Straight Lines, Not a Straight Spine

Chapter 10:

Song choice (today's is special): "Cabinet Battle #1" from Hamilton. And "Cabinet Battle #2"  from Hamilton. (sorry, my computer won't let me copy and paste the names so...) The music is just amazing. I always forget that the Founding Fathers did not have rap battles.

Classes were pretty good. I didn't expect to feel alright, especially with the brace.

Of course, being upstairs of KV in 90 degree Fahrenheit weather (don't worry, the Earth won't blow up) was not preferable. Mr. G's room was worse than the seventh layer of hell. I would get out of my seat at the end of class to see sweat on the seat.

I was missing my flexibility though. Getting a binder or book or pencil from under my seat was super annoying. In the hard plastic shell, I couldn't bend my back.

For P.E., I was changing in the nurse's office. No one seemed to notice my brace. Or that I was never changing with everyone else.

A week or so into school, I met my friend, Lyra, in the hallway. We had made plans to go to the meeting for volleyball tryouts and concussion testing (I don't remember the name!). I had only just learned about it today. I loved soccer, but there was 26 girls trying out already; I didn't think I had a good chance.

"Hey, Pearl!" Lyra exclaimed. "All ready?"

"Yes – oh, I forgot to call my mom about this!" I remembered. I quickly called Mom.

"Hi?" Mom's voice asked on the other end.

"I forgot to ask if I could go to the meeting for volleyball tryouts. Can I go?" I inquired.

"Sure." Mom replied. "When is it over?"

"Around 5. Can you get me?" I questioned.

"No, sorry. Grace and Declan have soccer practice." Mom answered. "There's a 5:15 bus, right?"

"Yeah," I replied. "I've got to go. Love you, bye." I whispered the last part. I was weird. I was paranoid that if I didn't tell a relative or someone I cared about that I loved them before I got off the phone, they might die and then I'd feel super guilty.

Honestly, I most certainly did not want to take the late bus home. I never had before.

Lyra, her friends, and I were among the last to arrive in Mr. D's room. I took the paper everyone was already filling in.

I dug through my bag for a pencil. Nothing. Not even a pen. No colored pencils or a crayon.

Luckily, Ruby, one of Lyra's friends (super heckin tall), had a few pencils on hand and was passing them around.

I waited for someone to be done with theirs to start writing. I looked around the room.

Ms. P was here. She was a Heart and Sole (big girl Girls on the Run) coach last year, and I had been in the group. I was the one who never stopped. And I was the fastest.

I read over the form. Regular thing, normal thing, that makes sense. Nothing about anything the coaches might need to know. My allergies section was blank, so I wrote down that I had a back brace for scoliosis that I needed to wear for 18 to 20 hours a day.

After informational things, the girls who wanted to try out for the team went to Lab 132 for ImPact (that was it. I'm writing this a few days after I forgot the test's name) testing.

There were two tryouts. And I was not super confident that I'd make the team. Ms. P would only take 12 girls. I tried my best, but I would never be a starter if I even made the team.

I was super anxious that every mistake I made brought me closer to not making it. Every too-hard-hit bump or set, every misstep, and every not-making-it-over-the-net serve put me off balance.

I'm pretty sure the list of the people who made the team was supposed to be posted the next Monday. I told Briana, the girl I sat with on the bus and was on my travel soccer team last season, all about how nervous.

Just before I started walking into the gym the next Monday, the list was there. I scanned the list. 

Hello, I'm back. My flash drive went missing and I found it yesterday. Really sorry. Also, I have no idea what any chapters following the next will be about. Wish me luck, let's hope something jogs my memory.

So, I will age this week. I am very excited. I hope to work out the details very soon so that I know what's happening.

Also, July 17th will be the 100th year of the assassination of Russia's last imperial family, the Romanovs. I hope to remember to post then, so we can have a moment of silence because SOME OF THEM *cough* the children *cough* COULD HAVE BEEN SPARED! LITTLE ALEXEI HAD INCURABLE HEMOPHILIA AND WOMEN WEREN'T ALLOWED TO RULE RUSSIA ANYWAY! (whoops, I unleashed the inconvenienced Pearl)

So, bye for now, wish me luck with the following chapters, my birthday, and not ranting about the Romanovs and (some of) their unnecessary murders. I cannot think of much else, so let's hope I don't die.

OH WAIT! I will be seeing my orthopedist on August 6th, so I will be hoping it goes well. I don't really care if I need the brace again, it would be cool to forget my fears and wear it on the outside of my clothes and edumacate the children. I just hope I can bring the curve down (again). WHOOPS, SPOILERS, GOT TO GO!