Heart Bones

I put all my anger and energy into the game. I lunge for the volleyball and fall to my knees. I fall three more times before Joe even touches the ball again. I’m going to be the color of an eggplant by the end of this game.

We score a point on them and tie it up four to four. Joe walks over and high-fives me. “This might be the first game I ever win,” he says.

I laugh at him, but my smile fades when I see Samson walking down his stairs. If he comes over here and makes a scene, I’m going to be so angry.

He is. He’s coming this way.

And he’s carrying a…chair.

“Heads up,” Joe yells. I look up and see the ball flying at me, just barely out of reach. I go for the dig and receive a mouthful of sand when I hit the ground, unintentionally shanking the ball.

“Get up, Beyah!” I hear Samson yell.

I jump to my feet and look in his direction. He’s walking over to us, holding his chair. He drops it in the sand next to P.J. about five feet from the net and takes a seat in it, sliding his sunglasses from his eyes to his head. Then he cups his hands around his mouth. “Go, Beyah!” he yells.

What is he doing?

The ball goes to Joe this time and he finally sets the ball perfectly at the net for me. Little do they know, I was the best outside hitter on my team.

I spike it directly between Topher and Walker. When it hits the sand and we get a point, Samson jumps out of the chair.

“Yes!” he yells. “More of that, Beyah!”

My mouth falls open when it hits me. Samson remembered what I told him—that no one has ever come to any of my games.

He came out here to cheer for me.

“Who the hell is that dude?” Joe says, staring at Samson.

Samson climbs up into the chair and starts chanting. “Beyah! Beyah!”

It might possibly be the cheesiest thing I’ve ever seen. One guy, alone in an invisible audience, yelling at the top of his lungs for a girl he knows has never been yelled for.

It’s the most touching thing anyone has ever done for me.

Topher serves the ball and I’m shocked I’m able to hit it back through the cloud of tears in my eyes.

Fucking emotions. I’m blaming this moment on the birth control, too.

For a long stretch of time, Samson doesn’t shut up. I think he’s annoying the three guys I’m playing with, but I’m not sure I’ve ever smiled this much in my life. I smile through all the falls and all the points and all the times I get the breath knocked out of me. I smile because I’ve never enjoyed a game of volleyball this much. I smile, because Samson has made me realize just how much I miss it. I’m buying a volleyball today. I need to start practicing again.

Not that I’m as terrible as Joe. He’s doing his best, but I’m single-handedly keeping us in this game. At one point, he’s so out of breath, he just steps aside and leaves me to do all the work for a good thirty seconds.

I’m somehow miraculously one point ahead when the game almost reaches the final point. If I can get one more, I win.

I notice Samson is quiet as I lift the ball to serve it. He’s staring intently at me, like he’s really into this. All he does is give me the smallest of smiles and a cheesy thumbs up and I suck in a breath, serve the ball and pray it hits the sand on the other side of the net.

It’s short. Both Topher and Walker dive for it, but I know neither will be able to reach it. ACE! When the ball falls to the sand with a thud, Samson jumps out of his chair. “You did it!”

I stand here in shock.

I did it. I would say we did it, but Joe really wasn’t a lot of help. I high-five him and then receive the handshakes the other two offer me.

“You’re really good,” Topher says. “Want to go another round?”

I glance over at Samson and shake my head. I work to catch my breath and say, “Not tonight. But I’m around if you guys come back tomorrow.”

I wave goodbye to them and then run over to Samson. He meets me with the biggest smile on his face. I throw my arms around his neck and he picks me up and swings me around. When my feet are back on the sand, he doesn’t release his hold on me.

“You’re a fucking legend,” he says. He wipes dirt from my face. “A filthy legend.”

I laugh and Samson pulls me to him. He presses his cheek to the top of my head and squeezes me.