Odd One Out

CHAPTER 14

Naya
Thursday, October 23

"Let's go ladies, let's go! Put some effort into those hits! Rebecca, no shirt-grabbing, we talked about this!"

The volleyball roughly crashed with the bone on my wrist, though I felt the pain before it even got close. For about half an hour Ms. Hannah had forced us to play the painful game because apparently, that was physical education. The only "physical" learning I had obtained was the amount of times it took to bruise my body, and the number was not high at all.

"Mendoza! Get back in the game, your teammates need you!"

"I'm gonna need therapy after this," I mumbled, forcing myself to stand straight from the hunched-over posture I was in. Turning to my left I stared at Bailey, who was taking every hit like a champ. Though her shirt was loose, I could see her muscles flexing every time she slapped the ball towards the other team, and I envied that. Sure I was in shape, but Bailey was fit. That girl had more energy and willpower than the entire school combined, and probably more strength than I could imagine.

And she was super smart, too.

"Nice throw, Phillips — Mendoza, watch the ball! The ball! Rebecca, stop pulling on your teammates shirts, dammit!"

"Hey," I heard her voice call from beside me. Bailey was wiping sweat off her forehead as she made her way over to me, swiftly pinching at the collar of her shirt right after and fanning herself for a second. "Try not to dodge the ball when it comes your way."

"You're asking me...to not move away when it comes? So you want me to just get hit?"

I saw her hesitate for a bit before sighing out in exhaustion, turning her gaze back towards the game but not leaving my side. "I mean, it's not like you've actually managed to avoid the ball when you dodge."

"Okay listen," I retorted, turning over to her, "maybe sports aren't my forte but—"

"Here," she barely gushed out, slightly pushing me out of the way as she folded her hands together and hit the incoming ball towards the other side of the net. Afterwards, she averted her gaze to me for a quick second, hands on her hips.

"I know it's scary, but it'll leave you looking purple by the end of the day if you keep dodging the ball. You gotta fold your hands together, like this—" she folded her hands, waiting for me to mimic her, "and then, you hit."

On that last part, she made an upwards motion, as if hitting an imaginary ball. I nodded slightly, readjusting my hands and holding them out.

"Bend your elbows," Bailey guided beside me, and I followed suit.

"...and your knees," she continued. Once again, I followed.

"Alright, now in a couple of seconds the ball is going to come our way. And you're going to hit it. Try not to run."

"What?" I questioned, my voice growing higher with surprise.

"Mendoza!"

I turned back just in time to see the ball heading straight for my face, causing me to shriek and turn my head, lifting my arms up out of instinct.

I felt the thud of the ball, bouncing off my hands, and half a second later I turned to the sound of Bailey's hand sending the ball right back to our teammates.

She caught her breath for a second before turning to me, her slick hair bouncing around in her ponytail, baby hairs flying in every direction. "Not bad. You now successfully know how to dodge a volleyball."

Relaxing my stance, I took a look at the ball that someone had now sent flying across the room, which caused Ms. Hannah to start lecturing one of our teammates.