Golden Opportunity

Golden Opportunity

Pfffffttttttt!
The referee blew his whistle, signaling the next serve. My mom and I stared intently at the thirty-inch television. Number seven on the USA team served the ball; it floated over the net onto Spain's side while constantly changing its course. It finally landed between the confused gazes of two girls, both thinking the other was going to pass the ball. "Turn your head and you're dead," my mother said. The score was now 24-22, the last set, and the championship match. Seven served the ball again though this time it went straight like a bullet. The ball showing no mercy to whomever it would hit. It bounced off of a Spanish girl's arms, a perfect set for the other team, and the 6'2" USA middle blocker slammed the ball straight down. My mom and I started jumping on the king mattress, wrinkling the silk sheets and screaming our heads off. We then remembered that we had to cheer in secret.
We watched that game about eight years ago, though I still remember it vividly. It is one of my favorite memories with my mother, a moment I will never forget. Although now it is only but a memory, my mother passed away about a month ago. Cancer took her life. This was devastating for me; she was my mother, a friend, and the one I could always turn to.

The castle is much more eerie now, it's just my step brother Trevor, the king or a.k.a. "Dad", a couple of maids, and me, Isabelle. When I was seven years old my mom (an Olympic volleyball player), and I went on a trip to Europe, this is where she found her future husband. She married Prince Edward III, who now goes by "The King." She gave up her chance to go to the Olympics to marry a dud like Edward. Although like every child, I was naïve, and like any other girl I was thrilled about the idea of becoming a princess. So I guess I was okay with the thought of having a king for a father. But now at sixteen years old I can see the reality of this. He is fake, narcissistic, and a selfish jerk, I guess my mom saw something in him that I can't? Or maybe even she was stuck in the fantasy. For the past nine years I have been in training or what I like to call Princess Boot Camp. I learned things like table manners, how to bow, and how to be "lady like." For those of you who think I'm living the dream right now, well I'm not. It was torture. Especially now without my mother, she was my partner in crime. She's the one that got me through all of this.
"Hola Isabelle, tiempo para de say unar," Maria shouted. Interrupting my thoughts.
"Okaaaay! I'll be down there in a minute" I replied. I got off of the bed and checked my email. I had five new messages, two of which were just spam mail. Although one of them caught my eye, it was an email from my grandma who lived in Honolulu, Hawaii. Excitement and curiosity started to build up inside of me, the letter read,
"Dear Isabelle,
I know the loss of your mother has been tough on you, and it has been hard for me too. I was wondering if you wanted to come back home to Hawaii for the summer? We can catch up on things and I really miss you. Your height also needs to be updated on the wall, considering you haven't been home for a while. I want to see how tall you have gotten! So ask your father, and bring your brother too! I love and miss, and I hope you can come.
Love, Grandma"
I was thrilled! I ran at full speed down the marble staircase, weaving around maids and waiters until I reached the grand dining room. The King was stuffing his face already but Trevor waited, he was always very polite. "Good morning," we both said to each other. I sat down next to him, still catching my breath and reached for a slice of toast with jelly. When my breathing became steady and "The King's" eating slowed down, I began to speak,
"Dad…I was wondering if I could go to Hawaii for the summer to visit Grandma. She just emailed me, and she said that Trevor was invited to! Can we go pleeeasseeeeee?" I saw Trevor smile from the corner of my eye, so I knew he wanted to go too and he was on my side. The King muttered a couple of things under his breath, I knew he was trying to think of a lame excuse to refuse let us go but there was no reason at all to deny us. He pondered for a couple of minutes and finally spoke,
"No," He said hesitantly.
"Why?" I said. "Grandma wants to see us!"
"I don't care! That women is crazy!" (Grandma never approved of him)
Trevor and I ignored his obnoxious comment and ran out of the kitchen. I then came up with a plan. Since the King barely noticed where we were anyway, we could tell him that we were going to summer camp, but instead fly to sunny Hawaii. Trevor agreed to it and we then had one of our spastic moments, we jumped up and down, smiling, and freaking out! Hawaii was going to be great! We could visit Grandma, go to the beach, and we could visit all of the places that my mother and I loved to go to. Our favorite place was Sea Life Park, the animals there were always happy, adorable, and they were carefree. I touched the tiny golden key hanging around my neck. My mother gave it to me the day she died, but it always reminds to take chances and that she is still here with me.
When Trevor and I calmed down, I went up to my room to reply to grandma's email.
Dear Grandma,
I miss you so much! I just asked the King if Trevor and I could go, and he said OKAY! (: We are really excited and I can't wait to see you!
Love, Isabelle
P.S. I have grown five inches!
Two and a half months later
We boarded the Royal Airline plane, our final destination: Honolulu Hawaii, 7,936 miles away. After a ten-hour flight we finally landed at the Honolulu International Airport, I was exhausted but I ran out of the plane to hug my grandma. We embraced each other and I could feel a tear running down my eye, this moment will definitely be on the list of my favorites. She hugged Trevor and then we got into Grandma's Toyota Prius. When we got to her house in Kailua she cooked an array of Hawaiian foods, including my favorite, Haupia. I then realized how much I really missed Hawaii.
The first place we went to was Walls Beach. This was our favorite beach because there were always volleyball nets set up there. Trevor picked up the ball and we started to pepper (toss, pass, set, then hit). We would practice almost everyday in the Royal Recreation Center, though after my mother died Trevor and I both stopped playing. A little later two buff and tan guys approached us; and they asked if we wanted to play some beach volleyball with them. We played a short friendly game with them and surprisingly we were pretty good, and just a little rusty. We could also keep up with them considering we have never played a real beach volleyball game. Afterwards the two men asked if we would like to participate in a beach volleyball tournament that was in about month. Trevor and I exchanged looks and agreed to it. Our grandma was really excited for us too. We started practicing and got back into shape.
One month later
The Trevor and Isabelle team from Spain, unexpectedly made it to the semifinals, where we found out we would have to play the men that invited us to play in this tournament. This game was long and tiring, rolling in the sand, digging up balls, and setting Trevor so he could hit and bury the ball into the sand. We needed one more point to win, Trevor went into his approach, jumped, and swung. One of the tan men jumped in attempt to block him, though he jumped so high the ball bounced off his head into the crowd. We won. We had made it to the championship game that would be played the next day on the nicest court at Walls. Thousands of grains of golden sand, a 60x30 court, and stands for spectators surrounding the magnificent court.
That night Grandma made us some of her special protein drink when Trevor got a phone call. Grandma and I saw his face drop and then turn to anger. He hung up the phone and said,
"Dad found out that we didn't go to summer camp, and wants us to come home right now."
"What do you mean?" Grandma asked.
"Well…we kind of told him we were going to summer camp, and whaaat? WE CAN'T LEAVE NOW! Tomorrow is the championship game!"
"Oh my goodness" Grandma muttered under her breath.
"What are we going to do?" Trevor asked.
"If we turn our head we're dead" I stated.
"What?" Trevor asked in a confused way.
I held the gold key in my hand and said, "this is our opportunity, and if we have the opportunity to do something we should just go for it. It might not turn out in our favor but the least we can do is give it a shot." My mother's advice still helps me even though she is no longer here and I believe that we can do this.
The next morning, Trevor ignored The King's next call and said, "Lets do this thing!" We walked onto the court, the warm golden sand going between my toes. Our opponents were tall, muscular, and intimidating. This was going to be a tough match. Grandma screamed and cheered the whole time; she was a spirited old woman. The game was nerve racking and stressful, but Trevor and I were on our game. We dug almost every ball, and Trevor pounded his hits, we were a team. At game point the other team hit the ball. It was coming straight at me, right above my head. I then realized where I was and ducked. The ball went out by about two inches. I stood up and Trevor and I had another spastic moment. He picked me up and swung me around. Grandma ran over to us and gave us a huge hug, and I could feel the fresh fiery red lipstick from her wrinkly lips being pressed onto my cheek. This was the beginning of a new family, Trevor, Grandma, and me. So I guess tough times do bring people together.
By, Kristen


I wanted to write this story because I love volleyball. It is my passion and I have been playing since I was 10, I don't know what I would do without it. This was an ideal topic for me because it was fun to write this story and I knew what I was writing about. My coach always said, "turn your head and your dead" and that was my inspiration for the story. It works in volleyball so I thought it would work in this story.