Changing Strides

~Chapter 16~

  I greeted Sammy, Kristen, Jordyn and Amanda after school and we headed to the bathrooms.  We quickly changed and met in the gym lobby.  We all wore spandex, Sammy, Jordyn, and I all wore tank tops.  While Amanda and Kristen wore one of their short sleeve volleyball shirts.
  We were all told that coach would be late, which was odd.  The past three years, the varsity coach was always pointing out that you had to be on time.  In fact, she always arrived five minutes earlier than required, so we all got into that habit, even as freshmen.  So, all the girls trying out set up the nets across the gym and started to warm up.
  Our little group had made a bumping circle, transitioning between moves, even playing a couple rounds of cherry.  We all were considered avid players,  of course though, we were seniors.  We eventually became bored and moved onto simple stretches to stay loose.  Then we started a group stretch, everyone joining in.  I had never been one to start stretches or anything so I feel a sense of power and status pulse through me, I felt important.  However, that feeling I instantly turned into adrenaline when the coach walked in.
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Sammy and I were the only ones to know the coach previously.  She was about our height and looked fit.  I shared a dreaded look with Sammy and she returned it.  Coach seemed to have a rather upbeat voice, and insisted we call her Coach Blair.  Blair was her first name, which was didn't make sense to most of the players, except Sammy and I.  Why, simply because her last name wasn't quite enjoyable, and all too familiar.
  "Sorry I'm late everyone!  So, your former coach got a new job and could not teach volleyball anymore.  So I stepped in!  I was late because some people weren't behaving in my math class."  Yep.  As if to confirm my suspicions, this coach was my AP Calculus teacher.  None other than Mrs. Blahas.
  I tried to ignore the sick feeling in my stomach, I had already hated this teacher, why did she have to be a volleyball coach too?  Sammy and I hung extra close during the tryouts. We snuck venom about the newest coach when she wasn't looking.  Though our assist coach, Coach Ally, was keen to watching us.
  Coach Ally walked over to us as we talked and did one of the activities.  "What are your names?"
  Sammy spoke first, "I'm Sammy and this is Claire."
  "Okay...are you guys seniors?"  We both nodded and Ally continued, "So you have her?"  Again, we nodded, then Ally started to speak in a hushed tone.  "Please give Coach a chance, I had her as a teacher too.  But she is not the same, she nicer."
  Then Sammy inquired, "Do you have to say that?  Like, is that part of a mandatory script you have to say to her students, because the impression we got today is how bad she really is?  Everyday?"
  "Uh, no.  I don't have to say that, but I passed her class?  Look, I don't think you'll like her if you don't do the work and stuff.  Overall she is nice though."
  I stepped back out of the conversation, I could tell when Sammy started to get heated.  "Really?  You think we are slackers?  Who do you even think you are, why would you even make assumptions!  That's just rude."
  "Why would that ever be implied that way?  What I said was not directed to you, just to a class in general if you want to pass her class!"
  "Well,you better watch you words, Ally!"  Before Sammy continued, I knew she had crossed the line.  She fell silent, she knew it too.  She spat the coach's name out like it was bile venom.  It seemed like everyone was staring at us, I took a step back again.  Truthfully, only a handful of girls were staring, but it was enough to know rumors would be ignited like wildfire during school.
  Ally hovered over Sammy, who had grown quiet and fearful.  Ally softly growled to Sammy, "Get out.  I never want to see you near our team again.  You are only going to divide the team, with accusutions and rumors.  You'd be a disgrace to be on this team.  So leave, there is no use trying out."
  I stared at Sammy, who had now backed away from Ally, and the look in her eyes told it all.  She was not giving up this tryout without a fight.  She returned the same time as she spoke, "You may want to watch who you are talking to.  You'd have a pathetic team without my friends or I on it.  So you might just want to watch the tryputs, with me in it.  Because my fire has barely burned, and it still has a lot of fuel left."
  "To do what?"
  "To beat your ass."