Read Online THE SHADOWED ONYX: A DIAMOND ESTATES NOVEL by Nicole O'Dell - Free Book Online
Authors: Nicole O'Dell
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extravagant souvenir purchase drained from her bank account. Joy checked out the rest of the team. Most were already purchasing something. Lauren and Heather had the combo pack tucked safely under their arms of course.
Should she do it?
Joy stepped over to the rows of wooden plaques, lined up in rows, sorted into alphabetical order. She flipped them forward as she read the names.
Marcus. Miller. Moultrie
. Joy was way past
Christianson
, but she had to know.
Parker. Peters
. And there it was.
Phillips. Melanie Phillips
.
Joy lifted it from the box and ran her finger over the letters.
“I’m sorry.” A whisper in her ear made Joy jump. Coach squeezed her shoulder. “I should have checked to see it was removed before you saw it.”
“Yeah I … I wasn’t expecting it…. Yet, somehow I knew it would be there. Maybe that’s how it should be. She was part of this team.” Joy shrugged. “I’m thinking about buying it.”
Coach nodded.
“I’ll think about it.” Joy handed the plaque over to Coach then shouldered her bag and headed off to find their locker room in the freshman wing. Her spending mood had crashed and burned.
“I can’t believe we won!” Heather slipped her bikini-clad body into the steaming water. She settled into a bucket seat in the corner of the massive hot tub as Joy draped her towel on the back of a chair.
Coach lowered her book and looked up from her chair on the hotel’s pool deck. “Hey Heather, I can absolutely believe we won. You girls played well. I saw lots of teamwork out there today.”
Heather raised a fist and bumped knuckles with Lauren.
“Joy, if there was such a thing as most valuable player, you’d totally get it for this game.” Amber shook her head like a Labrador, water droplets flinging to the deck. “That one set … what a save. And your serve was a thing of beauty.”
“Thanks. I just lucked out today.” Joy shrugged.
“Well, tomorrow I want your position.” Amber laughed.
She could have it, and the attention that came with it.
“Which brings up a really good point.” Coach raised one finger. “Remember, this was only game one. We’re on our way, but we have more work to do. Don’t lose focus now, or we’ll just hand them tomorrow’s game. Okay?” She stood up from her deck chair and stepped around the puddles toward the restroom.
Joy dipped her toes into the bubbling water then slid her legs and body down.
Amber raised one eyebrow. “So, Heather, what’s happening with you and Taylor? Because it looks like you two have gotten pretty close lately.”
Heather giggled. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”
“Real mature.” Lauren splashed water at Heather’s face.
“Hey, don’t do that.” Heather wiped water away from her eyes and pulled clumps of hair from her mouth. “This stuff is full of gross chemicals.” She blinked and looked at Joy. “But how about you? Are you and Austin going to get back together?”
Lauren’s mouth dropped open. Her brown eyes wide with horror. “Heather!”
Joy stared at Heather. Had her teammate really just asked something that stupid? How could she? Convenient she’d waited until Coach wasn’t around.
“What?” Heather mustered up an innocent look. “Those two have had a thing for each other for like ever. She’ll forgive him.”
Don’t count on it
.
“Oh man. That was a total fail.” Heather slumped onto the bus seat after the final volleyball game of the State Championships. Well, the final one their team would play, anyway.
“I totally wanted that State banner for the gym.” Lauren sighed.
“Sure. Of course we all did. But we played a good game.” Coach walked down the aisle and chose a seat among the players. “I’m so proud of you guys. Don’t be down about your performance. You did nothing to be ashamed of.”
Sure. Except for the three serves Joy messed up. No one said it, but she knew they were thinking it. Oh, and then there was the out-of-bounds dig
Should she do it?
Joy stepped over to the rows of wooden plaques, lined up in rows, sorted into alphabetical order. She flipped them forward as she read the names.
Marcus. Miller. Moultrie
. Joy was way past
Christianson
, but she had to know.
Parker. Peters
. And there it was.
Phillips. Melanie Phillips
.
Joy lifted it from the box and ran her finger over the letters.
“I’m sorry.” A whisper in her ear made Joy jump. Coach squeezed her shoulder. “I should have checked to see it was removed before you saw it.”
“Yeah I … I wasn’t expecting it…. Yet, somehow I knew it would be there. Maybe that’s how it should be. She was part of this team.” Joy shrugged. “I’m thinking about buying it.”
Coach nodded.
“I’ll think about it.” Joy handed the plaque over to Coach then shouldered her bag and headed off to find their locker room in the freshman wing. Her spending mood had crashed and burned.
“I can’t believe we won!” Heather slipped her bikini-clad body into the steaming water. She settled into a bucket seat in the corner of the massive hot tub as Joy draped her towel on the back of a chair.
Coach lowered her book and looked up from her chair on the hotel’s pool deck. “Hey Heather, I can absolutely believe we won. You girls played well. I saw lots of teamwork out there today.”
Heather raised a fist and bumped knuckles with Lauren.
“Joy, if there was such a thing as most valuable player, you’d totally get it for this game.” Amber shook her head like a Labrador, water droplets flinging to the deck. “That one set … what a save. And your serve was a thing of beauty.”
“Thanks. I just lucked out today.” Joy shrugged.
“Well, tomorrow I want your position.” Amber laughed.
She could have it, and the attention that came with it.
“Which brings up a really good point.” Coach raised one finger. “Remember, this was only game one. We’re on our way, but we have more work to do. Don’t lose focus now, or we’ll just hand them tomorrow’s game. Okay?” She stood up from her deck chair and stepped around the puddles toward the restroom.
Joy dipped her toes into the bubbling water then slid her legs and body down.
Amber raised one eyebrow. “So, Heather, what’s happening with you and Taylor? Because it looks like you two have gotten pretty close lately.”
Heather giggled. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”
“Real mature.” Lauren splashed water at Heather’s face.
“Hey, don’t do that.” Heather wiped water away from her eyes and pulled clumps of hair from her mouth. “This stuff is full of gross chemicals.” She blinked and looked at Joy. “But how about you? Are you and Austin going to get back together?”
Lauren’s mouth dropped open. Her brown eyes wide with horror. “Heather!”
Joy stared at Heather. Had her teammate really just asked something that stupid? How could she? Convenient she’d waited until Coach wasn’t around.
“What?” Heather mustered up an innocent look. “Those two have had a thing for each other for like ever. She’ll forgive him.”
Don’t count on it
.
“Oh man. That was a total fail.” Heather slumped onto the bus seat after the final volleyball game of the State Championships. Well, the final one their team would play, anyway.
“I totally wanted that State banner for the gym.” Lauren sighed.
“Sure. Of course we all did. But we played a good game.” Coach walked down the aisle and chose a seat among the players. “I’m so proud of you guys. Don’t be down about your performance. You did nothing to be ashamed of.”
Sure. Except for the three serves Joy messed up. No one said it, but she knew they were thinking it. Oh, and then there was the out-of-bounds dig
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