I'm Ok

Chapter I- Late Bloomer

"You have to control your pulse or else it'll fly out of the table. Then try to smash the ball while bending your legs a little. Make sure your hand is leveled to your left shoulder when you smash. Understand?" Mark said while trying to show Mina the right pose. The girl nodded trying to take it all in.

She took a deep breath and tried her best to do what she's told. "Bend the legs and smash" she kept these words on repeat in her mind as she tried to execute the play. She wanted to get this right and show her teammates she got what it takes to be in the team. She wanted to show that Mark's trust in them won't go to waste.

After getting her composure back she tried to copy what Mark did as he served the ball towards her. Giving her a chance to execute what he had taught her.

It took her several times of trying after she finally got the hang of it. It was tough to follow the stance especially when you're already in the play itself but since she really wanted to show her mentor her eagerness to learn, her progress became impressive.

"Yes, it went in!" Did you see that, Sana?!" she smiled looking at her friend who's sitting on the bench resting after being taught the same thing. Sana smiled and clapped her hands excitedly even though she, too, was a bit exhausted. "At least, one of us is doing it right." Sana said and giggled. Unlike Mina, Sana is not that into the sport. She just said yes because her boyfriend Mark, who happened to be the team captain, asked her to join. Of course, as a supportive girlfriend she doesn't want him to be disappointed in her. Another reason she said yes is because she wanted to spend more time with her lover and look out for girls who would try to steal her man.

"Good job! You're doing great, Mina. I guess you finally found where you're good at. You really looked like you're really enjoying this. You're patience is amazing not like some cute squirrel I know." Mark gave her a goofy smile while raising his hands for a thumbs up. He then looked at her girlfriend and teased her. Sana just laughed at him and so he just went back to teaching Mina some service attacks.

Mina's smile seemed to not be leaving her face any time soon. Although her nerves are shaking due to exhaustion plus the fact she's sweating a lot made her look like she needed some rest, she chose to practice a bit more. She feels that her body is getting energized the more she moved around.

"I want to keep playing." She kept on thinking that way that her smile grew bigger every second. The sport felt an escape for her. It made her anticipate what's next. She liked the feeling of moving her body around. Figuring out what the opponent might do next is also a big yes to her competitive mind.

She still have a long way to go with this sport, she knows that but learning it is what makes it fun. So, deciding to join Mark's team for the intramurals is really a great opportunity for her. That made her proud of herself.

Mark's right. I guess I had finally found where I'm good at. Although I don't look like a very sporty person for that matter. This thought made her chuckle.

The enjoyment that she got from their practice lead her to grasp everything that was taught to her easily. It's not only Mark that saw her potential for the sport but also the other members of the team. The team even call her the late bloomer since it's their junior year already.

"I bet if you started practicing back on our freshmen year, you'll be one of the best athletes of the school, Mina." Jackson, one of the guys playing doubles, said.

Mina can't help the grin on her face when she thought about it. It's making her giddy inside. If only she can take back time and turn back to being a freshman.

Getting such a compliment from the guy was such a high boost to her confidence. Hearing such thing, means she's doing a great job at practice and so she vowed to practice more to be able to lift the girl's team at least.