Chapter Nine
Eryn
Leena set up the ball for me in a perfect assist, bouncing it right up to the sweet spot where I'd be able to jump and spike it hard. I knew Tammy saw it coming, so I grunted with effort as I jumped and cocked my arm as though I planned to deliver a full power spike, only to give it a half power off speed hit, putting plenty of spin on it.
She'd been expecting the full spike and had set up a block accordingly, but the spin I'd put on the ball and the much slower pace caught her totally off guard. The ball glanced off her palm and shot off to the side, bouncing out of bounds.
“That's it!” Wade shouted from the sideline. “Game goes to Red Team! Congratulations, ladies! Blue Team, you girls need to put in a lot more work.”
My teammates gathered around and hugged me. It had been a great game, and we'd all been working together in perfect unity, playing with the smooth efficiency of a well-oiled machine. To put it in childish terms, we totally creamed Tammy's team. Though, they’d played almost as if they'd all been wearing blindfolds. It hadn’t been much of a challenge.
I glanced across at them as they slunk off the court. Tammy mouthed the word “bitch” at me while Kelly flipped me the bird. I wasn't about to stoop to their level, though, so I just shook my head and turned away.
“All right everyone, gather round,” Wade shouted.
I tried not to stare at him, but he looked even better than usual and I couldn't help but think about the time we'd spent together on Saturday. It had been one of the best days of my life – and it had all happened because Nino's kitchen had burned down. I couldn't help but chuckle about that.
But when I looked at Wade, humor was the last thing on my mind. I remembered the moment on the boat when he'd taken my hand just before we'd jumped in. I thought about how it had sent butterflies fluttering through my belly.
I knew I shouldn’t think it, about him…but I couldn't help it. He was charming and full of surprises. I tried to remind myself that Tim had also seemed so kind and generous and honest when we'd first met – but we all knew how that turned out.
Still, even with my guard up and my suspicions on full alert, it was hard not to be charmed by Wade. Not just his looks, but his kindness and openness and his love of adventure. Plus, I'd seen Tammy and Kelly with their fake boobs in their slutty micro-bikinis pretty much throwing themselves at him, and he'd turned them down. That had to count for something.
“All right, ladies, gather round, gather round. Practice is over, but there's one last thing before you all hit the showers. Now, as you know, our first game of the season is coming up this Saturday and it's an important one. The University of Miami is no joke.
“With that in mind, I've been observing closely over the past weeks, making notes, and of course comparing my notes to those of Coach Hatting, and I've made a list of who's on the starting lineup.”
My heart instantly began to hammer faster and faster in my chest. My extremities began to tingle with nerves. The inside of my mouth felt suddenly dry, and nausea began to creep up the back of my throat. My fate was about to be decided and I was the only one aware of what hung in the balance. If I didn't make this lineup, the university would revoke my scholarship...and my life as I knew it would be over.
Wade began to read out the names, and with every name he read that wasn't mine, my anxiety grew by leaps and bounds. I felt like I was going to throw up, right there on the court. A little voice inside my head was screaming for me to move, to jump up and run straight to the bathroom – but I didn't. I stayed put.
And then I heard it: the last name on his list.
My name.
Me!
I wanted to jump up and down, scream to the top of my lungs, dance like a lunatic. Of course, then everyone would think I was a lunatic. So, that was out. But suddenly, every trace of fear and anxiety evaporated instantly replaced by euphoria and joy. I couldn't believe it. After all this time, after all my effort, my hard work and dedication had finally paid off. It was an indescribable feeling.
I glanced across at Leena and saw the same joy mirrored in her eyes. She had made the starting lineup, too, and, like me, it was her first time. I knew we were going to have to celebrate.
Across from us, however, a completely different set of emotions were churning and boiling. Tammy and Kelly, who had always been starters, had not made it; they were absolutely furious. Their rich parents couldn't get them starting positions by greasing palms any longer, not with Wade Vinson in charge of things!
I wanted, more than anything, to run up and jump into his muscular arms to hug him so tightly he couldn’t breathe. But, of course, that wasn’t an option.
“That's it,” he said. “Congratulations to those of you who made it! I've noticed who works hard, believe me, and hard work is rewarded. For those of you who didn't make the lineup, don't be too disappointed. Work hard and things may change.
“And that goes for those of you who are in the lineup, as well! Don't think your positions are secure! If you start slacking off, you'll be dropped like a bad habit.
“All right, hit the showers! And check your emails tomorrow about arrangements for the game. It's a home game, so we don't need to worry about transport and accommodations and all that stuff. But you all do need to be here on time – and drum up some support from your friends and family and all that; we want to have a good crowd to cheer us on when we kick those Miami girls' butts!”
“Right on, Coach Vinson!” shouted one of the girls, and we all shouted in response.
Wade grinned. It was the most perfect, crooked grin I’d ever seen.
“That's what I like to hear,” he said. “All right, y'all can go hit the showers now. Remember what I said! Check your emails, and get a big crowd out to this game. We want to hit Miami with everything we've got. My mission with this team is two-fold: first, division champs. Second, national champs!”
We all cheered in support, our enthusiasm catalyzed by Wade's determination and drive. “Thanks, Coach Vinson,” we all shouted, and he smiled in response.
“All right all right, go on, shower time! Go!” he said, laughing.
*****
Leena and I felt like we were walking on air all the way out of the locker room. We had given each other so many hugs that I'd lost count.
“I still can't believe it,” I chimed once more, and I saw that the smile on her face was as broad as the one on mine.
“Right?!” she exclaimed. “We made it! We really made it!”
“But we can't simply rest on our laurels now, can we? This is just one rung on the ladder, and we still have a long way to climb, right?” I preached.
“Totally right. Like Wade said, this is a very important game coming up,” she said. “If we can get off to a good start with a strong win against Miami, I think it'll set a good tone for the rest of the season.”
“And, of course, we want to show Wade that he made the right choice by including us in the starting lineup,” I added. “So that means we totally have to put in like…110 percent effort.”
“Exactly,” she agreed.
We gave each other one more hug as we reached our cars. “We're going to have to do something to celebrate later when we both get back to the apartment,” I said. “This is big, it really is.”
“Agreed. I'll pick up a bottle of champagne, and we can pop it in celebration.”
I grinned. “That sounds just perfect.”
“All right, it's on then! See you later tonight.”
I said goodbye to Leena and got in my car, still feeling overjoyed at the good news. I was headed to my mom's place. I had to tell her the good news in person – a phone call just wouldn't do. I knew how happy she would be, and I wanted to see that happiness in person.
As I was driving, a Nirvana track started to play, and I couldn't help but think of Wade. It was all thanks to him that I had made the starting lineup. Well, not entirely due to him. I mean, I sure as hell had put in a ton of hard work to get this far – but it really was awesome to finally have a coach who made fair decisions and choices based solely on our playing abilities and not...other factors.
I couldn't help but think of how we’d had such a good time together over the weekend. Snorkeling had been such an amazing experience. It had been like traveling to another planet – and he had been right by my side, for the whole thing. Sharing an experience like that with him was more than I had imagined it would be.
Naturally, there was an unspoken understanding between us that things could not go past a certain point. He was my coach. I couldn't jeopardize my spot on the team – and indeed, my whole university career – for, well, for whatever it was that was stirring between us.
I decided not to think about it too much or overanalyze it. All I wanted right now was to enjoy this moment. I reached my mom's place, parked the car in a safe spot, and hurried inside. The anticipation of telling her the news was just overwhelming.
I used my key to open the door and immediately knew that something was off; there was a burning smell coming from the kitchen.
“Mom!?” I shouted. “Something burning? What's going on, are you here?”
There was no reply, only silence. Worry began to creep through me. I rushed into the kitchen and found a pot of pasta on the stove, smoke rising from the pot; all the water had long been boiled away, and the pasta was turning into a black, charred mess at the bottom. I pulled it off the stove and turned it off before it got any worse.
“Mom! What's going on?” I shouted, my anxiety rising by the second.
I rushed to the bathroom, but there was nobody there. Then I ran into her bedroom and almost screamed. She was lying face down on the floor, motionless. My heart started to race as I ran over and knelt next to her.
I almost had a panic attack as I assumed the worst until I saw that she was still breathing. Shallowly, yes, but still breathing. She was out cold, though, and her nose was bloody from where it had hit the ground. All I could gather was that she must have fainted.
“Mom, wake up, wake up!” I said frantically, shaking her body.
She wasn’t responsive. I knew I had to get her to the hospital, and I tried to pick her up, but she was just too heavy. Panic was overtaking me fast. I knew from past experience that if I called an ambulance, it would take them 30 minutes to arrive, if not longer. So I grabbed my phone with shaking hands and dialed the first person I could think of who might be able to help me.
“Hi, Eryn!” he said, the sound of his voice bringing me a little comfort.
“Wade,” I said breathlessly, “this is an emergency, and I desperately need your help. Please, can you come now?”
“Tell me where you are, and I'll be there immediately.”
I told him the address and then crouched down next to my unconscious mother and started sobbing softly.