Salty Licorice

Chapter 85

Liz's POV

Avery's been away these last few days for her state tournament. They started to get together a list of everyone wanting to go to the finals if they made it that far. I signed up along with putting Marisa's name without her knowing it. Though I don't think she would mind either way. But the look on the teachers faces was hilarious when I wrote her name under mine, clearly confused and nervous.

At the beginning of the day during morning announcements they give an overview of the day before with our teams games and brief retellings of a few highlights before announcing their upcoming games for the day. Yesterday Magan came into school with a white strip over her nose and bruising under her eyes, it was pretty clear she got a broken nose. But that's also when I heard about Avery actually playing again but as a libero or something like that. I still don't know all the names of the positions. But if I remember correctly Magan was the one player that would wear the opposite color jersey then the rest and would go in and out of the game a bunch never leaving the back row. Don't quote me on that.

So hearing that, I was a bit surprised and I guess I wasn't the only one. Seems most of the school was confused, except Marisa. Not her, instead she was laughing hysterically from the clay room after that announcement. She normally doesn't listen but she hasn't missed one yet this week. I find it adorable that she cares so much. I asked her what she found so funny about it but all she did was shake her head still trying to calm down from her laughter.

"Sorry, it's just I watched a stream of their games and she looks so funny in her old position, not a bad thing but still funny." That's all she said and didn't elaborate more.

So I looked up one of their games myself and saw it for myself. I understand what Marisa is referring to, her lanky stacher definitely stands out from the rest. Her height over the rest of her team doesn't help. But the one thing I can't get over is the fluidity of her movements, it's as if she is predicting the exact position the ball will be almost before the play is made. Clearly not a position she's new to, seems almost like an old pair of jeans that surprisingly still fits after years of being abandoned at the bottom of your drawer.

It's Thursday now, and with the hype of the game and all the drama from prom, not to mention the end of the school year in a month and half. But with the summer break fast approaching, that means the last ditch efforts to save or maintain grades are in full swing. Math seems to be my crippling grade, being held together by the thinnest string. I thought it would be English but surprisingly, I have an A in that class. Math however, I have to get a good grade on my last test before the final to hopefully keep from flunking.

Marisa was no help and Avery isn't here, not that I would ask her anyway. She has no patients to help tutor me. I asked Spencer but she said she's busy trying to fix her French and history grade. So my last resort is Leo or Danny, or more like Danny. Leo is in the same boat as me if anything he's worse off than I am.

So that's where I am sitting in front of Danny at the lunch table with Leo pestering Marisa next to me. But Marisa put on her headphones a long time ago and is busy writing an outline for a paper. At a glance it seems like a normal outline till I read the name and the criteria.

I hope she's paying you for this at least. I write on the corner of her paper getting an eye roll in response before she erases my marks and goes back to Avery's assignment.

"Pay attention," Danny groans.

"It would be easier if you actually explained it instead of just pointing to stuff and saying 'it's that easy'," I mock his voice.

"So you don't want my help?" He raises an eyebrow. "No? Good, find someone else to teach this to you."

"Danny come on. I'm desperate here," I groan.