High school was going well. After three weeks, Melody felt comfortable in the environment that was once so unknown and frightening. She had adapted quickly, got along with people, and felt more independent. She also became more well-rounded and better adjusted as she learned new things. Her parents noticed and encouraged her. By far, Melody’s favorite class was auto mechanics, with Mr. Shaddock naturally being her favorite teacher. She was now familiar with the all-important socket set and got a perfect score on her first big test. With all her grades in the high marks, Melody’s parents gave her permission to attend volleyball tryouts.
Becky was also doing well but struggled in some areas. She did not pick up on Spanish as quickly as Melody had and routinely asked for help. Almost every night of the week, Melody would spend at least thirty minutes on the phone, helping Becky with the homework assignments. Becky did not fit in as well as Melody either. Although she continued to front herself as a heavy metal loving, big city girl, it did not help her popularity. To the students of this small town, she was still an outsider. Melody was her only real friend and there were times Becky feared that Melody would move on without her as she met new people. Melody was aware of this, as Becky did not keep these feelings a secret from her. Admittedly, there were times when Melody felt Becky was a little too clingy, but she would never think to turn her away or ask for some space. Melody knew how important she was to Becky and understood the role she played in her life. With no love, support, or attention at home, Becky needed her.
However, it was far from being a one-sided friendship, Melody also benefitted. As promised, Becky had discovered a store that left their magazine overstock accessible in the early mornings. In addition to supplying Melody with issues of Hit Parader and Cosmopolitan, Becky managed to get her Thrasher, a skateboarding magazine. Melody’s taste in music had changed under Becky’s influence. She did not like everything Becky did, but Melody had grown fond of Def Leppard, Lita Ford, and Twisted Sister. Oddly enough, Melody became a fan of Ronnie James Dio, which surprised even Becky. Although Melody had no store-bought cassettes or record albums of her own, Becky borrowed, traded, and dubbed cassettes from other students and always made copies for Melody. She was also very protective. Becky stood up to a boy much bigger than her after he had harassed Melody in the hallway. The boy quickly backed down after Becky went into “Detroit mode”.
Together, Melody and Becky signed up for volleyball tryouts as soon as the announcement was posted. Both girls were eager to be on the team, but for different reasons. Melody was envious of the upperclassmen letter jackets. She too wanted the prestige and recognition they brought. Becky was mainly trying out to stay close to Melody but hoped volleyball would relieve her feelings of isolation. Surely her teammates would say hello to her in the hallway and invite her to the same parties as Melody.
On tryout day, neither Melody nor Becky had their minds completely on their Spanish lesson that Wednesday afternoon. Instead, they watched the clock anxiously, waiting for the dismissal bell to ring. A total of twenty girls were to report to the gym after school but only twelve girls from the freshman class would be selected to join the girls’ volleyball team.
After Spanish class, Melody and Becky changed into their basic gym uniforms. Upon entering the gymnasium, they saw two groups, freshmen girls looking unsure of themselves and the senior team, eyeing them with scrutiny. Knowing they too were being looked over, Melody and Becky walked across the highly shined wooden floor to join the freshmen. Standing amongst their classmates, they waited patiently. No one spoke, but Melody smiled at a girl she recognized from Social Studies. Suddenly, one of the senior girls, the team captain, approached the freshmen and ordered them to stand in three rows. As soon as they had done so, a door opened.
Melody looked to her right and was immediately intimidated. The volleyball coach was a tall woman with short blond hair. She approached the freshmen in an almost military type manner with a serious look on her face. Her tight shorts and polo shirt showcased a body that had undoubtedly found its way into many a man’s dreams. Upon first impression, Becky thought she had an uncanny resemblance to Brigitte Nielsen. Melody swallowed nervously with widened eyes.
“I am Coach Heucke,” the woman announced with a German accent after centering herself in front of the group. “I will now explain how the volleyball program works. There is no freshman volleyball team. You are trying out for the opportunity to train and eventually take the place of our junior and senior players. If you are selected, you will learn the game, train with the team, and observe games from the sidelines. I’ve had very few sophomores play, so most of you will not compete against other schools until your junior year. By then you will be ready. Is that understood?”
Each girl nodded. Melody was frightened and felt as if she was being indoctrinated into bootcamp. As Coach Heucke continued speaking, Melody could not help but stare. Noting the coach’s arms, they were muscular and appeared strong, but retained a feminine quality. As Coach Heucke paced back and forth, Melody stole glances at her long legs. They too looked strong with perfectly shaped thighs and calves. Standing next to Melody, Becky was distracted by the silver whistle swinging between the coach’s well-endowed breasts.
Immediately after the coach’s introduction, the freshman girls were divided into groups of three and the tryouts began. Melody, along with two other girls she had not yet met, were instructed to perform bump, setup, and return drills as the seniors launched volleyballs over the net at them. A tall senior with a long black ponytail performed a jumping overhand serve that crossed over the net and came at Melody like a bullet. Melody locked her forearms and bumped the ball as it stung the inside of her elbows. The ball went straight up in the air and Melody backed up to get out of the way. The second girl setup the ball for the third girl near the net, so she in turn could get it back over. This was repeated until all three freshmen had multiple opportunities to perform each action. Unfortunately, they were not always successful in returning the ball to the seniors’ side. Melody made her share of mistakes but would not let herself get discouraged. Instead, she gritted her teeth, determined to do her best.
Next, the girls had to show how well they could block. The seniors were playing hard and almost seemed to take delight in making the freshman suffer. Melody was put on the net first and jumped with raised arms in her attempts to block the ball from coming over the net. The seniors spiked the ball to her left, right, and even between her hands, getting every ball past her. They continued to fool her as Melody failed to recognize the ball’s trajectory in time. On the last spike, Melody felt a sharp sting as the ball hit her square in the face. Though she staggered back, Melody kept her arms up and did not fall. She would not allow the seniors to know how much it hurt, and she refused to cry. When her turn was over, the other girls blocked just as poorly.
Finally, the girls had to dig. Melody could not wait for the tryout to be over. Her face, arms, and hands were sore, and her right sock had slipped, making her foot uncomfortable. When it was her turn, Melody took her position in the center of the court. Again, the seniors launched the volleyballs her way with blazing speed. The balls were purposely delivered so that Melody could barely reach them in time, if at all. As the volleyballs rained down around her, Melody clumsily dove for them. Instead of making heroic saves, she either missed the balls completely or they bounced off her fists in wild directions. Melody’s knees and elbows slammed onto the wooden floor multiple times as she dove face first, desperately trying to imitate the beach volleyball players she had seen on TV. Frustrated and in pain, Melody was relieved when a senior shouted, “Next!” As another girl took her place, Melody walked off the court with her head hung low.
Melody watched in silence as the other girls fared no better. Her hopes of making the team were reassured as she witnessed the other girls perform just as poorly. Still, she was disappointed in herself and wished for another chance. Now, more than ever, Melody wanted to be a volleyball player. What Melody did not know was that she had little to no chance of blocking or returning any of the balls that had been spiked to her. The seniors were acting under Coach Heucke’s instructions to find out which girls feared an oncoming ball, or who would not sacrifice their bodies to make a play. The coach was a former Olympic athlete and remained dedicated to the same rigid coaching style she had been subject to in her homeland. She had a good eye for athleticism and saw potential in Melody.
Melody and Becky finally left the gym and walked to the parking lot where Mrs. Mivshek waited for them in the Aspen.
“How did you do?” Becky asked.
“Horrible!” Melody answered, still upset with herself. “I couldn’t do anything right. The best thing I did was block a ball with my face.”
“I think that tryout was bullshit,” Becky replied in agreement. “I got better things to do after school than be target practice. Let’s try something else.”
“Let’s see if we make it first,” Melody suggested. “Maybe they’ll treat us better if we’re actually on the team. They’ll post the names Friday. They said they’re taking twelve, maybe we’ll get in.”
“OK,” Becky agreed, getting into the backseat of the car. “But if you did as bad as I did, we can pretty much forget it.”
“How did you girls do?” Barbara asked. Both girls groaned in unison.
***
That night, as Melody lay in bed, she envisioned Coach Heucke behind closed eyes. Melody considered her beautiful and could not stop thinking about the woman’s gorgeous legs. Pulling the covers over her head, as if to hide her secret thoughts, Melody fantasized about being in Coach Heucke’s office behind locked doors. There, Melody undressed in front of her, fell to her knees, and begged to kiss her legs. Melody then imagined the coach walking towards her seductively, with lustful, demanding eyes. As the scenario continued in her mind, Melody lay in bed with puckered lips. Just as she imagined herself gently biting the coach’s inner thigh, Melody sat up in bed and forced the images from her mind. Ashamed, she got out of bed and stood shaking in the center of her room. Desperately, she knelt and held her hands in prayer.
“Lord, please forgive me for my wicked, sinful thoughts. I have offended You and I am sorry. I know my thoughts were wrong. I will not do it anymore. Please give me the strength to stop myself if I am tempted again. Amen.”
***
On Friday, the girls met for lunch at their usual table. The volleyball selection list was to be posted that afternoon, and both girls were anxious. Though Melody maintained a positive attitude, she was prepared for disappointment. If she did not make the team, she would try again next year, and in the meantime, try something else. Becky had a different point of view which she kept to herself. If they both made the team, fine. If neither made it, that was just as fine. If she made it and Melody didn’t, she would remove herself and let another girl have her spot. The worst scenario would be Melody making the team without her. Becky was worried about this but promised herself she would not let Melody know it upset her. Instead, Becky would be supportive and attend Melody’s games, even if she just sat on the sideline doing nothing.
“Ya know what?” Melody suggested as she opened her baggie of apple slices. “We could join Spanish Club.”
“I don’t know,” Becky said. “You really want a letter. I don’t think you get one for academic clubs. Besides, I’m not all that interested. I put up with enough Spanish doing my homework every night.”
“Well a sport and a club would be a good thing. It’ll look good on college resumes,” Melody replied.
“Well don’t spread yourself too thin, Miss Over Achiever,” Becky teased. “Remember, we will probably be getting jobs by the end of next year. Maybe for our first year we should just stick to one thing before we commit ourselves too much.”
“Good idea,” Melody agreed. “One activity for our freshman year will look good.”
“You got a college in mind yet?”
“No.”
Before the bell rang, the girls parted ways so Melody could get to geometry on time. For Melody, it would be a long afternoon while waiting to see the volleyball results. Even though internal combustion was much more interesting than the Pythagorean Theorem, getting on the volleyball team was Melody’s only concern that day. As Mr. Jennings began the day’s lesson, Melody’s mind entertained itself with seductive images of Coach Heucke.
As Melody daydreamed in geometry, Becky’s wait was over. With fearful eyes, she scanned the selection list tacked to the gym’s bulletin board as other girls looked over her shoulder. She immediately saw Melody’s name, second from the top. After reading the list twice, she finally accepted there was no Becky Valentine to be found. Becky turned and walked away as another hopeful girl took her spot and looked for her own name. Though disappointed, Becky was not surprised. After the first ball had been served to her so viciously, she had a change of heart and no longer wanted to be considered. She put up with enough abuse at home and did not need to be the whipping girl for a bunch of senior jocks. As she changed into her uniform, Becky promised herself she would congratulate Melody in Spanish class and not cry until she got home. As she began running laps around the track, Becky was happy to be alone.
Two periods later, Melody saw the same list. She let out delightful squeak upon seeing her name but drew back her excitement when she did not see Becky. Before turning away, Melody saw the statement below the list of names ordering her to report to the gym at 3:30 next Friday. Melody thought to herself as she unknowingly ran laps in the same lane Becky had previously used. Knowing Becky was upset, Melody could not let her see how happy she was. She would not quit the team just because of Becky, even though she knew Becky would never ask her to do such a thing. Despite Becky being left out, Melody could not help but feel proud of herself. She had set a goal and saw it through. If Melody was to be just as good as the current seniors, she would have to improve her skills and give one hundred percent every practice. She had no doubt Coach Heucke would push her limits and demand excellence at all times.
Melody was silent as she entered the Spanish classroom. Becky was already seated and had her nose in her book. Melody had no idea what to say. She sat down next to Becky and looked over at her. Becky did not acknowledge her presence but continued to study the Spanish pronouns she always stumbled over. Melody wanted to talk to her before the bell rang.
“Becky, I’m sorry,” Melody said with heartfelt sincerity.
Becky looked at her now and smiled. “Forget it,” she said. “You deserve it. I know you’re gonna be great.”
Melody knew her best friend was on the verge of tears. “Thank you, Becky. Please don’t be discouraged. Try out for something else.”
“I will,” Becky replied.
After the bell rang, Melody said, “This doesn’t change anything, Becky. We’re still in this together. We’re making it to graduation.”
“Melody?” Mrs. Gonzales asked. “Is there something you would like to share with the class?
Melody faced front after being addressed by a teacher famous for her punctuality. Melody quickly answered in Spanish. “I was asking Becky what she was wearing to the football game tonight.”
Mrs. Gonzales smiled, nodded, and turned to the blackboard. Melody let out a sigh of relief as Becky winked at her.
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