Eight

  “You with the brown curly hair, stop being goofy”. I hear my coach as I hit the ball again and I sigh. Seriously does this man thinks I'm doing this on purpose. We've been playing for close to an hour now, my palms and wrists are really hurting me. Damn, these girls do have a lot of energy, they play so vigorously and I fear that I wouldn't be able to make the team. I never knew a volleyball tryout was this nerve-wracking and exerts this kind of energy but then what can I say when there are ten girls trying out but only four gets picked. Two from each team.The ball comes to our side of the net again and then out of frustration I hit as I hard I can, scoring a point for our team and also increasing my chances of being on the volleyball team a little.I hear the coach blow his whistle, we stop playing and walk tiredly to where he is standing. “You girls did a great job today. I really wish you all could be on the team but that can't be possible”. Coach says and points at me, my heart beats faster. “You need to work on your stamina, you are a great player but not an energetic one. Do you understand?”. He asks and I nod my head. “Yes sir I do and I would definitely work on my stamina”. “Alright that's it. You can go take a shower and get ready for the results by Monday”. The coach dismisses us. We all praise each other and commend ourselves. The girls all go into the bathroom but I don't.I sit on the floor of the volleyball court and bring my knees up and put my head in it. “Inhale and exhale”. I say to myself as I do it. I exhale loudly and lay down on the court still closing my eyes. “I didn't know angels play volleyball”. I hear a cheery voice say. I open my eyes as I try to adjust my focus on the figure staring down at me, it is a boy and I don't know him.I look at him as I lie on the floor. “You were great out there you really can play”. He says again and that was when my brain came to work. I sit up and turn to face him with my curls sticking to my face. “Thank you”. I smile at him and then ask, “You were watching?”.He smiles back at me. “Nope, we were watching”. I hear another voice and I could recognize this one. It belongs to Matteo.I watch as he and Adrian comes into focus with some other guys I also do not know. “Great tryout Lia”. My heart clenches as I hear that name from his lips again. He is wearing a black t-shirt and a blue jean. His blue jacket is in his hands “Wow I didn't know people were watching”. I say timidly as I scratch the back of my head. He is wearing a chain which has the initial ‘M’ as it's pendant. Adrian is wearing the same kind of chain over a red striped shirt with his initial as the pendant too.

There are six guys in total and all are quite tall. “Well you would have if you weren't so focused on the ball”. Adrian says and I give a weird look. “So Einstein, where was my focus supposed to be?”. I ask as I use the nickname which Andrea gave him. “Tsk tsk tsk take a joke”. Matteo covers up for him as he stretches his hand for me. I look at his hand and back at him. “Let's go get something to eat”. He says and I grab his hand as he hoists me up. “Wow you are quite tall”. The guy who was talking to me earlier before the others came comments. I shrug my shoulder. “You are tall too”. I say as I dust my back clean of any sand particles.Someone laughs. “Yeah Levi, and pretty”. Another person says and I look up and give him a cheeky smile. He is sporting a pixie cut. “Thank you, you are a very handsome young man too if I must say”. I see a light blush creeping up his fair skin. “Why don't you compliment me this way?”. Matteo asks playfully as his eyes rests on me. “Well, what does her stares imply. I mean you should see the way she looks at you like you are the hottest guy on the planet”. Adrian jokes and Matteo and the other guys give a small laugh. I give them all a glare, all of them. They might tower over me by few inches but it doesn't bother me. “I really wish Andrea is here to deal with you”. I cross my arms.Matteo laughs and asks, “Where is she anyway?”. “She had something to do at home so she couldn't come. And Mari?”. “She's at a study group”. Adrian answers. “Well since you guys have decided to take me out for an early dinner, I better go shower. I don't think you boys want a girl with sticky sports wear and a sweaty body to go eat out with you”. I say and they all nod but Matteo doesn't. “I don't mind”.

I feel my cheeks turning red and I turn on my heels and go to have my shower. I feel their eyes on me and I suddenly become self conscious. “She is really pretty and hot too”. I hear Levi say as the door to the shower room opens up and the girls file out.I go into one of the stalls and and strip as I turn on the shower. The water becomes warm and I step into it.

I dry my hair with a dryer that I see on the sink. I dress up and pack my clothes into my bag and leave the room.I step into the court room and my eyes roam to the bleachers, I see the boys there, I wave to them. “Come on let's go I'm done”. I shout grabbing their full attention. They all come down and we walk out of the volleyball court together.

It's a little dark and cloudy when we step out of the building. “So where are we going to?”. I ask as I follow them out. “There is a nice pizzariea that is not to far from the campus”. Someone says and I mentally face palm myself. I rush to their front and spread my arms wide stopping them. They give me an amused look. “Hold on a sec, I don't even know some of your names yet. I mean we haven't even introduced ourselves”. “My name is Annalia Anthony”. I introduce myself. “What is yours?”. I point at the guy who has got a pixie cut. “Micheal Baldwin here” “Adonis Davis”. The guy who was talking about a pizzariea says.I look at the remaining one. He has a bright blonde hair. “Coby Gallagher”. “Alright now that you know their names can we go eat I'm really starving”. Adrian interrupts as I'm about to speak. “Way to break the fun Addie”. I roll my eyes and go to stand with Matteo. “Proceed”.

We get to a pizza parlor which isn't to far from the campus. We enter and the bell chimes notifying the waiters or waitresses about the new customers.We find an empty table that would fit all seven of us and go to sit there. “So Lia what would you be having?”. Matteo asks as we sit. “Anything you guys are having”. I wasn't really hungry but since he went out of his way to invite me to eat out with them I may as well eat whatever they eat. “We need three of your largest pizza with everything on top”. Levi tells the waiter and the boys agree with him.The waiter didn't look too stunned. There is no way that I'm eating that kind of pizza. The waiter is about to go get the orders but I stop him. “Please don't listen to them. For the first pizza we will have half pepperoni and half sausage, second one we would have half mushroom and half bell peppers and for the third one we would have half Mexican and half Hawaiian. And please do not forget the cheese”. The table is quiet by the time I'm done talking. “That is okay isn't?”. I ask the boys as they all look at me as though I've grown bigger ears. “Yes Mom”. Matteo answers with a cheeky smile.I roll my eyes and then nod to the waiter to go get our order ready. “Your order would be ready very soon”.As soon as the waiter leaves the boys start talking. “Lia, where did you learn to do a dump like that?”. Matteo asks reffering to the tryout earlier. “Seriously, that was some crazy hit, your opponents couldn't even touch the ball”. Adrian says. “Well honestly I didn't know I had that in me. It was as a result of the frustration in the tryouts”.Matteo looks at me awed. “Woah, remind me never to get on your bad side”.I laugh. “Well what were you guys doing there anyway, apart from watching the volleyball game”. “Our coach couldn't come to practice today because of some reasons that he didn't share with us so he cancelled the basketball practice”.Matteo says as he leans on his chair. “Oh, you guys are basketball players”. I say and they all nod their heads. “Nice”. “So how is Andy doing?”. Adrian asks . “Who is Andy?”. Coby asks as he looks at Adrian. “Oh Andy is the girl that Adrian is head over heels for”. I look at Matteo and he smirks. “Am I not right Lia”. Matteo looks at Adrian and then back at me. I giggle and Adrian shoots him a playful glare. “Tsk tsk tsk, take a joke man”. I tease. “That has got to be the most used sentence tonight”. Adonis says as the waiter brings our pizza to us. My eyes widen at the size of it. It is really large.Adrian and Matteo stand up to join another table to ours while the waiters put the pizzas down.I look at them astonished. They must really come here alot.After the pizza has been set, we arrange our chairs properly. “Alright boys and girl” —Adonis looks at me— “dig in” . And the boys do so.I look at them as they grab the pizzas and I know that if I don't act fast I wouldn't eat this pizza.

What was that saying again?. ‘When you are in Rome act like the Romans’.I internally shrug my shoulders and join the boys.