Be Brave

Chapter Five

EDITED*03/02/16
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A couple weeks pass by and before I know it, October is approaching in the next week, which meant volleyball tryouts were right around the corner. The first one being today. I know the actual season doesn't start till the end of November but like I said this school has a pretty decent volleyball team so it makes sense to choose the team now so we can start practicing as soon as possible.

I walk into the gym after coming from the library for spare and set my things on the bench after getting changed. The nets have already been set up and the rack with all the volleyballs on it are against the wall waiting to be used. I go sign in on the clip board and take the number I'm assigned to sticking it on the front of my shirt. A large number 6 in bold black ink.

All of us gather round in a semi-circle as the coach talks about what we're going to do today.

"Welcome ladies, thank you for coming and trying out for the senior girls' volleyball team. I'm coach Tori and will be running the team. We'll be going through a few different drills so I can see your technique and control and then for the last half hour we'll do a mini game to see how well you all work together." She pauses and looks at all of us making sure we understand before continuing, "Each of you should have signed in and taken the right number. That is how I will make notes, given the fact that I do not know all your names. Good luck ladies!"

For the first 10 minutes coach let us warm up on our own. I noticed Marlene and Christina here too so we all warmed up together. Doing a few stretches to begin with then getting a volleyball and passing.

The drills were pretty easy and I knew I had done well through all of them. I was happy the drills were over and we could finally play a real game. Coach let us pick our own teams and I was happy about that because Marlene and Christina were on the team last year so I knew they chose good players on our team. We played using a four-two formation, seen as we had two setters on our team. Playing a game was a lot of fun, especially when your playing against others who know how to play, it makes it interesting.

The tryout ended a bit earlier because coach had to leave for a meeting. I said a quick goodbye to Christina and Marlene and a few other girls I met and made my way out the front doors of the school. I was walking down the steps putting my headphones in and starting my music when I see Lauren sitting on the last step staring off in the distance frowning slightly.

I take a seat next to her taking my headphones out of my ears. When she doesn't notice me I snap my fingers in front of her face to get her attention. She blinks a few times and then turns to look at me, a small smile forming on her lips.

"Hey Tris." she says.

"Hey Lauren, you okay?" I ask her.

"Uhm yeah I'm good." she says giving me a tight smile.

I just look at her, telling her that I don't buy a single word of that lie she just told me but I don't push and instead change the subject.

"So what are you doing here so late, it's," I pause and look at my phone, "5:23."

"I stayed late with a few girls in the weight room. Remember I told you we work out sometimes after school." she says. I nod remembering, a few seconds later she asks "what about you, why are you here so late?"

"I had a volleyball tryout but it got cut early because coach had to leave."

"How do you think you did?"

"Pretty good I think. Marlene and Christina are really good, but compared to the rest of the girls I think I did well. I wished we could of played a game longer though because we only got 15 minutes and I don't think that was enough time but whatever-" I'm cut off abruptly when she asks a totally different question.

"Do you think Four loves me?" she asks staring at me.

I'm frozen for a minute, unsure what to say as I repeat what she asked me in my head again. I wasn't sure how to answer that. I mean I've only known them for barely three weeks.

"I, well, uhm I don't think I can answer that" her face drops and I know she's disappointed, "not in that way though, I mean I don't think I'm entitled to answer that because I've only just gotten to know you guys." she nods her head in understanding, "why do you ask that?" I press, wanting to know why she would ask such a question.

"It's just that everyone sees us as the perfect couple when were not." she says dropping her shoulders like shes tired.

"I wouldn't say a 'perfect' couple but you guys do seem like a good match, I mean you guys are always smiling and everyone is jealous of your relationship together-" I'm cut off through my rant.

"You don't really know him, not like I do, not how he was before we started dating" she says.

I nod prompting her to go on and explain. I get that I haven't know him as long as she has but he can't be that bad, I mean how much can a guy change?

"Well to start he wasn't exactly mister nice guy. He was in some real bad shit, hanging with the wrong type of people after school, doing drugs, alcohol, fights. He'd use girls like we didn't mean anything and he definitely didn't care about school or his marks." she says looking into the distance, a tear escaping her eye.

I stare at her, my mouth slightly ajar from all the information I'm taking in. This doesn't seem like the Four I know at all.

"That was, until he met me. I completely changed him. He stopped doing the drugs, drinking alcohol, getting into fights, he eventually even stopped smoking which I know was hard for him. We started dating 3 months after we met. " a small smile on her face, "we were happy and things only got better from then on."

"It sounds like you two are meant for each other" I say with a soft voice.

"That's just it, lately I've been seeing the old him again." she says finally looking at me, "I found a pack of cigarettes in his room." Another tear.

"Oh my. Have you talked to him about it?" I ask.

"Yeah, but he just got angry at me and started yelling at me, saying that I can't control his life and that he can do whatever he wants to do" she says tears spilling down her cheeks, "Just yesterday I saw him flirting with another girl after school by his locker. He didn't see me because I ran into the girls washroom. He's also been showing up to class late too, like he used to before" she says wiping her cheeks even though she's still crying.

"I just don't want him to go back to the way he used to be" she sobs.

I wrap my arms around her, embracing her in a hug as she cries on my shoulder. I never saw Four as that kind of a person but now I don't know what to think. All I do know is that Lauren doesn't deserve this.

"Thank you." she says after a moment of silence, " for listening to me."

"It's no big deal, really, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here" I say standing up and giving her my hand to help her up.

I see Four coming down the hallway through the glass door and quickly let Lauren know. She wipes her tears away looking at me for confirmation that she doesn't look like she's been crying and I nod at her picking up my bags, plugging in my headphones getting ready to leave. I hug Lauren tightly reassuring her, then let go smiling at her just as Fours walks through the doors.

"I'll see you tomorrow." I smile at her and she nods.

I wave goodbye to both of them and then start my walk home. It's weird how much people can change without you realizing who they were before or who they can potentially be, whether it be good or bad.
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