Page 53 of Game Point (Game, Set, and Match #2)

Dylan

What Was I Made For? – Billie Eilish

Bailey vs Wei

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 a very 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.

I forced a smile between the two, feeling a little like I was being torn in half. ‘Well, no matter how last minute, I’m glad you could make it.’

Mum muttered something under her breath, her eyes narrowed. Dad coughed, covering up what she had said. Whatever it was, I was starting to think it would be the tip of the iceberg.

I looked between them, trying to figure out how I was supposed to juggle this awkward group, before realizing there was somebody missing. ‘Where’s Oliver?’

I had seen him sitting with them throughout the match, that serious coach expression on his face, like a teacher assessing their student.

He normally caught me in the cool-down room, but since my parents were attending, I thought he would’ve stuck with them, making sure they didn’t get lost in the vast arena.

Mum turned to look at Dad. ‘I’m not sure.’

‘He left before the match ended,’ Avery noted, as we turned to make our way down the corridor, my muscles beginning to burn after the exercise. ‘Isn’t that super unprofessional? Shouldn’t he be more supportive and stick around?’

What was she getting at?

‘He might have been going to the bathroom,’ Mum added, waving Avery’s concerns away. I knew it wasn’t like him to disappear while I was playing. I knew I could count on him to always be watching. How hadn’t I even noticed he’d disappeared?

Mum’s arm wrapped over my shoulders as we walked, or as much as she could considering our height difference. ‘Don’t worry, I’m sure he won’t be too far behind us.’

We wouldn’t be going far, but with my parents in tow, it was going to be hard to cool down quickly and shower.

‘Is he joining us for dinner?’ Dad asked, looking at me as we dodged others in the corridor.

‘Yeah, I think so,’ I replied, not sure what else to say, reeling from his absence. I knew, no matter what, he wouldn’t have left without a good reason.

I looked at Avery, the uncomfortable feeling washing over me again. I knew if I invited her to dinner, Mum would be furious, but it felt awkward considering she knew we had plans already. Spotting a familiar blonde searching the crowd ahead, I waved my hand to catch her attention. ‘Scottie!’

Her blue eyes lit up as she pushed through the busy crowd. Scottie burst forward, pulling me into my fourth hug of the day as she shouted, ‘Congrats! You did well out there.’

She released me, my eyes finding her fiancé, Nico.

‘You played great,’ he said. I nodded, thanking them both, before introducing my parents. Mum shot me a confused look after she shook Scottie’s hand, clearly remembering my rival.

‘Scottie, when are you playing?’ I asked, apprehension pinching at my words.

‘Not for a few hours.’

Relief crashed like a wave as I looked between her and Nico. ‘Would you be able to take my parents through to the bar? I need to cool down and get showered.’

Only for a second did it feel weird asking Scottie Sinclair for a favour. And then the feeling floated away as I remembered our conversation in the hallway.

My dad sighed, frustrated. ‘We can look after ourselves.’

I turned, shooting him a flat look. ‘Dad, you got lost in Bunnings last weekend.’

He looked at my mum, clearly annoyed she had told me that story. ‘I didn’t get lost. Your mum just couldn’t find me.’

‘I should’ve known he was getting a snag,’ Mum muttered. I smothered my own laugh. Never trust Dad not to get distracted by food.

‘Oliver was supposed to be here, but I think he’s probably gotten mixed up with the crowds.’

Whether it was instinct or longing, my gaze briefly searched the crowd, half expecting him to pop out.

‘Yeah, no problem,’ she smiled with no sign of hesitation. Her attention slid to my mum as her grin turned to foreboding. ‘I’m sure I’ll have the best time hearing about all the embarrassing things that baby Dylan used to do.’

‘Oh, do we have stories!’ Dad laughed as my stomach dropped out from under me. ‘She used to run around chasing the neighbour’s cat in the summer. Practically terrorized the damn thing.’

With my cheeks burning, I managed to look up at Nico, asking, ‘I’m definitely going to regret this, aren’t I?’

He laughed. ‘Probably.’

‘Can I stick with you?’ Avery asked, turning to me. ‘I’ve barely seen you, and then I’d love to come for dinner.’

I was struck, unsure how to answer. I’d just come off court, I needed time to cool down and shower, that would all be quicker without a tag-along.

However, one look at Mum and I knew leaving Avery with them was not an option.

Not if Avery wanted to see the rest of the day without encountering Mum’s bad side.

‘Yeah, of course,’ I said. ‘I’ll show you around. You might be hanging around for a bit while I stretch and shower.’

She waved my concerns away. ‘I can ogle at all the hot tennis players while you do.’

I laughed nervously, our group splitting into two as Avery and I left, heading towards the players’ area.

With us now alone things fell into a comfortable flow as I caught up with Avery about her life.

The last time we had spoken was a few weeks ago, over a phone call that had been a little difficult.

Sometimes, Avery was a little open with her opinion, a little too cutting, and I knew it was because she cared, because she had the same history as I did. But sometimes, when I wasn’t in the right headspace, it wasn’t what I needed.

‘You know,’ Avery nudged into me, a grin curled on her lips. ‘You’ve really come a long way since the old days at Beacy.’

‘God, I’ll never forget that shitty court,’ I laughed, shaking my head. ‘It was hard to even run across without tripping up.’ I said, looking over at her. ‘Thanks for coming to the match,’ I added, despite everything, appreciating the effort.

‘You were really on point,’ she said, before something twisted in her features. ‘Though I noticed your serve was a bit off in the second set. I thought that might have been why Oliver left.’

I could handle critique, I was used to that … but not from somebody who didn’t play at this level. ‘I was intentionally playing slower. I don’t think it was off.’

I knew I was being defensive, maybe even too much, but it was hard to accept coming fresh off a win. I had learned to celebrate a win, and it was Oliver’s job to critique my playing. But Avery? She did it no matter what.