Unbelievably Brilliant, Undoubtedly Impossible
chapter six;
The letter was from Rafa, explaining that he thought a top athlete like Andrea should be wearing top notch clothing. And he wished her well at the upcoming tournament.
Andrea was totally flabbergasted, but also flattered. There was no way she could afford Nike clothing with her wage. Andrea then noticed a small postscript at the bottom of the letter.
P.S. Come down after you read this.
Andrea sneaked out of her flat, laughing to herself that she was sneaking out of her own apartment. She saw Rafa sitting inside a black rental car. When she reached Rafa’s car, the door was opened for her.
“Are you crazy?” Andrea seethed.
“Is this you acting flattered?” Rafa chuckled.
Andrea shot him a cold stare.
“Okay, so we’re not up for jokes tonight. Well, in that case you don’t need these shoes.”
Andrea’s eyes light up as she heard this, instantly putting her hands forward for the gift. Rafa threw a pair of Nike Air Max Breathe Cage at her, like the ones he often wore.
“Does Rachel know you’re giving this stuff to me?” Andrea asked sceptically.
“No, I told her we got it in the mail at the tennis academy.”
Andrea nodded and turned to exit the car, but not before Rafa planted a soft kiss on her lips.
Andrea pulled away shocked and then dashed upstairs to her flat, only to see Michelle waiting in the doorway.
“I won’t tell her,” Michelle reassured Andrea. “Just don’t hurt her, okay?”
Andrea nodded and quickly went to bed.
The next morning, the girls eagerly made their way to the tennis courts. The tournament would be played like a regular ATP/WTA tournament, but a couple of players opted out of playing. So each side (male and female) would have draws of sixteen players.
Rachel was too busy checking out everyone’s attire to really care about the tournament. Her eyes suddenly fell onto Andrea’s outfit. “Andy,” Rachel shrieked. “Did you know your outfit has the exact same colour scheme as Rafa’s?”
Andrea was shocked; she didn’t know how to respond. “Oh, really? I never noticed,” she said, sending Rafa an uneasy look.
“Seriously?” Rachel replied. “That’s hard to believe, you said yourself that Rafa was your favourite player!”
Andrea’s face fell to a frown. While Rafa’s smile turned to a smirk.
The three girls all made it to the semi-finals by the end of the day. Andrea had just finished her match, when she felt someone behind her.
“So, I’m your favourite player?” Rafa said, placing his hands on her sides.
Andrea quickly shrugged Rafa off. “Do you seriously want to get caught?” Andrea whispered harshly. “I don’t want to break my friend’s heart.”
Rafa’s face fell; he had the fan girls all the time begging to go out. Yes, they may scare the crap out of him. But still, why was Andrea so different?
Andrea turned to push Rafa away, but he held her in place. He stared into Andrea’s cold brown eyes, trying to figure her out.
“Am I interrupting something?”
Andrea gasped and wretched herself out of Rafa’s hold. She turned to see Michelle, looking very pissed off.
“I thought I asked you to not hurt Rachel?” Michelle asked rudely.
“This isn’t what you think,” Andrea pleaded.
“I hope you’re telling the truth, or else I’d have to beat Mr. Nadal here to a pulp.”
Rafa’s eyes widen when he heard Michelle, “I did nothing wrong, no?”
Michelle walked towards Rafa and stabbed him in the chest with her finger, “You are the reason for this mess.” With every word Michelle said, she stabbed harder making Rafa flinch.
Rafa looked down to his feet, noticeably disappointed. “I’m –“
Michelle cut him off, ‘Don’t say sorry to me. Just don’t break either one of my best friend’s hearts.”
Rafa nodded, he was obviously scared of this petite redhead.
The semi-finals took place the next morning, Rachel was playing Michelle in the first semi-final and Andrea was playing a girl named Natasha, a soft spoken Russian with a killer forehand.
Michelle and Rachel’s match went to three sets. Rachel prevailed 7-6, 6-7, 7-6. Michelle was visibly disappointed, while Rachel was gloating. Before Andrea’s match, Michelle was able to give her a pep talk.
“Okay, so this is the game plan. Beat little Miss Russian in straight sets and then beat Miss Big Ego in the same way.”
Well, Michelle’s pep talk must have worked because Andrea won her match in straight sets, but paid a price for it. During the second set, Andrea sidestepped to get a ball, but slipped. She landed awkwardly with her right leg underneath her. Andrea waved off medical help, as she thought the injury was minor.
The final was set in the afternoon; Andrea was set in game mode, while Rachel was taking a more relaxed approach. Andrea was able to take the first set at a reasonable pace; winning the set 6 – 4. The second set on the other hand was a different story, Rachel was upping her game, but Andrea fought back. She may have fought back a little too hard.
During Andrea’s serving game, she landed on the same injured knee and she definitely felt it this time. Rafa was out of his seat the second he saw Andrea fall and at her side when she cried out in pain.
Andrea looked up to the sky, praying for a miracle, when she saw something block the sun. Her miracle had arrived.
“Andy, what’s wrong?” Rafa asked frantically.
“It’s my right knee, in the back.”
Rafa carried Andrea to her respective side, signalling to Michael that they were using an injury time out.
Rafa inspected Andrea’s knee; so many of the symptoms reminded him of his own injury at Wimbledon just the week before. He was suddenly shaken out of his thoughts.
“Rafa! Can you tape it or something? I need to play!” Andrea pleaded.
Rafa nodded and began taping Andrea’s knee like he had seen his own physiotherapist do so many times. Rafa was so close to Andrea that he could see every detail of her face; the freckles that dotted her nose, how thick and long her eyelashes and for the first time he saw her true eyes. Brown spotted with flecks of gold and hazel.
Rachel sat in her chair, watching the encounter between Rafa and Andrea. She instantly saw the connection between them and was instantly jealous. She had tried to stop the connection from growing, but she saw she had failed.
After the injury time was over, Andrea noticed that Rachel’s intensity had decreased. And Andrea took advantage of this. She won the second set 7 – 5.
She collapsed in her chair.
Victory.
Andrea was totally flabbergasted, but also flattered. There was no way she could afford Nike clothing with her wage. Andrea then noticed a small postscript at the bottom of the letter.
P.S. Come down after you read this.
Andrea sneaked out of her flat, laughing to herself that she was sneaking out of her own apartment. She saw Rafa sitting inside a black rental car. When she reached Rafa’s car, the door was opened for her.
“Are you crazy?” Andrea seethed.
“Is this you acting flattered?” Rafa chuckled.
Andrea shot him a cold stare.
“Okay, so we’re not up for jokes tonight. Well, in that case you don’t need these shoes.”
Andrea’s eyes light up as she heard this, instantly putting her hands forward for the gift. Rafa threw a pair of Nike Air Max Breathe Cage at her, like the ones he often wore.
“Does Rachel know you’re giving this stuff to me?” Andrea asked sceptically.
“No, I told her we got it in the mail at the tennis academy.”
Andrea nodded and turned to exit the car, but not before Rafa planted a soft kiss on her lips.
Andrea pulled away shocked and then dashed upstairs to her flat, only to see Michelle waiting in the doorway.
“I won’t tell her,” Michelle reassured Andrea. “Just don’t hurt her, okay?”
Andrea nodded and quickly went to bed.
The next morning, the girls eagerly made their way to the tennis courts. The tournament would be played like a regular ATP/WTA tournament, but a couple of players opted out of playing. So each side (male and female) would have draws of sixteen players.
Rachel was too busy checking out everyone’s attire to really care about the tournament. Her eyes suddenly fell onto Andrea’s outfit. “Andy,” Rachel shrieked. “Did you know your outfit has the exact same colour scheme as Rafa’s?”
Andrea was shocked; she didn’t know how to respond. “Oh, really? I never noticed,” she said, sending Rafa an uneasy look.
“Seriously?” Rachel replied. “That’s hard to believe, you said yourself that Rafa was your favourite player!”
Andrea’s face fell to a frown. While Rafa’s smile turned to a smirk.
The three girls all made it to the semi-finals by the end of the day. Andrea had just finished her match, when she felt someone behind her.
“So, I’m your favourite player?” Rafa said, placing his hands on her sides.
Andrea quickly shrugged Rafa off. “Do you seriously want to get caught?” Andrea whispered harshly. “I don’t want to break my friend’s heart.”
Rafa’s face fell; he had the fan girls all the time begging to go out. Yes, they may scare the crap out of him. But still, why was Andrea so different?
Andrea turned to push Rafa away, but he held her in place. He stared into Andrea’s cold brown eyes, trying to figure her out.
“Am I interrupting something?”
Andrea gasped and wretched herself out of Rafa’s hold. She turned to see Michelle, looking very pissed off.
“I thought I asked you to not hurt Rachel?” Michelle asked rudely.
“This isn’t what you think,” Andrea pleaded.
“I hope you’re telling the truth, or else I’d have to beat Mr. Nadal here to a pulp.”
Rafa’s eyes widen when he heard Michelle, “I did nothing wrong, no?”
Michelle walked towards Rafa and stabbed him in the chest with her finger, “You are the reason for this mess.” With every word Michelle said, she stabbed harder making Rafa flinch.
Rafa looked down to his feet, noticeably disappointed. “I’m –“
Michelle cut him off, ‘Don’t say sorry to me. Just don’t break either one of my best friend’s hearts.”
Rafa nodded, he was obviously scared of this petite redhead.
The semi-finals took place the next morning, Rachel was playing Michelle in the first semi-final and Andrea was playing a girl named Natasha, a soft spoken Russian with a killer forehand.
Michelle and Rachel’s match went to three sets. Rachel prevailed 7-6, 6-7, 7-6. Michelle was visibly disappointed, while Rachel was gloating. Before Andrea’s match, Michelle was able to give her a pep talk.
“Okay, so this is the game plan. Beat little Miss Russian in straight sets and then beat Miss Big Ego in the same way.”
Well, Michelle’s pep talk must have worked because Andrea won her match in straight sets, but paid a price for it. During the second set, Andrea sidestepped to get a ball, but slipped. She landed awkwardly with her right leg underneath her. Andrea waved off medical help, as she thought the injury was minor.
The final was set in the afternoon; Andrea was set in game mode, while Rachel was taking a more relaxed approach. Andrea was able to take the first set at a reasonable pace; winning the set 6 – 4. The second set on the other hand was a different story, Rachel was upping her game, but Andrea fought back. She may have fought back a little too hard.
During Andrea’s serving game, she landed on the same injured knee and she definitely felt it this time. Rafa was out of his seat the second he saw Andrea fall and at her side when she cried out in pain.
Andrea looked up to the sky, praying for a miracle, when she saw something block the sun. Her miracle had arrived.
“Andy, what’s wrong?” Rafa asked frantically.
“It’s my right knee, in the back.”
Rafa carried Andrea to her respective side, signalling to Michael that they were using an injury time out.
Rafa inspected Andrea’s knee; so many of the symptoms reminded him of his own injury at Wimbledon just the week before. He was suddenly shaken out of his thoughts.
“Rafa! Can you tape it or something? I need to play!” Andrea pleaded.
Rafa nodded and began taping Andrea’s knee like he had seen his own physiotherapist do so many times. Rafa was so close to Andrea that he could see every detail of her face; the freckles that dotted her nose, how thick and long her eyelashes and for the first time he saw her true eyes. Brown spotted with flecks of gold and hazel.
Rachel sat in her chair, watching the encounter between Rafa and Andrea. She instantly saw the connection between them and was instantly jealous. She had tried to stop the connection from growing, but she saw she had failed.
After the injury time was over, Andrea noticed that Rachel’s intensity had decreased. And Andrea took advantage of this. She won the second set 7 – 5.
She collapsed in her chair.
Victory.