Training Trepidation Into Composure

Chapter 2

When Yachi opened her eyes, the sun was soft and golden through the small crack in the curtains. "Oh good another early riser," she heard whispered across the room as she sat up. Mako was already awake and folding her bed roll and blanket.

"What time is it," Yachi whispered back, stretching.

"Almost six," came the far too perky answer. Yachi is an early riser, but 5AM?

"Must be the new place." She theorized as she stood to start clearing her space.

Mako gave a breathy laugh and held a small bag with her at the door, "hurry up and we can walk to the showers together."

Yachi froze for a moment, unsure how to react to the inclusion, then smiled, "okay!"

In the bathroom, Mako made quick work of some makeup- just enough to even out her skin tone. She quickly swept her hair into a side pony that curls in just the right way. Yachi hopes that by the time she's a third year, she'll be able to look so effortlessly pretty. "So are you liking being a manager?" She asked, genuinely interested in Yachi's answer.

Once again, Yachi is flabbergasted at the third years' interest in holding a conversation with her. The more it happened though, the more she got used to it. She smiled in return, "I'm having a lot of fun!" While she was trying to do her best and not let anyone down, still anxious about messing up and failure, she was also really, truly, having fun. She was able to practice her photography and design skills, finding a little more confidence since the successful fundraising campaign. She really felt like this was something she was meant to be doing, and she told Mako as much.

The older girl's smile warmed, "that's so good to hear. It can be hard, the boys tend to be a lot to handle, and if they're any good- the girls that come along with it can be a lot, too." She gave a heavy sigh of world-weariness and Yachi developed a new fear. "But when they win, and they reach their goals, even though you're not the one sweating your butt off and getting hit in the face with the ball, you're still right there with them. You're achieving things with them, and it's all worth it. Because you know you've supported them when they needed it, and that support gets them to where they are. Their goals become your goals along the way, ya know?"

Yachi stood in awe for a minute and the other girl giggled self-consciously. 'Their goals become your goals.' Yachi was only a month into being a manager, but she'd already felt that to her core. She smiled resolutely and made a fist. "Nationals." Was all she said. It was all she had to say.

Mako understood.

*

"I'll set the first load up to wash, you get started on filing the water bottles. It'll just take a few minutes!" Mako had insisted there was no reason to show Yachi how to work the washing machine at Nekoma, it would only be a waste of time. Shinzen had the same model, and she promised to teach Yachi when they held the week long summer camp week after next.

Yachi made her way through the quiet halls. The sun was warming, but it hadn't touched everything yet. Dampness clung to every blade of grass, and while the air was sticky and thick, there was a coolness to it that Yachi would savor before it lost to the sun's unbearable heat.

She was making her way through the bottles, once again leaning against the faucet. It was better to turn the water off between bottles. First to save water and second if she didn't, the water would spray over her as it ran into the shallow basin. She'd made it through half the bottles, wondering what was taking Mako so long, when she heard, "Getting an early start?"

The shock of an unexpected voice when she thought she was alone was enough to send her flying, regardless of her anxiety level. So when she leaned against the already strained spigot, it caved under the pressure, the entire force of the water fountain spraying at her directly from the source.