I changed into my brand new uniform and twirled in front of740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49ugPXepLU
the full length mirror. The white athletic skirt flipped around my thighs as I hopped over to the lockers. A finishing touch, the sunset orange ribbon tied around740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXL1v6Dccmr
my dark head. Admiring myself once more in the locker room mirror, I gave my reflection a firm nod of approval.“So, lessons with… what’s his name again?” Elsie cooed from the sink, touching up her holographic nail polish.740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqcnOj7LqM8
740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9lSqxm5xY
“Chip. Well, Mr. Harvey. But his first name is Chip,” I explained to my step-sister as I picked up my racket from the bench.740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPhiaJg3ao
740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy2EVftjOTQ
Elsie snorted, “You’re on a first name basis with the guy?”740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLp1AqDdXKV
740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IMOQxkTRd
I bit my lip and inspected the wrapping on the handle, “Not exactly-“740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1d5l6970a
740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7RegHyfhEd
“Good! April, he’s your teacher.”740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyE0pNrSuvb
740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5zzbNGPOa
“I know!”740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNN8KFwWnNu
740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgz51JguYZZ
“I’m pretty sure the guy would go to jail if anything actually happened between the two of you. And not just in your daydreams.”740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08bCGfAupT
740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJI1VHqs5j3
Snorting, I snagged the empty can of Coca Cola from nearby and hammered it at her. Elsie scooted a subtle step forward and it missed her. She arched a honey brown eyebrow at me and blew on her wet fingernails. I groaned and stomped towards the door.740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawa67vVVfp
740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBRTpfyNgo0
“I’m a senior! Eighteen in a month. He’s only what? Twenty?”740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAsOQq8lxuS
I ranted.Elsie snickered, “Twenty-two.”740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqVVKusp37k
740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYOfTLpk06
Stopping at the door, I peered over my shoulder at her, “How do you know?”740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLsTsPGBlv
740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pasDjMJ7r
Her mouth gaped open. Regaining composure, she shrugged, “I just asked…around.”740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTrEs0rtLCM
740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgX5PtMMQrs
I glared down my nose at her, “Why?"740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRZG30XjQt
740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3UxedA0uoj
“I’m looking for a tennis instructor!” Elsie protested, striding over to her bag and slinging it on her shoulder.740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3aaJ9Nimnk
740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY4GQHKBOnW
“But you play golf.”740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YYWXNiTZS
740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrIy0ofuek
She tossed her lemony ponytail over her shoulder with a sigh, “I was looking for another extracurricular to pump up my college applications.”740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlTtvAcaWIa
740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbTdsfbcae5
“Really?”740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcK34YMeJNu
740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF6Ubd5sZ3b
Elsie smirked as she paused in front of me, “It wouldn’t hurt if that extracurricular had a cute butt too.”740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwtdANXGL6h
I swatted her with my racket in the arm, “Don’t talk about Chip that way!”
“Ow! C’mon, it was just a joke!” She protested, “Kind of.”
I rolled my eyes and strode out towards the courts, “See you at home.”
I trotted out into the Venus Colony gym towards the tennis courts. The triple layer, indestructible glass panes gave a perfect view of the Maat Mons caldera. The ancient volcano rose against the permanent cloud cover of the Venus skyline. The outside pressure on the planet was equivalent to the pressure one mile under Earth’s ocean. If I was to go walk around outside, I would be crushed.
Almost as crushed as I felt as Chip rode up towards the courts on his hover bike. My veins fluttered with a rush of blood and I gripped the handle of my racket.
Chip parked his bike outside the rim of the court. His white sneakers clapped against the fabricated wood floor as he approached, snapping his sweatband around his jet black curls. He twirled his racket in his large hand and tossed a yellow ball in the air. Chip caught it, his green eyes trailing down the courts with casual carelessness.
"He’s just so dreamy!” A voice hissed behind me.
Furrowing my brow, I whipped around to find a gaggle of six other girls lined against the wall. All of them were brandishing their tennis rackets and swooning. I frowned as I stared at them. None were familiar, but I could tell they came from all different classes. There was even a freshman in the mix with braces and pigtails. I perched my hands on my hips and glared. When I had signed up, I was one of two on the list. Apparently news travelled fast about the fabulous Mr. Chip Harvey.
“Ladies, line up!”
His voice cracked as a burst of electric energy scattered across the mustard sky outside. I jolted and turned to face him, trying to keep my nerves in check. He came to a stop and stared down at me, his gaze blasé. He was so close I could have reached out and touched him.
“I’m- I’ve been practicing!” I stuttered with a weak grin.
Chip arched an eyebrow, “I said, on the line.”
The girls giggled behind me. I swallowed and kept my eyes on my shoes as I did as I was told. I had never seen a more handsome guy on Venus but he was as prickly as a lightening storm. And just as provocative.
I watched him as he showed the freshman girl how to do a proper swing. Elsie was right. He did have a cute butt.
"He just broke up with his girlfriend. She’s going off planet for school and they ended it,” a junior behind me whispered to her friend.
The other girl pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, “So, are you giving him a gift for Valentine’s day?”
The junior snorted, “Who isn’t?”
I gripped my racket. The box of homemade cherry chocolates with the lacy valentine was sitting in my locker at that very moment. I was going to sneak into the boy’s wash room after practice and leave it in his locker. But if it was going to be just another one in the pile, what did it matter?
“Miss Kumar?”
Swiveling, I smiled over at him, “Please call me April!”
Chip scowled, “Miss Kumar, it’s your turn.”
With a deep breath, I pranced over. Truth be told, I hadn’t practiced. Not with the report for Geology that I had procrastinated on till the last minute. I tried to remember what he had shown me at our first practice as I got ready in front of the net. The machine on the other side whirred and spit out a ball. I swung and caught a piece of it.
With a gleeful squeal, I beamed over at him.
Chip crossed his arms over his chest, “You call that a hit?”
My smiled wilted, “I mean, I almost-“
“Almost doesn’t count. You either hit it or you didn’t.”
I opened my mouth but found I didn’t have a reply. Face burning up, the machine whirred once again.
“Try again, Miss Kumar.”
I planted my feet and focused. Determined to prove myself, I prepped my stance. Chip sighed and held out the remote control towards the ball machine, shutting it down. He strode over, arms swinging.
“I showed you this last time. I will not do it again,” he groused as he stood in front of me and lifted my arms gently by the elbows.
Snatching a glance into his dour but oh so chiseled face, I forced my thoughts to the740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgrtoSRJk6a
moment. The lightning storm outside picked up ferocity, the greenish glow740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCA0cOKN8cy
bouncing into the brightly lit gym. I prayed that the alarm to go to the740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbChZ35dcH
shelter below wouldn’t go off. Not now, not with Chip Harvey holding me so740Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhbCB41nAXd
gently-
“Miss Kumar! Pay attention!” He snapped, “Have you heard a word I said?”
I gaped up at his glare, “I did- kind of-“
He sighed, perching his hands on his hips, “I could tell from the first time I watched you that you have a lot of raw talent. But no discipline. A little bit of ability is nothing without hard work.”
For a moment, he sounded a lot like my dad. It threw me for a loop. I stuttered but didn’t have a response. Chip leaned down, gripping my shoulders and staring hard into my face. It was a good thing he was holding me up. My knees were going weak.
“If you would apply yourself, you could go really far in tennis. I believe that with all my heart, April.” He stated as though it were a promise.
My eyes widened, “With all my heart too.”
“What?” He straightened and arched an eyebrow quizzically.
Flipping my ebony ponytail with a breathy laugh, “Nothing.”
“Hit the ball this time.”
The machine hiccupped to life. I thwacked the ball far onto the other side of the court. I peered over at Chip. He cracked a faint grin as he stared at the ball. It was the first I had ever seen on him. As I waited hungrily for his praise, the overhead fluorescence flashed.
A screech echoed from the PA system, the alarm calling for all colonists to take shelter in the lower level. It was just a precaution when the storms outside were too severe. The lightening never actually hit the ground. But it was safety first on a planet as dangerous as Venus.
“Alright ladies! You hear it!” Chip shouted, hopping over the net.
I stared wistfully after him, the warmth from his hands still radiating on my skin. I thought of Chip Harvey’s hoards of secret admirers and my own valentine offering. I wouldn’t be missed if I took a few every minutes before going to the shelter.
My sneakers squeaked on the glossy floor as I raced towards the locker rooms. After retrieving my gift in its rosy box, I tip toed up to the boy’s locker room. I paused before turning the corner. In the silent hallway, hushed voices floated towards me. I peeked towards the door of the locker room.
A violent crack of lightening burst outside as my heart dropped.
Chip was smiling, actually smiling, down at someone in front of him. He wrapped his calloused hands around a petite pair of shoulders and combed his fingers through a lemony ponytail. The girl turned her face as he leaned down and whispered something in her ear. Elsie giggled. Stomach lurching, I turned away and pressed my back to the wall. I heard them walk away towards the shelter, my crush and my step sister.
The consistent temperature outside on the surface of Venus was a smooth 900 degrees Fahrenheit. Between the heat and the pressure, I would burn up and explode in a second outside the colony. I was pretty sure it wouldn’t hurt as badly as unrequited love.
ns216.73.216.85da2
然後按「加至主畫面」