Chapter 38
Chapter Thirty-Eight
NASH
JUNE
Well, I’ll be damned. He was right.
Our next two home games were both more packed than the last. One after another, we bring in an opponent and knock them on their ass in front of a roaring home crowd.
The video stays viral for at least five days, which is a long life in internet time.
Long enough that the Gridiron sports podcast gets a hold of it.
They don’t know dick about volleyball, but they hype us up as athletes, which is nice.
A female-focused sports Instagram page jumps on it, making a multi-slide post about the history of volleyball in the US and in other countries.
It’s exactly what I would want to say if I had the platform.
At every game, various members of the Hurricanes cheer us on from what’s basically their unofficial section.
It was a bumpy start to the season with the scheduling issues and such, but we’ve more than made up for those beginning losses now.
This is starting to move from ‘let’s just keep this thing alive’ to ‘we might actually make it’.
Bragging rights are great and all, but so is a Tiffany necklace and an individual share of one-million dollars, which is the prize for the team that wins the championship.
We gather around Coach at the end of another tough practice. She’s gotten harder on us as the season has gone on and she’s seen more of our potential. I’m glad for it, though. I know we all want to win this.
“I’m very excited to tell you that for the first time in this league, there will be a televised game.
” Every game so far this year has been streaming live on YouTube.
It’s great because the games stay up all the time, so we can watch any time we want, and they put tons of work into the production, including custom commercials, but obviously you’d get more attention if you were on cable.
“Which game?” asks Temi.
“The championship,” she replies, and we all titter with excitement.
There are only two games standing between us and the championship game. This is a real possibility. A real team, playing real volleyball, on real live cable TV.
Lauren looks at me. “I’ve never been to Omaha.”
I shrug. “I have for the Big Ten championship.” It’s widely considered the volleyball capital of the U.S.
“At least it won’t be winter.” I’m not eager to return to Midwest winters.
Speaking of Wisconsin, I’m reminded that in just a few weeks, it will be June and we’ll be on a plane to Poblocki, and I’ll be fulfilling the last of my deal with Wyatt.
The time has really started to fly since the beginning of the season.
I blinked and I was home, starting on a new team and a new league.
I blinked and we’re in a position to now go to the championships.
If I blink again, it’ll be back to just being Wyatt’s roommate.
I need to stop blinking.
There’s a churning in my stomach at that thought. I assume it’s from how little I’ve eaten today compared to how many down-n-backs I’ve run. Of course, it has nothing to do with how much more attached to Wyatt I am now than I was in February.
It couldn’t be that.
Definitely couldn’t be that.
When I get back from practice that night, Wyatt is on the couch watching baseball.
“Food is on the stove,” he says when he hears me come in.
“Thanks.” I move to the kitchen and grab a bowl to help myself to the spaghetti. Wyatt isn’t an amazing cook, his mom did all of it growing up, but he can hold his own with a jar of sauce.
“How was practice?”
My eyes light up. I can’t believe I momentarily forgot the big news. “The league championship is going to be on cable TV!”
“That’s so exciting, Nash. I’m so happy for you guys.”
I look at him over my shoulder while I put hot sauce on top.
“I guess you were right about there being no bad press.” Sure, there were hate comments, but there were also tons of comments from young women excited to continue their career after college, and girls even younger who were eager to come see a game.
“I’m normally right. Surprised you didn’t know that by now.”
I plop on the couch next to him with my spicy spaghetti and dig in. The game is not interesting. I find baseball to be extremely slow, especially on TV. I decide to bother Wyatt, instead.
“If we go to the championships, will you come?”
He answers without hesitation. “Of course.”
“Even though it’s the weekend before your brother’s wedding?”
“Of course. All I gotta do is show up to the wedding on time and not make a fool of myself during my best man speech. That’s my only obligation. I’ll be able to do both.”
I roll my eyes. Men. “Of course, you’re in the wedding, but you’ll show up at one o’clock and be ready by two.”
He laughs. “I don’t know what time the ladies have to be there, and I don’t want to know.”
“It’s nice to be just a guest and show up when it actually starts.” I twist more spaghetti around my fork. “But I’m going to have to sit all by myself.”
“I’m sure you won’t be alone. It’s a small town. They don’t know any strangers.”
“I’ll just sit and wait for you to come back.
” I go quiet for a second. I’ve been feeling the tug of nerves in my gut ever since I heard the news about the championship being televised.
At first, I thought it was because I was possibly going to be on TV, but most of the games I played in college were televised.
It hit me when Temi was driving us home.
“I feel like this is all too good to be true. Like at the end, even if the championship is a success and maybe we even fucking win, that the powers that be could still decide this isn’t worth it and cancel the whole thing.
Then after all of this, I’ll be forced to quit and become a coach.
” At the end of the day, it’s my passion and my sport, but it’s still ruled by capitalism.
It might not matter that the Moons filled the seats.
If the Las Vegas Fire, or any of the other teams can’t and the league loses money as a whole, they’ll still can us. ”
“You can’t will something to happen the way you want it to, but you’ve put your all into this and I think it shows. If there’s no league after this year, then you have to go win that championship and own the only trophy they give out before it’s gone.”
“That’s kind of depressing.” I look at the noodles in my bowl. They look limp and a little sad, but maybe I’m projecting.
“Life can be depressing,” he says quietly, and I know he’s talking about meeting his hero and hating him.
About leaving Green Bay and starting over again in a new city on a new team.
I wonder—if he had the chance to go back would he actually take it now with everything that has happened over the last few months?
“Want to see something that will cheer you up?”
I immediately perk up. “Of course I do.” He reaches into the collar of his shirt and pulls out his chain. It’s the same one I’ve never seen him without, but now it’s got a small silver N hanging from it. I meet his eyes and see pride in them. “My initial?” It comes out high-pitched.
“Gotta show off my girl.” He lets the chain fall back against his chest and I find myself briefly jealous of a piece of metal. God, I am so catastrophically and undeniably into him.
“Who could possibly think we’re faking now?” I mean to make a joke, but it comes out tight.
Fuck me.