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THE ENERGY HANGING IN THE AIR WAS NOTHING SHORT OF PALPABLE. The stands were filled to the brim in most of which, were there solely to see Tatum Nichols play.
Her opponent — Tatiana De La Cruz — was good. She was decent, average. But she wasn't Tatum.
And as for Tatum, she no longer cared to put on a show for the people that watched her play. She didn't have to. Not since she was seventeen.
Just put a racket in her hand and people will come. People will travel hundreds of thousands of miles because she's the best of the best. She's Tatum Nichols.
"Eyes on the prize," Aaron reminds her, moving his hands where they previously rested on her shoulders and handed her the infamous red lined racket she called hers. "You got this, Tum."
Tatum always hated that nickname — it was like a bad feeling she couldn't shake. But for whatever reason, right now, she didn't care.
"De La Cruz and Nichols, starting positions please." The Umpire says, from his chair in the center of the court, readying the match. "De La Cruz will start."
She holds tight onto the foam that sticks to the handle of her racket and watches as her worn white shoes find her starting position in the center of the court.
Her eyes meet Tatiana's brown ones from the other side of the court and for one split second, there's a mutual understanding.
But when she throws that ball up in the air and hits it with her racket, it's an entirely different story.
They're both in it to win it now.
Tatum's muscles tensed as she tracked the ball, her eyes never leaving its trajectory. She moved like a panther, graceful and powerful, her racket meeting the ball with a resounding crack as she sent it hurtling back over the net.
Tatiana was quick to respond, her movements fluid and effortless as she returned the shot with equal force. The ball flew back and forth between the two players, each stroke more intense than the last. Tatiana, however, hit it too hard -- into the net.
"Point. Nichols."
The crowd erupted into cheers with each breathtaking rally, their excitement fueling the energy on the court.
But amidst the chaos, Tatum remained focused. She blocked out the noise of the crowd, the pressure of the match, and focused solely on the task at hand. Win.
The plays flew by in a blur, the score remaining incomparable as Tatum kept racking the points in.
Each hit of the hall grew boring to her and during each break, she stayed put — just waiting for this to be over with.
