Across the Net

Le Match?

You don't always need to plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go and see what happens. -Mandy Hale

~~~

I closed my eyes and hoped that when I opened them, I would find it all a dream. But it wasn't. I was sitting by the court in the front row, aka the substitute seats, watching as the team, led by Lana, filed out of the changing room with the dignity of a thousand soldiers. And I was stuck here, missing out on all the fun.

Yellow and orange flags fluttered around me as the people from my house and its supporters waved them from the stands. A great roar ran along this side of the stadium as Lana raised a hand in greeting, her blonde hair flashing as she smiled at Jacob, who was giving her two thumbs up from the second row.

"Owl! Owl!" the crowd chanted while the blue-clad people booed.

"Lana! Gimme your number after you win!" screamed Ryan. Jacob didn't even bother to glare at him.

A great banner of an owl stretched out behind me, fanning out against the breeze. The sky was a pale light blue and it was a perfect weather condition, but it seemed to be mocking me from above.

Then the people from Wolves house marched out from the other side. The captain of their team was a burly girl, almost compatible with Georgina, but Georgina's size was a teeny bit larger. She smiled at her side of the stands, in which people were screaming their approval. I stayed silent as the people around me booed and the captains led their teammates to either side of the net.

The referee blew on his whistle and the game began. I was vaguely aware of Celia making her confident swing, sending the ball hurtling towards the other end, when I felt a small thud beside me. I caught sight of the glint of glasses and a brown head, and knew it had to be William.

"Hey-" I began, smiling.

Then Sofia threw herself at him before I could utter more.

"Awww Willie," she said, as, to my satisfaction, an embarrassed William leaned back a little to avoid the kiss Sofia was trying to give him, resulting in Sofia's lips crashing onto his cheek. "You're always shy kissing me in public."

Several heads turned to our direction and knowing looks piled themselves onto the two people beside me.

"Not now," said William quietly, blushing very red.

"Hey, this is supposed to be the substitutes' stand..." I started and glanced at the other subs sitting beside me, who had thin lines as mouths as they regarded the couple.

"Oh well, we want to sit here, don't we, Willie?" Sofia giggled. Fakeass.

"If you say so," William said, shrugging

"Okay, fine," I said, forcing back a smile. Sofia's eyes flashed as William bent down to put his bag beneath the seat.

"Willie, you know, about what we did the other night," Sofia said, batting her eyelashes. "I wanna talk about it right now."

"What?" he asked, puzzled.

"You know," she glanced at me and smiled.

I knew she was letting me make assumptions but I knew well enough not to.

Sofia dropped the subject when she saw I wasn't interested. The crowd roared. I looked up to see a Lana with flushed cheeks, glaring at the opposing team as they high-fived each other.

The commentator's voice was drowned out by the emotional high school students as they shrieked their disapproval.

"Hey Willie," Sofia said again. I glared at her, imagining five million daggers sticking themselves in and twisting in her gut.