"Give me the answer I want, kid. Before I–"
"What more do you want me to say? I told you before and I'm saying this for the last time, I did not accept the offer."
"Watch your words! Do you know how hard me and your mother worked to get you here? Thirty years! And you're gonna throw all of that away for your stupid–"
"It's not just a game Dad! It's my life!" Look, I have to go. My match is in a few minutes."
There was a few seconds of silence before a cough echoed. "Don't come home. Since your life out there is so much more important than we are, you are no longer welcome to my home."
"Connie!" My mom's voice is loud and clear like she was just sitting and watching beside my dad say all those words to me.
I huff a breath and click the turn-off button on my phone. I stomp my right foot on the ground and throw my phone as far as I can towards the window. The phone shatters, messing up the carpet. My legs give up and I hug my knees for support. Hiding my face inside my arms, I scream as loud as I can.
My nose scrunches in frustration or anger, I can't bother.
I've been training to hold my emotions these past few years. How am I supposed to hold it now when I've got barely five minutes before I have to go up on stage. Seeing how none of my teammates are in the room with me, there must be a hell of a crowd outside to keep them busy.
Slowly I close my eyes and take a few breaths. The air inside the room is stuffy, but I can smell the aroma of mint. I turn my head towards the door and catch a figure leaning on the doorframe.
"That door better be shut when–"
"I know," he answered calmly. He looks down at me at the center of the room and walks to my side.
I remain rooted in place, squatting, as he hovers in front of me. He puts out his hand. I glare at him, noticing how his hair is annoyingly styled today. His jersey is neatly pressed, with his jacket barely covering his shoulders. I scoff and push his hand away. As I stand up, my line of sight aligns with his chest, reading his name tag hanging over his neck.
Psycho.
I look up at him and raise my brow. "Aren't you gonna scold me for being too emotional?"
"Does scolding help?"
"No."
"Then you better get rid of your puffy eyes."
"You know I'm good at that."
His lips slide upwards in a smirk. He sidesteps me and walks towards a chair. He grabs my jacket and throws it at me.
I slide it over my back as I make my way through the door. With every step I take, I remind myself of where I am. Colorful posters hang on the walls with my face. Underneath my face, big bolded texts reading "CANE" are scribbled.
"You're on in three minutes, get in line," one of the staff calls me.
I quicken my steps and join the rest of my teammates behind the stage. Cheers from our fans fill the stadium.
"This is the semi-finals. One step closer to the regionals. Don't mess it up. We're going big or home, kids. Let's do this."
Everyone gathers in a circle and puts their hands together. I join them, my hands being the shortest so I don't touch the others. Instead, I hover my hand vertically in the air.
My coach screams in my ear, "BWBG, Big Win Big Game!"
"All in!" we answer in unison.
"Okay, okay let's go!"
Everyone scatters around. Some of my teammates return to the waiting room with our manager while the five of us, and our two coaches wait to be called.
The announcer outside starts babbling and I take my position.
"Luci," I call out to the small one beside me.
"Hm?"
"Nervous?"
He chuckles, "Yea, you?"
"Yeah."
He looks at me, and I can see the stars' reflection in his eyes. "We're gonna ace this. Like we always do."
"Me and you."
He holds my shoulder and shakes it.
"Let us greet our rising stars BWBG!"
I close my eyes, feeling the crowd around me.
"The top lane, known for his crazy comebacks, Dexterous!"
In and out.
"The jungle, king of ganks. If you ever see him in a bush, you better pray he's not the last face you see. PTR!"
You got this.
"The mid lane, the carry of this team. He might be known for his cold-demeanor, but in the rift, he is a savage. Psycho!"
A smile spreads across my face and I raise my brows as I open my eyes. My steps are light, causing my hips to sway. My belt clicks. I don't stop when the doors don't open in front of me. I continue walking as if I'm on a catwalk. Eventually, the door opens and lights cover my face.
"The one, the only–"
The crowd cheered louder than I've ever heard.
"The queen of the rift."
I find the Jimmy Jib camera closing into my right. I ignore it and walk towards the center of the stage where my teammates await me. The ground shakes under my feet. I slide my eyes towards Psych, catching a glimpse of his smirk as the announcer calls out my username.
Although speakers are bursting my eardrums, I can only hear Psych's lips mouthing my name.
"Kiara."