Hi, this is my first published fanfiction. Whoo! I know this first chapter is really, really short, but they will get much, much longer (promise!). I hope to put up a couple of chapters of this over the next week or so, and then hopefully have weekly/fortnightly updates. Reviews are appreciated! Thanks for reading!
It was a Thursday morning when Nikki first noticed her. Barry Barry had spent the morning kicking off, so Miss Boston had been forced to bring her class out for a few unscheduled laps of the schoolyard. As Nikki had leant against the wall, shouting encouragement at her moaning students, she happened to glance across the field at a group of Year 6 girls playing netball.
Glinting in the sunlight, her deep chestnut hair was the first thing to catch Nikki's attention. Gracefully and nimbly, the blue centre intercepted the ball, landing a little off balance, but quickly correcting and pivoting neatly to pass the ball back in the direction of play. When the WD moved in to receive the ball, something in the back of Nikki's brain registered the commendable use of set-play, however all of her conscious senses were focused on the girl and the odd sense of familiarity Nikki felt towards her.
After watching the game for a few more minutes, Nikki had formed a few conclusions about the girl: she was powerful, both intercepting and receiving the ball with the surprisingly effective technique of simply out-accelerating her opponent; she was skilled, performing ever move calculatedly, moving to create space not only for herself but for others, landing perfectly on the balls of her feet every time she moved for the ball; and, finally, she was versatile, changing flawlessly between attack and defense, and excelling in both.
A goal was scored, although Nikki could not tell you who by. One, solitary moment of peace fell over the court as the girl waited for the rest of her team to take their places onside. Just as she stepped into the circle, she gave one final command to her comrades.
Luckily, the wind was in Nikki's favour and carried the words to her: "Come on girls, keep up with the set-play!"
Breath caught in Nikki's throat, as the voice echoed a deep memory around her head. That voice - a unique blend of Southern accent and Northern stress - pulled a wave of emotion over her, staring with excitement, then shock, then a crushing blow of sadness. She had only heard that voice once before.
"Are we done yet, Miss?" Rhiannon's grumble brought Nikki out of her trance.
Nikki swallowed a little, recomposing herself, "Yes Rhiannon, you can go back inside now."