Reese or Reece [turtle slow updates]

ix. trouble

Ix/

You can do this.

I rubbed the jacket that I was holding in my hand. The soft leather fabric was warm and comforting. It was Roman's and that calmed me, well, a little.

My eyes were shut and facing me was the sheet of paper. I didn't dare open them. The results were too terrifying. What if I didn't get in? I know it wouldn't be the end of the world but still, it would be nice to feel like I actually belong somewhere. Plus, Naya was there, my only female friend here in New Haven. Naya is going to get in without a doubt, and I know this because she was on the team for two years in a row, the coaches must know her skills by now. But for me, it's different. I was just some new kid without any connections. My chance of getting in was a lot slimmer than anyone else that was at the try-outs.

But eventually, I couldn't stand it anymore; I was far too impatient. So I just puckered the courage and opened my eyes.

I scanned the sheet.

It was difficult to not look at the players list first because I so desperately wanted to know the results. But I had to stop; I had to look at things in chronological order, no jumping around.

At the top of the page, were the words: New Haven Hawks.

It also stated that the players that were chosen needed to email Coach Carr ASAP to confirm their acceptance; it was like getting accepted into university.

Then I looked at the sheet, the first two names I didn't recognize, then I saw Katherine's name, and right underneath, was Naya's. It would require a miracle for them to get along, I mean Naya hated Katherine with a passion and I'm almost positive that the feelings were mutual between them.

After that, none of the names were familiar and soon, I reached the end of the sheet.

My name wasn't on there.

Immediately, all hopes crashed and my brain felt like a pile of glue. Getting into that team was like my only chance to belong somewhere, and now, there's no way.

Suddenly, the breeze blew and pieces of my hair flew up into my face, and into my mouth. But the papers on the bulletin board also moved. I quickly lifted it up.

There was another page!

I grinned and my eyes wandered to a certain name that made me want to jump up and down in joy.

Reese Anne Waters.

Honestly though, heart attacks were really not appreciated at a time like this. Why must they do that? I let out a huge puff of breath. Then just as I was about to turn around to leave, a voice behind me made me jump.

"So,"

I turned around. A very nervous Naya stood in front of me and I didn't waste a second to congratulate her.

"We both got in," I jumped up and down. Naya seemed to have let out a huff of breath too. The sun that had just recently made its appearance shone on her hair, making it seem like something out of a Disney movie, it cascaded down her back in gentle waves, sort of like Jasmine.

"Oh phew, I was afraid I was going to have to spend my freshman year holed up in my dorm room acting like a lump of lard," she grinned. I thought about it for a moment, she wasn't wrong at all, that would probably be what I would be doing if I didn't get into the team. At home fantasizing about Roman whilst trying to accomplish some things, such as homework.

"Agreed, hey, where are you heading to after this?" she squinted because the sunlight was so bright, the sun was shining down on us so hard that my head felt like it was on fire.