Taught

6: a special invite

Paige's P.O.V:

Sweat rolled down my forehead as everything seemed to move in slow motion. I took a deep breath and tossed the ball in the air. I took two steps and jumped, swinging my right arm hard and watching my topspin serve gracefully fly over the net and reach Willowbrook's libero square on her arms, sending a perfect pass to her setter as I ran forward to the net. Suddenly, their setter passed it over the net.

"FREE" we all yelled as Allie passed the ball to our setter, Veronica. I ran towards the net and started jumping.

"Give it here, Ronnie" I shouted and she back set it towards me. This was it. If I aced this ball we'd win and go to worlds. Just as the ball stopped for a thousandth of a second, I swung my arm as hard as I could and my open hand collided with the ball. As gravity pulled me back down to the ground the ball flew straight down at an angle and hit the ground right at the edge of the court. Everyone shot their heads and eyes to the line judge. No way that wasn't a line-shot, was what we were all thinking. If it wasn't it had to be millimeters off. Her arm shoots down to the ground calling in and everyone starts cheering. Ronnie, Allie, and the rest of us jump up and start yelling.

"Wait, wait, wait!" I yelled. Everyone got quiet and looked at me. A smile grew on my face, "WE'RE GOING TO NATIONALS! AAAAHHHHHH!" My whole team and the parents and the coaches started screaming again, some of us- including me- crying.

This was everything that we'd been training for and in 2 and a weeks my best friends and I would be headed to Honolulu, Hawaii to kick ass at nationals. God everything was going exactly as it should be.

***

Chase's P.O.V.

After practice, I headed straight home to get cleaned up for Liv's dinner. I parked my truck and ran inside. We were leaving for dinner at 6:10 and it was already 5:45. Fuck, I couldn't be late for this.  Right when I walked in I saw my dad and Kalissa sitting at the bar, already dressed and ready and I headed straight for the stairs, knowing Coach had already left an email for dad.

"Chase," my father's firm voice said. I pressed my lips together and turned around. Kalissa put her hand on his arm and whispered to him.

"I think I should handle this one baby." My dad raised a brow but didn't protest. I internally sighed. It's not that bad when my dad and I go through things like this, but Kalissa had a much softer touch and I already had a shitty day. "Chase, your father and I are concerned about your government grade and how it will effect your spot on your team which we know is important to you. Your coach emailed your father. He thinks it would be best for you to get a tutor which is not open for discussion. You will be getting one and we will talk more about this later. Go get cleaned up," she said as sweetly but sternly as she could. 

"Yes, ma'am," I said before I ran upstairs. If Kalissa wasn't the sweetest human being I've ever met and so great for my dad, I'd probably be pissed at her for trying to have a say like a mother does but I was honestly proud of her, which sounds weird but she worked so hard to get Liv and I to like her. And she was always worried about us not liking her if she was too hard on us. But she just did that, and I was proud.

***

Liv was buzzing as we drove to the restaurant. She was so excited while we scrolled through our Instagrams. I nearly fell asleep when I heard Livy speak up.

"Paige's team won the state tournament and is going to nationals in 2 ish weeks," she said like it was nothing.

"That's wonderful news!" Kalissa said.

"Paige, that's a name I haven't heard in a while, Chase," my dad said. He made eye contact with me through the rearview mirror and then back at the road. "Whatever happened between you two?" I never had the heart to tell them anything.

"We just got busy and our schedules never aligned and we just kinda fell off. I don't really know how it happened," I lied straight through my teeth. Then my father said something I wish I didn't hear.

"Call her up real quick. Invite the Oakland's over for dinner, tomorrow night." I gulped.

"R-right now?" I stumbled on my words.

"Yeah, right now. I know Liv would love to see her and so would Kalissa and I. Besides, it's about time you two reconnected. She was so good for you," I gulped. Yeah right.

"Okay," I said scrolling through my phone looking for her contact that was still there and never changed. I figured she wouldn't answer. My number probably wasn't even still in he number. I took a deep breath and heard it ring. Once. Twice, and in the middle of the third ring, the phone stopped ringing.

***

Paige's P.O.V.

The team decided to meet for a team dinner at 7 so we could get home and shower up and look good. I had just gotten downstairs, and into my mom's bathroom with the big mirror to do my make up when i heard my phone ring. My mom was standing next to me talking with me as it started ringing.

"Can you grab that, Momma?" I asked. If i moved while trying to do eyeliner, i'd stab my eyeball.

"Of course, baby. Chase Joshua? I haven't heard his name in awhile," my mom said in the thickest country accent you've ever heard. Before I could tell her not to answer it, she clicked answer and my heart stopped when i heard his voice. "Hello?"

"Mrs. Oakland?" I couldn't believe he could tell it wasn't me.

"Oh, good!" I heard Mr. Carter in the background.

"Hey, Chase!" My mom said. "Paigey's right here if you wanna talk to her." I internally groaned and continued my make-up.

"Hey, Chase," I shoved out.

"H-hey, Paige. Uhm, I actually needed to talk to both of you, kind of." I could feel the anxiety radiating off of him through the phone.

"What's up, Sweetie?" my mom said. I had no clue what this could be.

"Well, Liv saw on Paige's Instagram that y'all had won state, so we wanted to invite you over for dinner to celebrate and reconnect  tomorrow night?" He forced out. I could tell he didn't actually want that. But my southern mother decided to be polite.

"Actually, we were gonna cook a big dinner tomorrow night. How about you and your family come here? It'd be great to host y'all again," she said.

"Are you sure, Cali?" I heard Mr. Carter say.

"Yes, Morgan. I insist. Dinner will be around 6:45. And no seafood, I remember for Miss. Liv," my mother said.

"Thank you, Cali. We'll see you tomorrow."

And just like that my entire world flipped upside down.