Confessing to Her (And other Olympic-level Feats)

Chapter 2

The next day, after school, Chelsea went to where she knew Olivia would be: At the gym by herself. It was just as she predicted: Olivia was playing volleyball by herself in her track uniform again. 

Chelsea would always go to the edge of the gym entrance door and peek her head to watch her. She'd do this from time to time, Olivia'd never notice, and she was content with that. She didn't need to notice her- after all. She kind of enjoyed that fly-on-the-wall feeling- where her presence didn't make much of a difference. 

It's how she felt things should be when it came to herself.

Though this time, Olivia turned her head to the door she was peeking through, and like a bullet, she zipped her head back. She found herself breathing heavily. Olivia definitely saw her, she thought. Her mind ping-pong'd back and forth between confirmation and denial.

"Chelsea?" She soon heard Olivia call out. Chelsea stiffened like a wooden board, quickly debating if she should just run away now before her crush had the chance to confirm her presence. Facing her now would simply be too embarrassing- but before she could move the fear dictated her to stay in place. Her mind resisted, but her body obeyed. Soon the confused volleyball player approached her.

"Oh!" Olivia cried, beaming. "What's up Chel? Can I call you Chel?"

"I-.." Chelsea was at a loss for words yet again.

"Were you watching me earlier? Y'know, it'd be a better view if you just watched me on the bleachers." Without warning, Olivia grabbed Chelsea's hand and pulled her, and before she knew it, she was being dragged into the gym.  She was too baffled to speak. The fact that the blonde would just think nothing of a person staring at her from a distance and pull them over without a second thought was unusual on it's own. In fact-, in a way, she was thankful for it, but..

She was holding her hand. 

Chelsea gently sighed in pleasure. At least she didn't have to spy on her from afar, she'd have a good look at her while she'd practice.

And that, she did.

"Hey Chel, "Olivia said, holding her volleyball. "Check out this spike I've been working on!" She said, putting her hands together and hitting the ball high up into the sky, then jumping in the air and hammering her palm against it- knocking it to the floor with immense force. Olivia grinned widely. "Yeah! Did you see that?" She cried. Chelsea nodded and smiled brightly.

"Mhm!" Chelsea answered.

"I was friggen awesome, wasn't I?"

"The best!" Chelsea bounced with joy. Olivia giggled to herself, then glanced at her again.

"Hey! I didn't say stop," Olivia said. "Compliment me more!"

"Huh?" Chelsea flinched. She didn't expect that- but she was more than happy to shower her with as many compliments as possible. "You're the most amazing, cool, and awesome person in the world!" Olivia nodded.

"Dang right I am!" She said, practicing her signature spike.

"You're breathtaking and incredible..!"

Olivia finished her serve again and turned to Chelsea again like a puppy dog waiting for a treat after showing their master a trick. It reminded her of her own dog at home.

"You're so admirable..." Chelsea continued. Her heart started racing. "...and I lo-!"

Chelsea froze. Olivia turned to her in confusion.

"Huh?" She said. "You gonna go on, or...?"

Was she going to do it? Was today truly the day she finally confessed?! She shuddered at the thought, then another passed her mind. She should have known yesterday. Today it should be fine! She demanded her lips to move.

"I lov-"

"Heyy!" Distant voices cried in the back. Olivia's head swung to the girls walking to her. She turned back to the redhead whose resolve turned back to thin ice. "Hold that thought," Olivia said. "Whassup guys?" She said, walking up to her two friends.

"Just came here to let'cha know that the gym's going to close soon." One of them said. "Coach said you need to seriously not overwork yourself."

"Yeah," The other said. "He's not the only one worried about you. You really need to relax."

"But..." Olivia lowered her head. "We didn't win the last game...If I don't do well this time- I'll-"

"We're all working hard too, but you need to not overstrain yourself." Her teammate said. "If you don't do it he'll temporarily kick you out of the team."

"Wh-What?!" Olivia said."Bu-"

"Sorry, if you wanna talk more about it, talk to the coach."

"...Okay." Olivia said, frowning and lowering her head. The two girls left. Olivia kicked her feet and grumbled.

"I'm sorry.." Chelsea said. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Huh?" Olivia turned to Chelsea. "What can you do?"

"I-... I mean, I..." She hesitated. "I don't know. But I want to help any way I can... M-Maybe if I practiced with you?"

"Can you play?"

"I.. uh- no.."

Olivia chuckled. "Why are you offering to practice if you can't even play? Weirdo." she said. Chelsea frowned. She hoped to help her sulking friend and messed up, just like she always did.

 "That kind of cheered me up a little, though. Thank you," The redhead raised her head and eyebrows. She did something good? She thought. What 'good' she did remained a mystery, but she was glad she helped somehow. 

 The blonde athlete put her finger under her lips, humming while going deep in thought. "Oh!" She said. "Maybe you can be my cheerleader!"

"Ch-" Chelsea's face went bright red. "Cheerleader?!" She wove her hands in denial in front of her. "I- I don't want to wear one of those skimpy outfits!"

"No!" Olivia chuckled. "You don't have to at all, just cheer for me while you watch me practice. It'll help me out."

"Is that it...?"

"Yeah! I mean- you did say you wanted to help. You don't have t-"

"Y-Yes! I'll definitely do it!" Chelsea shouted. Olivia's brow rose.

"Okay. You sound really into it. You're really weird, doing this for a person you just met." She said, chuckling and scratching the back of her head. "Though- I appreciate it nonetheless, really."

"...Anything for you..." She mumbled, lowering her head.

"What was that?"

"N-Nothing," She said, pushing up her glasses. "When do you want me to start?"

"We can just meet up again at the same time. That sound good?"

"Y-Yeah! It does...!" She said, grinning widely.

"I'll have to get going now since the gym's closing. See you." She said, turning around.

"S-See you tomorrow!"

Chelsea was so happy she could jump. Before she wasn't even able to approach her without getting scared, but now, they're meeting up..!

The following night, Chelsea hugged her pillow and squealed into it- being unable to sleep from sheer excitement alone. She was overjoyed at the series of events that led to what happened- but nothing could have prepared her for what Olivia had planned to say the next day.

"Y'know..." Olivia said while Chelsea watched her play with a volleyball, of course, while delivering a special heart-felt volley of compliments. "You're very helpful, being here. So I've decided something."

"...What is it?" Chelsea asked.

"I want to do something for you, too. I wanna help you just like how you're helping me."