Volley

 Our last volleyball game didn’t go so well. I try to figure out what happen during the game. It wasn’t the other team and I know it wasn’t me. We (my team) haven’t been doing so well. The boys locker room is clean, and I am able to breath for once. I usually change in the bathroom stalls, but I didn’t want to be around with everyone, and I don’t want to hear the coach yelling at us again.

I did what I did.

After I was done changing, I grab my gym bag and left the room. My coach is talking to one of my teammates. I can’t hear what they’re saying. I pull out my phone from my bag, close my bag, and pretend to be on my phone, which I wasn’t. When I walk pass the two, I could only make out a few sentences.

I wait for my friend, Riichi Yamase, near the school doors as I text my step-father to pick me up. The next thing I hear is the sound of loud noises clamoring down the hallway. I turn my attention to the source when I notice Riichi talking to Seigo Yana. Seigo is our team captain of the volley team and our setter. For the longest time, I always wanted to be his friend, but I was very shy to speak to him. The other members of the team follows behind them. I look down at my phone, trying to ignore them until I hear Riichi call my name. I put my phone away in my bag as Riichi runs up to me. He wraps his arm around my neck pulling me in.

“Dude, you seriously need to stay off your phone.” Riichi snatches my phone from my hand and opens up my phone. “Who are you texting? A girl?” “Quit it.” I snatch the phone from his hand. Seigo laughs, crossing his arms. “Yeah, who are you texting? Hida?” I look at him. “No one…” I cut my eyes back to Riichi. “...Anyway, before we go. I have something to say.” Seigo says.

Riichi nudges me “What?” I whisper. All the teammates gathered around me and Riichi.

“What do you mean?” Riichi plays dumb. He always act like this whenever Seigo has some news for all of us.

He clap his hands together. “Okay, team! If I am being honest. Today’s game wasn’t not it. But we’ll do better than ever!” How can he so optimistic at this time? We completely look like idiots out there. I wanted to curl into a ball and die in a corner. Shinta raises his hand. “Sorry to be a killjoy, but the guys kicked us. I understand that we have to do better, but ever since Naoya left as our opposite hitter, it’s been crap lately—” Kou also raises his hand, “I agree,” He turns to me. “Reo, it’s not your fault. Someone didn’t mention it to you went you first joined us.” He gives Seigo a look. Seigo tries to put on a brave face in front of everyone. I don’t really care about it. I just want to go home. Everyone at school knows that Naoya is the best player on the team. Anyone could see that, he was the glue of the team. After he left, Riichi practically begged me to join, and I tried out. I don’t know what Seigo saw in me that day, but maybe another Naoya. It’s weird. Just like our game ending from two weeks ago. I can’t read my teammates minds, but I could tell that the girls were getting to them. We lost them from 20 to 16. Kou tried not get upset over the sixteen score. Some of them tried. Our coach, Mr. Eda, warned us not start anything because of our reputation. I clearly recalled one of the girls shouted something to Seigo, and Riichi had to hold him back.

I’m in the dark about a lot of things about this team. I joined not to long ago, and Riichi been on the team for about two weeks.

“Like I said before. We have no more games this week, so let’s continue to practice.” Seigo says. “Yes, sir!” Shinta salutes him. “All right, we’re going to get dinner, right?” Shinta and Kou leaves the three of us behind. Riichi puts his hands the pocket of his jacket. “Aren’t you going with them?” Riichi asks Seigo. “I’ll catch up with them.”

“Okay, Capt!” Riichi turns to me. “I’m going qwith them. Are you coming, Reo?”

“No, you know how my dad is…” I grumble. “Oh, right. Sorry.” He pats me on the back. “I’m going now.”

“Be safe!” I call out to him. Riichi leaves me behind with Seigo. I never notice how tall he is, comparing to how I can’t reach the ball during the game. The silence between us is crazy. I’m not good with holding a conversation, except with Riichi and my parents. Seigo says, “How are you enjoying the team?”

“It’s fine.” I say.

“I understand that you don’t talk to us, and I’m not going to force to. But let me be frank with you—you don’t have to worry about Naoya. I don’t think he’s going to come back any time soon,” I nod.

“The reason why I’m not telling the whole team is my choice.”

“...What did you like about Naoya?” My voice is all shaky and my legs are shaking as well.

“Nothing. It’s just that everybody think that he’s strong. I don’t care if he’s not on the team. That’s their problem. But I see you working hard and make sure that you enjoy yourself, kay?”

Seigo walks pass me and leaves the school. A gust of cold wind hits me. It’s freezing. I bundle up and follow behind him. There’s a car waiting for me outside the school, I stop to see Seigo waiting for someone to pick him up. For some reason my feet moves own its own, it’s not like we’re friends or anything. But what happens next could cost me.

“S-Seigo!” I call out to him. He turns to face me. “Uh...who was that girl that called out your name after the game.” His expression change, he looks angry and serious, and I usually see him so happy all the time.

“Oh, you mean Ariana Edo? Yeah, she’s the worst and great person in real life. She may be sweet on court but she’s different.”

“How?”

“Let’s just say that she’s the reason why Naoya left the team.”

“And you’re not going to tell us that? Why are you telling me about it?”

“Um. Because you ask me. Duh?!”

“Oh, sorry.”

“Quit apologizing. You have gotten better though.”

“What did she do?” I ask.

“Well, Naoya and I texted back and forth with each other, but it was vague.”

Then my dad honk the car horn, Seigo’s car pull up right behind mine. “See you tomorrow, okay?” Seigo says. “Okay.” My whole body is hot and my hands all sweaty. I climb into the front passenger seat of the car. On the way home, I made it my goal to not get into any drama. Which that was easier said than done.

After practicing with the volleyball team, we were given a break, and I sat on the bleachers with Seigo. I mess around on my phone, I look up seeing Riichi coming back from the bathroom along with Shinta and Kou. Then Shinta walks up to Seigo. He looks upset. “I want answers!” Seigo and I turn to Shinta. “What’s the matter?” Seigo asks him. “Look at this!” He shows him his Kou’s phone and it’s text messages. From where I’m sitting I couldn’t see what was being written. Seigo, calm as ever, takes Kou’s phone and reads it.

“Okay? And? What do you want me to do about it?”

“Because, you knew this whole time didn’t you! Didn’t you!” Kou grabs his phone from Seigo.

“I just saw this not to long ago.” Kou says. “It’s true isn’t it.”

“My question is how did you get those messages?” Seigo asks Kou.

“We were texting back and forth last night or you’re just trying to play dumb.” Kou argue.

Seigo takes a bite of his food and rubs his eyes. “So, that doesn’t changes anything. I said what I said and I stand on that.”

Between the three of them bickering back and forth. Riichi sat next to me. He leans next to me, whispering, “I don’t what this is about. I was washing my hands when of this went down. They were texting and talking when Kou saw his text.” “Did he show it to you?” I ask. “Yeah. But he showed me half of the conversation.” Riichi says to me. “It’s probably some drama between them. I’m not interested.

“Is nobody going to say it!?” The whole room went quiet. We turn our attention Shinta red in the face. He points a finger at Seigo. “You knew this whole time and you didn’t say anything to us.”

“Because it’s not my business, Shinta!” I have never hear Seigo yell before. It made my heart jump. I’ve been on this team for about two months and this is far from crazy, it madness.

“Say what?” We all turn to Riichi. “What’s going on?” He asks. “It’s nothing.” Seigo says. Riichi stands up. “No! It’s not nothing. It’s something. I’ve been on this team for about three months now. And all I ever gotten was tension ever since Naoya left. What’s going on here?”

“Yeah, Seigo what’s going on here?” Kou provoke. Seigo hesitates, he tries to find the right words without harming the others. When he opens his mouth, we all weren’t expecting this from him and it wasn’t an excuse.

“Ariana made a comment at me, after our last game. She said “thanks for everything, we can rub it your faces all day and online as well.” I didn’t get what she meant until the coach pulled Naoya over. Last night we were texting back and forth, and he mentioned about getting kicked off of the team because of what Ariana did.”

“What did she do?” Riichi asks.

“She went on social media and told EVERYONE that Naoya was using steroids before the game began, and then contacted our coach (because Naoya’s father knows him and are on good terms with each other). Took a picture of him before the game and sent it to him.”

I couldn’t believe what I’m hearing. Naoya got kick out of the team because of drugs. “Was this true?” Shinta says. “No. She lied. Naoya sent me that picture while we were texting that night and it was him getting something out of his bag. I remembered he went to grab his water bottle from his bag.”

“That little—” Kou says. “How could she do that to him?”

“Was there a drug test?” I ask.

“No. Because she had no proof of it. She had nothing to show.” Seigo says. “She’s the worst.”

“Sounds like you have something else to say about her.” The voice catches us off guard. I only glance for second, a person standing in the doorway of the gym, leans against the door.

“N-Naoya!” Seigo blurts.

“Hi, everyone.” He waves at us.

Seigo jumps up to his feet, running down the bleachers with a loud thuds. “What are you doing back here? Are you—”

“Yes I’m real! I just came to swing by. Mr. Eda told me that you guys were here.” He turns to us on the bleachers. “Go ahead and tell them what really went down.”

Everyone was now sitting together on the bleachers. The air feels calm now. I get a look at Naoya. He doesn’t notice my presence. Which it’s fine and he doesn’t seem to be taller than me. He’s a little shorter. “Apparently...what Seigo says is true. The coach pulls me over and questions me. I told him what I did and he believes me. But not only that. Ariana was getting back at me for not wanting to get back together.”

“Wait? You two were dating?!” Naoya shakes his head at Shinta’s response. Naoya shrugs. “It didn’t last though. She was dealing with personal problems and her personal problems became my problems. But I didn’t want to deal with it. So I break up with her and the rest is history.”

“Wow...that’s mess up.” Riichi says. Naoya turns to us. “Anyway. Are you going to be back on the team?” Naoya eyes me then back to Riichi.

“Not sure. After what happened with Ariana, I started to focus on my studies.” He stiffens. “If I have to choose to be with the team. At least make a defensive specialist.” He turns to Seigo. “It would be for the best.” “Are you sure?” Seigo asks. “Positive. It’s going to be difficult thought, but I’m willing to see it through.”

After our talk with Naoya, Mr. Eda tells us that it was time to go home. I did my usual in the locker room and walk pass the coach. This time he was talking to Naoya. I stop to listen to their conversation after I pass them. Naoya sounds happy with the decision he made. If he is staying on the team. I wonder what will happen now. I wait for Riichi by the school entrance. Riichi doesn’t show up, only Naoya. We lock eyes with each other, I quickly look at my phone, and I could hear walk up to me.

I hope he isn’t mad about me taking his spot on the volley ball team.

“You’re the new kid.” I look up at him.

“Yeah, I am.”

“I’ve met your friend Riichi, he sounds like a good friend to you.”

“Yeah, he is. He can be a bit annoying at times.” I laugh a little.

“Naoya.”

“Reo.”

I avert my eyes over to my phone. Naoya says. “If you are wondering. I’m not mad at you for taking my position.” My heart jump a little. I turn to him. “Seigo told me about you during our text messages. It’s good that you are doing well on the team.”

“Thanks.” Our conversation dies down. I don’t know what to say. I’m getting nervous all over again. “...I-I’m not good at holding a conversation.” I tell him.

“That’s fine. You being here is good enough.” He says. I give him a small smile.

Weeks have pass, and I am still working on myself and Riichi and I are getting better. Naoya begins to be more active with the team more as the new Defensive Specialist. I know that he hasn’t been practicing because of school, but he’s improving bit by bit. When our next game came. We did even better. Kou and Naoya were killing it out there. And we beat the girl’s team, too.

Ariana didn’t say a word our team after that. She apologize to Naoya and he forgive her. In the locker room our Coach gathers us around and says. “Boys, you all did great.” Everyone cheers. He looks at Naoya. “Naoya, glad to have you back again.” “Glad to be back on the court again.” Riichi wraps his arm around his neck, smiling. “Yeah, without you and Kou I thought we were goners by then.” Shinta chimes in. “I agree. We can’t forget about Reo. You did good out there. If you keep playing. You might even out beat Naoya and Seigo.” Kou clears his throat. “So what, he’s good in his own way.” I couldn’t stop myself from blushing at his complement. Once I compose myself, Mr. Eda says. “Everyone did well. Each and everyone of you. For tonight, how about we go get dinner?”

Everyone cheered and got ready. I quickly text my step-father about the dinner. I threw on my shirt when Seigo says. “Reo. You did great out there.”

“Thank you.” I say. “You did great as well.”

“Thanks.”

Once I got dress, I threw my gym bag over my shoulder. I check my phone, and Dad says that it was alright for me to go with my team. I sigh quietly and left the room.

As I was walking to the bus, Naoya flags me down.

“Hey, Reo. Wait up!” I turn to him. “Listen, I want to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“Do you want to hang out sometimes?”

Knowing me, I’m not good with talking to others.

“Riichi told me that you like to text than call, we can go get something eat tomorrow?”

“S-Sure. We can. I-I’m not good a conversations and I don’t really hang out that much with Riichi—”

“It’s fine. We don’t have to. I’m not forcing you to hang out with me. I’m always busy.”

I say, “It sounds like you want to say something else to me.”

“Oh, right.” He takes a deep breath and says. “You want to be friends.”

Friends? With Naoya? I don’t know what to say. If Riichi was here, he would tell to do it.

“We can be friends.”

Then we shake on it, and the two of us went on the bus with others to go to dinner.