Volleyball

Chapter Twenty Nine

"Rise and shine, Captain!" Valerie exclaimed, opening the curtains and the light came through the window. It was the exact words Kim had used to wake me up on the first day of our competition. "The day you've been struggling and waiting for is finally here." I didn't wake up. All I did was grab a pillow and squeeze it onto my face and sleep again. But I knew it wasn't Valerie if she gave up easily. She knew my strength and weakness. So, she said, "I'll count to three. If you don't wake up and sit on your ass, you will not get your kisses for three days." Sassy Valerie.

   I groaned in disagreement and mumbled, "You can't do that to your own sleepy lazy boyfriend. This isn't fair!"

   "One," she started counting. I threw the pillow away from my face. "Two." I sat up straight and rubbed my eyes. "Two and a half."

   "All right. All right. I'm up. Up to my feet." I climbed down the bed and pulled myself up to my feet.

   "Three."

   She was about to open her mouth and said something but I cut it off with crashing my lips into hers. I pulled her near in the waist and she held my face. "Good morning," she said.

   I pulled away and broke into a smile, biting my lower lip. "I like it," I said.

   She smiled, blushing, and kissed me again before walking out of my room and to the kitchen. I followed her from behind, stood on the stool, and asked, "Is Kim up yet?" 

   "She's showering," she said, pouring a glass of milk to my glass. I liked having her here in my house. It somehow made me feel better.

   "I love having you here, Valerie," I said quietly. She didn't answer. She just smiled. And that was enough.

   The bathroom door cracked open and Kim showed up behind it, grinning widely, towel around her shoulder. "Morning, Kim," I said.

   "This is the big day," she said, heading towards us.

   "Yeah." Valerie poured down milk in her glass and we all had breakfast together like a family.

   I told Kim we were going to visit Dad today after school and before my game. She nodded. We prepared for school. I lent Valerie my clothes again. Sighed. Too big. Kim giggled looking at her in my clothes. She paired my clothes with her coat and we were off to our schools.

   I dropped Kim off, then Valerie, then myself. I was kind of nervous walking into this school where my friends knew the reality of my life and they could have treated me differently. I headed straight to the locker room where I found everyone was there, talking to each other. But when I walked in, they stopped doing whatever they were doing. They all looked at me. But Collins was the one to take step towards me. He hugged the life out of me. And I hugged back.

   "Dude, I'm sorry," he said. He patted my shoulder.

   I wanted to cry but I closed my eyes tight. "Thank you for saying that, dude," I said, not knowing anything to say.

   We pulled apart and the other came to me in turns to show their condolences. I might be alone out here but at least I always had them. We had physical practice and had a little laugh so we wouldn't get too nervous because I totally was. I had escaped so many lessons in so many days that I was afraid of not being able to pass the final tests. But I wish I could. I could always take notes from my classmate's notebook.

   Mr. Jo gave us time to share our fears or nerves about this game in a circle on the floor and I felt kind of sad because I knew I was going to graduate, leave this place, and be an adult. It scared me because I was not ready.