookers interrupted. 

"This guy is such a shameless cheat!"