As Atlas loses his focus, the ball comes flying to him..
"YO ATLAS! GET IT!" Miguel shouted, pointing at the ball that was dropping above him
"Wait what?" Atlas replied, confused as the ball dropped on him and hit his head.
Amber joyfully laughed after seeing the scene as Atlas glared at her once again.
Atlas was now enjoying volleyball for thefirst time in his life, not knowing what he was doing but he loved it. He loved playing volleyball with his friends and someone he admired, they decided to keep playing around, making some memorable moments in Atlas's life.
The sun was going down. It was 5:46 PM, and the sky slowly changed color, orange, pink, and a hue of purple. The air felt cooler now, but the fun from earlier still stayed in them. They were tired, their legs heavy, but their hearts were light. It had been a good day. A day full of laughs, movement, and moments they didn't want to forget.
"Ah well! It's getting late, I think I'll go home now!" Miguel said with a tired laugh. He could barely stand straight.
"Yeah… it was fun. Thank you," Amber smiled. She put her headphones back on, waved goodbye, and walked away.
Atlas watched her go. "Man… she's one of a kind. I loved playing with her," he said, gazing up at the sky. Then he stood up and walked home with Miguel.
"Man, she's definitely into you! You literally made her laugh so much. I bet she thinks you're funny." Miguel exclaimed.
"Bro, no.. I doubt that, man." Atlas replied, but he wished it was true..
They talked as they walked home, sharing small laughs and thoughts about the game. At the sari-sari store, they split paths, one going left, the other going right. Atlas got home and took a shower, thinking about everything that happened. Miguel didn't even bother. He dropped onto his bed and fell asleep right away.
That day changed a lot for Atlas. He wasn't perfect at volleyball, but he was getting better. He felt something new, something strong. So he joined the club. Not just to play with Amber, but to feel that spark again. Miguel joined too, happy to be part of it.
---September 25, 2019---
A few days later, they built a team. Three new players joined them. Two were known as the best in the whole school. Fast, smart, and strong. But before all of this happened, Atlas met the same guy from before.
It happened after practice. Atlas saw him sitting alone by the court. He had short hair, a quiet look, and a bandage on his knee. Atlas walked over.
"Hey," Atlas said. "We've met already haven't we?"
He nodded, looking a bit hurt. "You're that guy who approached me outside that sari-sari store a couple days ago right?"
"Yeah, I just started playing volleyball. You might be one of the reasons why. I'm still learning but it's fun!" Atlas said, sitting down beside him. "That's nice to hear."
"Well, we're talking, wanna introduce ourselves?"
"Sure, the name's Leonardo. I'm in grade eight."
"Nice meeting you, Leonardo. I'm Atlas, seventh grade."
They talked for a while. About games, mistakes, wins, and losses. Atlas didn't know it yet, but that conversation would matter. Since Leonardo had a story, and soon, he'd be part of his.