MAVIS - walker scobell

CH8 "have some fun"

Mavis stood on the volleyball court, sweat dripping down her forehead as her teammates huddled together for the final play of the evening. The energy in the gym was electric—her team was pushing harder than ever, with Nationals looming closer.

Coach Navarro barked orders, pushing them beyond their limits."You've got to want it more than them!" Coach shouted, clapping his hands. "Nationals isn't for the weak." Mavis wiped her face with the back of her hand, her muscles aching from days of relentless practice. She lived for this—every serve, every spike, every drop of sweat was worth it.

Yet, in the back of her mind, something else lingered. A distraction she didn't want to admit was getting under her skin.Walker. It had been a week since the hangout at her house, and while nothing had officially changed between them, the weight of the unspoken feelings was heavy.

She couldn't deny it—there was something between them, but Nationals were too important. She couldn't afford to lose focus now."Alright, Mav! You're up!" Coach's voice snapped her back to reality.She took her position, eyeing the ball with laser focus.

Her breathing slowed as she locked in, visualizing the perfect serve. She shook her head, blocking everything out as she served the ball with precision and power.

The ball sailed over the net, perfectly aimed at the gap in the other team's defense. It hit the floor with a thud, securing the point for her team. The gym erupted in cheers, but Mavis barely reacted, her focus elsewhere. She jogged to the sidelines as practice wrapped up, her phone buzzing.

Coach gave her a nod as they gathered their things. "Good work today, Mavis. I can see you're locked in.""Thanks, Coach," she replied, forcing a smile. But she didn't feel locked in—not completely.

When she reached her phone, there were three missed calls from Walker and texts.

"I'm outside the gym."

Her heart skipped. What the hell was he doing here? Mavis quickly gathered her things and stepped outside, scanning the parking lot. Sure enough, Walker was leaning against his car, that same easy grin on his face."What are you doing here?" she asked, walking over, trying to sound irritated.

"I told you I had practice."Walker shrugged. "Yeah, but practice is over now. I wanna go grab something to eat."Mavis sighed. "I can't. I have to go home and study. Nationals are coming up, and I don't have time for distractions."

"Distractions, huh?" Walker's grin faltered slightly, but he quickly recovered. "Alright, just a quick bite then. Come on, you gotta eat, right?"Before she could protest further, her stomach growled, betraying her.

Walker laughed, hearing it. "See? You wanna eat. Let's go."She rolled her eyes but followed him to his car. As much as she tried to fight it, being around Walker was always fun.

He had a way of making everything feel less serious, which was dangerous for her focus but exactly what she needed after days of exhausting practice.They drove in comfortable silence, the tension from the previous week still lingering between them.

Mavis glanced at him from the passenger seat, noticing the way his jaw clenched as he drove, his eyes focused on the road. It was those little things that made her heart race.

They pulled up to a local diner, the neon sign flickering in the early evening light. Inside, it was cozy, with the low hum of conversation and the smell of greasy food filling the air.As they sat down, Walker leaned back in the booth, casually watching her.

"So, Nationals, huh? How's that going?" "Stressful," Mavis admitted, pulling at her hair tie and letting her dark hair fall over her shoulders. "It's all I've been thinking about. Winning this is everything. For leena too."Walker watched her carefully, his playful demeanor fading.

"I get that. But you know, you're allowed to take a break sometimes, right? You're already doing fucking insane. Everyone sees it." She shrugged, looking down at the menu, avoiding his gaze.

"Maybe. But I need to win. I've worked too hard to let anything mess it up."Walker didn't say anything for a moment, but she could feel his eyes on her. "I'm not trying to mess things up for you, Mav. I know how important this is."Mavis looked up, surprised at the seriousness in his tone. For once, there wasn't a hint of sarcasm or teasing.

Just sincerity."I know," she said softly. "I just—"Before she could finish, her phone buzzed again. She glanced at the screen—

JUDE😨
Can you drop me off at Logans
tomorrow after school ?

She groaned. Her brother had been extra needy lately, constantly asking for rides or help with his homework. She loved him, but the pressure was mounting from all sides. Volleyball, Walker, Jude—it was starting to feel overwhelming."You alright?" Walker asked, noticing her expression.

"Yeah, just... everything." "You're good at dealing with everything it, you know. You've got this."Mavis wanted to believe him, but it felt like everything was coming at her at once.They finished their meal, the conversation lighter now, drifting to random topics like their favorite movies and childhood memories.

But underneath it all, the tension between them never really went away. Every time their hands brushed across the table or their eyes met, it was there—undeniable and impossible to ignore.

As they left the diner, Mavis felt the weight of everything pressing down on her again. Nationals were so close, but Walker... Walker was starting to become something she couldn't just push aside.Outside, the night air was crisp, and Mavis took a deep breath, trying to clear her head. But Walker stepped closer, his eyes locked on hers.

"You know Mav," he said softly, his voice low. "You're allowed to have a little fun." Mavis swallowed, feeling her heart race as he moved even closer. She didn't step back.

"I can't let anything get in my way, Walker." she whispered."I'm not asking you to." Walker's eyes searched hers. "But I think you're making it harder than it needs to be."Mavis looked away, the conflict inside her growing stronger by the second.

She was caught between two worlds—her drive for volleyball and the undeniable pull she felt towards Walker. And the deeper they got, the harder it was to separate the two.