In between- Spoke x oc!Fem

VIII

The past few weeks had been a whirlwind of excitement. Between school, volleyball, and streaming, my days were packed, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I had gotten closer to Spoke, Parrot, Mapicc, Ro, Jumper, and Minuet, and we were talking almost every day. Whether it was strategizing for Minecraft or just hanging out in Discord, these guys had become a huge part of my life.

School was going well, too. I managed to keep up with my classes, even with all the extracurriculars. Volleyball was the best it had ever been our team was on fire, winning game after game. The balance between my online and offline life was perfect, and I felt like I was thriving in both.

One afternoon, I was on a call with Spoke. We had just finished playing a round of Bedwars when I noticed a notification pop up on my phone. It was a message from Coach in our team group chat.

Coach: Big news, team! We've been invited to play in a tournament in California next month. Get ready, because we're going up against some of the best teams out there, including a certain school that might be familiar to some of you... 😉

I stared at the message, trying to process what it meant. California? I couldn't believe it. I was about to type a response when Spoke's voice brought me back to reality.

"You there, Avs? You went quiet for a sec," Spoke said, sounding concerned.

"Yeah, sorry, just got some news," I replied, still trying to wrap my head around it.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Well, my volleyball team is heading to California for a tournament," I said, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. "And, apparently, we're playing against some really tough teams. One of them might be... yours?"

There was a brief pause before Spoke burst out laughing. "No way! You're coming out here? That's crazy!"

"Yeah, I know! I can't believe it either," I said, laughing along with him. "Coach didn't mention your school by name, but I've got a feeling..."

"Oh, it's definitely us," Spoke said confidently. "Our team's been gearing up for that tournament for weeks. This is gonna be interesting."

"Interesting is one way to put it," I replied, feeling the adrenaline start to kick in. "But I have to warn you, Spoke, I don't go easy on anyone."

He chuckled. "Good. I wouldn't want you to. Just don't be surprised if we take you down."

"We'll see about that," I said, grinning.

As we talked, I couldn't help but think about how surreal this was. A few months ago, I was just a regular high school student trying to balance volleyball and streaming. Now, I was about to play in a major tournament against one of my closest online friends schools team.

Over the next few weeks, I threw myself into practice even more, determined to give it my all in California. Spoke and I kept talking, sometimes teasing each other about the upcoming game, but always with that underlying excitement of finally meeting in person.

The day of the tournament was getting closer, and the anticipation was building. I couldn't wait to see how everything would play out, both on the court and off.

This trip was going to be more than just a game. It was a chance to see if the connection I had with these guys online could translate into real life. And I was ready for whatever came next.