Please Mind The Gap #1

5: Please mind the balls

5: Please mind the balls

—- banner by @admissable —-

It was her serve.

The competition started just over five minutes ago, and Teddy was already sweating. She wiped her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand and tossed the little green tennis ball high into the air.

Right before she hit it, she caught sight of Nathan smirking beyond the net.

Her racket forced the ball over the net and....

It missed the line.

"Errol to serve again!" barked the umpire over the cheering crowd were was all
for Nathan.

She was fuming. She never missed a serve. Stupid...smirking....idiot....Wren.

"Please mind the balls, Wren," she hissed between her teeth. "Including yours."

Teddy served once more and this time, successfully. Nathan scrambled over to his right and gave the tennis ball a good smash with his racket. It flew over the net, nearing Teddy's far left. She sprang into the air, smacked the ball over to Nathan's side, and crashed to the ground. Quickly, she got up, ignoring the pain, ready to receive his hit.

But it never came because he missed.

"Yes!" Teddy exclaimed. "I smashed it!"

"Out!" countered the overly aggressive umpire. "Fifteen-love with Wren in the lead!"

The crowd erupted into louder cheers.

Teddy's jaw dropped in dismay. She was out? That was bloody impossible.

Im. Pos. Si. Ble.

Focus. Focus, Teddy. That smirking bastard. He was going to get it.

—-

It was the final set. They had won a set each. Nathan was now in the lead with forty, Teddy was one point behind. If she got this point, they'd be deuce. If she didn't, she was dead.

Nathan tossed the ball and served. Teddy played like never before, smacking and hitting and running like she was about to die the next day. She had to-

"Deuce!" the growling umpire announced.

Okay. Good job, me, Teddy thought. This is life or death. I have to get that advantage and beat the bloody hell out of him.

She let out a slow breath. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion, with precision and accuracy. She was aware of the audience, cheering for Nathan, she could feel the sweat trickling down her forehead, tracing cold paths down her face, she could hear Larry yelling at her, the thuds of the tennis ball as it bounced on the ground.

Teddy served the best she could and he returned it. He was good, she admitted reluctantly. She had underestimated him. Now she had to prove herself and be better.

But she missed.

"Advantage, Wren!"

She caught his gaze and watched him shrug and smile innocently like, What can I say? I'm winning, Ted.

Teddy's blood began to boil, hot enough to evaporate all the world's oceans.

And the war began. Really began. They hit the ball back and forth, alternating scores.