Close Encounters of the Bus Kind

[44]

The Economics class was actually the most difficult one out of the entire day, partly because Nadia felt like her brain had been through the wringer with so many subjects and so many tangled thoughts. It was a different way of thinking from so many classes she vaguely recalled. It was fascinating and filled in gaps that she had to piece together on her own when certain responsibilities fell on her. Gina often lamented lessons and dragged herself towards Eva for help, even though Eva didn’t have that many more answers than her.

Excruciatingly, the minutes dripped by until the day was full, and they were released. Gina practically sprinted across campus to the team volleyball room while Eva had to hold her back. The confession last night wasn’t addressed by any of them, but Nadia could feel it crackling in the air when they got close to one another. Eva loved this girl, despite all the things she said and did and all the lamenting. Gina didn’t feel the same way and that seemed to strike Eva like an aching tooth she had to hide in the depths of her mouth. They could still be friends though, they could still be close, even while Eva‘s heart of love languished in the dark.

The team room was a place that Paul had seen once when picking up some bags that got left behind. He actually talked at length to Erin for the first time in so many years while ambling as slowly as possible with those bags. It was up a set of cramped and creaky stairs right above the main PE offices. Markerboards flanked the wall with a modest walk-in closet full of sports equipment for every subject on the other side. The ceiling slanted and dipped low above them as well as dripping with every thunderstorm. They were the first ones to arrive.

Eva slumped hard into the nearest chair and bent over while rubbing her eyes. Gina looked like she wanted to fashion her own seat from the scattered sports equipment to the side of the room.

Audrey and Marisol were the next to show up. With full and flaring curiosity, Audrey desperately wanted to know how the caper went last night. Their half of the caper crew gazed at one another but couldn’t find words. Marisol raised an eyebrow at the vague promise that they would tell everyone when they were all together. Meanwhile, Audrey delighted in the fact she was able to temporarily transform into a tortoise to relax and clarified that tortoise thoughts were not as slow as they seemed.

Thessaly and Leslie arrived next with Leslie checking down the steps and around the room before gleefully hovering up to the ceiling and spinning in place. She gave floating rides to everyone who hadn’t experienced it yet and Eva had to restrain Gina from taking a second turn. Leslie also discovered that the upper shelves and ceiling desperately needed to be dusted.

After that, it was a flurry of arrivals with Sasha scampering up the steps and celebrating the delights and possibilities of new girls. Leslie used her floating time to stretch out her muscles, especially her tired feet. Nadia’s speculation came up about how much the alien encounter had removed aches and pains but the weight of the world had quickly put them back. Elsa, Tatiana, and Erin arrived last and decently contributed to the cacophony despite seeming so quiet.

Everyone was here. Was it finally time? Nadia took a moment to embrace Erin. So much to say and so much uncertainty about how to say it. Before any of them could prepare, sharp words lanced behind them.

“What are you doing up here? This isn’t your clubhouse!”

Nadia had only met Coach Janice Nesbitt one time before and that was enough. She stomped her way up the steps with her arms dragging like a corpse’s. Her tangle of dark brown hair refused to touch her rigid shoulders. She seemed born with a scowl or a textbook case of the parental warnings to not make a sour face, lest it stay that way. Her nasty expression seemed etched into her skull from years of practice.

Nesbitt glared at the group. “Team only. No pretty little pals kibitzing.” She clung to a clipboard with her arm hair shining in the light. She wasn’t even close to taller than Eva, but still loomed with menace.

Leslie, who had brought everyone back down to earth as a precaution, acknowledged the coach with a bow and an apology.

“You’re not team captain. Not anymore. I have the official list of my choices and three alternates. Three of you will haul your pretty asses out of here.”

Before any of them could react to that, she started reading off names. Thessaly, Eva, Odessa… all expected because of strength and experience. Nadia, Gina, Leslie… why was she on the team? Nadia had no idea but there was just one name she was hoping for now.

Nesbitt read off the three alternates. Tatiana, Elsa…and Erin. Nadia released a sigh of relief. But she also ached as Audrey’s effusive energy dropped like a lead balloon. Marisol‘s expression was rigid and inscrutable. Sasha hid her face in her hands.

“Buzz off… or I’ll get security to remove you.”

Marisol was up first with her bags around her shoulders. Audrey stumbled after and Sasha dragged her feet down the steps. Thessaly had kind words for the girls and Gina whispered quick notes of texting them.

Nesbitt stalked in front of the remaining group. “Those of you left, you aren’t guaranteed a spot. We used to have ten but that’s way too much, two alternates are all you would ever need, so I am looking to make one last cut. Get on my good side or it’ll be you. Showers in five. Dress and practice.” Mercifully, she soon stomped back down the steps and left them alone. Unfortunately, Tonya then made her way into the room and any chance of spilling the full story evaporated.

Tonya seemed to know the intentions of Nesbitt. They were to take their towels and walk down to the girls' lockers to shower. Nude. And they would do the same after practice. Eva slammed the table and protested.

“No fleeting way! Nesbitt was censured for this!” Everyone remembered that, Erin especially. Tonya was already starting to undress like it was the most natural thing.

There wasn’t much they could do if they wanted to remain on the team. Erin had a spare uniform and lent it to Nadia like so many clothes the other night.

The entire group shuffled to the side lockers to undress and grab their towels. Poor Tatiana shivered and clung to her towel desperately. She whimpered quietly and trembled. It felt so wrong for Nadia to see her like this. Her heart broke.

Eva appeared forged from ice with a stern glare to challenge anything Nesbitt could throw at her. Nadia kept her eyes down on the tile, but it was impossible not to at least get a glimpse of everyone else. She felt conflicting emotions and a weird embarrassment that she seemed to be the largest of the entire group. Odessa had amazing hips and Elsa really did seem soft like a princess. Then there was Thessaly.

It didn’t seem too strange that she was naked. She had a classical look reserved for sculptures and images of the Olympic Games. Living marble. Seeing all of Leslie and Gina was just weird. She didn’t mind seeing Erin and Erin seemed to feel the same way. The absolute saturation and sincerity of it all just felt so normal.

The problem was Nesbitt. She stalked towards the stripped group and appraised them like meat hanging in a freezer. Eva clenched her teeth and bristled. A naked Tonya joined the group. Nesbitt ordered them to walk that way to the showers.

Some of the group tried to drape their towels across their bodies but Coach Nesbitt caught that and scolded them. They also weren’t allowed to close the doors to their showers as Nesbitt gazed at the entire team from behind. Nadia had never really imagined murdering anyone for any reason. Life is complicated and people that you might hate rarely deserve death. She often thought of the quote from the Lord of the Rings and Gandalf, which Gina had actually cited several weeks ago after a game. Judging punishments and life and death were not something she could do. But she truly hated Nesbitt.

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Nesbitt recited, as though it were something she had practiced many times, “None of you girls have anything different than any other girl. No need to hide. I am looking out for you. All of you.“

Mercifully, at one point, she went away and gave them some modicum of personal privacy to finish up their showers. And they were allowed to wrap up as they dried. Once in uniform, she had to admit that there was a strong sense of camaraderie between the nine of them as they comforted and encouraged one another for practice. But that seemed more of an incidental benefit than anything intentional. Eva slammed her locker shut.

Nadia didn’t have a lot of context for what typical volleyball practice was supposed to be like, but Nesbitt ordered them left and right on the court to run and sprint and do push-ups and sit-ups and all sorts of other menial things. It felt more like they were cogs in a machine to perform for her. Actual practice seemed to occur between tasks with Erin leading them. She was paired with Gina to serve the ball back and forth. Scrimmage wasn’t too bad when they got around to it. Nesbitt named Eva the team captain even though she was supposed to be chosen by the team. Leslie was the first to hug and congratulate her, but Eva just remained tense and rigid.

The worst moment came when Nesbitt called out Odessa and Thessaly during some stumbles, “Get moving your chunky candy, Thunder Thighs! And you too, Xena, keep up!” She had nicknames for each of them. Leslie was Big Red. Nadia’s was simply Princess. It was a perversion of everything sweet about how her family used the nickname. Eva got referred to as Penguin, and Gina was Mulder, which she didn’t actually seem to mind. Tatiana kept her mouth shut about being ‘Leaf’, whispering that it could’ve been far worse considering her ethnicity. It was a small consolation at least that Nesbitt didn’t seem to go there.

She fumed more about Erin being mockingly called a “queen bee” by the coach because she was gathering the girls together for actual practice in contradiction to what Nesbitt told them, despite being a “replaceable spare”. Elsa also seemed to like her nickname of Pollyanna.

Practice went over time and Nesbitt was right there as they went to shower a second time. She aggressively scrutinized everyone, as though this were a medical exam. Only once all that was over and they had their clothes back on did she finally seem disinterested with them.

Quietly, they clustered around one another. Odessa held her tears in as long as possible before finally sniffling. Eva sat down next to her and gently rubbed her shoulder. Thessaly dispensed hugs with as much energy as possible and even more embraces followed from the rest of them. Thankfully, Tonya made a quick exit from the group and the team room was left open for them.

Stalking around the room, Erin cleared her throat as Eva prepared to take down notes. This was it. Nadia passed along that she had something to share too, but Erin wanted to start it.

“Tonya is dangerous. We think she’s not human. When we went to check the video footage of the bus last night, we discovered that the recording included our abduction by some unknown force. But Tonya wasn’t knocked out by whatever happened. She left the bus and then returned as though it didn’t affect her. She showed up after we saw the footage, for some reason, maybe to delete it as evidence. I don’t know. But her eyes were oily black, in an inhuman way. She pursued us and we got away. And that’s not the only thing.“ Then, she passed it to Nadia, who felt like she had such a tangle of uncertain things to put into some shape that actually made sense.

“I was worried that I was dangerous too. We don’t know about my advanced power or skill or whatever it is. Two of my family members vanished and something about one of my elder siblings may have changed. I may be responsible. I don’t know though. But yesterday when I fell asleep I got pulled into a place with a creepy old woman who claimed that I have troublesome powers. She said my powers are like pouring gasoline on your powers. I make them stronger, and I make them worse. She said that being around people with powers is bad for me and bad for all of you. She said it would destroy the world. I’ve seen a lot of crazy things. There were two copies of the necklace I received as a gift yesterday, which tells me all sorts of strange stuff is going on. And she told me I am responsible for drawing in the monsters we saw. But I don’t believe her, because I had a vision of Saturday when several of us got lost in an abandoned Sears. It happened more than once. My little sister wasn’t there and everything played out differently from what actually happened. People got hurt. Real bad. And Tonya was there too. She said that I have a very rare power and it seems she wants it. She wants to take all of our powers for some reason.”

A spell of silence fell over the group as they absorbed that avalanche of information. There was plenty of skepticism and uncertainty as well as a myriad of knotted questions. Gina was ready to go with her part of the presentation as she showed off the video footage. Everyone got a good look.

Elsa fumed with fiery energy. “Let’s go kick her ass! Is she responsible for everything?!”

Nadia hesitated there and Erin backed her up. They had no idea what Tonya may have done and could guess only a little of what she may try to do. What Nadia relayed of her vision encouraged caution. She passed along that Tonya seemed to have a device that protected her from their abilities. The only way that they got around her in the vision was because Nadia had greater developed abilities than she was expecting. Elsa still liked the idea of ganging up on her though. Nadia mused that the Pollyanna nick really didn’t fit.

The sentiment was shared amongst the group, but it was clear that they needed to have a better strategy for dealing with all of these obstacles.

Eva encouraged, “Things suck sloppy stuff right now. We also had to deal with a nasty monster and some unexpected things last night. But we’re Red Rock Riders. We’re afraid. We’re confused. We’re mad. And there’s so much nonsense going on. The world isn’t friendly. The world isn’t kind. It hurts and it’s going to hurt. No matter what we do, no matter what abilities we have, things are going to be tough. But no matter our setbacks, no matter what makes us scream and cry and falter, no matter what uncertainty lies ahead, we…Will. Stand. Up. To. It. If we fall down, we get up. If we need help, we have each other. We are sisters. We are a team, even those of us…who can’t be here right now. We stand together on the court of competition and the field of life. No matter what has happened and no matter what will happen, we will face it boldly, with everything we have. Together.”

Nadia was the one who felt like she was going to break down and cry, but she held it in. No epic music played with Eva‘s words and no monumental moment came to pass when she was done. The girls just looked at each other quietly but with a clear tightening of their conviction.

They were in this together and they would stand together.