I finished getting myself ready and sighed as the familiar weight came down on my shoulders, arms, and legs. It was great, and I was ready to practice and went to the gym to start my warm-up after placing my bag in the corner. As I entered, I knew I was early, as I was the first out into the gym and Mr. Trimmers was there grabbing out things for volleyball. I quickly ran over to him instead of warming up and helped him set up as more girls came in for class and began to stretch.
"Thanks, Angela," Mr. Trimmers said as I finished putting up the net with him. "You and Mrs. Grendier will be taking the gym today, but soon I will be taking the gym from you and Mrs. Grednier more often, but I know there is a game today. Good luck," He told me, and I began to walk over to the other girls in my class, and everyone was soon filtering out of the Gymnasium. I was left alone to run around the gym again and again. I ran, loving the feeling of running, although I preferred to run outside so I could feel the wind kiss my skin as I sprinted. I slowed to a jog again on my seventh lap around the gym when I saw Mrs. Grendier come in with a large smile.
"Ah, you are here," Mrs. Grendier said, coming up as I slowed to a walk and began to walk off my running while Mrs. Grendier continued to talk. "So the other team will be arriving soon, and I may have to end our practice early. You are already warmed up, so what we are going to do is some regular practices with the net at the Men's regulation, then bring it back down later. I want to see you retrieving and putting it back on the other side of the net. While we do that, I want you to work on your aim since that is what needs the most improvement. We will also go over some spikes and your aim on that as well. Ready?" Mrs. Grendier asked.
"Yes, Coach," I replied, smiling, and the practice began.
I jumped up, and I realized what a difference the regulations made. I struggled at first to send it back over without hitting the net. The Men's height was more than I was used to, and I couldn't help but wonder why I had to learn a new regulation height. Mrs. Grendier didn't seem to think I needed to know at this time as she served me ball after ball at various speeds and spikes and made me aim them from various spots on the court. After twenty minutes and a lot of balls hitting my hands and arms, we swapped sides before continuing. Everything was flipped, and I continued to struggle with aim, although I felt like I was improving on that factor. Luckily, I didn't have to retrieve the balls since Mrs. Grendier tossed them at me.
We switched regimens quickly, though, and I smiled as I got to spike. The first ball I spiked nearly smacked me in the face, though, as I hit it straight into the net, and it proceeded to miss me barely as I couldn't stop my momentum\ The height of the net got to me again, and I frowned but sucked it up and continued. I found myself jumping harder than normal, rising barely higher, changing my style of spiking a little, losing some of the strength in my swing, and finding that I was getting it over the net and hitting the spots I wanted more often. I couldn't help but smile when Mrs. Grendier brought the net down.
"Good, Now let us try at the normal height," Mrs. Grednier told me, and we continued. I found that I had much better control, and with the increased height, I tried to go every time now that I could see the court better and felt a little more in control of where the ball hit. I started to enjoy myself as I spiked ball after ball into the other side of the court till Mrs. Grendier stopped me. "Lots of progress today, Angela," She said with a smile, "Go rest and stretch a little. I think the other team is here. Do you have anything in the Teachers locker room?" Mrs. Grendier asked. "The other school will be using it today."
"No," I said, my heart beating a little harder at the thought that the camera may have been there if I hadn't found it. "I brought my bag into the gym with me," I finished pointing my bag out, and Mrs. Grendier smiled. "Great, help me clean up, and I will be back soon with the other coach while the girls get settled." Mrs. Grendier said, and I nodded.
"Okay," I replied, and the bell rang, and Mrs. Grendier smiled wryly.
"We are running a little late," Mrs. Grendier commented and headed out of the Gym while Mr. Trimmer's class came into the gym. He started to hear the girls over to the women's locker room. In the meantime, I collected all the balls and put them in the cage basket for them. I smiled as I ran around the gym, enjoying the light workout even as sweat stains were starting to show even on my black workout outfit. I finished up quickly, though, sitting back down and stretching my legs. I sighed and waited when Alex came in and looked at me. I could see something in her eyes that told me I may have messed up on something when I remembered the text this morning, so I walked over.
Alex looked at me; her small frown looked cute, and I smirked. "Not now," I told her simply, and it was like Alex woke up from a small daze looking around the room and seeing the Gymnasium.
"Sorry, Mistress," Alex replied simply and looked around. "How do you feel about the game," Alex paused for a moment before finishing her question, "Angela?"
I smirked, knowing it was weird for her to use my name instead of the title. "Honestly, No idea," I told her with a smile, "You are the veteran, and I am the noobie," I told her and remembered that I still had my weights on and wondered if Mrs. Grendier wanted me to take them off.
I saw her with another older-looking woman that I couldn't see the face of. I jogged over, and Mrs. Grendier saw me coming and her turning more to face me. "What is it?" Mrs. Grendier asked.
"Do you still want me to wear these?" I asked, pointing out my weights.
Mrs. Grendier shook her head, and I turned and left. I returned to my bag and saw Sarah with Alex, stretching and looking at me as I took off the weights and put them in the corner with my bag. I went over a moment later with a smile and continued to stretch with them. Sarah was blushing a little, which made me raise an eyebrow. Sarah turned away, and we stretched in silence when Alex began to get ready to jog just as the last of the girls on our team came in and the others schools girls started to filter in. I didn't pay much attention as I watched Sarah and Alex run off, and I took a moment to watch both their breasts bouncing a little before walking over to a wall and letting myself rest. I had been going for the last hour and didn't want to exhaust myself early.
"Alright, Ladies," Mrs. Grendier called out, "Today, we have a pickup match against the Trinity Girls team from the next town over," Mrs. Grendier announced while the other girls gathered around the other coach. "I want you girls to understand that today is not a time for you to hurt yourselves. I also want everyone on the court at least once tonight. Sarah, I want you to set up some things, and Alex, I need you on your defense game today. I want you to do your best but remember that the school year is just starting and that we may need to pick up our practices on the weekend to make a good showing. Still, I want you all to be confident and do your best. Let me see some hustle," Mrs. Grendier finished, and I felt like it was a bad speech, but I had nothing to say.
It was the truth.
"Go out there and show your team spirit!" Mrs. Grendier called out, and we let out a half-hearted cry that didn't measure up to the other team. That was okay for me, though, as I felt a smile coming up on my lips as I thought about what I could do to the other team now.
"Ladies, You can do it!" I heard a voice across the room yell, and the girls cried out much more solidly than our team did.
"Okay, To start, Alex," Mrs. Grendier began, "You know your spot, and I know you can keep it up like usual. We will start with Dana as our first server, Tira in the left setter position, Sarah in the central blocker position, and Angela in the outside striker position. Lacy, you got the last position, and we will be making sure that everyone has a chance to play. Got it?" Mrs. Grendier said, and I nodded along with the rest of the girls, surprised that I was on the starting lineup.
A man suddenly came into the room and came over as Mrs. Grendier and the other coach came over and looked at both women. "Sorry I am late. I am the referee today. Are both teams ready?" He asked, and Mrs. Grendier said something to him I couldn't hear. "Alright, flip for the first serve," the referee said and flipped a coin. Mrs. Grendier called heads, and the referee caught it. "Tails," He said, and the coach said she would take the first ball.
Suddenly everything was in motion, and the other team served the ball over to our team. In seconds Alex got the ball and sent it into the air over to the left, and the girl named Tira volleyed the ball back up into the air sending it down the line toward me. Sarah jumped up and faked out just as I got myself ready and jumped a little higher than I expected into the air, but my wrist came down on the ball hard, sending it down toward the opposite corner of the court. The girl there went to retrieve the ball, only for it to smack her hand hard and make her cry out a little. Still, the ball was back into the air, and another girl moved outside the court and bumped it forward to her teammates, where there was no chance for them to spike it properly.
Another girl bumped it high into the air over by me, and I got myself in position and volleyed it bumped it into the air, knowing I wasn't good at setting up spikes because I hadn't practiced it much. In fact, I don't remember practicing it at all, and Tira quickly set up a spike with another volley which I already began to jump for if she faked it when Sarah sent it back to the other side where the girl who recovered if the first time was. The girl was rubbing her wrist a little when the ball came down on her side, and she quickly ran to recover the ball and winced as she bumped it into the air heading toward the back wall. The ball hit the wall and bounced out of court, giving us the first point, which Sarah clapped, "Good work, Ladies; get ready and go again!" She cried out for all to hear, and she collected the ball from the Ref a moment later and walked to the back, ready to serve.
Sarah served the ball and sent it into the net for a first warning, and Sarah brushed it off with a smile. I was turned to look at her when she looked at me with a smile before bouncing the ball off the floor and serving it. It went cleanly over to the other side, which the other team promptly recovered and bumped it up into the air to the opposite side of the court from me before volleying it. I couldn't help but smile as I got in place to attempt to block, and the girl in the middle striker position faked out. I jumped a second later as the girl in front of me spiked the ball straight into my hands; I blocked it, sending it straight down to the floor, netting us a second point.
"Great WORK, Angela!" Sarah cried out with Mrs. Grendier speaking up, and I couldn't help the smile on my face while the visiting girls frowned. They glared at me a little while Sarah took the ball again and waited a moment before serving. It soared over, and a girl sent it back up into the air; another girl volleyed it this time in front of me, and I moved over to the center in case she tried to spike there. Again the middle girl faked it while the far girl spiked as I tried to block in the middle before moving back. The spike went straight down the line, and Alex moved to leap as the girl who was supposed to get the ball missed and. Alex got it at the last second before it bounced on the ground, landing on her breasts but sending the ball towards the middle and I got in position as Sarah sent the ball to me and I leaped and spiked the ball over the girl's hands that tried to block it when the ball hit the tips of her fingers and went straight past the court.
The Ref gave us the point making me smile as I already directly got two points. It was a great start for our team, and Sarah took the ball again and quickly served it over to the other team. It was a quick start, and soon I found myself standing near Sarah as the other team bumped the ball and volleyed it followed by a quick spike from their central spiker. Alex quickly came to work and got the ball with a grin on her face, but it was sent over to me, and I frowned as I got in the spot and volleyed it up into the air with a frown as I sent it too high, and Sarah couldn't even fake a spike and Tira got into spot and Spiked it over, and the other team easily recovered it. They set up a spike, and I didn't even have time to get ready as it was launched over. Lacy made herself known and recovered the ball sending it to the center where Sarah was ready.
It was game time, and I smiled as Sarah set it up for me to spike again. I leaped while the other team got ready to block, and I sent it hard to the side and as close to straight down as I could aim for the middle far side court, where a girl leaped to save it, giving us another point as she didn't make it in time.
I leaped without thought and pumped my fist, "YEAH!" I cried out a little and got some smiles in return as Sarah got the ball again; we had four points. It was a great start, but we still had a long way to go. The first game was ours, and we swapped sides of the net. The girls on the other team met for a second while they lifted each other's spirits and split back up into position.
Sarah waited almost the entire regulated time before serving the ball to the other team, and they showed they quickly recovered it. They quickly sent it to the front, and I ran to the far side and tried to block Sarah and Tira as Sarah got in position. We jumped together, but the girl sent it far, and the Ref called another point for us as the ball landed outside the court.
We were riding on momentum, and two more points came our way in quick succession till the coach on the other team called for a time-out. We gathered quickly around Mrs. Grendier and Lacy, and Tira got subbed out with two taller girls. "Nadia, Racheal, you will take over for Lacy and Tira. Angela, good effort out there. I want to see if you can keep it up. Alex, You are on the ball perfectly. Good job. I noticed some issues with formations, but we haven't practiced that much. Sarah, You are still serving, so be ready to keep moving back into position. Ladies, Be strong out there, and Angela," Mrs. Grendier said, looking at me seriously, "When you spike, prioritize aim over power." I nodded in response, and the time out was over, and Sarah claimed the ball.
Sarah quickly served the ball, and I moved with the rest of the team as the girls on the other team recovered and sent the ball up to the front on the right side before volleying to the left side to set up for a Spike. Nadia was beside me as the three of us covered the middle girl as she faked it before the girl on the far side spiked it to the opposite corner. Just as it was about to land, Dana leaped for it and sent it spiraling forward, and I jumped to recover it and bumped it over the net before landing on my breasts and quickly recovering. I moved to watch as the other team quickly recovered the ball and, this time, sent it straight down the center with the girl in the middle spiking it toward us. It was quick, and I quickly joined the formation to block, but Nadia was a bit late, and Alex recovered the ball. Nadia moved into position, and soon Sarah faked another spike, and I felt a strategy that I wasn't brought in on forming as I leaped up and hit the ball hard, sending it down into the center between a pair of arms trying to block without proper positioning. The ball hit the court, surprising us all, and I pumped my fist again in happiness.
Sarah did a quick service, and they quickly sent it forward with a quick spike from the bump position, taking us all by surprise but with Alex quickly there recovering it. I was finally seeing why they called her a genius libero as it quickly found itself in Nadia's hands being volleyed over to me, and I took another jump when Sarah intercepted and sent it to the corner of the court and shocked the other team as they were ready for me to hit it. That was another point, and we were at ten to zero.
We were all surprised and happy with it, and Sarah served again, and the other team sent it back over quickly with a bump, volley serve combo that I quickly recovered as it headed straight for me. I bumped it hoping to send it to Nadia; instead, it was too Sarah who set it up for Nadia, who leaped quickly and Spiked it straight into the net, ending our point streak. She looked pretty down, her black hair covering her face for a moment before she recovered, and Sarah said, "Don't Worry about it," Again for her.
The other team was looking serious, and they served the ball over the net Alex was on it quickly, sending it straight to Nadia, who sent it down the net where I leaped along with Sarah only for Sarah to once again Fake, and my wrist hit the ball hard, and for the first time I messed up my aim and hit the outside of the court as the other team all dodged instead of going for it, and the Ref gave them a point.
I clicked my tongue, but Sarah came up to me with a smile, "Next time," She said, and the other girls nodded as we got ready for them to serve. We watched and waited before they sent it over. Dana was there but sent it a little behind Nadia, making Racheal send it down. It was right in position for me again, and I jumped as hard as I could and smacked that ball straight down as best as I could, just barely missing the net as it went dead center of the enemy team, making three girls leap for it at the same time. They almost all collided, and the ball still hit the floor. I grinned as I got the ball to serve this time.
I took a deep breath and bounced the ball a couple of times before I tried to serve it only to hit the net. Serving was one of the things that I needed to work on, but for now, I knew I could do it. I quickly served it, this time barely making it over the net, and the other team easily recovered the ball. They were starting to set up, and quickly as I moved back into position, the ball was right in front of a girl just as she was about to smack it to our side of the court and sent it hard. I wasn't in position, and Racheal missed it, spelling another point loss for our team, and Mrs. Grendier called us back to the bench for a time-out. We all quickly moved over, and Mrs. Grendier was quick.
"Good job, ladies, Angela, Sarah, and Dana; I am swapping you out for Megan, Becca, and Danielle. Good hustle out there, and ladies, keep it up. Alex, you are a star there; continue to set up great plays, and you are all doing fantastic. We don't have much time, though, if we don't sub other players in since everyone needs a turn." Mrs. Grendier explained, and I couldn't help but pout as the other girls ran up onto the court while I sat down.
Unfortunately, I didn't get to go back up as I sat on the bench cooling down. I watched as the other girls started off by losing some of our lead but eventually picked up some more points while I watched the other team closer. It seemed that the girl I first spiked a ball into was still rubbing her wrists, and the other team was subbing as much as us while the point score continued to get higher. It didn't take much longer, but the teams swapped sides of the court again, and our team lost a game before winning the next. I watched, hoping to get back in there, hating the fact that I was cooling on the bench instead of in the action.
Still, I watched the game to the end when the game was called with our school winning, although the other team did a good job closing the distance from that early lead. I sighed, discontent from the game, as I felt two pairs of eyes on me in the form of Alex and Sarah as we all stood to shake hands with the other team and headed to the lockers. I quickly had to grab my stuff before filtering in with the other women of the team and stripped quickly, feeling very annoyed.
"You okay?" I heard Sarah ask.
I took a breath and realized I shouldn't show my feelings too openly at this moment and turned on her. "Now is not the time, Okay?" I replied, and Sarah paused, looking hurt for a moment till I looked around and she realized where we were again.
Instead of continuing her questioning, she followed me into the showers, and I washed with Sarah when Alex quickly showed up, dripping with sweat and with a smile on her face. "I was on top of my game out there," Alex said with a grin, and I nodded.
"You were," I replied and continued, "I am surprised they have no one to fill in for you to bring up."
Alex chuckled, "No one fits the position. I am a little tall for it myself, but I had a growth spurt and gained a couple of inches of height, making me a bit taller than normal for my position." Alex said, and I nodded. I really did need to look into the sport more.
"Yeah, and this was just a fun game with a ref that didn't care how long the game went. Next time there will be more structure, and we will be following Tournament guidelines. Just now, we had unlimited time-outs, and the points were basically meaningless since both teams just wanted their players out and got warmed up for the upcoming tournament season." Sarah said, making me pout as I realized I got too into a pickup game that didn't matter.
"Mrs. Grendier was happy with you, though," Sarah said, "I could see her smile while you were on the court. Although you had that one miss, you did really well. Good work!" Sarah complimented me with a blush as she looked at my body, making me raise an eyebrow, and Sarah slightly turned away.
"Well," I said, breaking my silence, "I have to head home and get some food and sleep. I am super tired, and I need sleep tonight. Nothing for me to do tonight other than sleep," I finished making my stance known. Alex pouted, and Sarah blushed but nodded. I quickly neared Alex's ear and whispered, "I will think of something, Sweety," I told her, "For the next couple of days."
Alex's expression lit up, and I shook my head, leaving the showers just as a couple of the other ladies on the team headed into the showers. I quickly dressed in my school uniform after drying myself off and leaving. I pulled out my phone, saw my mother's text, and frowned.
Mother: Angela, I want to talk to you. Is there a time you can call me?
I sighed and firmed my will, no longer planning on calling Crystal. I did send a quick text.
Angela: I don't know if you came to pick me up, but I plan on walking off the workout. I also need to call my mom while I am on the way home. I will see you soon!
I sent the text, and a moment later, Crystal replied.
Crystal: Oh, I did come to pick you up, but if you need time to talk to your mom, do it. I will be at home making some supper for us. I will see you soon, Angela.
I smiled, walked out of the school without thinking much as my mind was occupied with my mother, and called my mother once I reached the sidewalk.
I wasn't looking forward to this conversation.
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