Post by Jacob B. Dole on Apr 7, 2009 4:15:24 GMT 1
‘It’s the third set, and so far I haven’t taken any. This isn’t right; I need to get my head back in the game. Calm down; think about it for a second. My arm keeps swinging and all I’m hitting are ground strokes. I need to start hitting some slices… That’s a good idea.’
Bouncing the tennis ball several times in quick succession he looked up, peering across the net at his friend and current adversary in tennis: Terry Bloom. Rocking his weight onto his back foot he tossed the ball skyward and raised his racket in suite, drawing it back as he kept his eye on the barely spinning sphere. As it dropped his body stretched, his arm reaching out as he moved to strike the ball and cause it to curve to the outside of the court. But what actually happened was a weird serve that went toward the outside, though no curve was formed, no technique was present, just the power of his serve. It was returned, and called a return winner as it stretched down the sideline, landing just within the baseline as Jacob failed to get it with his backhand in time.
He wasn’t tired, just discouraged after losing three straight sets. Usually it was a tough back and forth, sometimes he won, sometimes he lost, but it nearly always went into the fifth set. Maybe it’s because David had started training harder for the Amateur Tournament that was coming up, or maybe he just wasn’t focused. Sitting down on the bench he grabbed his water, pouring it over the back of his head and neck, cooling him off even in the early morning heat. Turning his head over he looked up at Dave, squinting in the sun as his friend towered over him for the first time.
“Sorry man,” He breathed, panting softly. He didn’t know why, but he had been holding his breath through the last serve, only now catching his breath. “I dunno what’s wrong, sorry I couldn’t help you.”
“Dude, it’s alright. If anything, this would be a confident booster having beaten you right before the preliminaries, if you weren’t playing like an infant.” Dave chuckled back, poking fun at his childhood rival.
“Yeah yeah, kick me while I’m down. Watch out, I might have to stand up and teach you a lesson.” Poking fun back Jacob jabbed his racket at David’s midsection before grabbing his cell and checking the time. “Damn, Good thing you decimated me, I gotta go get ready for school.”
“Just don’t make the same type of friends you had in Cartford, your Tennis game couldn’t hold up to another lynching.” Game, Set, Match. David beat him in both Tennis and Sarcastic wit, to think this day would come. Oh, the tragedy. Standing up he put the shorter male in a headlock, performing the ritual of ‘noggies’ before laughing and making his way down three blocks to get back to his house.
Showered, shaved, and full Jacob Dole headed to school so that he’d arrive an hour before first class. He wanted to try and get a look at the layout of the school, from what he had already seen it was much more different then Cartfords layout, and not necessarily just reversed like they tend to do with schools in the same area. Heading onto the grounds he made his way towards the side doors to get to his locker. Slipping inside the school he pulled back the hood on his TapouT hoodie and headed down the hall. He was still thinking back to the tennis game with his buddy, wondering just how unfocused he really was.
Bouncing the tennis ball several times in quick succession he looked up, peering across the net at his friend and current adversary in tennis: Terry Bloom. Rocking his weight onto his back foot he tossed the ball skyward and raised his racket in suite, drawing it back as he kept his eye on the barely spinning sphere. As it dropped his body stretched, his arm reaching out as he moved to strike the ball and cause it to curve to the outside of the court. But what actually happened was a weird serve that went toward the outside, though no curve was formed, no technique was present, just the power of his serve. It was returned, and called a return winner as it stretched down the sideline, landing just within the baseline as Jacob failed to get it with his backhand in time.
He wasn’t tired, just discouraged after losing three straight sets. Usually it was a tough back and forth, sometimes he won, sometimes he lost, but it nearly always went into the fifth set. Maybe it’s because David had started training harder for the Amateur Tournament that was coming up, or maybe he just wasn’t focused. Sitting down on the bench he grabbed his water, pouring it over the back of his head and neck, cooling him off even in the early morning heat. Turning his head over he looked up at Dave, squinting in the sun as his friend towered over him for the first time.
“Sorry man,” He breathed, panting softly. He didn’t know why, but he had been holding his breath through the last serve, only now catching his breath. “I dunno what’s wrong, sorry I couldn’t help you.”
“Dude, it’s alright. If anything, this would be a confident booster having beaten you right before the preliminaries, if you weren’t playing like an infant.” Dave chuckled back, poking fun at his childhood rival.
“Yeah yeah, kick me while I’m down. Watch out, I might have to stand up and teach you a lesson.” Poking fun back Jacob jabbed his racket at David’s midsection before grabbing his cell and checking the time. “Damn, Good thing you decimated me, I gotta go get ready for school.”
“Just don’t make the same type of friends you had in Cartford, your Tennis game couldn’t hold up to another lynching.” Game, Set, Match. David beat him in both Tennis and Sarcastic wit, to think this day would come. Oh, the tragedy. Standing up he put the shorter male in a headlock, performing the ritual of ‘noggies’ before laughing and making his way down three blocks to get back to his house.
Showered, shaved, and full Jacob Dole headed to school so that he’d arrive an hour before first class. He wanted to try and get a look at the layout of the school, from what he had already seen it was much more different then Cartfords layout, and not necessarily just reversed like they tend to do with schools in the same area. Heading onto the grounds he made his way towards the side doors to get to his locker. Slipping inside the school he pulled back the hood on his TapouT hoodie and headed down the hall. He was still thinking back to the tennis game with his buddy, wondering just how unfocused he really was.