Chapter 1: The Voices
"Come on, you can do it!" My brother yells from the bleachers causing everyone to look up.
I laughed under my breath and looked up at him, he was still grinning and giving me a thumbs up. I smiled and waved at him.
I took a sip from my water bottle and sprayed some of the cold water on my face to wake up my senses for this last match.
You're probably wondering what's happening, well I'm currently playing my last match at the Tennis Championships in Florida. It all depends on what I do now to win, I've come so far, trained extremely hard that I can not lose. I put my all in to reach where I am now, beaten over 20 contestants so I shall be the one carrying home that trophy tonight. Even if I have to defeat my bestfriend to get it.
Unless you end up losing, my annoying subconscious reminds me.
I look back to the crowd while I'm walking over to my side of the net, I spot a couple friends and students and teachers from college.
My brown eyes land on a pair of hazel ones and I instantly start smiling.
"Come on, Maria kick some ass!" He shouted.
I chuckled and nodded then stood on my side of the net trying to remain level headed.
"The final round begins, as you know whoever hits the ball out first wins. Ladies you may start now." The commentator announced.
My opponent aka my best friend, Madison Winters, hits the ball first. I hit it back with equal force hoping it'll out but she hits it back with ease.
Again I hit it back with ease and she does the same. Every hit I make she hits it back with just as much power. It lands across my side twice and I still have yet to get any points.
This is starting to get on my nerves why can't the ball out already, is she some sort of pro- too busy talking to myself and not focusing on the game I didn't realise the ball flying at high speed over to me.
Jumping to my left I raised the racket to hit the tennis ball, unfortunately, the position I was in I wouldn't hit the ball with enough power for it to land on the other side. Preparing to lose seeing that I couldn't hit the ball, my hand raised and the ball flew with full power over the next side. I landed on my side falling to the ground.
The ball flew past Madison, unable to block it which resulted in the speeding ball landing somewhere amongst the crowd. Well, that was shocking. Everyone in the stadium gasped in shock, myself included. Slowly getting up off the ground, I looked over at Madison, her mouth and eyes wide in shock.
"Our winner of the Tennis Championship Finals is Maria Summers, with an unbelievable hit!" The commentator says, the crowd roaring with cheers and applauses. I stand there in shock, looking at Madison and then the crowd. Knocking me out of my trance I feel someone shaking my shoulders then lifting me up in the air.
"You did it Maria, you won." Cyrus span me around as I giggled and held onto his shoulders.
"Thank you." I smiled at him as he put me back down on my feet.
Madison then came running over, prancing on me which led to us both falling on the ground
"O.M.G you won Maria." She screamed rocking us from side to side. "I knew it, I knew it didn't I tell you."
I laughed and sat up bringing her with me. "Thanks Mads, I had my doubts but yes you did tell me."
I smiled back at her. "You were pretty awesome yourself." She grinned.
We then took a few pictures with the judges, my trainer, who was proud of me for making it so far, and some with the other contestants that watched the final match.
Some friends from college came over to congratulate me and Mads. Eventually when all that was over I went to get another water bottle when an arm wrapped around my waist. Looking up I realised it was Cyrus.
"Nice move you did out there, unbelievable." He grinned.
"I know, honestly I thought I wasn't gonna make it then bloop stuff happened." I laughed and he chuckled.
"I'm so proud of you, I knew you were gonna win from the beginning." He used his knuckles and rubbed the top of my hair.
"That means alot." I hit him on his shoulder "But not the hair." I ruffled it back into place somewhat then glared at him. He laughed as he tried to do it again but I slapped his hand away.
"Hey have any of you seen my mom or my cousin yet, they were suppose to be here already?" I looked around pouting once I saw Madison walking up to us.
"Cece said her flight got delayed but she'll be here soon and your mom said to tell you she had some extra stuff to finish at the hospital but she'll be here before you know it." Mads told me, giving me a reassuring smile. I nodded.
"Alright who's hungry because I know I am."
We turned around to see Caleb walking towards us.
"Where have you been all night?" I squinted my eyes at my twin brother.
"I was coming to congratulate you on your succes of winning even though we all knew you were gonna kick Mads ass to China and back am I right,"
Madison flipped him off while Cyrus was trying to hold in his laugh.
"But then there was this cute chick and-"
"Okay I see, some girl is way more important than your sister, who just so happened to win a very hard competition." I wiped away a fake tear.
"Aw come 'ere." He chuckled, he grabbed my arm and brang me into his chest. "Congrats on winning."
I wrapped my arms around him "Thanks Caleb." I smiled up at him.
"Now go get ya stuff cause I'm taking us out. My treat." He grinned, his light green eyes shining and his dimples popping out.
Cyrus narrowed his eyes at him and patted his back "Trying to upstage me I see." He laughed.
Caleb pointed his chin up and grinned. Madison and I headed off to the locker rooms to get our stuff.
"What an awesome day." She sighed and sat on the bench. I turned around crossing my arms over my chest.
"Indeed it was." I agreed.
I took out my duffle bag from inside my locker and packed everything from the locker inside.
She's so pretty.
She deserved to win.
I turned around only to see Madison still packing the remains from her locker in her bag.
"Hey did you hear that?" I asked her.
"Hear what?" She asked me.
I looked around confused, shaking my head "Nevermind let's go."
I finished packing up my stuff and swung my bag over my shoulder. As we stepped out the locker rooms and walked up the strip that led us back to the front we walked pass two girls who waved at us.
How did she even win.
The game was so rigged.
I turned around. "Hey the game wasn't rigged!" I shouted at them. The two girls turned around eyes wide and hurried off.
"Are you alright?" Madison furrowed her brows, judging from the look on her face I don't think she heard what I heard.
What the f*ck is going on, I thought.
"Didn't you just hear that?" I gave her a blank stare.
"No Maria, what's going on." She looked at me confused.
"I- nevermind let's just go." I walked infront of her and back to where Caleb and Cyrus were waiting for us. Maybe I just need some rest you know, but their faces showed me that they in fact did say those things but not out loud. So how did I hear them? And why couldn't Madison hear it? Well maybe I'm just going mad.
We met Cyrus and Caleb outside, leaning on Caleb and I's shared car which was a white BMW x5. It was rather annoying sharing a car with my brother, I had to wash her and make sure she was always in tip top shape after his adventures when he would come home from college in Cali for the weekends or on the holidays. It made more sense that he had the car more than me since he lived further away.
I sat in the back with Cyrus since Madison called shotgun. I placed my bag beside me and rested the trophy in my lap.
"Let's gooooo." Caleb smirked.
