“Just hit the ball don't miss,”  I repeated to myself over and over again. We were on the bus on our way there while others were laughing and enjoying themselves; I was over here scared I was going to miss the ball or set the ball when I am supposed to bump it. My parents weren’t going to be at this game considering I have 3 other siblings it gets hard. I used to hate when my parents came to my soccer games. All I heard was constant yelling at me to run, or what they call “motivational speaking”. This time was different I actually wanted it this time. I wanted to hear their voices and I had no idea why.

A One Direction song came on named  “The best song ever” and all the girls screamed. Danielle  belted the lyrics out of her mouth confidently. She nudged me to sing with them, I looked at her. “Wait everyone, Chloe won't sing. She needs to sing too,” she yelled and everybody stopped. They waited and stared at me to sing.

“AND WE DANCED ALL NIGHT TO THE BEST SONG EVER,” I screamed the notes like everyone else. I laughed continuously letting all my rigid and stiff actions go, instead I let myself relish the moment. Before we knew it we were singing song after song yelling out lyrics like we wanted the whole world to hear it.

“Guys we’re here”,  someone yelped and we all turned, piling on each other to look out the windows.

“The school is huge, Chloe,” Olivia said. I looked and agreed imagining how big the team must be then.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

I grabbed my stuff and kept walking with Liv and Danielle by my side. It is my first volleyball game, and I had tryouts for the 6 grade team but instead I made the 7th grade volleyball team, which is amazing it being my first year of volleyball. These girls had been together for years. Olivia and I were the “newcomers”; we weren't the only 6th graders. There were a couple others, but Liv and I kind of clicked together better than the others.

We approached a school with giant doors made for a school for  giants more than middle schoolers. I walked into dim lighting and neon signs on a bulletin board. The walls were old brick that reminded you of historical museums that your teachers loved to talk about. I followed the group with Olivia by my side until we got to an enormous gym with the stands equally filled on both sides. I started walking, as I had no other choice but to follow my teammates knowing that my parents wouldn't be in the stands. I wouldn't hear my mom's constant cheers and my dad’s “Go Chloe!!” I would hear the sound of other parents supporting their kids instead. I sat down on the dirt brown chairs with their school logo on it. My coach got us into a circle and divided us into groups to start our warm ups. Before I knew it the game started. I was starting in #2 position in the square with Olivia, Nicole and Lexi on my right and Autumn on my left. I missed the ball twice and got nervous.  “Timeout, timeout!” I heard my coach yell. I ran off the court to my coach. “Girls, you have to be your own supporter. I can’t play the game for you girls. I know it is a little scary and this is our first game but we have to work together. Trust each other, call the ball, make it clear that it is yours. You guys can do this! I just want 100% from each of you. Now go play ball, and have fun. That quote right there stuck with me. I might not hear my parents voices but I can do it. I rotated to the front line and was ready, they passed the ball up to me and the girl that had been intimidating me the whole time slammed it to the back but I slammed it right back. We won that quarter. But not the whole game. Now to think about I wish I had said, “Sorry princess.” But not even Cinderella could get to this ball.