Across the Net

Wanna Bet?

Travel often; Getting lost will help you find yourself -The Holstee Manifesto

~~~

The days flew past in a blur, as if someone had put fast forward on. The match was tomorrow, and my volleyball skills did not improve a single bit, nor did my friends' mood.

"Alex," Lana said, crossing her arms as her untouched lunch stared up at her. "I have to consider putting you up as substitute."

There was no remorse, no pity, no anything in her tone. I stared back at her blankly, my fork between my teeth.

"That's too bad," said Georgina gruffly. She brushed her thick hair from her face and chewed on her food as if nothing had happened. My heart went down with my fork as I chucked it on top of my pasta.

"Okay," I said. Never knew I could care so much. I guess when you lose something, you'd want it back twice as much as before.

"So..." Celia said in a chirpy voice. "Last practice today, right?"

She eyed me once and whispered loudly, "Do substitutes need to come?"

"Alex," Lana turned on me again, face impassive. "I expect you to be there."

I slumped back in my seat, feeling nothing but anger. And I call these people my friends?

"You feel okay right?" Allison said, pulling at the back of her tank top so it stuck to her like a second skin, earning a lot of appreciative once-overs from the guys. "We need you at practice."

"I'm fine," I gritted out.

~~~

My day did not go well. At all. Baker's mood was even worse than before. By the time I entered his classroom, his piggish eyes were smaller than beads.

As I had slept little last night, my head slumped itself involuntarily at intervals in his lesson, and doom had made me its target.

I jolted upright the fifth time of the period and found Baker rapping away at my desk.

"If you got yourself a full mark in composition and a grade over 90% on your exam, I shall pull out the last pieces of my hair in surrender," he said, the bald patch on his head shining even brighter than a halo. I wondered what will happen if his head was shaved clean. Maybe the sun would be forced retire. Baker gave Sofia a big smile, as Sofia was the obvious teacher's pet, and she smiled back, giving Baker a burst of courage that was apparent on his face.

I looked up and glared up at his fake blue eyes.

"Let's make a bet," I snarled, wiping the tiredness off my eyes. "I get that full mark on composition and another 100% in the exam, you pull your hair out. All of it. If I don't get it, I'll shave my head."

The whole class drew a single gasp, and buzzes started going around the room. Some of the jocks even laughed. Baker traced his hand along the sides of his wispy hair.

"What do you think you're doing?" hissed Lana, her hair sticking on end with rage. "Can you guarantee you can get that grade? I don't want one of my friends turning ugly."

Ah, how straightforward. Me turning ugly? I don't think so.

"I got this," I told her.

"About that bet?" I asked the teacher, smiling at his shock.

"Betting is against the rules," he said, pulling himself to his full height.

Boos cascaded down the room.

"But I can make some adjustments," he said nervously. "Damn the rules right?"

Nobody laughed.

"Then I accept," he said, his face turning an ugly, blotchy shade of red. "You remember. If you don't get that full mark, you shave your head."

"Right," I smiled. "I understand, sir."

William shot me a worried glance and bent over his books.

The rest of the lesson went past as slow as a snail running a marathon, with Baker and Sofia's eyes trained on me the whole time. At the end of the period, I bolted out eagerly, and stopped in the middle of my tracks. Ah, volleyball practice. I had to go hadn't I?

But on a happier note, I decided to leave another slip of paper in William's locker.

'Dear William,'

I paused, thinking. What should I write this time? I pressed the paper to the wall and started scribbling, pen held in an awkward angle.

'Dear William,

Do you know how frustrating school life can be? Why can't friends be true to each other? I mean I want to be true to them, but I just can't. Is there real friendship in this world? I doubt myself a lot these days. Stress isn't really my friend.'

Did I say too much? But this was how I really felt. So I continued with my tongue held between my teeth-

'Anyways I do hope you have a better life. I'm feeling real bad right now and don't want you to feel the same.

Secret Service

p.s. the next letter will come real soon;P'

Trying not to think, I folded the paper into a neat square and slipped it into William's locker without being seen.

Volleyball practice, here I come.

~~~

Lana seemed to be in a relatively good mood. She was talking with Jacob as I neared the court, and she was smiling, those glossed lips catching the light.

I passed the couple and went straight into the changing rooms, looking around for my friends. I had hope. If Lana's happy, then I didn't need to worry that much. I pulled on numbered shirt Celia threw at me and studied the Alex in the mirror. She looked... pathetic. Perfect makeup, perfect hair. Nothing else. I shook my head and ran out of the changing rooms, hoping the negative thoughts won't follow me out.

"Team," Lana said imperiously as Celia, the last in the changing rooms, walked out, bringing those swinging hips with her. "We're choosing who's gonna get out there and who ain't today. Allison'll help pick."

"Yes ma'am," we said in unison. Celia caught Georgina's eye and winked.

I glared at my shoes as the team started to get in position. This time I was to standing across the net, waiting to bump the ball across. I set my arms in front of me, joining the forearms and wrists, and hoped I looked professional enough.

Celia served underhand, and the ball flew, like a hurtling arrow, towards me. I rushed forward, but the ball, hitting my inner elbow instead of my arm, sent itself flying into the net. Into, not across.

"ALEX SANDERS!" Lana screamed. I was wrong. Her mood had nothing to do with her temper. "YOU REALLY WANT TO BE SUBSTITUTE DO YOU?"

I wanted to stand of my tippy toes and yell a "NO!" back at her, but I would be in deep trouble.

"Sorry," I mumbled instead.

"Alex, you should have started running out to catch the ball when Celia starts swinging," said Allison impatiently. "And bump with your forearms."

You'd think I were stupid not to know that. To my great dissatisfaction, I turned towards the stands and found Sofia there, again. She was staring at me with a small mad smile, as if planning on how to kill me with the most painful, most heart-ripping torture.

I tried bumping a few more times, but the ball decided to land stubbornly in the wrong place every time. At the end of practice, I felt gloomy, as if black clouds had decided to hide the sun from me. The whole team gathered around Lana, anticipating.

"Georgina, Celia, Tasha, Serena, Alicia and myself would be playing," Lana said, her hands on her hips, daring anyone to say otherwise. "The others are substitutes."

I sucked in both cheeks, feeling humiliated as the whole team shot pitying glances at me.

I felt all my blood rush north and glared.

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