“For what?”
“I snore.”
“So?” I shrug. “Snoring doesn’t bother me. I shared a room with my older brother for years and he snores like a train. His fiancée must be a saint. Or an extremely heavy sleeper.”
We finally arrive at Yale. My stomach is in knots. I tell myself we just need to make it through this first match without embarrassing ourselves. With a few extra practice sessions, we should improve enough to be able to truly compete. Top singles players with little to no doubles experience do it all the time. Why can’t I?
I get a call just as I’m getting off the bus. When I see Noah’s name on the screen, I think about ignoring it. But I change my mind at the last second and pick up. Ben glances over, but unless he can speak German, he won’t understand what I’m saying.
“Hey, what’s up? How’s the Ivy League treating you?”
My brother’s voice and the familiar language makes me smile and I forget about anything else for a second.
“It’s good. Lots of trees.”
“That’s good. You know, we don’t have trees back home.”
“Exactly.”
He laughs.
“I’m just about to play a match against Yale, actually.”
“Yale? Wow! I still can’t believe you’re a student at fuckingPrinceton.That’s insane.”
His praise is like a warm glow, spreading across my body, but I also have no idea how to react to it. I can feel myself smiling awkwardly as I press the phone against my ear.
“Mama would be so proud,” he adds.
Oh god, not right now.
“Thanks, I?—”
“And Papa’s proud, too.”
“Really?” I hadn’t meant that to come out. It just escaped while my defenses were down, thinking about Mama.
“Of course!” He laughs, but it sounds strained. “Listen, I know he’s not always good at showing it, but he’s really proud of us all.”
“Of course he’s proud ofyou.” Another slip.
“Eli, come on. You know that’s not true.”
Coach calls my name and I’m so grateful for the distraction I could kiss him.
“That’s my coach, I’ve got to go.”
“Okay sure, good luck. Go kick ass, okay?”
I thank him and hang up, my heart pounding. A cool sweat beading on my top lip. That competitive spirit I remember consuming me when I was a kid who looked up to his big brother taking over. I jog over to Coach, feeling the fire light me from the inside.
7
BEN
Our extra practices pay off. After Nate and Archer take the first doubles point, Elias and I go out onto the court, and though we lose the first game, we pull it back to take the first set into a tie-break.
The most important thing however, is that we no longer bump into each other trying to reach the ball. Elias even remembers to slap my hand when we lose a point, even though he’s made it clear he finds the ritual stupid.
