10 games, 10 dates

31 (n)

The crowd cheered as Ella spiked the ball earning the Aces another point. Once seeing the ball hit the ground she immediately turned around, avoiding eye contact with the rival team's team captain. She could feel the glare being sent her way despite having her back turned to the net, however she didn't care. She was here to win, not get into some cat fight.

20-18 the score read. She sighed and told Claire the next play they should do and her vice captain nodded while smiling.

"51!" Claire yelled. The crowd cheered as the Aces once again got another point. 21-18 and Ella could feel the growing tension as they neared the end of the game. They needed to win one more set to keep their perfect run in the season.

The opposing crowd cheered once their own captain scored. To a normal spectator it would've looked like a normal play in the game of volleyball, but to the eyes of a few on the court and in the crowd, they knew that play had a target. The ball had a target: Ella.

After a few more plays the score was too close for Ella's comfort.

23-22.

Two more points, yet Ella could feel her anxiety start to build up. As she walked to the service line she could hear some harsh words being thrown towards her. She tried to shake it off, but her anxiety only got worse. She looked up once hearing a whistle indicating that a time-out has been called...by her coach. As she walked closer to the bench she heard a familiar voice calling her name.

"Cap!" he called. She stopped right before the bench and turned around.

"You got this. She'll be proud of you. Always." she could only give him a small nod and he worried it wasn't enough to calm her down. Yet he didn't know that his mere words, that mere reminder was more than enough to give her the power and motivation to get her head back in the game. To keep going. To win. For her.