Stars Align

The Most Dani Thing To Do.

Dani~

Getting dressed, I hear a knock on my hotel door. We ended up winning both matches, qualifying us for the championship round. However, I think I'm hurt. I wasn't diagnosed with anything but we're going to take a lot of precautions for the next few days. It's probably for the best that we don't play tomorrow.

"What do you want, Mik?" I ask, opening the door, but quickly realize it's not Mikayla

"Not Mik," Christian says.

"What are you doing here?"

"Saw you go down today and wanted to check-in. Mikayla told me what room. You know, she's very forward."

"Sorry, she's like that."

I let him in. "I brought food."

"From?"

"Chipotle."

"How do you know if I'll like it?"

"You will. I know you will."

I watch him make himself comfortable and I grab a small towel from the bathroom. I've been instructed to keep ice on my knee to help with swelling. "You played well today."

"Not really, if we're being honest," I tell him.

"I think you played pretty well considering you went down in the first set."

I find the piece of KT tape I was given and stretch it around the underside of my kneecap, "Did you stay the whole time?"

I get up to walk around, "Yeah. At least, I did. Travis left to go chill out with some of the guys back here.

I nod, grabbing the bag of ice and draining the excess water. "Do you need any help?" he asks.

"Yeah, can you?"

He kneels in front of me, "What do you think it is? That is if it is anything."

He holds the towel-wrapped bag of ice against my knee, "Worst-case scenario, it's my ACL and I'm going to be so pissed if it is. Best-case scenario, it's nothing and I just landed wrong."

I go around my knee with the roll of saran wrap to keep the ice in place. He takes over once the ice is in place and goes around my knee a few more times. "Wouldn't you be out for the rest of the season if it's your ACL?"

"Yeah, could be up to a year."

"Well, I hope it's not."

"You and me both."

"You're all banged up. Your knee is messed up. Your fingers are bruised."

"That's my life."

"Is it? Or do you just like pushing yourself to limits you think you can exceed?"

"Wow, calling me out. I dedicate enough of my life and time to the sport so of course, shit like this is going to happen. It's whatever as long as I'm not hurt indefinitely."

He takes his seat on the couch again, "Eat."

"Now who's bossy?"

He smirks, probably remembering last night's events. Good events, to say the least. Great, even. "What's your story?" he asks me as I take a few bites of the food he got me.

"My story?"

"Yeah, like how'd you end up playing volleyball for the country?"

"Lot of hard work and commitment."

"C'mon, give me more than that."

"From the beginning?"

"Yeah."