Chapter 2-A Disappointment
Nate's P.O.V.
I woke up about mid-afternoon. Man had I been sleeping a long time after my tears had put me into my slumber. Yawning, I turned over and found myself staring at a picture of my mom which always sits on my bedside table. Heaven knows why I keep the picture there. It makes me sad everytime I look at the kind face of my mom. She was such a marvelous person. She was always laughing and full of life. Mom was also compassionate to other people, always trying to make peace in the world. She said she loved me and well, I thought she did until she left seven years ago when I was ten.
Just like that my mom suddenly packed and left. Must have been something I did. I can't help but blame myself. Why else would my mom have left everything she cared so much about? There was only one explanation. I was the disappointment who chased her away. I'm the disappointment who always upset my Dad into hysterics. I'm the disappointment...
A quick glance at the clock jerked me from my thoughts. 2:15 p.m.O great, I was 10 minutes late for my tennis match. Dad was going to kill me! Leaping out of bed, I changed into some tennis clothes and headed out to court C.
Cody's P.O.V.
"Hey Cody, what's up?" Adena had just barged into the faculty condo I shared with my dad right as I was in the middle of picking out tennis photos for my internship magazine.
I grinned feebly. "Weren't you ever taught to knock? I'm just choosing pictures, you know for the magazine I'm working for."
Adena nodded and sat down beside me leafing through the pictures. "These are awesome Cody!"
"Thanks" I watched as she stopped short at one picture. "Hey here's Nate and Squib playing a tennis match. They both look pretty competitive."
I realized this was Adena's "subtle" way of bringing the two boys up. Well, I wasn't falling for that when I didn't want to talk about them. So I cleared my throat and tried not to look uncomfortable. "Uh, Adena you want something to drink or eat.
She turned my way. "Cody you're changing the subject. C'mon, sweetie whats up? It's about Squib and Nate isn't it?"
Sighing heavily, I decided it would be best to answer her and not hold off the conversation. Get it over with. "O.K. yes, I have been thinking about the two a little bit.
Adena raised her eyebrows.
"O.K. quite a lot. It's just...it's just, well Adena, I have feeling for both of them, still! My mind keeps running in circles and won't let me decide who I like more and who I should talk to. I just can't choose."
Adena nodded wisely. "Cody it has to be hard. Dealing with the matter of love is never easy. Nate and Squib are both great guys and have great qualities. They both are so likeable. Cody you have to be fair to both of them. If you are going to choose, you have to deal with the fact you are going to hurt one of the guys. So if you are going to choose, please, please, listen to your heart, not just your head."
After that speech Adena stood up. "I have a match in fifteen minutes. See you later ok?"
Waving goodbye, I watched Adena head out the door, hoping her words would help.
Nate's P.O.V.
I raced out to the courts in a panic. Must've set a record, I ran so fast. When I finally arrived, the whole court looked just as I suspected it would. There was the announcer sitting way up in his chair, about to announce that I was to be disqualified. Coach Brock was standing on the sideline, nervously checking his watch. And the man I dreaded to see was standing beside the coach; President Bates, my dad. He had just spotted me and had taken on the death stare he always gave me when I did something wrong. The stare was so chilling that I decided to cast my eyes downward until I reached my side of the net.
"And it looks like Nate Bates will not be forfeiting after all." the announcer called.
Trying not to look at my dad, I threw the tennis ball up into the air and landed my first serve.
"15/Love."
The match was over fairly quickly. I took the match easily; it was just some Group C named Henry. Sighing, I started to walk over to the bench for a drink and a towel. Unexpectedly, though my dad cornered me right before the bench. I rolled my eyes hoping this wouldn't get out of control.
"What the hell is wrong with you? Why were you late?"
My face turned to colour of a bright red tomato. I muttered almost inaudibly under my breath, "Dad do we have to do this here.
I swear his voice got louder as he kept on yelling at me. Some lingerers in the stands had ever stopped, and were turning to watch the scene that was unfolding before their very eyes.
"Of course we have to talk about it! Do you no think it is important? There were scouts in the stands! That wasn't exactly a great impression you made.
Anger was starting to seize control of me. We were doing this fighting again, and frankly I was tired of the same words spilling out time after time. The two of us needed to resolve the issue and many others in a quiet talk. Now was not the time, so I figured the best way to stop me breaking down and my dad exploding would be to end the argument as quickly as possible. I immediately retaliated to try and get Dad to shut up.
"Dad does it really matter if I was a few minutes late? Those scouts saw me win OK? And that is who they want to recruit. Winners, who win their precious tournaments for them so they hoard the money in their pockets."
Dad looked so furious I wear he would swell up under the pressure. He opened his mouth to roar, but surprisingly his voice tuned down to an angry hiss.
"They are not going to hire a pro that doesn't have enough sense in his brain to show up to matches. I don't know what has been going on with you lately but you need your act together. Tennis is your life Nate."
He was so close to leaving to court when he turned back around to face me.
"Oh and you are grounded for a week for being tardy."
My eyes widened. "What! You can't ground for being a little late!"
Dad looked kind of smug. "Just watch me."
"Fine. It's a date then." I bit back sarcastically.
Dad was still talking, but thankfully walking away. "Just for the attitude, two weeks and janitorial duties." He jogged off to catch up with a CO.
I hurled my racket towards the fence in fury, catching a few curious stares. This was just horrible. It's not that I minded being grounded. Any time a son can spend with a father who hardly notices him is a blessing. Yet, some of the things my dad had said were really getting to me. Of course he didn't know what was going on with me lately. We hardly talk; I will try and bring my life up, but all Dad wants to talk about is tennis. And, who was he to say tennis was my life? In fact, though I did enjoy the game, there were other dreams I craved for, like being a musician. Only reason I took up the sport (two times) was to make my dad proud; something I couldn't accomplish. O sure, he could be proud of all the A-listers, but when I won a game Dad barely batted an eye. He was never proud of me.
Walking over to the fence to retrieve my racket, I struck up a goal in my mind. One day I would make Dad soar with pride as he watched me defeat unbeatable odds. When the day would come, I do not know, but it just had to!