Third Strike Rule

You Hate Me? I Bet You Do

It had officially been a year since Nolan Bellinger and Viviana Yelich had seen each other for the first time in years at the UCLA annual party. A party she wasn't supposed to be at considering she was a student at USC. Somehow her twin brother, CJ, convinced her to go and she had still never thanked him for that. She never would have had that fun night with Nolan when he initially sparked her interest.

Despite all the bad things that had happened in the past year Viv wouldn't have traded it for anything. She had the best relationship she had ever had with her mom, dad, brother and sister. She won a National Championship, she qualified for the Olympic Trials and had the opportunity to play for another national championship in indoor. Not mention she had made All-Academic PAC XII Team, All-American PAC XII Sand Volleyball, PAC XII Female Athlete of the Year, and had been nominated for several ESPYs.

Viviana was still trying to figure out why she was headed back to the rank frat house on the UCLA campus. This was entirely her decision. CJ didn't drag her out and she had no reason to be headed to a party at UCLA. Especially, considering she was Public Enemy No. 1 at UCLA now that she and Nolan had broken up. She had lied to Cy about where she was going. It wasn't hard with him in Houston for a game. He thought Viv was headed to Westlake Village for the weekend to recharge before classes started the next week. He had no idea she was headed to a party at his brother's school.

"Are you sure we're not going to be mobbed?" Sydney, the setter for the USC indoor team, asked Viviana as the pair drove across LA to UCLA campus.

Viv dearly missed Naomi, her sand volleyball partner, who had graduated and moved to Florida for amateur season. Sydney was meant to replace Naomi but the girl didn't complete trust Viv and was way too concerned with not breaking any rules.

"Aren't you dating the UCLA running back?" Viv asks trying not to roll her eyes.

Sydney nodded, "Yeah, but its only been like a few months I don't want to press him you know?"

"No I don't..." Viv says in the nicest tone possible. She had never felt like she was pressing any guy she had ever talked to. It dawned on her then that no matter what relationship she had been in she had always been on control.

Sydney sunk into the bucket seat. She had never felt intimidated in her life and standing at 6'4" she had no reason to, but when Viviana Yelich walked into indoor practice Sydney quickly realized how small that gym was. She had never met such a confidence, intense and sure player in her life. It was fascinating to watch the coach explain a skill to Viv who then practiced it three times and preformed and executed that skill perfectly on the fourth try. Viviana was the smartest player Sydney had ever played with. She would see the ball in the air and already take two steps to where it was going to be. It was insane.

The girls pulled up to the frat house and parked down the street in case the cops showed up. It was weird that Viv was going to a house party and not a club. Ever since she turned 21 she had only gone to clubs downtown.

Viv strutted in and greeted the few people she still knew at UCLA. Unfortunately they were all girls she had played against this season or guys she used to talk to. Weirdly, enough they were all happy to see her. There was definitely a new level of respect towards her. She wasn't some laughing stock anymore. She was top fucking dog and she intended to stay there. Viv couldn't find Nolan anywhere and she couldn't figure out if she was relieved or disappointed. After their last confrontation she wasn't sure she had it in her for another fight.

Her guard was up even as she sipped on the punch and stood at the back talking to the guys she had met in Hawaii. Miles, Braydon, Tyler and Brennan were all on the UCLA baseball team and still adored Viviana. She wanted to ask them were Nolan was but she knew that would look desperate. Why did she even want to know? She was struggling to figure out exactly why she had come to this stupid party anyway. With no sign of Nolan, Viviana decided to start shooting tequila the boys.