Once Upon A Player

Chapter 1: Val, the Fab

Val watched as their libero dove just in time to hit it upwards.

“Dessa!” someone shouted as the ball sailed into their setter’s waiting hands. Val’s legs were rock-tense as she prepared to jump. But instead of lifting the ball towards her direction, Dessa tossed it to the other side of the court, where it hit an empty floor space with a satisfying bump.

There was a split second before they all realized what had happened—except for Dessa whose petite and stocky frame streaked past them, sprinting across their side of the court, her springy curls flying and boinging as she emitted a loud “WOOOHOOOOOO!”

Recovering from the shock, the team rejoiced with a round of hugging, head tapping and high-fiving. Val and her teammates shifted to position—but not before Dessa walked between her and Kat, lightly tapping their hips. “Whammy,” she said, her voice soft but sharp.

The three went to their places poker-faced as if nothing had happened.

The Phoenix server released the ball, which flew into a graceful arc into the opposite court. It was received a flawlessly, allowing the Knights to execute a spike. With her hands poised over the court for a block, Kat managed to slow down the spinning ball, which was hit once again, by their libero. Dessa received the ball, tossing it up the air over to Kat. The blockers on the other side immediately put their arms up to deflect her hit.

Kat jumped high in the air, but didn’t hit the ball. Instead, right behind her swooped in Val, who had jumped even higher, to smack down the ball in an angle that was so steep, it was almost vertical.

The Knights scrambled into position, but it was too late. The ball had already bounced right off the floor.

A glorious roar filled the stadium. Val howled and pumped her fists in the air. The next thing she felt was being crushed from all sides as she found herself the center of a laughing, shrieking jumble of silver jerseys.

“FAB! FAB! FAB!” the crowd chanted.

Val closed her eyes and smiled, soaking in the beautiful, beautiful chaos.

* * *

Val was no tennis fan, but her favorite female athlete, hands down, was Maria Sharapova. Not only was she a darn good athlete, she was also darn beautiful—and rich. Gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated ranked high in Val’s book, but being part of the Forbes Celebrity 100? That was way, way cooler.

Since being ultra rich was still a long shot, Val decided to focus on being a gorgeous athlete for now. Which was why she had taken pains in blow-drying her hair, and was now evenly applying BB cream on her just-washed, toned and moisturized face in the dugout shower room.

"My whole body feels so sore," Kat groaned, pressing the length of her  frame on the tiled wall. "It's all tenderized-- you can just slap it on the grill with barbecue sauce."

"Don't talk about food!" Dessa, who was sitting on the sink, turned around and caught Val’s eye in the mirror. "Can you puh-lease hurry up? We’re famished!"

Val raised a perfectly arched eyebrow, eying her teammates’ damp hair, which created unsightly wet patches on their shirts’ shoulders.

“A quick blowdry, anyone?” She held up the battery-operated mini hairdryer, which she especially ordered from her tita in the states.

Kat made a face, reducing her already chinita eyes into slits, while Dessa clicked her tongue in exasperation. "We're the only ones left here, Val. They're probably having dessert by now."

It was tradition for the whole Phoenix team to celebrate each victory by eating out. This season, they had so far been unbeatable, which meant that they had practically pigged out after every game. For once, Val was grateful for the long hours spent on rigorous training that easily burned the extra calories.