Some good. Very good. Others shockingly bad. I slid out of bed and decided to do the first thing I had promised Maria I would do last night. No matter how hard it was going to be. I'd promised her, and before I checked out and talked myself out of it.... I would do it.
So I messaged the scout back and told him I would be interested in changing schools, taking the full scholarship offered... everything. Hardest few words I'd ever had to write in my entire life.
Strange, because this had always been something I'd wanted. Amazing how your priorities and what you think is important can shift over night- Maria was everything now. Everything else seemed to pale in comparison to her.
The scout phoned me back immediately, which I was't happy about. Messaging him seemed easier, somewhat detached from the reality of what I was doing. But talking to him, seemed even harder. It made it all so real. He gave me the full lecture over the phone again. That coming to the school meant that I would get the proper training and preparation I needed to play on a college level and eventually, the goal, to go professional. Best coaches there, more emphasis on tennis, more time to practice, chances to play with college players too. Excellent education and luxurious boarding school. For a second or two I felt my heart racing with a tiny, tingle of excitement. I was going to try and hold on to that feeling. Hopefully it would last. He ended the conversation by asking when I wanted to come?
The answer caught me off guard.
"Um, when can I come?" I asked nervously.
"Son..." He called me son, which I hated." We're all so excited to have you, you can come on Monday if you like!""
"Monday!" It was Saturday morning already. He obviously heard the shock in my voice.
"Well, think about it. The point is, you can come as soon as you're ready."
I hung up and walked over to the window. Maria's curtains were still closed. Monday? That seemed a bit extreme. I picked up my phone to message her, but dropped it back down on the bed again. I decided not to get hold of her until she got hole of me... until she'd decided.
Fuck, I couldn't believe we were even talking about this. I felt as nervous as fucking hell just thinking about the possibility of it. I'd had sex with my ex, but the thought of Maria and I, was totally different. It wouldn't compare in anyway imaginable. With Maria, love was involved, and that would be a first for me. That's if we did...
And if we did, it wouldn't change what was coming. I was still going away and so was Maria. I could be going away on Monday if I wanted to. I was desperate to talk to someone about all this, and there was only one person in the world that I could. Oh well... whatever....
I picked up the phone and messaged her.
Mike: Morning :)
Maria: Morning :)
Mike: I wanted to check something. Just make sure I wasn't dreaming, or see if you had changed your mind yet...
Maria: Check what.
Mike: You still want me to take that scholarship. And you don't want some company around the world?
Maria: Mike....
There was a long pause in the conversation and I was waiting for another message. Only it didn't come.
Mike: I'll take that as a YES followed by a NO.... can't blame a guy for trying.
There was another pause. This time it went on for ages, as if she had put her phone down or was waiting for me to say something. Finally a messaged popped onto my screen.
Maria: Have you told the scout?
Mike: Yes.
Maria: When do you leave?
Mike: He said I could come on Monday if I wanted to.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw a rapid movement and looked out the window as Maria pulled her curtain back, hard. She just stood there staring at me. I couldn't make out what the features on her face were doing. She looked down at her hands and started typing again.
Maria: You should go.
My heart felt like it was being ripped out of my chest.
Mike: So soon?
Maria looked up at me again. The feelings from all the way across the yard were totally electric. They reached out across the space between us and filled it up to capacity. It was like when we'd kissed last night, except more extreme. And we weren't even touching each other. I sucked in a breathe to try and steady myself. Maria looked like she was deep breathing too, I could just make out the tiny movement of her shoulders rising and falling.
Maria: OK
Mike: Ok what?
Maria: Okay, you can come over tomorrow night.
My phone dropped out of my hand and landed on the floor with a thud. Our eyes were still locked from across the yard and the feeling between us was growing and growing. It was so big that it felt like the entire world could not contain it. I quickly fell to the floor and retrieved my phone from under my bed, when it had landed. My shaking fingers tried to type her a message, but I kept having to deleted the wrong letters.
Mike: U sure?
Maria: I've never been so sure about anything in my life.
I was still on my hands and knees on the floor and I popped my head back up to look at Maria through the window again. She gave me a tiny wave. I stupidly waved back and was pretty sure I looked like a total fucking dork, no doubt with a stupid, stupefied look plastered across my face.
Maria: X
With fingers that were shaking even harder I tried to reciprocate.
Mike: Z
I missed the 'X' and I saw Maria smile and I thought I could hear a
