Charlie knew that she should have never let her daughter talk her into it. Why had she agreed to do something she was completely inexperienced at? Why had she agreed when she knew that she would make a fool of herself? Why????
"Hey, Mom, we're supposed to wait over there, at the drinks' stand. Come on, let's go over," Olivia Sanders told her mother, looking a little puzzled at her mother's horrified expression.
"Ollie, I can't do this. I'm just a beginner at badminton; we're gonna lose, sweetie," she replied, feeling guilty as she imagined her daughter's disappointed face.
It never came. Her daughter gave her the Look and sighed.
"Really, Mom? Really?" her daughter said in a disgusted tone.
Those three words shut her up. She was not going to disappoint her daughter. She was going to try her best and win the tournament, making her daughter proud somehow.
"Alright, come on, then. Let's go over, okay?" Charlie said resignedly and led the way to the waiting area.
As soon as she reached, she spotted a sign which stated all of the team members' names and in which order they were going to play. She looked for her and her daughter's opponents and groaned.
"Ollie! We're against Violet and Vanessa Cooper! Violet's been training in badminton for way longer than I have! We have no chance against them!" she gasped out, shaking her head.
"Mom! Mom, calm down! Nobody stands a chance against the Sanders' ferocity, okay? Mrs.Cooper's backhand shots are really weak so you need to go for her left side. Meanwhile, Vanessa is horrible at moving around the court and stuff, so when you hit a shot to her, place the shuttlecock really well. Every opponent has a weakness, Mom," Olivia replied, sounding amused.
Charlie was just about to answer when an announcement rang out, echoing around the huge, air-conditioned, indoor court.
"Charlotte and Olivia Sanders against Violet and Vanessa Cooper! Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for the first match of the day!"
Charlie grabbed Olivia with her free hand and walked to the court, feeling very trembly inside.
"Hey, Charlie! Hey, Ollie! Good luck, guys!" Mrs.Cooper called out from the other side of the court.
And then she served.
As the game progressed, Charlie stopped feeling nervous. Badminton was her thing! She wasn't going to lose in the game she loved! Ten minutes passed and the audience were at a standstill. The score was 20-19 and it was her turn to serve. She swung the racket and it hit the shuttlecock. It flew in a wide arc…reached Vanessa…got hit back…to her left side.
She closed her eyes and held out her racket, hoping that the shuttlecock would just ricochet back. Five, four, three, two, one…ping! As she heard the sound of the shuttlecock hitting her racket, her eyes flew open.
Vanessa leaped forward to try to hit it back…and missed. Charlie put on a sympathetic face and shook their opponents' hands along with Olivia but as soon as they turned away she grabbed her daughter into a bear hug.
"Nobody can match the Sanders' ferocity, eh, Ollie?" she said, ruffling her daughter's hair.
Her daughter rolled her eyes and said,"We still have three more matches to go,Mom,"
Could somebody please remind her why she was doing this?
"Ollie, I can't do this. I'm just a beginner at badminton; we're gonna lose, sweetie," she replied, feeling guilty as she imagined her daughter's disappointed face.
It never came. Her daughter gave her the Look and sighed.
"Really, Mom? Really?" her daughter said in a disgusted tone.
Those three words shut her up. She was not going to disappoint her daughter. She was going to try her best and win the tournament, making her daughter proud somehow.
"Alright, come on, then. Let's go over, okay?" Charlie said resignedly and led the way to the waiting area.
As soon as she reached, she spotted a sign which stated all of the team members' names and in which order they were going to play. She looked for her and her daughter's opponents and groaned.
"Ollie! We're against Violet and Vanessa Cooper! Violet's been training in badminton for way longer than I have! We have no chance against them!" she gasped out, shaking her head.
"Mom! Mom, calm down! Nobody stands a chance against the Sanders' ferocity, okay? Mrs.Cooper's backhand shots are really weak so you need to go for her left side. Meanwhile, Vanessa is horrible at moving around the court and stuff, so when you hit a shot to her, place the shuttlecock really well. Every opponent has a weakness, Mom," Olivia replied, sounding amused.
Charlie was just about to answer when an announcement rang out, echoing around the huge, air-conditioned, indoor court.
"Charlotte and Olivia Sanders against Violet and Vanessa Cooper! Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for the first match of the day!"
Charlie grabbed Olivia with her free hand and walked to the court, feeling very trembly inside.
"Hey, Charlie! Hey, Ollie! Good luck, guys!" Mrs.Cooper called out from the other side of the court.
And then she served.
As the game progressed, Charlie stopped feeling nervous. Badminton was her thing! She wasn't going to lose in the game she loved! Ten minutes passed and the audience were at a standstill. The score was 20-19 and it was her turn to serve. She swung the racket and it hit the shuttlecock. It flew in a wide arc…reached Vanessa…got hit back…to her left side.
She closed her eyes and held out her racket, hoping that the shuttlecock would just ricochet back. Five, four, three, two, one…ping! As she heard the sound of the shuttlecock hitting her racket, her eyes flew open.
Vanessa leaped forward to try to hit it back…and missed. Charlie put on a sympathetic face and shook their opponents' hands along with Olivia but as soon as they turned away she grabbed her daughter into a bear hug.
"Nobody can match the Sanders' ferocity, eh, Ollie?" she said, ruffling her daughter's hair.
Her daughter rolled her eyes and said,"We still have three more matches to go,Mom,"
Could somebody please remind her why she was doing this?
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