Through the Flames of Us

All Minds Set on Glory

15 minutes later, he was running down the stairs due to lateness. He sped up once he was downstairs, almost bumping into some of the house staff and then he was out of the front door. After hopping into his ride, Vroom! and he was on his way to fight two battles.

Ethan arrived at the grass court in a jiffy. He parked his car next to Gemma’s, grabbed his kit from the passenger seat before jogging to meet her.

Ethan couldn’t help but wonder why the court was packed today despite seeing not too many cars outside. The place boasted 3 rectangular courts and two of these courts were being used for some kind of event or was it a competition? He wasn’t so sure. Ethan slowed down after spotting Gemma in the stands. She sat down in the first row, legs crossed, phone in her right hand and left hand on her left cheek, oblivious of his arrival. She wore a plain black sports bra, black tennis skirt and black tennis shoes, while Ethan on the other hand wore a black visor and white tank top, paired with black shorts and black sneakers.

He approached her, his steps steady and confident. As he got close, she raised her head. “Gemma.” He flashed his teeth as she gave him a look. “You’re late again, Ethan,” she rolled her eyes and uncrossed her legs, adding, “and that charm of yours won’t work on me.”

“And you look as beautiful as ever, Gemma.” He replied, smiling as his eyes ran over her for effect. “Oh, go away.” she swatted him in mock shyness.

Ethan sat beside her. “This is the first time I've seen the court this full.” He said, his eyes scanning from left to right.

She joined him in scanning the area. “True. I also didn’t expect the place to be this full. Though this is because of the local competition beginning today.”

Ethan looked dumbfounded. “Oh, you knew about this and didn’t tell me?” he said accusingly.

Gemma glared at him with intensity. “You had better be joking, Ethan. We discussed this last weekend and I told you that the doubles court won’t be used for the competition!”

“No we didn’t.” he protested. Gemma sighed in frustration and before he knew it, she was spoiling for a fight.

“Whoa. Slow down, god of war,” he surrendered with a smile on his face. But he was too late, her left hand was already at his right cheek and pulling aggressively. “Ow, ow, ow! OK, I’m sorry.” he pleaded.

Her expression softened and they both adjusted in their seats. “We’re up in a few minutes,” Gemma said after checking the time on her phone.

“That reminds me, who are we up against?” He rubbed his assaulted cheek as he asked her.

“Hmm, I don’t know exactly. But, the last time I checked, they were on an unbeaten run like us.”

Ethan and Gemma hadn’t lost a doubles match since their debut some years ago. So, the thought of being matched against opponents as tough as them, fired him up and left him in full anticipation of this forthcoming duel.

The announcer’s voice boomed over the loudspeakers as he called for both teams to prepare for the pre-match warm-up. Ethan and Gemma both grabbed their gears and headed to the doubles court to prepare for their opponents. On this side of the court, the sun shined the brightest as both of them were the first to enter and walk towards their side. They put their game face on, knowing that time wasn’t on their side. And so began their match ritual - some light stretches, warm-up exercises and pep talk.

Ethan started by walking towards her and extending his arm, “Ready?” She nodded her head and took his hand, moving closer to him. He prompted to stand behind her, kneading her shoulders in firm and careful movements, allowing her to relax.

She rolled her neck as Ethan worked on a tense spot, her eyes closed. “I really needed that,” she groaned as he continued. He chuckled, “That’s what you get for not stretching enough.”

Gemma snorted, answering, “You’re next after this, you know. You need this just as much.”

After they had taken turns massaging each other’s muscles, they stepped back to the front of the net.

Not long after that, their opponents entered the court and moved to their side. A tall, beefy guy alerted them to his lousy laughter. “Who is that rowdy t**t?” Gemma’s reaction was faster than Ethan’s as she muttered under her breath. Ethan struggled to hide a chuckle as he gripped his tennis racket tighter in deep concentration.

His gaze shifted to the beefy guy’s partner - she had on a white baseball cap whose brim shadowed her face as her hair flowed down in a ponytail. She paired it with a pleated, cobalt blue tennis dress that sat above clean white tennis shoes. She had turned to her partner, and they seemed to be engrossed in a full discussion.

Ethan surveyed the court quickly, taking note of the gathering crowd and their excited murmurs. The announcer’s whistle cut sharply into the air, signaling the beginning of the warm-up. Ethan straightened his back, facing his opponents who were standing tall as well, seemingly done with their conversation. A movement caught his eye and he did a quick double take as his eyes traveled back to the team. He squinted, wondering if he was hallucinating. “Ginger stranger?” He asked quizzically at the female opponent. Her eyes were already on him; she must have noticed him a while ago. She looked slightly annoyed, turning her eyes away. “It’s you.” Her voice lacked all enthusiasm.

Now he was sure that she was the ginger-curled stranger he had met at the party. Cold and dismissive as he would expect.

“You know her?” Gemma asked with furrowed eyebrows.

“Nope.” He kept his eyes forward; this game was what mattered to him, and he didn’t have time for anyone else but his partner.

Their warm-up began, with the players taking turns to practice their serves and returns. Ethan took the first serve, flinging the ball across the turf while the ginger-curled stranger rushed to counter with her quick foot movements. Gemma returned with lightning-speed precision, forcing the beefy guy to lunge towards his edge to keep up. The ball continued to dart back and forth between the players in practiced volleys, as they tried to gauge each other’s weaknesses. The mesmerizing swat of racket against ball left the court in a frenzy. Their male opponent aimed a neat lob that was right out of Ethan’s reach, but Gemma was quick to intercept it with an overhead smash. Proud of their teamwork, Ethan gave her a quick high five as they geared to continue.

Their opponents kept their rhythm tight, trading drop shots and cross-court drives to tire Ethan and Gemma. The intensity continued to build, with Ethan impressed by his male opponent’s slicing forehand. The ladies exchanged glances, both trying to analyze the other’s technique.

After a few last serves, the warm-up ended with both teams giving their best shot.

Meanwhile, fans were enamored by the full display of their physical and technical skills. They continued to cheer on their favorites with applause and a motivating atmosphere. This bolstered the duelists' confidence and the only thought that crossed their minds was the unsaid promise of making the spectators proud. The battle of wills was about to begin, leaving everyone with a burning question- who was going to rise as the ultimate victor?