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• • • • •
My first practice back was even lamer than that one disabled donkey driver Psyche met on her way to the Underworld.
I tried to practice but with every dive, hit, and jump, my body ached. Coach went from strongly encouraging I sit down to threatening she wouldn't sub me in of the first sets for two months if I didn't get my butt to the bench.
"Athletes need to learn how to maintain their bodies," Amara-san said gently, "This is a good time to exercise that practice."
"This blows," I muttered.
I watched enviously as everyone's serves consistently went over the net. Annabeth pulled a gorgeous jump floater. If only she were capable of teaching me. She tried when we were younger but we both just ended up stressing each other out. Then I remembered my previous serve tutor. Or rather former tutor. I wondered what he would be like today. Give me the side-eye? Pull me aside and threateningly ask if I'd figured anything out yet? I didn't know. We did get to speak to Chiron yesterday, although I'm not sure Oikawa would like the answer.
Gods. All I wanted was a good serve. Now, I've gotten me and my friends into a situation that could put our secret on the line. I remembered Oikawa's cold, blank stare. His indifferent tone when he threatened to tell people who we were if we didn't find a way to wipe the memory of that night. I gripped the edge of the bench so hard my knuckles began to take on the color of paper.
"You'd better calm down before someone calls the Homicidal Murderer Hotline," Annabeth materialized next to me, sipping her water.
I gave her a half-lidded glower and stood up. We got changed and went to class.
• • • • •
I was convinced Miss Kayama hated me.
Before class started, she gave me a passive aggressive lecture about how attendance was very important and how I need to take care of myself so that I don't miss out on any more lessons. I grudgingly sat down and struggled to keep up with todays curriculum.
Halfway through the lesson, I had already felt like I'd just finished helping Leo in his workshop. Complete with him telling me to hand him tools I had no idea existed at 100 miles per hour, muttering sequences of syllables I couldn't keep track of, and singing Beyoncé at the top of his lungs. Bottom line, I was overwhelmed.
Miss Kayama paused and looked to the back of the class.
"Yes, Kindaichi?" she said. I turned along with the rest of the class to see my friend raising his hand.
"Ma'am," he said, "L/n has no idea what's going on."
I gawked at him, my mouth agape. The class began to snicker.
