Volleyball

Chapter Four

   I kept watching her every move.

   She was so beautiful in her own way. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her, like this whole volleyball game didn’t even matter compared to her beauty. I wasn’t kidding and I wasn’t in the mood for telling a lie. Because that was the truth. She was so beautiful with her golden blonde hair that fell past her shoulders, not that kind of over and superficial beautiful but it was something like an enchanting beauty. And when her lips curved up into a smile, it was like something magical had happened in this stadium. I knew I should have been focus on the game but I couldn’t. I was so busy looking at her that I forgot when to hit the ball slowly or when to smash it down.

   Like I was hypnotized.

   So every time the ball came to me, my reflexes would just tell me to smash it. I didn’t give a care if the ball went out of the lines or got stuck in the net or hit anyone (anyone but her). My teammates patted my shoulders and messed up my hair to focus. My focus was only on her.

   Maybe I was the worst player in this game right now.

   “Ben, focus! Eyes on the ball!” shouted Mr. Jo. It was when I realized that one more point for the opponent team to win. What the hell? My eyes widened.

   We needed three rounds to win. The first round we won. The second we won again but the third we lost. We tried to give one more win on the fourth round but we lost apparently. So the fifth round was the final determination for us.

   For this volleyball competition, my team had gone far to the semifinal. We had won from the Rowland High and we needed one more game to get the final. If we couldn’t win this game versus Hillcrest, we’d go to face South Boston High. But if we could win this, we’d go all the way to the final. Heck, second chance was waiting.

   We wouldn’t let them win the fifth round this time.

   George received the ball and he gave an assist to me to do a jump-serve.

   “Smash it, Ben!” A voice shouted loudly. I thought it was a good choice to jump serve and smash the ball. So I did.

   “No!” shouted all my teammates and I looked what had just happened.

   The ball got stuck in the net. We lost. We had to fight again a few days later. The audience cheered our supporters looked frustrated.

   I sighed loudly as I made my way towards the players’ seat. Kim greeted me with her arms wide open. I bent down at my waist, pulled her into a hug and carried her up from the ground. Her body weighed nothing to me.

   “I lost,” I whispered.

   “It’s okay, Ben,” said Kim cheerfully. “You didn’t lose giving up. You lost trying.”

   I smiled. Her words cheered me up a little. This girl always knows how to cheer me up. “Thanks, Kim.”

   I put her down and she walked to the other players to cheer them up to, maybe. Mr. Jo came to me. “I’m sorry, Sir,” I said.

   “Your sister’s right,” he said, patting my shoulder. “We have the next game three days away. Try to be more focus, Ben.”

   I nodded. “I will,” I vowed and he went away, greeting the other players. I sat on my seat and took out a small towel from my bag. I wiped the sweat on my face and body with it.

   I stood up to find that girl on her seat but she wasn’t there. I looked around, running my fingers through my sweaty hair. Kim was laughing happily with George. I went back to my seat and drank water.