The next morning, the tension was palpable as we all gathered at the school parking lot. The bus was parked, its doors wide open, waiting for us to board. The team was buzzing with excitement, but I couldn't focus on any of that. My mind was solely on one person.
Sam.
I caught sight of her across the lot, her small frame barely standing out among the crowd of players. She was clutching her bag, her eyes darting around nervously, trying to avoid eye contact with me. I could see the weight of the world on her shoulders. Good.
As I walked past her to board the bus, I made sure to brush by just a little too closely. It was small, subtle-but it was enough to make her jump, to make her fear me just a little more. I didn't need her to see me. I needed her to feel me.
When we finally got on the plane to Florida, I noticed Sam was trying her best to remain in her corner, seated next to Hannah, away from the chaos. The flight was long, and though the rest of the team chatted excitedly about the upcoming game, I couldn't help but overhear snippets of conversation.
Hannah was talking about how excited she was for the trip. She mentioned how Sam couldn't stop talking about the game and how she was hoping to finally get some playing time. But Sam was silent, her gaze fixed on her hands, her face unreadable. I could see the tension in her shoulders, the fear of failure that clung to her like a shadow.
I leaned back in my seat, crossing my arms and allowing myself a moment of satisfaction. After today, Sam would be closer to me-whether she liked it or not.
The plane finally landed, and as we exited, the warmth of Florida's air hit us like a wave. The team collected their luggage, and we piled into a sleek, black coach bus that would take us to the hotel. Sam, of course, stuck close to Hannah, still glued to her side like some protective lifeline.
Inside the bus, the chatter continued. I overheard snippets of excitement about the game, but my focus was solely on one thing: the hotel. It was going to be another opportunity for me to get closer to Sam, to make her realize just how much she needed me.
As we drove through the streets of Florida, I could already feel the shift in the air. The game, the pressure, the victory-it was all happening. But all I could think about was Sam, alone in a room with me, and how much closer she would be once this trip was over.
Tonight, she would understand.
