Kapitel 26: We're going to destroy everybody
The fifteen minutes passed quickly, and the tension in the air was almost tangible as the tournament organizers returned with the finalized roster. A clipboard-toting volunteer called out our names, waving us over with a smile.
"Congratulations, Rhiannon and Rowena! You're officially registered as team number 15. Here's your placement on the bracket," the volunteer said, handing me a slip of paper.
Rowena snatched it from my hands before I could even look. "Number 15? Not bad. I'd have preferred 1, but I'll settle for crushing everyone else on the way up."
"Calm down, hotshot," I said, nudging her. "We haven't even seen the competition yet."
"Doesn't matter," she replied with a smirk, folding the paper and tucking it into her pocket.
Nearby, the tournament organizers unveiled a large display board with the official participant bracket. Teams were clustered around, pointing and murmuring as they examined the matchups. I followed Rowena as she elbowed her way through the crowd to get a closer look.
The board was a chaotic but impressive tableau of names and numbers, each representing a team vying for the ultimate prize. My gaze flicked over the list until it landed on our names, neatly scrawled under "Team 15."
"Look at this," Rowena said, tapping the bracket. "Our first match is against Team 7 tomorrow morning. They sound beatable."
I rolled my eyes. "You don't even know who they are."
"Doesn't matter," she said with a shrug. "We're going to destroy them."
As much as I appreciated her confidence, I knew better than to underestimate our opponents. Still, I couldn't deny the flicker of excitement bubbling in my chest.
"Alright," Rowena said, turning to me with a wicked grin. "Let's see if you've still got it, big sis. Time for some training."
"Training?" I echoed, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah," she said, already pulling me toward an open stretch of beach. "You didn't think we'd just walk in cold tomorrow, did you?"
I hesitated, glancing at the volleyball net set up nearby. The idea of training sounded exhausting, especially after yesterday's impromptu game with Luncindra and her friends. Still, I couldn't back down now—not with Rowena watching.
"Fine," I said, kicking off my sandals and stepping onto the sand. "Let's do this."
Rowena tossed me a volleyball, the familiar weight of it settling into my hands. She backed up a few steps, her stance already poised and ready.
"Alright," she called out. "Serve it up!"
I took a deep breath, rolling the ball between my palms before tossing it into the air. My arm swung forward with practiced precision, and the ball sailed over the net, landing just inside the boundary line.
"Not bad," Rowena said, sprinting to return it.
What followed was a whirlwind of movement and strategy. Rowena and I fell into an easy rhythm, our years of sibling rivalry translating seamlessly into competitive synergy.
The sand clung to my skin as I dove for a low shot, the ball skimming just over the net. Rowena countered with a sharp spike, her laughter ringing out as I barely managed to block it.
"Still got it?" she teased, a wicked glint in her eyes.
"Please," I shot back, wiping sweat from my brow. "I've always had it."
As the game progressed, I found myself slipping into the familiar groove of competition. My body moved on instinct, each serve and volley a reminder of why I loved this sport.
But as much as I enjoyed the training, a nagging thought kept creeping into my mind. Yesterday, when I'd played with Luncindra and her friends, I'd been good—but had they been going easy on me?
The memory of Luncindra's smirk as she'd complimented my skills surfaced, and I couldn't shake the feeling that it had been more patronizing than genuine.
"Hey!" Rowena's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
"What?" I said, blinking at her.
"You spaced out," she said, tossing the ball at me. "Don't tell me you're getting tired already."
"Hardly," I said, catching the ball and sending it hurtling back over the net.
Rowena lunged for it, her movements quick and precise. She managed to return it, but the angle was off, and the ball sailed out of bounds.
"Point for me," I said with a grin.
"Alright, alright," she said, brushing sand off her hands. "Don't get cocky."
We continued for what felt like hours, the sun dipping lower in the sky as we honed our skills. By the time we finally called it quits, my muscles ached, and my hair was a tangled mess of sweat and sand.
Rowena plopped down onto the beach, her chest heaving as she caught her breath.
"Well," she said between gulps of air, "we're ready. We're going to destroy everybody."
I couldn't help but laugh, her enthusiasm infectious. Despite the exhaustion, I felt a surge of pride. We were ready and tomorrow, we'd prove it.
The walk back to the hotel was peaceful well, as peaceful as it could be with Rowena gloating beside me.
She was in high spirits, clearly proud of herself for the punch she'd landed on Luncindra. Meanwhile, I was silently debating whether I could trust her to keep her mouth shut when we got back to our moms.
It was a hopeless dream.
As soon as we stepped into the hotel suite, Rowena practically bounced into the living room, where Riley and Seraphine were lounging on the couch.
Riley had a glass of wine in hand, while Seraphine flipped through a book that looked suspiciously like it was about world domination.
"Guess what I did today!" Rowena declared, her voice loud enough to shake the windows.
Riley arched an eyebrow, setting her wine glass down. "What did you do now?"
"Oh, nothing much," Rowena said, trying to sound nonchalant but failing miserably. "Just punched someone in the face."
The effect was immediate. Seraphine's book snapped shut, and Riley's wine glass tilted dangerously before she caught it.
"You what?" Riley asked, her tone a mix of disbelief and amusement.
Geschenke
-- Geschenk
erhalten Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein