❛ MY BOY ❜ ʙɪʟʟʏ ʜᴀʀɢʀᴏᴠᴇ

TWO ! the volleyball party

             ꧁ ❛ MY BOY ❜  ꧂             
 ᵇᶦˡˡʸ ʰᵃʳᵍʳᵒᵛᵉ

CHAPTER TWO
THE VOLLEYBALL PARTY

"GO SARA!"

          Steve cheered for his sister from the benches, one arm around Nancy and the other straight up in the air, his hand balled up in a fist. He was Sara's biggest supporter, and Nancy came in a close second. They attended all of Sara's matches, home and away, since she joined the volleyball team.

          Sara huffed quietly, a bead of sweat dripping from her forehead. The opposing team was good, and usually she would take this as an excuse to push herself to the limit and blow them out of the water, but she felt destroyed. It had been a week since Nancy had told her the news about Barb, and she still didn't feel any better. Nancy and Steve on the other hand seemed to be doing just fine, smiling brightly wearing yellow foam fingers and face paint.
          She took a glance at the benches, longing for her bottle of cool water.

"Eighteen!" Their coach bellowed, an angry look on her face, "What's the matter with you?" She demanded, the whistle dangling from her neck as she shook her head.

"Sorry, Coach." She gulped, taking a mouthful of anxiety and swallowing it. Her hair felt sticky and her thighs were red hot. She stared down the team across the room, glaring at the one girl who spiked the ball right in front of her.

"Sorry doesn't win the game," she spat, "play right or I'll keep you on this bench." She pointed harshly. Sara exhaled a shaky breath. If only her coach knew why she was tired.

         The game resumed and a scowl melted onto Sara's face. She was done. She was tired and wanted to stop.
           Sara squatted, watching for her teams setter to push the ball into the air above her. The sound seemed to diminish from her ears and she could hear the blood rushing through her limbs. She breathed, the heat from the spotlights above them practically sizzling her body. She felt like she was on fire. A while passed, and Sara had done the bare minimum, and quickly, the last point of the match was upon them.

"Outside! Outside!" Sara's coach yelled as the setter touched the ball.

           Sara's eyes flickered up, the ball falling right above her head. She jumped, her arm outstretched. She glanced at the scores. They were on twenty four. Her palm stung as it made harsh contact with the ball, slamming it down over the net, crashing to the wooden floor. Her hair fell in front of her face, but she knew that the opposing team was devastated. She had done it. Hawkins had won.

          Steve and Nancy screamed, bolting up out of their seats like electricity, and waving their arms. They were ecstatic, their hearts pumping furiously in their chests. Steve couldn't help but feel proud.