American Asia

Knockout Hit

Asia

I walked into school wearing somewhat of a strange combination. I was wearing a pair of black skinny jeans with the heels Zach told me to wear, and an L.A. Love T-shirt. I had my long, blond hair in a ponytail on top of my head. I wore my favorite earrings: dangly gold stars. Since the sun was bearing down brightly that morning, I had on my aviator shades with flowers on the sides to guard my heavily makeup-ed turquoise eyes. I walked through the doors and met up with Juarez and Will, and were later joined by Zach. I went in the direction of the chemistry lab with Will, while Zach headed to Calculus and Juarez started toward Astronomy, which I’ve heard is terribly hard. You wonder why I didn’t take that class. Did I mention that it was my birthday today? Also, today is our first home volleyball, against the Pumas.

I ran through the open  door of the girls’ locker room with the crowd cheering me on. I practiced spiking against a wall, since I’m in the starting lineup as and outside hitter. They won the coin toss, so they served first. The overhand came over deep, Ellie set it up to 4, and I slammed it over the net, running from the back row. (If the other team serves first, you go backwards one rotation.) It hit the girl who was blocking the other team and came back over the net, we got it over again, but the point decidedly did not count since I hit the girl square on in the face. Oops. The was led into the girls’ locker room, holding her nose. coach, I could tell, was trying not to laugh and ultimately failing as she subbed my-sister-but-not-twin, even-though-we’re-the-same-age, India, in for me. She patted me on the back and congratulated me for ‘getting that hit over the net’. All the rest of the girls on the sidelines were laughing so hard they were crying.

“Geez Asia, bad mood much?” Rosalyn chuckled. I grinned.

“You know I didn’t do that on purpose! Why would I?” I retorted.

“I dunno, maybe you have a grudge from last year.” she suggested.

“Asia, sub in for Veronica.” coach ordered. I ran to the ten foot line.

“Good luck.” Veronica said encouragingly. The game was tied 24-24 and I was now setter. Their serve,and it came over hard. I needed something that would surprise them. Second hit, I thought suddenly. Setter always, always gets second hit. Madison passed the ball neatly to me, and instead of setting it to India, I pushed it right over the net. the other team wasn’t ready, and the ball dropped to the gym floor with a satisfying thump. The effect of the crowd was as if a wave was crashing over and over again, getting louder each time. I grinned widely as my teammates screamed and jumped up and down like five-year-olds, surrounding me in a friendly huddle. Juarez got jumped by his girlfriend, Ellie, on the way over, so he gave her a ride on his back.

“Buena Ganar.” he said, which means ‘nice win’ in spanish. I let my lips pull back so you could see the back row of my teeth.