Page 114 of Game Point
‘I should have tried harder to see the bigger picture,’ I admitted, finding myself taking a step forward towards her, my hand stretched out to her arm. ‘I was jealous of you, it took me so long to see.’
Scottie shook her head, cutting me off. It’s like over the years, she’s learned better than to get into a fight with me.
‘We all make mistakes,’ she said instead, the ring of the elevator filling the air as the door once again slid open. Her smile turned wicked as she stepped into the elevator. ‘God knows I’ve made plenty of ’em.’
‘I know,’ I said, winking. ‘I keep a list.’
She let out a loud cackle as the doors slid shut, the moment feeling like something new had really dawned between us.
38
Dylan
What Was I Made For? – Billie Eilish
Bailey vs Wei
Result: 6–2, 6–4
The cheer of the crowd was thunderous, echoing around the arena as I waved goodbye, unable to stop the smile from breaking out across my lips. I’d won my quarter-final match against Liang Wei, a great player in her own right who’d put up a decent-enough fight.
But I felt close to superhuman during that match. Calm and collected, I had read every single one of her plays, finding exciting ways to break her serve. The atmosphere was electric, the crowd cheering with every point won.
I couldn’t keep my eyes from the players’ box, my parents tucked away with Oliver throughout the match. With their lives here, my parents weren’t able to attend many of the competitions I played, and knowing they were here for me today felt good. Like, all that loneliness I’d felt on tour was slowly being erased, the homesickness that had plagued me a far-gone memory.
My mum met me halfway through the tunnel, support staff and tournament personnel buzzing around us, trying to turn the arena around for the next match. Her arms wrapped around my sweaty body, pulling me into her for avery tight hug. She squealed into my ear. ‘Congratulations! You were amazing out there.’
She pulled away from me, only allowing enough space between us so she could look up at me. The bright smile on her lips was undeniable, beaming with pride. ‘The crowd loved you.’
I looked out at the court, some of the audience sitting in their seats, the national flag scattered around the arena. I shook her off, ‘They like all the home players.’
Mum tsked, as she made room for Dad, his head pressed forward. ‘We caught some of the other matches. They weren’t nearly as enthusiastic.’ He stepped forward for a hug, adding softly, ‘This is all for you.’
I was temporarily dumbstruck by his words, him rubbing softly at my back. I didn’t know how to respond, swallowing down a feeling I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Then he stepped aside, Avery appearing from behind them.
Shock slammed into me at seeing my old friend, as I moved from my dad and ran towards her.
‘Hi! How you going?’ I pulled her in for a hug.
She laughed, her arms hugging back. ‘I’m good. I see you worked on that second serve.’
Pulling away, I took a proper look at her, still surprised she was here. ‘It’s good to see you.’
‘Same,’ she said, ‘It was exciting to watch you play Mila. She’s one of my favourites. That second set, she almost had you.’
I laughed awkwardly, not quite sure how to respond to her comment. ‘I recovered it though.’
‘Oh yeah,’ she nodded. ‘You were great. A little slow on your retu—’
‘Avery called this morning for tickets,’ Mum said, cutting her off and pulling my attention. There was a thin, worn smile on her lips, and I knew that look from my childhood. Like, Christmases and parties when Dad’s sister came to visit, and Mum was two glasses of wine into pretending she didn’t hate that woman’s guts. I was reminded of the words me and Mum had in her kitchen.
‘Then there was that awful friend of yours.’
A wave of awkwardness washed over me, as I realized how much Mum would’ve hated having to sit in the box with Avery. She’d already complained about how she still hung around. I swallowed down the discomfort, trying not to let it show.
‘I tried to call your agent last night but she couldn’t help.’ Avery said, seemingly noticing the awkward atmosphere with Mum. ‘But I knew your parents would.’
‘I tried to call to let you know, but you missed it,’ Mum said to me through gritted teeth.
