The Boys

The score was 24-22 for Casey’s team. It was her turn to serve, and the pressure wasn’t getting to her. The audience hushed for her, she was always blissfully ignorant of their attention, anyways. Just before she served the ball over the net, she noticed her parents tiptoeing into the gymnasium. She wrinkled her eyebrows. They were both supposed to be on a business trip and weren’t expected back until tomorrow afternoon. Casey ignored them, and threw the ball into the air, hitting it across the court. The libero on the opposite team dove for the ball, passing it to one of her teammates, who then set it up for the hitter. When she went to hit it over to Casey’s side, they were blocked, the ball landing on their opponents’ side of the court, giving Casey’s team the point. The gym erupted in rounds of cheers. Casey’s team came together, slapping hands, and giving hugs. Casey jogged over to her parents.

“We won!” she exclaimed, hugging her mother.
“Congratulations!” her father replied, his voice sounding strained.
“What’s going on?” Casey huffed, wiping the back of her hand over her sweaty forehead. She was still filled with ecstasy and excitement. “You guys weren’t supposed to be home until tomorrow.”
Her mother smiled uneasily at her, and Casey felt like they were hiding something from her. “What is it? What are you not telling me?”
“Honey,” her mother pleaded, “I’d really rather wait until we get home.”
“Just tell me now,” Casey demanded.
“Really, honey,” her Dad said, usually having the last word. “We will discuss this at home.”

After saying her goodbyes to her teammates, and thanking them for one great season, Casey Carter gathered her belongings, and trailed after her parents to their minivan.

“What?!” Casey exploded, her long auburn hair still dripping wet from her shower.
“Really, Casey. Try to be reasonable and understand things from our point of view,” her mother coerced.
“Try to be reasonable?” Casey yelled. “You just told me we’re moving to the opposite side of the world! You just told me you are relocating this family to China because of Dad’s job as a hotel manager!”
“Honey, really,” Dad reasoned. “Milton Hotels just opened a new chain of hotels in Asia and I would be getting a huge pay-raise for holding things down there.”
“Why can’t you manage a hotel here, in Toronto? Where all of my friends are?”
“Really. This move would affect a lot of things for the better! With more money, it would affect you, too!”
“Mom, please. I’ve had scouts watching me play volleyball all season! I won’t get a scholarship if we move to China for my senior year of high school!”
“There’s more to life than volleyball, sweetie,” At that moment, Casey’s mother realized she had just said the wrong thing.
“More to life than volleyball?” Casey screamed, the argument taking a whole new direction. “I was the first freshman to ever make captain, and I’ve been the captain of my volleyball team for three years running! I have scouts watching me, and you’re telling me there’s more to life than volleyball? Mother, volleyball is my life.”
“Casey, you know that’s not what I meant,” Mom said apologetically.
Casey crossed her arms over her chest. “The only thing I know, Mom, is that I’m not going.”

“So what’d they say after that?” Jennifer said over the phone. She’d been a longtime friend and teammate to Casey.
“Well, school ends in two months, and then they’re leaving for China. As for me, I’m spending the summer, and my last year of high school with a friend of my mom’s. The Jonhsons live in Kingston, and have four boys.”
“Ooh,”Jen squealed. “Are any of them cute?”
“How should I know?” Casey rolled her eyes. “I’ve never met the kids, and I've only met Paul and Jeanie once. Plus, wouldn’t they kind of be like family, if I were living with them?”
“No,” Jen said laughing. “That just makes it convenient.”