Adopted | Shaytards

Volleyball

A couple of weeks after the Streamy's things seemed pretty normal. The kids went to school, I did my school online, and there was shuffling the kids back and fourth from their activities. I was working on getting my drivers permit so I could help with the kids. But, now Shay and Colette were trying to get me to do an activity. They wanted me to find a sport or some kind of club to join. That way I could find some friends and get out of the house more. So, I was now looking in some magazines and online for an activity that I wanted to do. Next to me, I had Avia and Emmi shouting things that I should do.

"Do cheerleading! That way I could teach you!" Avia shouted.

"Sorry Av, I think my days of doing flips are over." I said shaking my head. Not only that but I wasn't interested in being a cheerleader.

"What about art club? You could draw all the time." Emmi suggested.

"I'm not an artist." I shook my head, not to mention it was another thing I was not interested in.

"Is there something for writing?" Shay asked and I sighed.

"No, that was the first thing I checked." I explained.

"Did you play any sports when you were younger?" Colette asked and I tried to think back.

"Um. After my mom died, I played volleyball for a few months for my school. I was never very good, and was mostly a bench warmer." I shrugged not wanting to bring the memories back.

"Did you like it?" Colette asked. I tried not to think about why I started volleyball, the memories were painful.

"It was better than what I was avoiding." I sighed.

"Why don't you try it again?" Colette suggested and I figured it was probably the only thing I was kind of interested in.

"Okay, that sounds good." I nodded and we signed me up for it.

So, later that week we were on our way to my first practice. I was playing on a beginner team at the local rec-center. I had practice every Tuesday and Thursday starting fifteen minutes before Emmi's dance class. I waved good-bye to Colette and Emmi and walked into the rec-center. I asked the lady at the front desk where to go and she sent me to the right place. I walked into a gym with a few other girls my age warming up and the coach watching them. When she saw me her face light up.

"Aspen right?" she asked coming up to me.

"Yeah." I nodded rubbing my arm.

"I'm Mary, but call me Coach Mary. So, you played volleyball before?" Coach Mary asked confirming what we said on the phone.

"For a couple of months. I was mostly a bench warmer." I shrugged.

"Well, we make sure everyone plays on this team. Why don't you go introduce yourself to the other girls and warm up with them." Mary told me and I nodded and jogged over to the other girls.

"Hi! What's your name?" a girl asked before I could say anything.

"Aspen. What's yours?" I replied trying to put on a good smile.

"I'm Alyssa, the team captain. Hey you used to go to the high school right? I think we had the same science class together." She rambled.

"Yeah I did, but my parents and I decided that online school was better for me." I explain and hoped she wouldn't talk about my bio parents.

"Oh that's cool. I'd love to do that." Alyssa nodded and then she began to introduce me to the other girls. We started running a few laps and then did some passing drills before Coach Mary called us to meet at the net.

***

"Aspen?" Colette called down the stairs. "Are you almost ready?"

I looked at myself in the mirror. Today was my first game and I was wearing my brand new uniform. We had blue long sleeve jerseys and I was number 32, the same number I was last time I played. I thought back briefly to my last first game, my life was so incredibly different now.

"Yeah! I'm coming!" I yelled back. I grabbed my bag that held my shoes, a water bottle, and clothes to change into after the game and ran to get in the car.

"Today, we are going to Aspen's first volleyball game!" Shay said vlogging. Everyone was super excited to see me play. I on the other hand was incredibly nervous.

"What's your plan today Aspen? How do you plan on winning?" Shay asked interview style making me laugh.

"Well, you know team work, the team really has to talk on the floor. Also, hum, moving a lot making sure that ball doesn't touch the floor in our court. We need real good serves." I said playing along using my water bottle as a microphone.

"Alright, what are your personal goals for this game?" Shay continued happy that I was going along.

"Well, I think my serves I want to be really consistent, maybe get an Ace out there. Along with my hits, I want those to be consistent and hard to block." I explained.

"Awesome, well good luck out there." Shay smiled and turned off the camera. Once we got to the gym I split from my family. They went to the bleachers and I went to the locker room with my team.

Soon enough the game started and the first six girls were on the court. I played a little in the first set but there wasn't anything too exciting. My team won 25-20, and we could feel the adrenaline pumping. Almost at the end of the second game Coach Mary put me in to serve. I wasn't able to serve over hand but my underhand serves were pretty consistent. My serves were pretty short which through the other team off. My first serve a girl on the other team touched it but it fell before it could get passed over again. My second serve was passed back but Alyssa got a really good hit in giving me a chance to serve again. The score was 24-23 for us. It was game point, if I got this serve I'd win us this set. When the ball left my hand for my third serve I knew it was short. The ball hit the top of the net and the other team relaxed, expecting it to fall on our side of the court. Except the ball just barely rolled over the top of the net falling to their side of the court. There was panic in the other teams eyes as the ball fell and they all reached out for it, but the ball hit the ground. I got the ace that I wanted. I heard Shay's yell from the stands over everyone else and the other girls ran to high five me. Coach Mary looked so excited as we came off the court.

"That was an awesome serve!" Coach Mary yelled giving me a double high five.

"Thanks, I didn't think it was going to go over." I said still shocked.

"But it did." Alyssa said patting me on the back. We went back to play the third set, hoping to win so we could go home and celebrate. With the exciting win we had adrenaline to last us for days. In the end we won the set 25-10, and the whole game 3-0. We shook the other teams hands and celebrated after the game with a team dinner at Wingers. Shay vlogged making me a little self-conscious but most of the team thought it was cool. In the end the first game went overwhelmingly well and was an awesome way to start off.