CHAPTER THIRTEEN- SEMI FINALS
As soon as they got back to the hotel room, Megan and Sebastien joined each other in bed. Megan lay there with her head on Sebastien's chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. She felt more at rest since she had made her decision. Still, the ramifications of it scared her. She knew she could get very sick, and that would just cost more money. Yet…if she didn't compete…
Sebastien stroked Megan's hair as she slowly drifted off to sleep. Gunnerson had given him a lot to think about, and he couldn't seem to get it in his head. He spent a lot of time thinking about his mother, when he wasn't worrying about how to help his dad pay rent. He still felt guilty about being so angry the last time he'd had to work at Arnie's to pay off the bills. His dad had been so disappointed…but maybe, Sebastien reasoned, he just didn't understand how much this all hurt. Providing for them both, while costing his dad $60 000 a year, maintaining his grades, and not thinking about mother. He sighed and slipped below the covers, all of this weighing on his mind.
The weekend passed quickly- they explored the small town of Hamstead, U.K. and trained a lot more. They used each other's strengths to motivate their weaknesses. Megan pushed Sebastien harder with endurance running, and Sebastien pushed Megan on perfecting her strokes. By the time Monday, and the semi-finals and rolled around, they felt like they were at the top of their game. Even though they'd spent a lot of nights lying awake, or talking to each other, they were well rested. Megan had had only one spasm the whole weekend, and Sebastien was able to tear away from his thoughts to help ease her out of the pain. Monday morning dawned bright.
"Morning Sebastien…" Megan yawned and got out of bed.
"Morning." Sebastien rolled over and fell out of bed. "Ai!"
Megan started laughing before helping him up. "Wrong side of the bed, Seb?"
"There's a wrong side of the bed?" She shook her head and hauled him up. "Breakfast?"
"There better be! Remember I called for it last night?"
"Mmm…food." He almost fell over again. "It's the semi-finals today!"
"You just realized, Sebastien?" She was laughing again when there was a knock on the door.
"Room service!" Sebastien raced her to the door and they pulled it open, nearly on top of each other.
The bellhop eyed them for a second. "Here's your food. Players, are you?"
"Yes! We're in the semi-finals!" they chorused.
The look on his face changed to respect. "Well, congratulations! I've been trying to catch as much as I could but…" he shrugged.
"It's okay. We haven't watched any games but each other's!" chirped Megan.
"But a lot of guys turned up for her matches…." Said Sebastien slyly.
"Seb!" She elbowed him.
"You're turning into Cody, Megs," he warned, before winking.
"Shut up!"
The bellhop looked uncomfortable now. He waved good-bye, and left the pair at the door.
"Sebastien, you scared him away!"
"I didn't! What'd we get to eat anyways?" he peered under the covers of the food. "Bean sprouts." His body sagged a little in mock discouragement.
"Hey! We need to eat healthy!" Megan tried her best to look excited while popping a few in her mouth.
"That's gross. Much like your pudding cups," he stated.
"Oh…pudding cups." Megan grabbed something off the tray and hid it under a paper towel. "No pudding cups here!"
Sebastien just grabbed the trolley and pulled it into the room, nerves for today's match starting to settle in. "Aren't you worried?"
"About the match?" Megan's laughter was starting to fade away too. "Yea…especially after my 'nice girl's never finish first' tape got ruined."
"Whatever happened to that?" asked Sebastien.
"Violet Hall… or maybe Sunny. I'm not sure," she said half-heartedly. Sebastien started to laugh before Megan pointed a finger at him.
"What about your Francois Cochet picture?" she said.
"Who needs Francois Cochet when I have another tennis star in real life, hm?" he grabbed her around the waist and they started laughing again. She grabbed a handful of bean sprouts and started threatening him with them. "No! Not the bean sprouts!"
"You'll never escape me!" They started giggling helplessly as she stuffed them into his mouth and he tried his best to chew the tasteless string.
"That…is VILE," he coughed and grabbed a slice of whole wheat bread. They ate in silence, looking up at each other and smiling the whole mean. Occasionally, one of them would start laughing because they couldn't keep their eyes off each other. As soon as they finished breakfast, they grabbed their rackets and hopped on a cab to the tournament. Unfortunately, both their matches were at the same time. They'd have to wait until they were both done to see each other.
"Sebastien?" Megan whacked the ball straight at him in practise.
"Yea?" He heaved and knocked to the opposite side of the court.
"We're SO going to ace this tournament!" She laughed and shot the ball down his throat.
"Aughh!" He stumbled away quickly so he wouldn't get hit in the face with the ball. He served. "Don't count your chickens!"
"Whatever!"
Megan was just about the slam the ball when she stopped in her tracks. "The semi-finals for the Junior Women's and Men's tournament will take place in 20 minutes. Player's are asked to report to their respective courts immediately.
"Ah nooo!" yelled Megan. "It's not time yet!"
"Sebastien hopped the net and grabbed her hands in his. "I thought you were going to ace the tournament?" His eyes twinkled as she pulled away and turned around in mock anger.
"I was! Until I realized I'd have to play tennis to win!" She changed into a serious mode and cradled her racket, as if to gain some secret strength from the metal and string. Sebastien pulled it out of her grip and took her hands again.
"Your game is in you, not your racket. And you're amazing." He kissed her softly and they leaned into each other, delaying the moment when they'd have to part.
"Player's Dubé and O'Connor are asked to report to their courts immediately." They glanced up towards the intercom system, before letting go of each other.
"Ready?" asked Sebastien.
"Ready."
They walked off to their courts, completely in the zone. An hour later, they walked back towards each other, yelling at the top of their lungs.
"FINALS! FINALS! We're in the FINALS!" Sebastien and Megan were both soaked with sweat- they'd just played some very strong opponents.
A crowd of camera's and press were waiting outside the player's area. Sebastien and Megan timidly came out to meet them, along with the other two finalists of the tournament.
"Mr. Dubé! Ms. O'Connor! How do you feel about making it to the final's together?"
"Ms. O'Connor, who's the better player?"
"Mr. Dubé! What's your secret to playing such strong games?"
Megan started smiling and stepped away from Sebastien. "Francois Cochet!"
"Megs!" Sebastien was horrified. "What about your compulsive running?"
"He organizes his meals in alphabetical order!"
"One time she tried to disorganize all my food and ended up on the floor of the caf, covered in pasta!"
"SEBASTIEN!" She playfully slapped his arm and opened up to the cameras. "And to answer your question, I believe I'M the better player here."
"Right…" Sebastien started laughing as the press instantly fell in love with the tennis-star couple. They answered a few more questions, interspersed with laughter and reminiscing of their friends at Cascadia. Finally, Sebastien pulled Megan away and they ran to a catch a taxi back to the hotel.
As they tumbled into the car, they burst out into laughter. "I've never laughed so much in my life!" coughed out Megan.
"That was the most fun I've ever had!" yelled Sebastien. "ADRENALINE!"
"YEAAA!" Megan turned around and gave Sebastien a wild, passionate kiss. "We're in the finals!"
"What happens if we win the whole thing?" grinned Sebastien.
"Don't be getting any idea's, Dubé." She giggled and leaned into him. "Mr. Dubé! How do feel about making the finals? Mr. Dubé! Do you feel confidant about your game?" She mocked the reporters, teasing Sebastien about their newfound publicity.
"Hey, you got a lot of media attention too! The world loves you O'Connor, but I love you more." They smiled as the taxi pulled into the hotel.
A reported approached them as they walked through the entrance. Five more stood up from some couches placed in the lobby. A few more popped out of corners, and they swarmed the young couple.
"Mr. Dubé, how did you get your mysterious head-injury?" probed one.
"Ms. O'Connor, why did your father not stay for the rest of the tournament?"
"Mr. Dubé, we haven't heard anything about your family, where are they?"
"Ms. O'Connor, we've heard you're having health problems, can you explain about that?"
The media reared it's head again as they struggled to answer.
"I…tripped on a racket in the player's area," claimed Sebastien.
"My dad had business to attend to," Megan mumbled.
"My family is…they are…they're…" Sebastien trailed off. He looked to Megan to help him out, but she had no idea what to say.
"Ms. O'Connor, what about your health?" asked the reported urgently.
Sebastien had to get out of there. "We have to go train!" He grabbed Megan's wrist and they tore out of the crowd, stunned by the personal questioned posed to them.
"How did they know?" gasped Megan as soon as they got into the elevator. The mirror-lined walls reflected her face, starting to labour under the pressure to breathe.
"They must have not known back at the tournament, otherwise they'd have asked then. Someone told them!" He glanced at Megan and stepped back for a moment. She was started to get paler…"Megan?"
"Oh God!" She crouched to the floor, pulling Sebastien down with her. "No…stop!" She closed her eyes and leaned her head on Sebastien's arm. He slid his arms under her and lifted her up like a child. As the elevator doors opened, he kicked their bags into the hallway and fumbled for the key, as Megan tried not to scream. He had finally opened the door when a flash of light blinded the pair. A man darted around the corner, clutching a camera. Sebastien couldn't chase him down- Megan needed his help. He shoved the bags in the door and slammed it shut, laying Megan down on the couch. She tucked herself into the fetal position and stuffed part of a pillow into her mouth. "SEBASTIEN!"
"I'm here, I'm right beside you don't worry." She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. "Just breathe Megan, there's nothing else we can do."
"Find something to do!" she hissed. She was about to suggest he try stabbing his stomach so he knew what her pain felt like, but another shot of torture coursed through her body. She couldn't even bear to scream. Not realizing she was holding her breath, she started getting dizzy. In the back of her head, she knew she had to hold on, but all she could think of was the oblivion of unconsciousness.
"MEGAN! You have to stay awake!" He squeezed her hand tighter and begged her to stay. "I need you here with me! You need to stay here!" Her mind was shutting down, slowly ceasing to function. "Oh God, Megan!"
Megan drifted away. All her senses had stopped working. She floated in a thick mass of black, swimming aimlessly around. She revelled in the freedom of unconsciousness, without worry or emotion. Emotion. Her mind was beginning to wake up as she remembered the rush of love she felt the first time she watched Sebastien play tennis, the rush of discouragement when her mother told them they were losing money, the sick feeling she got when her father showed up at her first match, the fear when the reporter's discovered her secrets. A small part of her clung to the obscurity, but the rest of her needed to return to her world- a world with feelings and senses and problems she knew she would have to overcome. With a final push of strength, she brought herself back to reality.
Sebastien didn't despair when Megan passed out. Instead, he calmly called her name, knowing she'd wake up with a little reminder of the real world. Thoughts of his mother flitted through his head, but he brushed them away. When she woke up, he heaved a sigh of relief and clutched her tightly in his arms. At first, she was a little surprised, but as soon as she got her bearings she held him like she'd never let go.
"You okay?" asked Sebastien gently.
"I'm…fine." She felt her stomach. "The pain's gone."
"Good. I can't stand to see you in pain…" he trailed off.
"You're in pain." She tilted his chin up to look her in the eye.
He tried to shake her off. "No, I'm not. Nothing's wrong."
"It's a lot, isn't it?" She pulled him up to the couch beside her.
"Which is?"
"Everything. Your mother, your father, tennis…it's a lot of responsibility."
"There is no alternative. I have no choice." He looked down and traced her fingers. "There is no one left to provide for our family. My father works so hard, but it doesn't cut it. Our house paid for most of my first year at Cascadia, and the first month of rent. The rest, we'd have to make up on our own. My mother would be horrified at the way things got. We're living a lie, here."
"You're the most real person I know," said Megan.
"Right now, real isn't good enough." Sebastien ended the conversation and prepared for bed. Megan followed close behind. As they were about to slip into sleep, a knock on the door woke them.
"Sebastien…get the door."
"I always have to get the door!"
"Erg…just answer it!" He padded across the room and opened the door to an empty hallway. However, tucked under the door was a small envelope. Enclosed was the mysterious picture that had been taken when Megan had her spasm. A post-it note was attached: Your secret is safe with me, as well as with a doctor. A phone number was scrawled on the back of the picture.
"Who was it?" yawned Megan.
"Our cameraman. He returned the picture, and…"
"And?"
"Recommended a doctor for you to see."
"No. Not until after the tournament," answered Megan.
"Please Megs!" he gently tilted her chin until she was looking him straight in the eye.
"I've made my decision. No." She pushed his hair back. "I'm sorry Sebastien…not if it means losing the only chance I have of regaining my family."
He took her hand. "I…I guess that's okay. I wish there was an easier way!"
"You're making it easier for me just by being here. K, Seb?"
"K."