Volleyball

Chapter Eight

   Valerie and Kim came on time for the game. They sat on the bleachers and shouted my name. I waved my hand at them and smiled. I wish I could be more focused this time. But, come on… Seeing Valerie with my sister was like the second best thing that has ever happened to them. The first was seeing Valerie and Kim get along really well. Seeing Valerie with Kim was like something you couldn’t help but look at them. I like Valerie. It was hard not to like a girl like Valerie. Even though she hadn’t done anything great or amazing to wow me. All she did was just sit there and that was enough for me to like her. It was probably absurd but it wasn’t sad and it was real.

   When that one person you like sits with your sister on your big game, and (s)he laughs with her, smiles to her, talks to her, accompanies her, it’s like something you’ve ever wanted in this whole world. It’s something you ever need for completing your world. And you wouldn’t trade it for the world. By that, I felt perfectly complete.

   And finally, I could keep my thoughts, eyes, and mind on the game. Her smile was my distraction and she was my weakness. I glanced at her when I played and she smiled to me, then it made me go weak in my knees but I had to win this for the little girl beside her.

   So, we won for three rounds straight without giving the opponent a chance to win. Hmm, this was the payback if you kept your head on the game.

   I knew it. She was my weakness. If only I’d kept looking at her, I wouldn’t have been able to focus. She was so beautiful.

   When the last round was over, we cheered loudly, pumping our fists to the air, jumping like maniac, and my teammates lifted me up from the ground, placed me on the shoulders as we cheered with our hands held high. “Final! Final! Final!”

   Yes, I was beyond happy.

   They carried me all the way to the player’s seat and I told them to put me down and shake hands with the opponent team and they did, then we went back to our seats, collapsing.

   “Ben!” exclaimed Kim as jumping excitedly in front of me, making me laugh. I couldn’t help the urge to pull her onto my lap. “You won! That’s the price of never giving up!” I chuckled.

   “Yes, Kim,” I said. “Thank you so much for your amazing support.”

   “Anytime for my brother.”

   “Where is Valerie?” I asked as my eyes wandered around the gym and Valerie was nowhere to be found by my eyes.

   “She went to meet her friends but she said she’ll be back.”

  I kissed her cheek and she got down from my lap, ran to the other guys, and congratulated them. I stood up and was about to look for Valerie.

   “Hi, Ben.” I turned around to find Valerie behind me with a big guy next to her. The guy had short brunette hair and was wearing a blue polo shirt and sweatpants. He smiled to me.

   “Hi, Valerie,” I said.

   “I want you to meet someone,” she said and turned to the person next to her.

   “Hello, Ben. My name is Owen Fergie. I’m the coach of Boston Volleyball Club,” he said and I shook his hand firmly. Owen Fergie was just like Mr. Jo, with his tall and well-built body and muscular arms. He looked old but strong. “I watched you played and I admit that you were good, really good. So, I offered you to join our club in the name of Boston.”

   My stomach dropped in shock. My mouth formed an ‘O’ in shock. The coach of Boston team just offered me to join his team by himself was definitely a surprise to me. “Uh, is it like a course, isn’t it?”