DEUCE * A Challengers Story*

Two

2006

"Please welcome, our girls singles finalist, Evelyn Harlow" announced the umpire.

Evelyn walked out, smiling and waving to the crowd. It was a massive amount of people, way more than what Evelyn expected, but it didn't frighten her.

Scanning the crowd she saw the two faces she was searching for. Her best friends, Patrick Zweig and Art Donaldson.

She had known them for 2 years now, after joining their sports orientated boarding school on a  scholarship, for tennis obviously. The two boys hit it off immediately with the new girl, and the three have been practically inseparable ever since.

Spotting the pair, Evelyn gives a nod their way, receiving a loud cheer from the pair in return. Not quite as subtle as Evelyn's acknowledgement, but it made her smile regardless.

"Focus Evelyn" she heard her coach call out. Nodding at her coach, Evelyn walked over to her chair, dropped her bag and began her stretches.

From the corner of her eye, she saw her opponent, walk onto the court.

"and your other girls singles finalist, Tashi Duncan!" announced the umpire, and the crowd erupted into cheers. Glancing quickly up a the crowd, Evelyn saw the boys staring in awe of her opponent. Chucking quietly and shaking her head at the look the pair had on their faces, she made her way to the base line, ready for Tashi's  first serve.

Evelyn loves this part. The adrenaline, the excitement, all building up inside her. A lot of players say they are the most nervous in this moment, the moment right before the game begins, but that was never true for her.

To Evelyn, this was the best place in the world, the place she dreams of being everyday, forever.

Locking eyes with her opponent, they exchange a look of respect, a silent wish of luck,

"Let's go, Evelyn" she told herself quietly, "It's game time".

The game was long, as both players were matched in ability almost perfectly. Where Tashi lacked the speed of Evelyn, she made up for it in her serves, which where the strongest Evelyn had ever seen. 

Art and Patrick watched in awe of the two girls. They had never witnessed a game of tennis like this one.

They were perfectly in sync, knowing exactly what the other was planning, thinking.

"These two are insane" commented Patrick, and Art could only hum in agreement, his eyes fixated on the girls in front of him.

Just at that moment, Tashi won the game, screaming out to the crowd "come on!!!"

After the awards ceremony, Evelyn went to the changing rooms to shower and change, but also to calm down.

Losing made her angry.

She wasn't a sore loser, she could see that Tashi was the better player today. But she was angry at herself, at her game. In the shower, she went over her mistakes, her missed serves, her out of bounds shots. She sighed and cringed as she though about them, and made the water hotter and hotter to try burn the mistakes away.

After a long shower, she got dressed into her jean shorts and tank top she had worn to the tournament. She brushed through her hair and  left it to air dry, allowing her natural curls to form, collected her stuff and left.

Waiting outside the two boys sat on the floor, bouncing a tennis ball against the wall to each other in boredom.

"uh, hello?" asked Evelyn, crossing her arms and looking down at the boys.