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I am so proud of this piece of work and finally I have a chance to share it all with you :)\n\nThis story moves Sierra from the 12 year old we all know to 16 years old. She explains how, since 2nd grade, her life has been changed by Kateri which happens to find her way in some of my photos or comics. Sierra and Kateri are rivals but this story brings it to a climactic end.\n\nThis story pays heavy respect to the works of @strangetales and @VerbMyNoun .\nArt by @Aogami\n\nLast month the community has voted in favour of Sierra. This is her story...", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Long awaited!

My very first story, ever!  I am so proud of this piece of work and finally I have a chance to share it all with you :)

This story moves Sierra from the 12 year old we all know to 16 years old.  She explains how, since 2nd grade, her life has been changed by Kateri which happens to find her way in some of my photos or comics.  Sierra and Kateri are rivals but this story brings it to a climactic end.

This story pays heavy respect to the works of @strangetales and \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tVerbMyNoun\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t		\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tVerbMyNoun\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Art by \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAogami\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t		\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAogami\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t


Last month the community has voted in favour of Sierra.  This is her story...", "writing": "My name is Sierra Aven and I'm currently sixteen years old.\n \nI am sitting here at the side of the athletics track and field watching the junior boys run their laps around and around. Sometimes I could hear their huffing and puffing mixed with the coach’s encouraging words as he jogged at their side. My eyes were watching but my head was elsewhere. Perhaps it was thinking about what I would be doing during summer vacation starting next month. Or perhaps it was thinking about whether or not I'll be finding the time to finish my math homework tonight. But really, I think my mind simply kept returning me to a certain bunny that has had a surprisingly major impact on my life so far.\n \nI straightened my skirt and slid my tail mindlessly to have it hug against the side of my thigh as I remembered her stepping down the bus fifteen minutes ago. My, has she grown. Tall, slender, beautiful. She was here at my Secondary School to compete against my volleyball team for the Provincial High School Grand Championships tomorrow, probably the most important game of my life. It must very well be hers too. Their team would stay at the nearest hotel but they had access to our facilities for practice.\n \nI remembered the bunny girl stop and hold up the line behind her as she stepped off the bus, looking around knowing that this was my school. My turf. She was looking for something or someone, probably me since she doesn't know anyone else from here. It must have been a long road trip from Winnipeg, and I remember watching her and every single girl to whom I would have gone to school with. Had I not moved here four years ago, I too would've stepped off that bus.\n \nHer name was Kateri, a bunny girl that has been the largest thorn stuck to my behind for as long as I remember and yet I feel I have to thank her for everything. She was my rival, you see? Sometimes cunning, conniving and manipulative...other times bashful, resentful, or jealous. But I suppose reflecting back only paints me in a similar picture.\n \nEver since we were ten years old, we've started to compete for the tiniest of things. Getting the teacher's attention, grades, sports and even auditions for the school play are just naming a few. At first I thought she was enjoying tormenting me but I later realized she simply had similar interests. Naturally, it would force us in a situation where competition was inevitable. Sometimes I would win, sometimes she would… but tomorrow our score would be settled once and for all.\n \nFor tomorrow, she was to become my rival again. For this Championship wasn't just about the trophy and a berth at the Nationals next year. It was about my leadership pinned against Kateri's. It was about who'd be crowned as the biggest achiever after six years of competition between both of us. And losing was not an option.\n \nI got up and grabbed my gym bag and I felt a familiar touch against my shoulder. It was Erik's, the best coach I have ever had. He was recruited by Stonebridge High to coach the Varsity Girls Volleyball team since he had produced numbers with us at Ridgewood, before we all changed schools upon graduation from junior high. We were all extremely thrilled but since Stonebridge isn't Erik Mitchell's school, he was only allowed one year at the helm of one of their teams.\nNone of us smiled but we felt a certain comfort and power in each other's presence as both coach and captain convened before the big game. Standing in the rafters, watching a wall of grey mist overtake the field and us, we listened to the wind.\n \n\"You hear that, Sierra?\" the gemsbok began, his eyes still looking over the field in front of us where the junior boys had stopped training.\n \n\"Hear what?\" I asked in return, trying to look out to where his eyes pointed. In the distance we heard whistling and cheering. Probably the cheerleading team practicing somewhere nearby.\n \n\"The cheers and celebrating,\" Erik began and I smiled knowing where he would go with this, \"what we will be hearing when Stonebridge High overtakes Harbour View Academy tomorrow.”\n \n\"Mister Mitchell!\" I replied with surprise enthusiasm. I've always known him as humble and focused, always celebrating when it was appropriate and never giving up on a game no matter how badly we were losing. To hear him talk about tomorrow's desired results was a pleasantly surprising change.\n \n\"We worked so hard for this, Sierra.\"\n \nIt's true, we have.\n \n\"I wouldn't be able to bear seeing any of you in defeat after the work we put in.\"\n \nI reflected on these words and the painful cramp of the thought of losing tomorrow's game filled my mind. I took a deep breath, breathing droplets of mist and feeling the moisture seep through my clothes and cling to my light grey fur.\n \n\"Well, all this work is victory in itself Mr. Mitchell. But you've always taught us to always aim two steps ahead in order to always be prepared for the challenges that present themselves.\"\n \nErik listened to me and smiled, eager to see where his young captain would take this one this time. \"Go on.\"\n \n\"Well if we follow that philosophy, we're getting ready to represent Canada and Harbour View is just that final hurdle.\"\n \n\"But it's always the highest.\"\n \n\"But it's volleyball, you trained us to jump. So we'll jump it.\"\nMy coach smiled and turned towards me, he tilted his head, proud of the confident, strong and respected teenage girl I've become. \"Now you're talking.\"\n \n\"And Mr. Mitchell?\" He raised an eyebrow, signaling for me to go on. \"Even if we do lose, it was a real honour playing for you.\"\n \nThis could very well be my last game under his wing and I think I saw my reflection in the water that clouded his eyes, or perhaps they were my own tears.\n \n\"The honour was all mine, Sierra. If this be your last game, then let us make it one for the records. One to remember.\"\n \nThis felt straight out of a storybook. Or a movie. But right now it was our reality. This exchange instilled within us an energy beyond measure, a duty of care for one another and a desire to win all that more fierce. And what better way to let go of this energy than by a warming, strong hug. He pulled me in and squeezed me tightly. His hands travelled down my back and along the length of my tail, as far as he could before coming back up and stroking downwards again. I squeezed my butt cheeks and pressed my growing B cups into his manly gemsbok chest.\n \n\"Harbour View...\" He said, which made me open my eyes and pull away.\n \n\"Harbour View,\" I repeated, \"What would've been my High School.\"\n \n\"This game is a lot more personal for you than anyone else; nobody will be able to take that away from you.\"\n \n\"Anyone else but one person.\"\n \nErik raised an eyebrow and signaled for me to follow him so we could get out from this grey mist. \"I'll give you a ride home, c'mon. Continue though, who's this other person?\"\n \nI thought about the brown eyed patched white rabbit. Her green eyes, her beautiful coat of fur and her Bugs Bunny like tail I remember watching her preen while she was bored in class. \"Kateri.\"\n \n\"And who's she?\"\n \nI looked towards Erik as he led me back under the mist but this time towards his car. \"Well, it's a long story. But we're playing her tomorrow.\"\n \nHe nodded. \"So she's one of those girls you know. An old school acquaintance? A friend perhaps?\"\nI thought about it before sitting down in my coach’s car, pulling up my footpaws inside and making sure my tail was nice and snug around me before closing the door. I waited for Erik to sit down beside me before answering. \"Perhaps a mix of both? She's my rival.\"\n \nThe drive home wasn't long; maybe a few minutes and most of our conversation surrounded how Kateri and I became rivals. It was a rather long story with lots of unnecessary details I kept to myself. But when I stepped out of the car and wished him a good rest before tomorrow's championship final, I felt a few tears well up into my eyes. I escaped the mist after hearing Erik's motor disappear in the distance. I walked home and was greeted by my loving mother to which I gave a loving hug. She guessed my nervousness about tomorrow's big game and promised me she wouldn't bring it up over the dinner table tonight.\n \nI climbed the stairs and entered my bedroom, now decorated with all of my teenage things and posters. Most of them were of my idols, but surprisingly all of them were older men and not the typical beautiful hot shot young celebrity. My taste was far more mature and I pride myself in that regard. I lay down on my bed and turned to my side and my eyes were met by a frame containing a single photo of myself, my best friend Leslie the fox, Morgan the lemur and Kateri back when we were twelve or thirteen years old at Camp Crescent Lake in Manitoba. Even though I had looked at that picture before bed every single night, this time it felt more powerful than ever as I took a closer look at Kateri and at how life has never wanted us to stop competing against one another. I held her in such high regards even though I wanted nothing more but to see silver around her neck and gold around mine.\n \nI placed the photo against my heart, closed my eyes and travelled back in time, eight years ago when Kateri and I first made acquaintances...I remember that day perfectly...\n \nFLASHBACK BEGINS\n \n“Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Sierra! Happy Birthday to you!” The class sang as I straightened my back and opened up my large round ears. Today I was turning eight years old! My grade 2 class all clapped and cheered and just like me, they all eyed the delicious cake of blue and green. The frosting looked so delicious and I couldn’t help but slide a finger along the side to get the first taste.\n \n“I’m so happy for you! Happy birthday to my best friend! Here’s a card!” My best friend Leslie said, shoving a handmade card in front of me and leaning over my desk to watch my reaction opening it. I did so and read a beautiful message of how she was happy we were best friends and that she wishes I had an amazing birthday.\n \n“Thank you Leslie!” I smiled and gave her a hug and she proceeded to give me my gift while the teacher cut the cake. Everybody lined up to get a piece but of course I was the first to get one. As I ate my cake, I opened Leslie’s gift box and became ecstatic seeing a plush toy of Rainbow Dash to which I shoved against my chest and proceeded to hug the living daylights out of it. A lot of the students saw the toy and wanted their turn with the plushy and I kindly allowed others to play with it. The young fox blushed as I went to give her another accolade, this time with a little kiss on the side of the cheek.\n \n“Alright Birthday Girl, you get to decide what game we play for the last fifteen minutes of school!” Said the Teacher, Misses Williams, an orangutan with the kindness to be all of our mothers. She hoisted me up to a seat and I got comfortable as I thought of which game we could play.\n \n“Can we play Heads Up Seven Up Miss Williams?” I asked and all of my classmates clapped their hands excitedly in approval. “Of course we can!” Replied the teacher to everyone’s content.\n \nAs we played the game, Leslie and I had each other’s back and students would always come and pick me since it was a good way to get on my good side. At the end of the game, Misses Williams made a very special announcement.\n \n“Class, it is with great pleasure that I announce to all of you that we will receive a new student tomorrow! It is expected from me, the school and the community that we welcome her with open arms. If she’s alone, you go and include her. If she asks a question you politely answer it. You’ll welcome her in our family and you will treat her the same way you’d want to be treated.” Misses Williams had dropped a bomb on us. It was indeed special and we were excited, but we had always been altogether with no additions or losses since kindergarten. The concept of seeing a new, unfamiliar face misbalanced us a little but I thought I’d take up the responsibility of showing her around. A new friend could very well make my parents even prouder since they wanted me to see others and not just Leslie all the time. Not my fault she and I were inseparable.\n \n“Her name is Kateri Rees and she comes to us from Greendell School. She moved here because her parents wanted her to join a French school just like they had when they were kids.”\n \nKateri Rees, why was that name so familiar. I held on to that name until the bell rang. I carried it over to the playground as Leslie dragged her long bushy tail behind while asking questions about what I thought of a new classmate. I sat on the bus thinking about the name Kateri Rees, convinced I had heard it somewhere. But at the dinner table that night, my dad cleared my mind.\n \n“Oh yeah, Kateri Rees, she’s the daughter to one of my clients.”\n \n“That’s right!”\n \nMy dad swallowed a piece of broccoli with melted cheese on it. “Mh-Hmm, great fellow. I train with him at the gym every morning. A good squash player. I knew he was a good bloke the second he pulled out a picture of Kateri and showed it to me just after I had shown you to him. We both felt proud complementing our daughters.” My dad had a big wide smile as he ate and shared his story. “I heard she’s going to your school.”\n \nI nodded my head and took a big gulp of Skim Milk. “Uh huh. She’s arriving tomorrow.”\n \n“You’ll be good to her; she’s probably going to be nervous or scared.”\n \n“Of course daddy, I’m going to show her around tomorrow.”\n \nHe reached over and ruffled my hair. “That’a girl. I’m glad you volunteered, that makes me proud.”\n \nI smiled and finished drinking my milk before being excused. I went upstairs to play with my Rainbow Dash toy. I had already opened my presents from my parents and I had rated this birthday solely on the presents I had gotten, and it was one of the best birthdays yet!\n \nI went to bed that night thinking of what I would do tomorrow in terms of showing Kateri around. I fell asleep with a plan to let her borrow my new plush toy in order to feel comfort while being in a new environment. I was so proud of my idea and I fell asleep not long after closing my little mousey eyes.\n \nWhen morning came along, my daddy woke me up and a delicious breakfast awaited me on the dining table. I was eager to meet Kateri and I hurried to the school bus.\n \nI sat next to my best friend Leslie while she proceeded to show me what she had brought for show and tell. I had brought something simple this time. An old rosary given to me by my great grandmother mouse who’s obtained it from an old monk of some distant monastery of some kind.\n \n“Today you’re going to show Kateri around?” The young vixen asked as we stepped off the bus in the school’s bus loop.\n \n“Yeah, Misses Shewry is supposed to present me to her before the bell rings.”\n \nMisses Shewry was our Principal. A kind old Rhinoceros but with a look that could kill. We were always scared to go to her office even though she always stopped to say hello when we crossed her in the hall. There was Misses Shewry now, heading this way with a girl about my height in a skirt and leggings and a shirt and jumper.\n \n“Sierra Aven, this is Kateri Rees, I was told you’ll be showing her around today.”\n \nI smiled towards the Principal first while holding onto my plushy and then shook Kateri’s hand. She just gave a slight smile while shaking my hand.\n \n“Hello Kateri, where would you like to go first? This is Rainbow Dash, do you want to hold her?”\n \nMisses Shewry pat me on the head. “Thank you Sierra, now run along. Enjoy your tour, Miss Rees!”\n \n“Thank you,” Kateri mentioned to the rhino as she walked away. The bunny looked back at me and eyed me up and down. “I got my own plushy.” She pulled out a plush version of Nala from Lion King and I gawked at how cute it was.\n \n“Alright well, want to go see the gym? It’s pretty big?”\n \n“Sure.”\n \nI tried to get more out of her but she was pretty quiet. She hurried along while watching fish tanks, plants, student art work and trophies on the walls.\n \n“This is the gym, look there’s a jungle gym! We play lots of sports and games. Mister Dennis is our teacher, he’s really nice.”\n \nKateri nodded but said nothing. She walked inside the gym and picked up a ball, observing it.\n \n“That’s a basketball.” I said with a smile.\n \n“I know what it is.” She snapped back.\n \nI didn’t expect her to say it that way and it made me a little sad but I didn’t show it. She just threw the ball upwards towards the net and got it in on the first try.\n \n“Wow, you really got a good shot. Half the grade can’t even get it up there.”\n \nKateri smiled and looked at her nails. “Yeah, I know. Can you?”\n \nShe passed me the ball and for the first time it felt like the ball was growing heavier and heavier the longer I held it. I looked up at the hoop and I swear I was watching it get smaller and smaller, higher and higher.\n \n“Yeah. Yeah I can make that shot.”\n \n“Then do it.”\n \nI bit my lip and my heart started palpitating. “I think we should go see the Cafeteria, surely you’d like to see the whole school before the bell rings?”\n \nKateri looked around. “You showed me the gym, it’s pretty much all I care about in a school.” I felt a bit threatened by her and I felt the fur at the back of my front paws rise.\n \n“Take the shot or be a loser like half the grade.”\n \nMy eyes widened and I swallowed my saliva. I looked up to the net, jumped up and threw the ball towards it. It was going up, up towards the hoop, arching in the air but coming straight back down with a thud as it bounced several times.\n \n“An air ball!” Kateri exclaimed in laughter.\n \nMy eyes widened and I growled underneath my breath. I turned for the door and Kateri followed my limp tail behind me.\n \n“I guess you’re not sporty.”\n \n“I am” I snapped myself.\n \n“Whoa chill out, didn’t mean to offend.”\n \nShe was still laughing.\n \nI showed her the Cafeteria, the library and the music room before showing her to her locker and our classroom.\n \nShe was officially presented to the entire class and was placed at an empty desk that had been next to mine since September. I answered to her every need and made sure she had company over recess and at lunch hour. Kateri seemed to have made friends with some girls in grade 1. The younger girls followed her like she was a Goddess by the way she behaved and the cool stunts and tricks she was showing them in the school yard.\n \nI sat on the side lines, watching Kateri rise in popularity on her first day. She had a full kit of skills. Magic tricks, soccer dribbling skills, basketball dribbling skills...she could bounce the ball between her legs; that’s crazy! She was spinning balls on her fingers while counting to ten. She even spoke in English, which amazed all the younger kids.\n \n“What’s the matter?” Leslie asked me, draping an arm around my shoulders.\n \n“It’s Kateri, she doesn’t even need me yet I’m assigned to her for the whole day.”\n \nI looked over towards her. Now she was showing some acrobatics on the monkey bars. My goodness she was good.\n \nShe did a flip and looked my way, which I proceeded to give her a wave and a smile. Leslie and I watched her raise an eyebrow our way and ignore the wave.\n \n“That rotten bag of poop!” Leslie exclaimed, pulling me up.\n \n“I can’t come and play, Leslie, Misses Shewry gave me specific instructions.”\n \n“Aaaw…” Leslie walked away and joined the other girls as I squatted back down and lazily poked at pebbles with sticks.\n \nI saw a shadow form in front of me and the set of bunny ears on the top of the dark silhouette could only belong to one particular bunny. A lot of first graders followed her.\n \n“Sasha here said you’ve got one of the best soccer shots in the grade. Is that true?” Kateri asked.\n \nI looked up towards her and then humbly answered, “I’m not bad…” I was really hoping she wouldn’t challenge me again.\n \n“Curious, cause if you kick the same way your throw, I’d bet being the best here would be the easiest thing to do.”\n \nI swallowed my saliva and got up while dusting my clothes and massaging my tail to get feeling back into it.\n \n“You want me to show you?” I asked Kateri, tired of her arrogance.\n \nKateri placed a soccer ball in front of me. “See that small purple cloth stuck in the fence over there?” I looked out and saw a tiny square cloth dangling off from the side of the fence. It was about three feet high off the ground and seven to eight meters away.\n \n“We both alternate kicking, first one to hit it square on wins.”\n \nSounded fair enough, I agreed to the game. A lot of people were watching and cheering. Even Leslie, my best soccer mate came over to watch.\n \nI brought my stuffed toy Rainbow Dash as a good luck charm and before kicking, I went over to hug it. Kateri lined up her shot and missed, only about a foot or two away. It was my turn now and my kick showed to Kateri that I had proper technique and I was deserving of my title as having one of the best shots. I smiled, knowing exactly what I had to do to hit the mark next time when I heard the fence rattle and turned to see Kateri with her arms raised in celebration. She had hit the mark and I had not seen it. But everyone else cheered so I guess she didn’t cheat. “You got one last shot, if you don’t hit it, the new girl takes over.”\n \nI really didn’t like the sound of that, but I was confident in my shot. The bell was about to ring but I maintained my concentration and grade 1 to 3 watched as I lined up my shot. I waved my tail behind me and stiffened it as I ran forward and kicked the ball square in the middle. It rose off the ground and travelled with decent speed towards the fence, crashing into it half a foot off the mark. I raised my hands to my face and bent over forward. “Oh God…”\n \nThe younger kids cheered for Kateri as she celebrated her victory. No mutual respect was shown from either side and I was quick to walk away from the throng of people. But I remember for the rest of the day hearing my classmates talk about Kateri’s victory and how everyone will be picking her for games and sports teams.\n \nI came home that night with what my parents considered a surprisingly negative attitude and a taciturn approach to the topic of Kateri Rees, Greendell School’s newest student.\n \nEnd of Flashback\n \nSome time had passed and I was now finding myself at the dinner table eating with my mom. She had just bought new earrings and showed them off as I slurped on spaghetti coated in olive oil, parmesan cheese, parsley and roasted tomatoes. I tried to show some interest but my focus was on getting the food down.\n \n“They’re nice mom.” I assured her as she prepared for her date with a colleague from work. “Are you going to wear them tonight and tomorrow?”\n \nShe smiled at me and reached out to rub away some sauce that collected on the fur of my muzzle. “If everything goes well tonight, I’ll wear them tomorrow for your big game. It could act as a good luck charm.”\n \nMy mother was really superstitious; it didn’t surprise me to hear that from her. “Oh this reminds me,” she continued, “Leslie called and she wanted to wish you best of luck for your game tomorrow and something along the lines of giving a swift kick to Kateri’s little derrière.”\n \nI laughed a bit and it felt good. That would be something for Leslie to say. She’s always told me that she wished to be in my place so that she could be there watching Kateri lose. But if I’m to be superstitious too, I’m feeling a bit jinxed by all of this “let’s cream the competition talk.” Truth is, I’m petrified, this game means everything to me, and Kateri’s team deserved to be in the grand finals for the same reasons we do. Hard work. Determination. Skills.\n \nWhen I step up to the plate as the captain of my team, I focus on three important elements. I encourage my teammates, I work hard to bring out the best out of them, and I give up on the glory to instead make a play to give someone else the glory.\n \nWhen I think of Kateri’s style of leading, I worry that I might lose the head to head. She’s a very disciplined player full of great strategies that she shares with her teammates. Kateri also has great hopping feet thanks to her heritage as a rabbit girl. She’s very strong at the net and still capable of shining even if an entire team devotes their effort in shutting her down.\n \n“I’m going to go now. You have my number in case you need anything and try to have a relaxing night tonight. Have a bath, watch a movie... take care of yourself.”\n \nI nodded and gave her a hug and a kiss goodbye and watched as the tip of her hairless tail slid passed the door. I took a deep breath and looked up to the picture of me and my father, about six years ago. I was sitting on his lap on my grandfather’s tractor.\n \n“Give me strength dad.” I said, my eyes tearing up as I reached out with my hand as if holding on to his before collapsing into tears.\n \nMy wish was granted and I recovered rather quickly. I still couldn’t believe life had to be so cruel. So merciless. I miss him. Oh God, I miss him. I took my dishes to the counter and as I walked back into the dining room, I glanced over the photo again. Just beneath it, there was another one. This one had my dad holding me up in the air in celebration after I had won a karate competition at a provincial event for Under 13’s.\n \nIt dawned on me that if there was one person in my life that knew about my rivalry with Kateri, it was him. We always talked about it because he followed every sport I played and he was the lawyer to Kateri’s parents.\n \nWith the sound of the howling wind outside, I looked down on to the floor recalling some past events.\n \nFLASHBACK BEGINS\n \n“I hate Kateri! I hate her so much!” I screamed as I burst into the house my hands ripping at a paper that contained a nasty secret about me.\n \n“What’s the matter sweety?” My dad said, drinking a cup of tea from the dining table. He worked at home today because his office was undergoing renovations. He was still all smiles; he knew a ten year old girl’s problems weren’t big enough to sour his mood.\n \n“She spread a rumour saying I stink, that I don’t wear deodorant and that I don’t shower every day! Now the whole school thinks that I’m not a mouse but a rat and that I belong in the sewers!”\nMy dad ran a hand through my hair, felt a few knots but not many. “Looks mighty fine and clean to me. Let me get a closer look.” And he observed me, seeing no imperfections while I still thought having many. “Still as beautiful as a princess.”\n \nI didn’t believe it. “Dad, can I take two showers a day? One in the morning, one at night?” It was almost a begging tone I was using.\n \n“And waste water? That’s not ethical.”\n \nHe used a big word there and I had no idea what it meant.\n \n“But dad…”\n \n“No buts Sierra, one shower a day is plenty enough. You know, I work with Kateri’s parents, and they have similar rules as we do. And they are good at enforcing them. What Kateri says about you is true about her too.” He sat back down in front of his papers and took a sip from his cup.\n \nI stood there dumbfounded. If that was true, I would be able to defend myself, but I didn’t really know how. I wanted to fit in so badly and be respected by everyone, but it was so difficult since Kateri was part of the popular crowd.\n \n“Really?”\n \n“Yes but I won’t have my daughter retaliating unless she wants trouble.”\n \n“You think I will, you don’t trust me?”\n \n“My daughter wouldn’t do that, of course I trust her.”\n \nThere went my dad again. Firm.\n \n“Come here so that I can give you a squeeze.”\n \nBut loveable…\n \nHe picked me up on his lap and gave me one of his mighty hugs.\n \n“You need not worry about what Kateri or her friends says about you Sierra. You know what is true and what isn’t. Your close friends know the same. It is never worth sinking down to someone else’s level and you have all the power in the world to rise above them.”\n \nI nodded at his words of wisdom. “Thanks dad.”\n \nHe smiled and ruffled my hair and then jokingly added, “And if you need further convincing, simply remind her of who scored the winning goal in last month’s soccer finals when you played against her.”\n \nHe obviously didn’t want me to say that to Kateri since that would be a form of retaliation, but it did make me feel better about myself.\n \nWhat I had failed to tell him was that she was my Sex Ed partner and we had to do a project together. I hated Sex Ed, I always seemed to be chosen by the teachers for demonstrations or for sharing personal stories.\n \n“What have you planned tonight?” My dad asked.\n \n“I have a project to do; I need to go over to my partner’s house.”\n \nHe didn’t have a problem with that since school came first for him. “Who’s place?”\n \n“This girl in my class…”\n \n“What’s her name?”\n \n“Kateri…”\n \nMy dad looked at me and then started chuckling.\n \n“It’s not funny! I hate her! Misses Lyndal randomly picked the groups and I’m stuck with her!”\n \nHe nodded, probably happy of the whole situation. “You two will need to make a choice. Either work together as a team with differences aside or fail your project and not rise to the occasion of making a new friend. I think by the sound of that, the former is a much better option, don’t you think?”\n \nI sighed, nodding. He continued. “Great, I’ll be talking to her parents to make sure they’re aware of the situation. I expect you to be on your best behaviour but you’ve always been so I’m not worried. Try to become friends, please?” He looked at me and I nodded in silence after a few seconds.\n \n“Good, now I need to pick up your mother from her meeting, I’m taking her out for dinner tonight. You want me to drop you off at Kateri’s?”\n \nI shook my head. “No it’s okay; I’m not in a hurry getting there.”\n \nHe looked at me as he grabbed his coat. He didn’t argue even though he felt like doing it. He gave me another hug and a kiss goodbye before I took my workbooks, a snack and a soda pop...make that two, before heading out.\n \nI dreaded the idea of spending my night with Kateri and I had a big feeling that she thought the same. That’s why I took my sweet time getting there. I literally stopped to smell at roses or to take the scenic route towards Kateri’s house.\n \nBut I couldn’t do that forever and at the time she was expecting me, I knocked on the door. She wouldn’t greet me, why would she? She hates me. But her kind, loving parents opened up for me and her mother, a beautiful Alaskan arctic rabbit, hugged me. Her husband, Kateri’s dad, stood a few paces away, standing tall and thin. He was a hare, very athletic, toned and handsome. “Come on in!” He said in a jovial fashion.\n \n“Oh Sierra, Kateri said you were coming. She’s in her room.”\n \n“I’ll call her down.” The father said.\n \n“Hello Mister and Misses Rees.” I said, curtseying and walking inside.\n \n“Oh always so polite, we’re happy to see you. My husband and I are both happy you’re Kateri’s partner. Between you and me, it might help her grades.” She giggled and I did the same albeit nervously.\n \n“Here’s a nice tall glass of orange juice, make yourself at home. If there’s anything we can do to make your time here better, please don’t hesitate to ask. Even Kateri, she’s been told to be on her best behaviour.”\n \nMister Rees called Kateri down and then turned to smile at me. “How’s your jolly ol’ dad?”\n \n“Very good, he said he’d call to say hi and how I’m doing.”\n \n“Ah, looking forward to it. We have a lot of respect for him. He’s done a lot for us.”\n \n“He speaks as kindly about you.”\n \nMy words seems to warm their hearts and both parents smiled and tended to my every small needs as I waited for Kateri to come down and greet me.\n \nEventually she did so. She was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. I heard her loud hip hop music blaring from her room upstairs because she left her door open. She looked at me awkwardly and I did the same back.\n \n“Hey.”\n \n“Hey.”\n \nShe took a deep breath and signaled me over. Turning around, she made back for the stairs after taking a baked cookie and a glass of orange juice her mom made for her. I got a refill and a cookie of my own before following her up the stairs. I promptly thanked her parents and as I walked upstairs looking up at my rival’s perky little bottom and bushy white tail, I pondered the possibility of her being adopted.\n \n“This is my room, kinda messy but comfortable.” I passed the Master Bedroom, a bathroom and as I entered her room, I noticed the black and pink painted walls with the same colours in a checkered pattern on the blanket of her bed. She had lava lamps, lanterns, and a surprising mix of celebrity posters, and scientific posters displaying areas of physics. Some on magnetism, prisms and movement. She had science kits and an incredible collection of marbles. Even a kaleidoscope that looked exactly like mine. Wait. Because it was mine!\n \n“I see you found my kaleidoscope!” I said, picking it up from the corner.\n \n“I meant to give it back; you forgot to take it home after science class last week.”\n \nI nodded and thanked her. Though deep down I’m sure she would’ve kept it forever if she could. My eyes wandered around the room some more and I whistled at all the different stimuli. There was no theme to her room, but I think the chaos of it all was what made it so much cooler. “Wow,” I said checking out some fiber optic lights. “You got it all.”\n \nShe nodded and sat down at her bed. “So... Sex Ed, huh?”\n \n\"Sex Ed,\" I repeated with a sigh, sitting down and sharing in the awkwardness that was this moment, \"Says here we have to list all of the body parts and write two things about what they do.\"\n \n\"All the parts!? What the hell.\" My big round ears perked up when she said \"Hell\". I wasn't allowed to use language like that back at home. I swallowed my saliva, assuming I had made her angry.\n \n\"Well, not all the parts. Basically the outside stuff. Eyes, nose, ears, mouth...arms...shoulders...chest...hips...legs...\"\n \n\"I get it. How is this Sex Ed?\"\n \n\"Well we have to do that for all the body parts...of the reproductive system.\"\n \n\"Oh you mean the pleasure system?\"\n \n\"The what?\"\n \n\"You know, the pleasure system... Down there?\"\n \nKateri looked at me and I saw her eyes go from narrow to large and round. It was at that time where I knew she was going to laugh at me.\n \nAnd laugh she did... \"You mean to tell me you NEVER heard of the pleasure system? What are you, in first grade!?\"\n \nI bit my lip, taking her insult because probably I was when it came to this. \"What's...the pleasure system?\"\n \n\"It's the system that we girls have that makes us better than them.\" She proceeded to unbutton her jeans and pull them down a little. I saw that she was wearing red and white Christmas panties with two intercrossing candy canes. It had the shape of our Canadian flag and I found them quite cute. But I was snapped back to attention when she started explaining to me something I'd only talk about to my mom, my older girl cousins or my teacher. Not this snot brain classmate.\n \n\"Our privates? That's the reproductive system.\"\n \n\"And our pleasure system!\" She shook her head and I blushed. \"My goodness, I'm embarrassed just being in the same room as you.\" Before I had the chance to argue or show my displeasure, she continued talking while moving towards me. \"I guess I don't have a choice but to show you.\"\n \n\"Show me what?\" I asked sternly.\n \n\"What it's like being a girl. You ignorant rat.\"\n \n\"Mouse. I'm a mouse.\"\n \n\"Whatever.\"\n \n\"How would you like it if I'd call you a weetle foozy boony?\"\n \n\"I'd like the fact that it would give me a reason to kick your ass.\"\n \nAnd I shut up, I didn't want to anger Kateri because she would not let herself be pushed around on a field or on the court. She was aggressive and strong and...I was scared of her while admiring it at the same time.\n \n\"Take off your pants, I promise I won't hurt you. In fact, I'll do the opposite of that. Trust me, you'll love it. You'll beg for me to continue.\"\n \nI just sat there while she prepared a phallic shaped device. \"Is that supposed to be a banana?\"\n \nShe snorted and laughed and I could see through the reflection of the mirror she was facing that it was out of mockery. It made me feel bad.\n \n\"It's a dildo. My older cousin gave it to me, but you can't tell my mom okay? She doesn't know I have it and apparently only eighteen year olds and up are allowed to have one. Something like that at least.\"\n \nMy eyes widened, I didn't know what to do or what to say. I was in the presence of something I thought was illegal and I felt wrong and weird on the inside.\n \n\"I don't want to do it then.\"\n \n\"Oh relax, as long as nobody knows, than ignorance is bliss. You'll love this.\"\n \n\"Loving something doesn't make it good.\"\n \nShe rolled her eyes and zipped down my skirt before pulling it down my leg. \"Are you sure about this?\"\n \nShe nodded and proceeded to do the same with my panties. Pulling them down, carrying my tail through the hole along with it. When she looked down at my naked girlhood, I saw a certain sparkle in her eyes. But then it turned into a nasty look of jealousy. Frankly I had no idea what she was jealous about but her mouth dropped and her eyes widened in amazement. \"Oh my God...\" And she looked up at me.\n \n\"What--What is it?\"\n \n\"You have one of the prettiest pussies I have ever seen and you mean to tell me you never took advantage of it? Never explored it?\"\n \n\"Well...\"\n \nBefore I could contest with no valid arguments, she took the device she called a dildo and turned it on and it began to vibrate like crazy with a buzzing sound. I showed a bit of fright but Kateri told me to relax.\n \n\"Now this is sex ed...\" She said, lowering me down on my back and spreading my legs a little. She now saw my little pink star shaped anus appear from within my tight butt crack. Again Kateri looked taken aback. \"SIERRA!\" She said loudly. \"You could've been the coolest girl I know. You have such a beautifully shaped pussy and a desirable ass...I mean...what the hell!\"\n \nI ignored that but felt embarrassed that I didn't know I had something she thought was so perfect. I never had anything Kateri wanted that she couldn't get.\n \n\"Alright, Sierra. All I want you to do is to relax. Enjoy yourself. You're gonna be a big girl now.\" I swallowed my saliva and felt warm and tingly inside. Probably because I saw the tip of the dildo approaching my vagina and I had no idea what to anticipate. It got closer and closer and I felt the tip vibrate over my clitoris which had appeared out of my folds. I felt a wetness collect inside of me, lubricating my folds and deeper into my vagina. I gasped, making Kateri giggled as she pulled away. I was about to take a deep breath but instead they were short quick ones because the rabbit ran the length of the rapidly pulsating dildo down my pussy crack and back up in order to let it camp over my button. I arched my back and moved my hips but Kateri held on to me in order to keep the dildo between my lips.\n \n\"Look how you...envelop it. You're liking it, aren't you?\"\n \nI curled my toes, breathing like I was in labor. My claws dug into the carpet where I was now laying. Without realizing, my hips were doing small humping motions and I was pushing against the dildo, as if wanting to feel it deeper inside me.\n \n\"You want more. I can feel it.\"\n \nKateri proceeded to turn me over and propped me up on all fours. I enjoyed her touch and the way she moved me around. She was the alpha girl in the classroom and I felt like this was making me become her friend. I was never expecting to do something so intimate with her, especially not this morning. But what an incredible spin to our relationship this was. Maybe Kateri always wanted to be my friend, she just needed to become jealous of my girlhood to become it. Nah, that can't be the reason...\n \nShe held on to my tail and shivers ran down my spine. I loved it. She exposed my little tail hole. I loved it. She then massaged my clitoris with the dildo in this new position. I adored it. Finally she pushed it slowly into me, my folds separating and my inner walls wrapping over the vibrations. It felt like my entire body was vibrating from the inside and it felt wonderful. I felt the vibrations into my intestines, deep inside my butt and all the way to my sphincters.\n \n\"Your butt! Haha, it's winking at me. It looks like it's breathing!\" I swallowed my saliva and concentrated on these new feelings. I couldn't even conjure words to reply to such a funny visual.\n \nShe began to pump the dildo in and out. \"You ripped your hymen?\" She asked and I nodded.\n \n\"Sports?\"\n \nI nodded again. But that was a lie. I was curious one day and popped my cherry with a hairbrush, but I didn’t want to tell her that. \n\nMy eyes widened as I felt a slippery finger snake into my butt. She had forced it passed my sphincters and curled it into my butt hole, my tail now free to wave around. It did so like it had a mind of its own. The double penetration joined every parts of my body into a loop of pleasure. I felt it all over and I didn't know what happened but it felt like I was peeing in a new and strange way. Instead of a stream like I am used to, it came out in violent gushes of squirts. Kateri was laughing, enjoying the sight of my spraying juices while seeing my whole body wrack in pleasure, my face contorting in my first orgasm face of my life.\n \nI collapsed and panted and she pulled out from both holes with a loud plop and a few squishy sounds. My mind was somewhere else, I was disoriented. \"Sierra?\" Kateri laughed. \"Sierra, that was amazing!\" She tapped my buttocks and feeling sensitive everywhere around my body, I retracted into a small little ball. I felt weird, as if I did a bad thing.\n \n\"What happened?\"\n \n\"Welcome to being a girl, little mousie. Now that's what I'm talking about. You even squirted! I didn't squirt my first time.\"\n \nI looked at the mess I made. \"I'm sorry.\"\n \n\"Don't be! It was so hot!\"\n \n\"I hear you say that word a lot when you look at girls and guys. What does it mean?\"\n \nKateri shook her head and I lowered mine. \"Oh God Sierra...it means they're good to look at. Sexy. Beautiful in the...um...well in this way.\" She pointed at my juices and got up and left. I didn't ask where she was going but fortunately for me she came back a few seconds later with a towel which I proceeded to clean myself up and soak up what she called my cum.\n \n\"Now I think we can become friends.\"\n \nMy ears got all big and round again as I looked up at her after pulling up my skirt. \"We can?\"\n \n\"Sure!\" She looked at me up and down. \"I mean now that you were initiated and that you're the second best athlete in the class and since you got the leading role in drama class...you deserve to be a part of the group. You can hang with us now.\"\n \n\"You mean at recess?\" I asked excitedly.\n \n\"Sure! And on the weekends!\"\n \nMy eyes glistened and I smiled happily, but then I remembered someone and my smile disappeared. \"I can't.\"\n \n\"What?\"\n \n\"I can't, I'm friends with Leslie, she'll be all alone.\"\n \nKateri rolled her eyes; she didn't care for Leslie much. But what she said next comforted me. It showed that she really wanted me as her friend.\n \n\"Tell you what, she can come too. But not all the time.\"\n \n\"Oh Kateri, thank you!\"\n \n\"Yeah, yeah. Now--\"\n \n\"I can't wait to tell her the news. Are we going to initiate her too?\"\n \n\"Perhaps give her the envy...I heard Twister is a good game for that.\"\n \n\"I love Twister!\"\n \nKateri laughed and gave me a friendly pat. \"Alright so, you write down the Sex Ed project and I'll invite both you and Leslie for a sleepover. We'll watch a movie, have pizza, drinks, stay up late and play Twister...how does that sound?\"\n \nFLASHBACK ENDS\n \nMorning came around and I had little sleep. Luckily for me, I was allowed to sleep-in so most of my rest came at dawn. I had eaten a healthy bowl of yoghurt, granola and fresh field berries before putting on my spring jacket and meeting my mom in the driveway. She was dressed in the colours of my school. Marine blue and red, just like our uniforms. I gave her a smile and tried to remain focused. I had given her clear instructions to not hype me too much before the game as it may make me crash later. I simply turned on the radio and sipped water from my water bottle as the car drove out of the driveway and onto the suburban streets towards Stonebridge High for the volleyball grand finals.\n \nIt took me a while to notice that my mom had taken a different route than our usual. I looked up at her confused, and at first I expected it was because she needed to put gas in the car or something, but when she turned into a hotel plaza, my eyes widened in surprise and excitement.\n \n\"Your mother still got it.\" She said as she halted the car in front of the most beautiful vixen in the world, my best friend Leslie.\n \nI ran out of the car and into her arms which she returned the gesture without hesitation.\n \n\"SIERRA!\"\n \n\"LESLIE!\"\n \nWe held our hug for a while, the last time I had seen her was a full year ago and I had miss her dearly. We used to do everything together before my move to Ridgewood from Winnipeg. We nuzzled for half a minute before my mom came out of the car herself and put a hand on my shoulders.\n \n\"We still don't want to be late, sweetie.\"\n \n\"Of course not, it's your big game!\" Leslie added.\n \nI pulled away and looked at her excitedly. \"Is that why you're here?\" Leslie looked up to my mom and nodded.\n \n\"Your mom's the best Sierra. She flew me here so that I could come see you.\"\n \nI turned and jumped into my mom's arms. She hugged and our tails met, curling in love over one another. I gave her a big kiss and pulled back. \"Wow mom! Thank you! That's such a nice thing. When did you land?\"\n \n\"Last night, I thought this would be a nice surprise before the game. And look...\" She unzipped her coat and showed me a Stonebridge High uniform. Probably one of mine my mom gave her to wear.\n \n\"I don't care if I win or lose today...this made my day.\"\n \n\"You'll win. You have too.\"\n \n\"Did you know it's against Kateri's team?\"\n \n\"It's why you have too. She wrote all over Facebook and stuff, you know...she's really serious about this game. She's got a lot of fans back home.\"\n \nI nodded; truth was I took the game as seriously as she did, if not more. \"This game is everything I've ever wanted. The highest level of competition. This is for all Canada at our age level!\"\n \n\"I know that's crazy! You worked really hard and here you are. You think you'll try out for the national team when you turn eighteen?\"\n \nI smirked, getting in the car, sitting in the back seat to be beside Leslie. \"No, I think this year's my last.\"\n \n\"What!? Sierra without volleyball? That's like a chicken with no head. How are you going to survive!?\"\n \nI smirked and rubbed at her thigh playfully. \"Who knows...time will tell I guess.\"\n \n\"You really think this will be your last game?\" My mom chimed in. \"Because I don't think so.\"\n \n\"What do you mean, mom?\"\n \n\"I've spoken with your coach.\"\n \nI blushed, my mom had always been fond of Erik Mitchell and that made me nervous knowing that what had once happened between us. \"And?\"\n \n\"And he said that it'll be your last game under his mentorship, but I won't believe for a second that you're gonna quit volleyball.\"\n \n\"But there's a ton of other sports I'd want to do...\"\n \n\"I know Sierra, but you're so good at volleyball, you could go far, if you want my money to pay for a sport, that will be it.\"\n \n\"You mean that?\"\n \nTypically parents are meant to be supportive no matter what interest their child has, but here was my mom hell bent on me playing volleyball.\n \n\"You'd have to find a job if you'd want to pay for your other sports.\"\n \nI groaned. \"Blah.\"\n \n\"Working ain't all that bad.\" Leslie said laughing.\n \n\"You got a job?\"\n \n\"Yeah, restaurant hostess, but I get to wear a cool uniform, look pretty and greet people. Plus the money's really nice.\"\n \nWow, my best friend already has a job and I was just doing sports camps instead. My mom was right, every summer she spent thousands of dollars for my sports and here I was ready to quit on a sport she paid heaps for.\n \n\"Sorry mom, I didn't think about what you've done for me. I'll continue volleyball.\"\n \nShe smiled in the rearview mirror and I returned it. Reaching back she squeezed my thigh and returned her hand on the wheel.\n \n\"I'm so happy you're here Leslie.\"\n \n\"It's as if you never left...\"\n \n\"And the fact we're going to play against Kateri.\"\n \n\"I know, oh my God, that's so cool. Coincidence?\"\n \n\"I think not...Let this be the pinnacle point of our rivalry.\"\n \nThe car pulled up into Stonebridge High and I had to say my goodbyes to Leslie and my mom before heading out to join the rest of my team. Many were gathered. We were expecting a crowd of about five hundred. A lot of them would be the school members. Harbour View had a lot of fans that followed them from Winnipeg too. They were all eager to watch their favourite team play the mysterious Stonebridge High. The same way our fans viewed Harbour View Academy. I looked up at the rafters and saw many fans settling in. My eyes met with Leslie and my mom and they gave me a wave.\n \nI joined my team for the warm up. We passed the ball, stretched and worked on some spikes, transitions and serves. At times we would come face to face with a girl from Harbour View that was hitting and warming up on the other side of the court. They all looked tall, athletic and eager to win. They passed with precision, their game was like a flowing river. My heart began to pound at my chest and my throat started to feel dry. \"Oh my God, they're good...\"\n \nI stood there dazed but got woken up by a ball spiked against the side of my head. It gave me a small whip lash and I fell on all fours. The crowd was still getting organized and getting food from the concessions to have really noticed, but I heard some chuckling in the rafters above.\n \n\"Oh shit, Sierra! Are you okay!?\" I heard Jasmine yell out, my co-captain. She rarely had reason to be concerned for me, but I suppose grand final day would be a suitable exception.\n \nShe hastened my way alongside her friend Genevieve but I got up and waved my hand at them before they reached me. \"I'm fine.\"\n \nThey both looked at me and at each other. \"Alright, we're with you.\" Genevieve said and I gave her a thumbs up. \"And I with you.\"\n \nWe spent twenty minutes warming up. By now the crowd had fully gathered and it was the first time I played in front of so many people. Most of them wore our colours. Stonebridge High was chosen to be the grand final's host at the start of the season. We were lucky enough to be a contender for the championships in that same year.\n \nErik Mitchell called us in and we dropped whatever we were doing and ran in to make a tight circle of bodies. Anybody watching our huddle would simply see interlocking arms, beautiful backs and long tails hanging behind us, all intertwined like one loving family.\n \n\"This is it girls, there is nothing else I can show you or teach you. Everything you've learned came from your desire to play the sport of volleyball. All of the choices you've made collectively brought us here today. The start of the season can't be as remarkable as the way we will end it today. You all know how to play, how to win. And today, let us make these people sing songs of Stonebridge High!\"\n \n\"YEAH!\"\n\"LET'S GO GIRLS!\"\n\"WE GOT THIS!\"\n\"WOOO!\"\n \nWe all placed our hands in the middle and yelled out our cheer as loud as we could. An uproar of applause and cheers followed it. An equal amount of praise was given out of authenticity or good fan sportsmanship towards Harbour View.\n \nThe lights dimmed and a large alligator walked near center court and hushed the crowd. A music came on and players lined up and when everybody were ready, the announcement to rise for our national anthem was declared and it didn't matter who you were, we all sang with vigour and spice.\n \nBoth teams went to their respective corners but the alligator called for captains. He took off his jumper and saw that he was wearing the zebra colours. He was to be our main official for today's Championship. At his side was his assistant referee, a Siamese cat and two linesmen. One duck and a crane, the latter had beautiful slender legs and played with her flag while the alligator waited for both captains to arrive.\n \nThe whole gymnasium went silent as the two captains approached one another to meet at center court. With every step, I could feel the crowd’s eyes locked on me until I reached the alligator. In front of me, arriving a few paces later was Kateri. She placed her hands over the back of her spankies, with her fluffy rabbit's tail poking out between them. Kateri looked at me intensely and I returned the look. The alligator proceeded to explain the rules and the setup of tonight's match. We listened, but our eyes were locked on one another, as if trying to intimidate each other.\n \n\"Harbour View, call it.\"\n \n\"Tails.\" Still we looked at one another with such fierce intensity.\n \n\"It's Tails. You will take serve or side?\"\n \n\"We'll take serve.\"\n \nThe alligator looked between both of us as he talked, used to this kind of behaviour from captains.\n \n\"Stonebridge, your side?\"\n \n\"This one.\"\n \n\"I suppose it's futile to ask the two of you to shake hands?\"\n \nBoth Kateri and I were called to show where our leadership had taken us and with the entire crowd watching, I raised my hand and delivered it to her. She just smiled cheekily, turned around and walked back to her team. I didn't spend more time, I did the same after the entire crowd acknowledged with boo's and roots the decision of Kateri to simply make this game all the more interesting.\n \n\"That bitch, she didn't even shake hands!\" One of my teammate said when I joined her. All of them were lined up as they too watched the coin toss.\n \n\"I wasn't expecting her to. She's just trying to get into my mind.\"\n \n\"You won't let her though, right?\" Jasmine asked.\n \nI looked back at Kateri, she had joined her team and they were all huddling again. Kateri looked back at me as if we knew what each other were thinking and then she smiled, throwing me a wink to go along with it.\n \n\"Never...\"\n \nFLASHBACK BEGINS\n \nLeslie had the baton and was gaining, but still remained a good second or two behind. That meant I had to make up but it was quite unlikely. Kateri was beside me in her lane and the winner was to represent the school at the Under 13 provincial championships. Her big white tail covered what looked like her entire behind and she taunted me by stroking it upwards and turning her backside to me. \"Get used to the view,\" she started, \"cause you'll be staring here for the entire race.\"\n \nAnd by race she meant the 4x100 relay sprint. Her legs started to lightly jog and I saw Isabelle a fast lemur, finish her sprint and passing off the baton. At that moment I began to lightly jog before bursting in a sprint when Leslie handed me hers. I heard cheering as the boys and girls of the school's sixth grade track and field team encouraged us. Kateri was ahead but I was slowly gaining. Everything felt like a blur. My hair bounced and trailed behind me like my tail. My eyes felt the wind and they became dry as I gritted my teeth and ran my fastest time yet. Everything just flowed and soon that little rabbit's butt left my sight as I joined her side.\n \nShe was extremely focused but I knew she was surprised and scared to see that I had caught up, and I wasn't stopping. There were still fifteen or so paces to go and if I could continue with this same pace, I would certainly win.\n \nBut no! My legs! They started cramping as lactic acid burned my lower body. I did everything I could to maintain my speed, my back spazzed and I felt something pull but I wasn't stopping. Why was this happening now!? I had trained for this, I had stretched for this, was I really running so abnormally fast that my body just couldn't maintain itself? I felt my legs giving up and in the last few strides, it was Kateri whose body remained composed, not mine. She crossed the finish line by a foot or two and while she was celebrating, I came crashing down on all fours, wincing at my pain.\n \n\"Don't go blaming it on an injury, I won fair and square.\" Kateri said with audacity.\n \n\"You did...\" I replied. \"And it's not an injury, I just wasn't fast enough...\"\n \n\"Then get off the ground...\" Kateri said panting before her team joined up to her and ran into her arms. \"WE DID IT!\"\n \nAnd I did so. I rubbed my knees and massaged my thighs. \"I was just tired from the race...\"\n \nKateri heard me but didn't reply; she was too busy soaking in the credit of winning that last run, even though it was the strong start of runner one, two and three that deserves the credit. It was such a close comeback.\n \n\"Good job Sierra, you allowed Kateri to slip another victory passed our noses.\" My starting runner said. She's a hyena and used to be on Kateri's team but she was benched and we picked her up. Apparently she wanted to be their starting runner but the rest of Kateri's team did not. We then welcomed her in our team but since we did she's been nothing but annoying. She always complained and tried to coach us even though she knew just as nothing on the sport like we did.\n \n\"Oh shut up, she came really close. We all did.\" Leslie fired back.\n \n\"Yeah, what happened at the end? You slowed down right when you were about to win.\" Our second was another rabbit and her name was Gracie. She's a fast runner and a great artist. Though she was very small and had to run against Kateri's second, a gazelle.\n \n\"I know I let you down girls...I cramped up, I did everything I could.\"\n \n\"Well, since you're moving, I guess I'll run last from now on. It's not first but at least I'll make sure to secure victories.\"\n \n\"Okay you know what Agnes? No one likes you so just shut up and go away.\" Leslie was angry and didn't mind saying mean things when she was.\n \n\"Stop standing up for her, it's annoying. Let her fight her own battles. Besides why do you even stay with her? She's always second to Kateri and Kateri likes you, you could be on her team for like everything...and at least you'd win.\n \n\"Sierra's my friend. Kateri isn't.\" Leslie said firmly.\n \n\"But at least you'd win.\"\n \n\"It's not just about winning!\" Leslie showed teeth and Gracie ran away. She was in fifth grade and was pretty sensitive to arguments.\n \nAgnes shook her head, this was the meanest I had ever seen her. Agnes returned the threat and stood tall. My heart was warmed by what Leslie was saying, but I too was worried that it would get out of line. In the distance I saw Gracie approaching our gym teacher.\n \nKateri and her team were cheering and hugging as ribbons were pinned on their uniforms. They would be receiving medals later in the day, as would we but silver was hardly anything special when you know the one who beat you is the girl you've been competing against all your life. It's quite a funny story between me and Kateri. There was a time we were inseparable friends until I had stolen her crown in badminton. She started off mean, we became best friends then I realized it was a fake friendship so I kicked her ass in badminton...she hated me ever since and was probably glad to learn I was moving.\n \n\"Why don't you go and stick your hyena nose up Kateri's ass.\" Leslie said, making a fist.\n \n\"Why don't you stick a carrot up your cunt.\" Agnes replied. My eyes were wide, they were really using big people words and it made me very uncomfortable.\n \n\"Hey, whoa! What's happening here!? Poor loser stuff?\" Kateri asked, walking forward with her team. \"Like my ribbon? Look at the colour, it's blue! Not like my tail though, must be nice to see something different for a change, now that the race is over!\" She proceeded to laugh and I promptly stood at Leslie's side.\n \n\"Nobody asked you to rub it in Kateri, get lost.\"\n \n\"I don't plan to.\"\n \nLeslie pointed at Kateri. \"There she is; why don't you ask her? Nevermind, I'll ask her for you. Kateri?\"\n \n\"Yes?\"\n \n\"Agnes wanted to ask you when you were going to let her stick her nose up your butt.\"\n \nKateri's ears straightened and she laughed. \"Oh my, how about right now? I'm a little frisky after winning. I get that feeling all the time.\" She gave me a wink, only to tempt me further. Her friends laughed and both Leslie and I felt outnumbered.\n \n\"Careful that she doesn't fart on your face.\" I said.\n \nLeslie giggled and Agnes made a grimace. Kateri snapped at me. \"I don't fart, don't be gross. Nobody asked you to go there.\"\n \n\"Oh but you do...Sierra, remember when we played Twister with Kateri?\" Leslie asked sheepishly.\n \nThe rabbit's eyes widened and she moved in closer.\n \n\"Don't you bring this up; I never played Twister with you. I never play with losers!\"\n \n\"Oh I remember perfectly Leslie, she was touching her toes and I remember her tail wiggle, her tummy grumble and what came next was--\"\n \nI felt my body collapse underneath Kateri's weight as she caught me by surprise and knocked the wind out of me. Convenient since I was still catching my breath from the race. I was able to tense up enough, like I had learned in karate to defend myself on the ground and I managed to push her off me and get up faster than I have ever done before. She wanted a fight, I was happy to give her one.\n \nThis was so not me; I had never actually physically fought someone other than a few pushes and dirty moves during competitive sports. Kateri got up and I heard people around us call us out and parents who acted as officials as well as school staff members were moving in from all directions to intercept us. Agnes had pounced on Leslie but the vixen was fast enough to move away, she kicked the hyena in the gut and clawed at her face before our grade 6 gym teacher, a mastodon named Brevan, separated them. He turned his attention to me. I was in control of that fight and all the racked up anger I had towards Kateri was coming out in the few seconds I had left. I had never felt this way, but fighting right now felt so liberating. I was a dead girl afterwards, but Kateri started it...surely they'll believe me...she started it!\n \nKateri and I collided and I managed to dexterously trip her. She fell on her back rather hard but had left over energy to pull on my tail and drag me down at her side. She proceeded to mount me but I grabbed at some dirt and pebbles and slammed it across her face and all over her mouth. She was hoisted up by the collar while spitting out the mud. Brevan didn't have to aggressively lift me as I lay there unmoving and horrified to learn the consequences. He left me there and moved aside to reveal my father. I heard him scolding Kateri, Leslie and Agnes, leaving my discipline to my father. The big mouse stood in front of me with his eyes stern, his mouth closed and the biggest look of disappointment I had ever seen in him. Staff members and other parents were getting all the students and kids organized to their next events but everybody was talking about our fight.\n \nI slowly rose to my footpaws and took a deep breath. My uniform was dirty and ripped at a couple of places. My hair was disheveled and my knee was bleeding a little.\n \n\"Sierra Aven...\"\n \n\"Yes dad?\"\n \n\"In the car...now.\"\n \nI didn't argue. I had to forfeit my next events because my dad was giving me an external suspension. He called the school to notify them of my behaviour and he was notified that Mister Brevan had already reported the incident and he could carry on with his plans of taking me back home. I closed the door to the car and heard him sigh. He put the keys in the ignition and turned towards me but did not start the car.\n \n\"You know when I was your age, I too had fought. There was a school bully and like Leslie did, I stood up for my mates. But this...\"\n \nHe swallowed his saliva. \"But this does not come from me or your mother. This is sheer disappointment Sierra. You have proven to us time and time again that you had a head on your shoulders. That you were capable of making smart, mature decisions. We talked about this. We talked about Kateri and your relationship with her.\"\n \n\"But dad, she pounced on me!\"\n \n\"Pounced or not, you provoked her and fought back.\"\n \n\"What am I supposed to do!? Let her abuse me!?\"\n \n\"Talk to an adult or leave the conversation before it leads you to react this way.\"\n \n\"But I'm tired of being called a pussy!\"\n \n\"DO NOT USE THAT LANGUAGE SIERRA! THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE!\"\n \n\"IT'S WHAT THEY CALL ME!\"\n \nHe lifted his hand and I sunk into my seat, but his hand came down on the wheel and started the car. \"You listen to me young missy... if you feel the need to vent or let go of frustrations, there are healthy ways to do so. I am signing you up for a Yoga class and that is final.\"\n \n\"But I hate Yoga!\"\n \n\"And as for your misuse of language, your cell phone.\"\n \n\"No dad! I need it!\"\n \n\"No you don't, you'll just have to do it the old fashion way.\"\n \n\"But they suck!\"\n \n\"I'm about to extend it longer if you challenge me right now Sierra. I promise, you ain't gonna win.\"\n \nI stared him in the eyes for a while before giving in and handing over my cell phone from my duffel bag. \"Good, now not a peep from you until we get home, and then it's straight to your room until you're called down for dinner.\"\n \nI crossed my arms and sulked. \"I won't come down anyways because I don't want to eat with you.\"\n \n\"Right, cause I'm the bad guy here. My daughter embarrasses me publicly with uncharacteristic behaviour, I get mad and set her straight and I'm the bad guy. I'll let that play in your mind a little. Think about it Sierra.\"\n \nI turned to look out the window and to show him more or less my back, though the seatbelt restricted me from doing so effectively. Right now, I didn't know who I hated more...Kateri for being Kateri or my dad for the consequences.\n \n\"You've always told me to defend myself dad...\"\n \n\"If it's a serious situation yes...\"\n \n\"And this wasn't!?\"\n \n\"I rank it as a petty squabble between friends.\"\n \n\"Friends... hmpf, don't call us that.\"\n \n\"You and Kateri are probably the most spoken about pair in your junior high school. There was a time where you two were inseparable. What happened?\"\n \n\"Speaking of whatever happened, whatever happened to not a peep from me?\"\n \n\"Disregard that, Sierra... look at me.\" He stopped at a red light. I did so, but my eyes still signaled my reservations of being the cute loveable angel I've always been known to him for. \"What happened?\"\n \n\"I had an invitation to a pajama party. All the girls were gonna be there, even Leslie. But I defeated her a couple of days before the party in badminton and she had never lost a game until I challenged her. We were best friends then but she never knew I was just...better, I guess. She took the loss pretty badly, and I wasn't invited anymore. I called her out on it and the pajama party was pretty much a \"Let's make Sierra's life a living hell party...\"\n \nHe nodded, but he probably thought it was kid stuff. He knew I wasn't going to be bullied and my mental health was really strong for an eleven year old, but still it pained him to know his daughter has had hard times with the daughter of personal friends of his.\n \n\"I trust next time you will be the better person. You've always been Sierra, we're all very proud of you. But violence...does not become you. Does not become us. You represent our family and our name Sierra. You will apologize to Kateri, to your gym teacher and to the principal. Is that understood?\"\n \n\"Oh dad, not Kateri. The others sure, but please don't make me apologize to Kateri!\"\n \n\"Knowing her parents, expect one from her too.\"\n \n\"But it'll be so fake!\"\n \n\"But don't fake your own. We clear?\"\n \n\"...Yes.\" I sighed and took a deep a breath before closing my eyes and remaining silent for the rest of the drive back home.\n \nFLASHBACK ENDS\n \n\"Alright Peyton, Sabrina, Whisper, Sierra, Jasmine and Geneviève, I want you all to remain focused and treat every bout like it's zero-zero. Don't forget to move to the ball, call it out loud and clear...really loud, cause listen to that crowd.\" They were indeed cheering pretty loudly, which made some of the girls on the bench pulling at their hair. We were nervous, there was no denying it. \"A nice pass to Jasmine, a nice set at the net and finish it. Remember to transition rapidly and to keep your composure.\"\n \nAll of the girls joined in the huddle at this point and we all placed our hands in the center. We looked at one another, pride filling our eyes. We had all worked very hard to reach the grand finals. \"Are we ready?\"\n \n\"Ya!\"\n \n\"Do we want to win this!?\"\n \n\"YA!\"\n \n\"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!\"\n \n\"YEAH!!!\" We all patted one another and cheered and the crowd went wild for us as we lined up before being called on the court. That's when I felt a teasing touch near the base of my tail. It came from my favourite gemsbok, my coach Erik.\n \n\"Sierra, you're on the court for the whole game, it's time to be a captain.\"\n \n\"I won't let you down.\" We looked each other in the eyes for a few seconds before the alligator whistled and we took our positions on the court.\n \nOfficials matched positions with numbers and the game was underway with Harbour View's best server. The crowd went wild with the opening serve as the overhand sent the fast flying ball to our backcourt. Genevieve picked it up but it wasn't a good enough pass for Jasmine to get to. \"Help! Help!\" She yelled and Whisper, our shortest member, ran under the ball to prop it up. She lobbed it near me and I jumped to tip it over the net successfully. They easily picked it up, we transitioned to defend against a spike but left our right wing open and Kateri proceeded to dump it in the hole for the first point of the match.\n \n\"That's alright! Let's get it back girls.\" I said, clapping my hands and crouching down in a ready position.\n \nWe had noticed many of the guys sitting behind the court instead of the side. I guess they wanted the rear view of us girls in spankies. And when we got in a ready position, they had six girls to pick from. But I didn't think about that right now, I was focused on the next serve. The head ref whistled and the serve came very fast, hitting Peyton's arm and returning over the net passed the back line, giving Harbour View a 2-0 lead. The third serve came, harder than before and we looked at one another dumbfounded as the ball hit the ground for an ace.\n \n\"Alright girls, time to wake up!\" Erik said from the sideline. \"Sierra back up a little. Back line, create a row. Jasmine, behind Sierra for the switch. Sabrina, at the net! C'mon girls, get it back.\"\n \nThe crowd's worry about our performance only increased after every serve. They opened up with 6 points before we came on the board, but our point was won because she served into the net, which we reciprocated the same way. Erik saw we were getting frustrated and the girls on the bench rubbed their faces, but yet the crowd cheered us on and we continued to fight.\n \nThe only image imprinted in my memory of this first set was watching their best server, a skunk girl smash ball after ball in our court. Kateri made impeccable sets, turning what we thought would've been a free ball into a dangerous spike. She cheekily dumped the ball to score some points and every time Harbour View cheered and huddled, we were just shaking our heads in frustration.\n \nIn between sets, Erik made a few lineup changes but I was still assigned to position four, Power. He stated to everyone that we know what to expect and we should be able to adapt at this point, there should be no more surprises. We know what we have to do to defend against them. They are very strong at the net but their backline struggles. Get the ball at the back of their court, he suggested.\n \nAlas, as much as we tried, we couldn't get a good enough attack. Our passes to Jasmine was shaky at best and we couldn't do miracles with them the way Kateri did. Erik was biting down on his backboard and the crowd began to get agitated. They didn't want to watch their team lose in a 3-0 sweep.\n \nBut looking up at the scoreboard, that's what the forecast announced unless we would make a drastic change or pull something out of our ass. Tails were limp and morale was down and after giving up the first set 25-7, we gave up the second 25-11.\n \nI looked towards Harbour View's bench. They were high fiving and having fun. Why wouldn't they? The team travelled hundreds of kilometers to leave such a hurtful wound in our school. They were a set away from winning the Canadian U-17 title. Erik pulled me aside and snapped his fingers in front of my eyes.\n \n\"Sierra, wake up. I've been watching you stare towards Kateri and the Harbour View bench since you got here.\" I swallowed my saliva, Erik was being serious. \"I need you to stop looking at them and start looking at yourself and at us.\"\n \nHere he was talking about looking at each other and my best response to his message was my head lowering and my eyes darting for the floor. \"Chin up Sierra, look at me.\" I did so and then heard Kateri yell out something incomprehensible and I turned my head to look her way. \"No, Sierra, look at me.\" The crowd had time to buy food at the concession stands and go to the toilet as entertainers were given the stage for 10 minutes while players rested. \"Sierra...everyone's down because we're thinking about this.\" He pointed to the trophy in a windowed case waiting to be hoisted up by hands of champions. \"About this.\" He waved at the crowd. \"And you're thinking, about her...\" And his fingers pointed straight towards Kateri. He then pointed down at my heart and proceeded to run a hand through my hair. \"That's where I want you to think.\"\n \nI took a deep breath and nodded. \"I need you to think about what these girls need. And I'll give you a hint. Hope. We're the underdogs here; let's use that to our advantage. We didn't come this far only to suck! These girls don't want to see a limp tail!\" He proceeded to grab it and pull it up. I giggled and batted his hand away. \"Look a limp tail!\" He grabbed it again and I batted his hand away once more. He was getting me to laugh and he spun me around. \"C’mon, lift that tail up!\" And I did so proudly and he gave my little tush a couple of taps with his back board. \"Go see your girls, I think they need you!\"\n \nI did so with renewed enthusiasm and gusto. Erik was right. I was way too preoccupied by the meaning of this game. By Kateri, by our rivalry. I wanted to win so bad but for the wrong reasons. Now, I just needed to focus on the team where with some inspiration, we could all start giving this wonderful crowd a game to remember.\n \nWe were ready to start the game again, but Kateri had called me over and I met her at the net. Erik pointed to his eyes and I nodded.\n \n\"Hey Sierra, you look really pretty.\" She opened up. I didn't respond, only placed my hands over my buttocks like there were imaginary back pockets over my spankies; the same way she did during the opening coin toss. \"Well, aren't you gonna say hello?\"\n \n\"Huh? Oh sorry, I thought you weren't finished. Typically you call me pretty when I'm about to lose at something.\"\n \n\"Oh c’mon Sierra, I'm not that shallow. I really wanted to just say hi.\"\n \n\"If I was winning 2-0, would you still want to just say hi?\"\n \n\"Why are you being like this? Whatever happened to good sportsmanship? You're renowned for that.\"\n \n\"It'll come out when one of us will be crowned champion. But right now, you're just trying to get in my mind.\"\n \n\"I'm not the same person you know. The results don’t really matter.\"\n \n\"Pfff...\"\n \n\"It's true! I'm just super pumped to be playing you. I mean, the grand finals, look at this crowd, pretty awesome huh?\"\n \n\"You had plenty of time to tell me that before the game. You waited till it was 2-0 to act like the good girl.\"\n \n\"Well, can you blame me?\"\n \n\"Prepare to get a smash in the face.\"\n \n\"Haha, by you?\"\n \n\"The game's only starting.\"\n \n\"Alright well, I guess what I really wanted to tell you was that I'm sorry we had to crush your dreams with this dominating performance. We honestly thought you guys would be a challenge.\"\n \nI turned around shaking my head and both teams welcomed back their captains and the third set was announced to be under way. Erik had put together a new lineup and gave us confidence and everybody felt good coming on the court. We were backed up against the wall, time to go all out. The crowd was still on our side and they increased in vigour and strength as we opened up the 3rd set with pizazz.\n \nServes were going over, passes were precise, smashes connected and transitions flowed. We were playing at Harbour View's level in the first set and that caught them off guard. They were getting beaten at their own plays and we had managed to stuff that tall skunk on a few occasions. I had yet to shine, but the 19th point was all me with an incredible dive on the serve. Jasmine saw how fast I got up and in position so she sent the set my way and with a long stride I jumped at the net. For a second, the crowd shouted \"Oooh!\" and down came my handpaw on the ball, spiking it so hard that none of the girls on the other side even reacted. I raised my hands and the crowd cheered me on, the whole team hugged me and we were back in this game. Erik was clapping and continued to give us instructions to refine our play and I could see the pride in his eyes, this was his team's style of play he was seeing and it was a victorious one.\n \nThe 3rd set came as a surprise to everyone. The score still suggested it was a relatively close set at 25-17 but now we knew Harbour View would come back in the 4th with fire in their eyes. They were beaten once but the way their coach talked to them, that would certainly not happen again. We kept our morale up but this time it wasn't just about smiles and good spirits, it was about going back to the fundamentals of the sport. Sometimes it's not the most complex play that will win you the game, but the ability to utilize basics with such perfection. And that's what made us good. Harbour View had fancy footwork, complex transitions and mind boggling passing, but our reception, approaches and spikes were really top of the line.\n \nIn the 4th set, the score was back and forth. Not one serve went out so each point was a hard fought rally. One of them lasted over an entire minute! It ended with Harbour View's point when Kateri made a beautiful jump at the net to stuff Genevieve. \"It's okay batty, we'll get it back!\" Jasmine shouted, patting her back. The score was 13-12 in our favour and the meaning of this game just took a whole new level. Everybody was taken aback by our poor performance early in the game, and pleasantly surprised that we were now able to hold our own.\n \nTheir serve came in fast by their star skunk which, over break, I learned was called Alixe. I had deliberately moved to open up a little hole and she took the bait serving for it. I dashed ready, connecting with the ball to give a perfect pass to Jasmine. She passed over Genevieve which the latter proceeded to fake a spike. Harbour View were forced to shift as the ball came travelling to me. I was already soaring in the air and I connected with the ball, sending it in their back row. With an incredible dive, a white fox kept it alive but the ball was coming back in my direction. Kateri jumped up in the air to give it more speed but missed her shot and fell back down over the white fox and falling on all fours her back towards the net. She merely had the time to turn her head to see that I had once more jumped up and successfully spike the ball. This time it went straight for Kateri and before she could react, the ball smacked against her butt and she fell flat on her face. While the fans of Harbour View cringed, the entire flock of Stonebridge fans erupted in cheers and laughter. Kateri got up and growled, rubbing her under tail.\n \n\"Hey, Kateri!\" I said from across the net. She turned to look at me.\n \n\"I told you I'd smash a ball in your face.\"\n \nKateri gave me a scorn and Harbour View began to panic and do desperate plays as our lead increased to 23-18. Their coach called a timeout and made a line change. Kateri was replaced with a new setter and I saw her sit down, her arms crossed. \"Haha, she looks pissed off.\" Jasmine said and I nodded, first time we felt a connection. We gave each other a high five.\n \nHer replacement had remarkable agility. She was a monkey and had incredible hands. They managed to score five points in a row, tying it up at 23 before Erik called a time-out. This tactic worked to psyche out their server. It didn't exactly psyche her out but the serve was easily picked up for a quick transition attack and a point. Our next serve was an ace and we took set number four to make this grand final a 2-2 game.\n \nThere was another ten minute break. Just enough time to wave hello to both my mom and Leslie and for my team and me to talk about our game plan. Harbour View were doing the same, they were unable to perform the way they did during the first two sets and that was because we had adapted to their play style and forced them to fight against our own.\n \nThe fifth set started with some good serving on our side. We opened up the final set with a 3-0 lead but lost the serve after a misplaced pass into the net. It was really difficult to hear one another; we had never heard so much noise at a volleyball game before. Harbour View pulled out a few new plays successfully and caught up in the score, but when our back line was changed, nothing was getting passed us and our spikes were too much for Harbour View to handle. Their newest setter appeared younger than Kateri and she was cracking under pressure with now inconsistent sets. This forced the coach to sub her out and put Kateri back in, this time with fire under her tail.\n \nThat was probably their best play as Kateri changed gear and delivered some spot on sets. Tension was at an all-time high as Kateri's work equalized the score once again. Time outs were made just to settle the nerves of the girls unused to play under so much pressure, and that’s without mentioning the loud crowd believing in us. The score crept closer and closer to the climax that would eventually become a 24-23 game, with the next point winning it all for Stonebridge and the next point giving Harbour View's skunk Alice the final serve of the game. It was Jasmine's serve and we all believed in her. The crowd went silent and that caught her off guard. The alligator had whistled and began counting down the seconds. She hoisted it up and successfully over handed it over the net. It was received by an otter who passed it high for Kateri. She ran to the ball and made a beautiful back set to Alice at position 2. She proceeded to spike but Genevieve caught her with a block. We thought it was all over but one of their players dove to keep the ball alive, Kateri set it again but this time at position 4. Their power jumped and spiked. Whisper dug it up, to Jasmine, to me and I delivered a mighty spike down center, propped up again to Kateri which proceeded to pass towards power again. This was contested at the net, dropped back down again on their side. Position 4 up to Kateri at middle. I shifted and everything felt like it was running in slow motion...\n \nThe crowd, everyone, everything went silent as I jumped. Across the netting I saw Kateri, her eyes locked on the ball. She was well aware I had jumped to block but her motion was for a spike, not a tip and so this point would be determined right now unless I had backing, which, in mid jump, gave me no indication. Kateri made contact with the ball and I had spread my mouse fingers wide enough to make enough contact to see the ball drop down into their court and on the floor, even though two of them had dove for it, my block came in too fast.\n \nI spun around to my team, dropped to my knees and raised my arms and screamed as loud as the gymnasium did. The entire crowd was on their feet yelling, clapping, whistling and cheering. Harbour View was defeated and all of them found a place on their court to lie down and either cry or painfully wait for our celebrations to be over. Erik Mitchell ran to me and hoisted me up and all the girls joined under me as they lifted me to the crowd. I waved excitedly and kissed at all the loved ones I saw. Even Kateri's parents who were there and clapping and smiling for me. After dropping down on the ground, Jasmine gave me a big hug, followed by Geneviève. Those hugs meant a lot as there was a time back in Ridgewood where I thought Jasmine would've become my next Kateri. Then it was Erik's turn to hug me.\n \n\"Sierra! We did it, we did it!\"\n \n\"WE DID IT!\"\n \nAnd he squeezed the living daylights out of me, and it felt so good. \"You hug like my dad did.\"\n \nHe ran his paws up and down my back and continued to hug me really hard. I had given him his final victory and crowned our time together as both student and coach. But not just me, my whole team!\n \nThe celebrations lasted the entire day and the entire evening after the medal ceremony and the awarding of the official victory banner. But the details of the celebration didn't feel more important than what I experienced next.\n \nHarbour View had no more reason to be there and I had heard that the parents and coach were taking their girls out to a restaurant and then to the waterslides to get their mind off the loss and to at least find some enjoyment from this trip. I remember after answering questions in an interview, I saw the gymnasium door open and the Harbour View bus was pulled up. The girls were getting on and the one that had just exited was Kateri.\n \nShe was reporting to her coach but before she could throw her bags underneath and mount the bus, I called her out. The rabbit looked at me for a long time before taking a few steps towards me.\n \nWhen I looked into her eyes, I did see pain from her defeat, but when she said she had changed, I now had reason to believe it. She was looking at me not out of jealousy, but out of mutual respect that we were leaders and captains and we made this day worth remembering for the rest of our lives.\n \n\"Congratulations.\" She said.\n \n\"Kateri...\" I looked down, feeling bad.\n \n\"Tut-tut. You deserved it. You...wanted it more I guess.\"\n \n\"I wouldn't have wanted to face another team than yours.\"\n \nKateri smiled and kicked at a pebble. She then put her hand paws into the pockets of her jacket. Our eyes met and both of our vision began to blur. I could see her eyes watering and so were mine. We had built up such an immense rivalry and now that we had settled it and even outgrown it, we were looking into the eyes of the person we both envied to become.\n \n\"Sierra...\"\n \n\"Kateri...\"\n \n\"Come back...\" Kateri began to sob.\n \n\"I maybe just might...\"\n \nAnd we kissed a long and passionate kiss that drew the attention of some members on the bus that was pointing down at us. When we broke off, we hugged and their coach came over to us.\n \n\"Congratulations Miss Aven,\" he said, \"Did you know I had coached your father in Volleyball? He was a great captain.\"\n \nThe news made my heart melt and I placed a hand over my heart as a tear rolled down my cheek. He wasn't Erik but with a comment like that, my respect for him quickly soared to new heights.\n \nHe then looked at Kateri. \"Are you coming to eat and ride the slides?\"\n \nKateri wiped her tears and smiled at me, taking my hands and squeezing them. \"You've always been an incredible person Sierra. You're my winner and I really love you. I'm sorry for making it difficult for you at times. I felt so threatened by someone...better. Like I had told you at Camp, remember? The times we were friends were the best days as a teenager. Which brings me to ask...\"\n \nI sobbed while Kateri opened up. This connection was very powerful and I nodded for her to continue. My handpaws squeezed over the bridge of my nose while I wiped my tears away.\n \n\"I don't have a roommate in my hotel room.\" She looked up at her coach. \"Would you like...to sleep over at the hotel tonight? I'll eat dinner with the team and wait for you to get there and then we can go sliding together...when the rest of the girls are in their rooms. This should give you plenty of time to celebrate with your team. I just...I just...really want to see you, you know?\"\n \nI smiled and nodded. \"It would be my most singular honour Kateri. I'll be more than happy; my team won't even notice I’m gone.\"\n \n\"Are you kidding, you're their captain! You were the star of the game!\"\n \n\"I still think you deserve MVP Kateri, your sets were at a level Jasmine could only dream of reaching.\"\n \n\"You go have fun; you have my number, text me. We can sleep in late tomorrow so it doesn't matter what time that is.\"\n \n\"There's only one thing though...\"\n \n\"What is it?\"\n \n\"Leslie flew in to watch the game and--\"\n \n\"Leslie's here!?\"\n \n\"Yeah, she's--\"\n \n\"She should come over too!\"\n \n\"You're okay with that!?\"\n \n\"Yeah! If you are! And if she is!\"\n \nI smiled and gave Kateri one more hug.\n \nThe coach nodded his approval. Kateri's parents accompanied her so she was in their charge, meaning as long as they approved, Kateri and I could do anything we wanted. He climbed aboard the bus and Kateri followed suit but stopped at the stairs to turn around to look at me.\n \n\"Oh Sierra, almost forgot. Bring your Twister game if you still have it!\"\n \nTHE END\n \n\n", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "My name is Sierra Aven and I'm currently sixteen years old.
 
I am sitting here at the side of the athletics track and field watching the junior boys run their laps around and around. Sometimes I could hear their huffing and puffing mixed with the coach’s encouraging words as he jogged at their side. My eyes were watching but my head was elsewhere. Perhaps it was thinking about what I would be doing during summer vacation starting next month. Or perhaps it was thinking about whether or not I'll be finding the time to finish my math homework tonight. But really, I think my mind simply kept returning me to a certain bunny that has had a surprisingly major impact on my life so far.
 
I straightened my skirt and slid my tail mindlessly to have it hug against the side of my thigh as I remembered her stepping down the bus fifteen minutes ago. My, has she grown. Tall, slender, beautiful. She was here at my Secondary School to compete against my volleyball team for the Provincial High School Grand Championships tomorrow, probably the most important game of my life. It must very well be hers too. Their team would stay at the nearest hotel but they had access to our facilities for practice.
 
I remembered the bunny girl stop and hold up the line behind her as she stepped off the bus, looking around knowing that this was my school. My turf. She was looking for something or someone, probably me since she doesn't know anyone else from here. It must have been a long road trip from Winnipeg, and I remember watching her and every single girl to whom I would have gone to school with. Had I not moved here four years ago, I too would've stepped off that bus.
 
Her name was Kateri, a bunny girl that has been the largest thorn stuck to my behind for as long as I remember and yet I feel I have to thank her for everything. She was my rival, you see? Sometimes cunning, conniving and manipulative...other times bashful, resentful, or jealous. But I suppose reflecting back only paints me in a similar picture.
 
Ever since we were ten years old, we've started to compete for the tiniest of things. Getting the teacher's attention, grades, sports and even auditions for the school play are just naming a few. At first I thought she was enjoying tormenting me but I later realized she simply had similar interests. Naturally, it would force us in a situation where competition was inevitable. Sometimes I would win, sometimes she would… but tomorrow our score would be settled once and for all.
 
For tomorrow, she was to become my rival again. For this Championship wasn't just about the trophy and a berth at the Nationals next year. It was about my leadership pinned against Kateri's. It was about who'd be crowned as the biggest achiever after six years of competition between both of us. And losing was not an option.
 
I got up and grabbed my gym bag and I felt a familiar touch against my shoulder. It was Erik's, the best coach I have ever had. He was recruited by Stonebridge High to coach the Varsity Girls Volleyball team since he had produced numbers with us at Ridgewood, before we all changed schools upon graduation from junior high. We were all extremely thrilled but since Stonebridge isn't Erik Mitchell's school, he was only allowed one year at the helm of one of their teams.
None of us smiled but we felt a certain comfort and power in each other's presence as both coach and captain convened before the big game. Standing in the rafters, watching a wall of grey mist overtake the field and us, we listened to the wind.
 
"You hear that, Sierra?" the gemsbok began, his eyes still looking over the field in front of us where the junior boys had stopped training.
 
"Hear what?" I asked in return, trying to look out to where his eyes pointed. In the distance we heard whistling and cheering. Probably the cheerleading team practicing somewhere nearby.
 
"The cheers and celebrating," Erik began and I smiled knowing where he would go with this, "what we will be hearing when Stonebridge High overtakes Harbour View Academy tomorrow.”
 
"Mister Mitchell!" I replied with surprise enthusiasm. I've always known him as humble and focused, always celebrating when it was appropriate and never giving up on a game no matter how badly we were losing. To hear him talk about tomorrow's desired results was a pleasantly surprising change.
 
"We worked so hard for this, Sierra."
 
It's true, we have.
 
"I wouldn't be able to bear seeing any of you in defeat after the work we put in."
 
I reflected on these words and the painful cramp of the thought of losing tomorrow's game filled my mind. I took a deep breath, breathing droplets of mist and feeling the moisture seep through my clothes and cling to my light grey fur.
 
"Well, all this work is victory in itself Mr. Mitchell. But you've always taught us to always aim two steps ahead in order to always be prepared for the challenges that present themselves."
 
Erik listened to me and smiled, eager to see where his young captain would take this one this time. "Go on."
 
"Well if we follow that philosophy, we're getting ready to represent Canada and Harbour View is just that final hurdle."
 
"But it's always the highest."
 
"But it's volleyball, you trained us to jump. So we'll jump it."
My coach smiled and turned towards me, he tilted his head, proud of the confident, strong and respected teenage girl I've become. "Now you're talking."
 
"And Mr. Mitchell?" He raised an eyebrow, signaling for me to go on. "Even if we do lose, it was a real honour playing for you."
 
This could very well be my last game under his wing and I think I saw my reflection in the water that clouded his eyes, or perhaps they were my own tears.
 
"The honour was all mine, Sierra. If this be your last game, then let us make it one for the records. One to remember."
 
This felt straight out of a storybook. Or a movie. But right now it was our reality. This exchange instilled within us an energy beyond measure, a duty of care for one another and a desire to win all that more fierce. And what better way to let go of this energy than by a warming, strong hug. He pulled me in and squeezed me tightly. His hands travelled down my back and along the length of my tail, as far as he could before coming back up and stroking downwards again. I squeezed my butt cheeks and pressed my growing B cups into his manly gemsbok chest.
 
"Harbour View..." He said, which made me open my eyes and pull away.
 
"Harbour View," I repeated, "What would've been my High School."
 
"This game is a lot more personal for you than anyone else; nobody will be able to take that away from you."
 
"Anyone else but one person."
 
Erik raised an eyebrow and signaled for me to follow him so we could get out from this grey mist. "I'll give you a ride home, c'mon. Continue though, who's this other person?"
 
I thought about the brown eyed patched white rabbit. Her green eyes, her beautiful coat of fur and her Bugs Bunny like tail I remember watching her preen while she was bored in class. "Kateri."
 
"And who's she?"
 
I looked towards Erik as he led me back under the mist but this time towards his car. "Well, it's a long story. But we're playing her tomorrow."
 
He nodded. "So she's one of those girls you know. An old school acquaintance? A friend perhaps?"
I thought about it before sitting down in my coach’s car, pulling up my footpaws inside and making sure my tail was nice and snug around me before closing the door. I waited for Erik to sit down beside me before answering. "Perhaps a mix of both? She's my rival."
 
The drive home wasn't long; maybe a few minutes and most of our conversation surrounded how Kateri and I became rivals. It was a rather long story with lots of unnecessary details I kept to myself. But when I stepped out of the car and wished him a good rest before tomorrow's championship final, I felt a few tears well up into my eyes. I escaped the mist after hearing Erik's motor disappear in the distance. I walked home and was greeted by my loving mother to which I gave a loving hug. She guessed my nervousness about tomorrow's big game and promised me she wouldn't bring it up over the dinner table tonight.
 
I climbed the stairs and entered my bedroom, now decorated with all of my teenage things and posters. Most of them were of my idols, but surprisingly all of them were older men and not the typical beautiful hot shot young celebrity. My taste was far more mature and I pride myself in that regard. I lay down on my bed and turned to my side and my eyes were met by a frame containing a single photo of myself, my best friend Leslie the fox, Morgan the lemur and Kateri back when we were twelve or thirteen years old at Camp Crescent Lake in Manitoba. Even though I had looked at that picture before bed every single night, this time it felt more powerful than ever as I took a closer look at Kateri and at how life has never wanted us to stop competing against one another. I held her in such high regards even though I wanted nothing more but to see silver around her neck and gold around mine.
 
I placed the photo against my heart, closed my eyes and travelled back in time, eight years ago when Kateri and I first made acquaintances...I remember that day perfectly...
 
FLASHBACK BEGINS
 
“Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Sierra! Happy Birthday to you!” The class sang as I straightened my back and opened up my large round ears. Today I was turning eight years old! My grade 2 class all clapped and cheered and just like me, they all eyed the delicious cake of blue and green. The frosting looked so delicious and I couldn’t help but slide a finger along the side to get the first taste.
 
“I’m so happy for you! Happy birthday to my best friend! Here’s a card!” My best friend Leslie said, shoving a handmade card in front of me and leaning over my desk to watch my reaction opening it. I did so and read a beautiful message of how she was happy we were best friends and that she wishes I had an amazing birthday.
 
“Thank you Leslie!” I smiled and gave her a hug and she proceeded to give me my gift while the teacher cut the cake. Everybody lined up to get a piece but of course I was the first to get one. As I ate my cake, I opened Leslie’s gift box and became ecstatic seeing a plush toy of Rainbow Dash to which I shoved against my chest and proceeded to hug the living daylights out of it. A lot of the students saw the toy and wanted their turn with the plushy and I kindly allowed others to play with it. The young fox blushed as I went to give her another accolade, this time with a little kiss on the side of the cheek.
 
“Alright Birthday Girl, you get to decide what game we play for the last fifteen minutes of school!” Said the Teacher, Misses Williams, an orangutan with the kindness to be all of our mothers. She hoisted me up to a seat and I got comfortable as I thought of which game we could play.
 
“Can we play Heads Up Seven Up Miss Williams?” I asked and all of my classmates clapped their hands excitedly in approval. “Of course we can!” Replied the teacher to everyone’s content.
 
As we played the game, Leslie and I had each other’s back and students would always come and pick me since it was a good way to get on my good side. At the end of the game, Misses Williams made a very special announcement.
 
“Class, it is with great pleasure that I announce to all of you that we will receive a new student tomorrow! It is expected from me, the school and the community that we welcome her with open arms. If she’s alone, you go and include her. If she asks a question you politely answer it. You’ll welcome her in our family and you will treat her the same way you’d want to be treated.” Misses Williams had dropped a bomb on us. It was indeed special and we were excited, but we had always been altogether with no additions or losses since kindergarten. The concept of seeing a new, unfamiliar face misbalanced us a little but I thought I’d take up the responsibility of showing her around. A new friend could very well make my parents even prouder since they wanted me to see others and not just Leslie all the time. Not my fault she and I were inseparable.
 
“Her name is Kateri Rees and she comes to us from Greendell School. She moved here because her parents wanted her to join a French school just like they had when they were kids.”
 
Kateri Rees, why was that name so familiar. I held on to that name until the bell rang. I carried it over to the playground as Leslie dragged her long bushy tail behind while asking questions about what I thought of a new classmate. I sat on the bus thinking about the name Kateri Rees, convinced I had heard it somewhere. But at the dinner table that night, my dad cleared my mind.
 
“Oh yeah, Kateri Rees, she’s the daughter to one of my clients.”
 
“That’s right!”
 
My dad swallowed a piece of broccoli with melted cheese on it. “Mh-Hmm, great fellow. I train with him at the gym every morning. A good squash player. I knew he was a good bloke the second he pulled out a picture of Kateri and showed it to me just after I had shown you to him. We both felt proud complementing our daughters.” My dad had a big wide smile as he ate and shared his story. “I heard she’s going to your school.”
 
I nodded my head and took a big gulp of Skim Milk. “Uh huh. She’s arriving tomorrow.”
 
“You’ll be good to her; she’s probably going to be nervous or scared.”
 
“Of course daddy, I’m going to show her around tomorrow.”
 
He reached over and ruffled my hair. “That’a girl. I’m glad you volunteered, that makes me proud.”
 
I smiled and finished drinking my milk before being excused. I went upstairs to play with my Rainbow Dash toy. I had already opened my presents from my parents and I had rated this birthday solely on the presents I had gotten, and it was one of the best birthdays yet!
 
I went to bed that night thinking of what I would do tomorrow in terms of showing Kateri around. I fell asleep with a plan to let her borrow my new plush toy in order to feel comfort while being in a new environment. I was so proud of my idea and I fell asleep not long after closing my little mousey eyes.
 
When morning came along, my daddy woke me up and a delicious breakfast awaited me on the dining table. I was eager to meet Kateri and I hurried to the school bus.
 
I sat next to my best friend Leslie while she proceeded to show me what she had brought for show and tell. I had brought something simple this time. An old rosary given to me by my great grandmother mouse who’s obtained it from an old monk of some distant monastery of some kind.
 
“Today you’re going to show Kateri around?” The young vixen asked as we stepped off the bus in the school’s bus loop.
 
“Yeah, Misses Shewry is supposed to present me to her before the bell rings.”
 
Misses Shewry was our Principal. A kind old Rhinoceros but with a look that could kill. We were always scared to go to her office even though she always stopped to say hello when we crossed her in the hall. There was Misses Shewry now, heading this way with a girl about my height in a skirt and leggings and a shirt and jumper.
 
“Sierra Aven, this is Kateri Rees, I was told you’ll be showing her around today.”
 
I smiled towards the Principal first while holding onto my plushy and then shook Kateri’s hand. She just gave a slight smile while shaking my hand.
 
“Hello Kateri, where would you like to go first? This is Rainbow Dash, do you want to hold her?”
 
Misses Shewry pat me on the head. “Thank you Sierra, now run along. Enjoy your tour, Miss Rees!”
 
“Thank you,” Kateri mentioned to the rhino as she walked away. The bunny looked back at me and eyed me up and down. “I got my own plushy.” She pulled out a plush version of Nala from Lion King and I gawked at how cute it was.
 
“Alright well, want to go see the gym? It’s pretty big?”
 
“Sure.”
 
I tried to get more out of her but she was pretty quiet. She hurried along while watching fish tanks, plants, student art work and trophies on the walls.
 
“This is the gym, look there’s a jungle gym! We play lots of sports and games. Mister Dennis is our teacher, he’s really nice.”
 
Kateri nodded but said nothing. She walked inside the gym and picked up a ball, observing it.
 
“That’s a basketball.” I said with a smile.
 
“I know what it is.” She snapped back.
 
I didn’t expect her to say it that way and it made me a little sad but I didn’t show it. She just threw the ball upwards towards the net and got it in on the first try.
 
“Wow, you really got a good shot. Half the grade can’t even get it up there.”
 
Kateri smiled and looked at her nails. “Yeah, I know. Can you?”
 
She passed me the ball and for the first time it felt like the ball was growing heavier and heavier the longer I held it. I looked up at the hoop and I swear I was watching it get smaller and smaller, higher and higher.
 
“Yeah. Yeah I can make that shot.”
 
“Then do it.”
 
I bit my lip and my heart started palpitating. “I think we should go see the Cafeteria, surely you’d like to see the whole school before the bell rings?”
 
Kateri looked around. “You showed me the gym, it’s pretty much all I care about in a school.” I felt a bit threatened by her and I felt the fur at the back of my front paws rise.
 
“Take the shot or be a loser like half the grade.”
 
My eyes widened and I swallowed my saliva. I looked up to the net, jumped up and threw the ball towards it. It was going up, up towards the hoop, arching in the air but coming straight back down with a thud as it bounced several times.
 
“An air ball!” Kateri exclaimed in laughter.
 
My eyes widened and I growled underneath my breath. I turned for the door and Kateri followed my limp tail behind me.
 
“I guess you’re not sporty.”
 
“I am” I snapped myself.
 
“Whoa chill out, didn’t mean to offend.”
 
She was still laughing.
 
I showed her the Cafeteria, the library and the music room before showing her to her locker and our classroom.
 
She was officially presented to the entire class and was placed at an empty desk that had been next to mine since September. I answered to her every need and made sure she had company over recess and at lunch hour. Kateri seemed to have made friends with some girls in grade 1. The younger girls followed her like she was a Goddess by the way she behaved and the cool stunts and tricks she was showing them in the school yard.
 
I sat on the side lines, watching Kateri rise in popularity on her first day. She had a full kit of skills. Magic tricks, soccer dribbling skills, basketball dribbling skills...she could bounce the ball between her legs; that’s crazy! She was spinning balls on her fingers while counting to ten. She even spoke in English, which amazed all the younger kids.
 
“What’s the matter?” Leslie asked me, draping an arm around my shoulders.
 
“It’s Kateri, she doesn’t even need me yet I’m assigned to her for the whole day.”
 
I looked over towards her. Now she was showing some acrobatics on the monkey bars. My goodness she was good.
 
She did a flip and looked my way, which I proceeded to give her a wave and a smile. Leslie and I watched her raise an eyebrow our way and ignore the wave.
 
“That rotten bag of poop!” Leslie exclaimed, pulling me up.
 
“I can’t come and play, Leslie, Misses Shewry gave me specific instructions.”
 
“Aaaw…” Leslie walked away and joined the other girls as I squatted back down and lazily poked at pebbles with sticks.
 
I saw a shadow form in front of me and the set of bunny ears on the top of the dark silhouette could only belong to one particular bunny. A lot of first graders followed her.
 
“Sasha here said you’ve got one of the best soccer shots in the grade. Is that true?” Kateri asked.
 
I looked up towards her and then humbly answered, “I’m not bad…” I was really hoping she wouldn’t challenge me again.
 
“Curious, cause if you kick the same way your throw, I’d bet being the best here would be the easiest thing to do.”
 
I swallowed my saliva and got up while dusting my clothes and massaging my tail to get feeling back into it.
 
“You want me to show you?” I asked Kateri, tired of her arrogance.
 
Kateri placed a soccer ball in front of me. “See that small purple cloth stuck in the fence over there?” I looked out and saw a tiny square cloth dangling off from the side of the fence. It was about three feet high off the ground and seven to eight meters away.
 
“We both alternate kicking, first one to hit it square on wins.”
 
Sounded fair enough, I agreed to the game. A lot of people were watching and cheering. Even Leslie, my best soccer mate came over to watch.
 
I brought my stuffed toy Rainbow Dash as a good luck charm and before kicking, I went over to hug it. Kateri lined up her shot and missed, only about a foot or two away. It was my turn now and my kick showed to Kateri that I had proper technique and I was deserving of my title as having one of the best shots. I smiled, knowing exactly what I had to do to hit the mark next time when I heard the fence rattle and turned to see Kateri with her arms raised in celebration. She had hit the mark and I had not seen it. But everyone else cheered so I guess she didn’t cheat. “You got one last shot, if you don’t hit it, the new girl takes over.”
 
I really didn’t like the sound of that, but I was confident in my shot. The bell was about to ring but I maintained my concentration and grade 1 to 3 watched as I lined up my shot. I waved my tail behind me and stiffened it as I ran forward and kicked the ball square in the middle. It rose off the ground and travelled with decent speed towards the fence, crashing into it half a foot off the mark. I raised my hands to my face and bent over forward. “Oh God…”
 
The younger kids cheered for Kateri as she celebrated her victory. No mutual respect was shown from either side and I was quick to walk away from the throng of people. But I remember for the rest of the day hearing my classmates talk about Kateri’s victory and how everyone will be picking her for games and sports teams.
 
I came home that night with what my parents considered a surprisingly negative attitude and a taciturn approach to the topic of Kateri Rees, Greendell School’s newest student.
 
End of Flashback
 
Some time had passed and I was now finding myself at the dinner table eating with my mom. She had just bought new earrings and showed them off as I slurped on spaghetti coated in olive oil, parmesan cheese, parsley and roasted tomatoes. I tried to show some interest but my focus was on getting the food down.
 
“They’re nice mom.” I assured her as she prepared for her date with a colleague from work. “Are you going to wear them tonight and tomorrow?”
 
She smiled at me and reached out to rub away some sauce that collected on the fur of my muzzle. “If everything goes well tonight, I’ll wear them tomorrow for your big game. It could act as a good luck charm.”
 
My mother was really superstitious; it didn’t surprise me to hear that from her. “Oh this reminds me,” she continued, “Leslie called and she wanted to wish you best of luck for your game tomorrow and something along the lines of giving a swift kick to Kateri’s little derrière.”
 
I laughed a bit and it felt good. That would be something for Leslie to say. She’s always told me that she wished to be in my place so that she could be there watching Kateri lose. But if I’m to be superstitious too, I’m feeling a bit jinxed by all of this “let’s cream the competition talk.” Truth is, I’m petrified, this game means everything to me, and Kateri’s team deserved to be in the grand finals for the same reasons we do. Hard work. Determination. Skills.
 
When I step up to the plate as the captain of my team, I focus on three important elements. I encourage my teammates, I work hard to bring out the best out of them, and I give up on the glory to instead make a play to give someone else the glory.
 
When I think of Kateri’s style of leading, I worry that I might lose the head to head. She’s a very disciplined player full of great strategies that she shares with her teammates. Kateri also has great hopping feet thanks to her heritage as a rabbit girl. She’s very strong at the net and still capable of shining even if an entire team devotes their effort in shutting her down.
 
“I’m going to go now. You have my number in case you need anything and try to have a relaxing night tonight. Have a bath, watch a movie... take care of yourself.”
 
I nodded and gave her a hug and a kiss goodbye and watched as the tip of her hairless tail slid passed the door. I took a deep breath and looked up to the picture of me and my father, about six years ago. I was sitting on his lap on my grandfather’s tractor.
 
“Give me strength dad.” I said, my eyes tearing up as I reached out with my hand as if holding on to his before collapsing into tears.
 
My wish was granted and I recovered rather quickly. I still couldn’t believe life had to be so cruel. So merciless. I miss him. Oh God, I miss him. I took my dishes to the counter and as I walked back into the dining room, I glanced over the photo again. Just beneath it, there was another one. This one had my dad holding me up in the air in celebration after I had won a karate competition at a provincial event for Under 13’s.
 
It dawned on me that if there was one person in my life that knew about my rivalry with Kateri, it was him. We always talked about it because he followed every sport I played and he was the lawyer to Kateri’s parents.
 
With the sound of the howling wind outside, I looked down on to the floor recalling some past events.
 
FLASHBACK BEGINS
 
“I hate Kateri! I hate her so much!” I screamed as I burst into the house my hands ripping at a paper that contained a nasty secret about me.
 
“What’s the matter sweety?” My dad said, drinking a cup of tea from the dining table. He worked at home today because his office was undergoing renovations. He was still all smiles; he knew a ten year old girl’s problems weren’t big enough to sour his mood.
 
“She spread a rumour saying I stink, that I don’t wear deodorant and that I don’t shower every day! Now the whole school thinks that I’m not a mouse but a rat and that I belong in the sewers!”
My dad ran a hand through my hair, felt a few knots but not many. “Looks mighty fine and clean to me. Let me get a closer look.” And he observed me, seeing no imperfections while I still thought having many. “Still as beautiful as a princess.”
 
I didn’t believe it. “Dad, can I take two showers a day? One in the morning, one at night?” It was almost a begging tone I was using.
 
“And waste water? That’s not ethical.”
 
He used a big word there and I had no idea what it meant.
 
“But dad…”
 
“No buts Sierra, one shower a day is plenty enough. You know, I work with Kateri’s parents, and they have similar rules as we do. And they are good at enforcing them. What Kateri says about you is true about her too.” He sat back down in front of his papers and took a sip from his cup.
 
I stood there dumbfounded. If that was true, I would be able to defend myself, but I didn’t really know how. I wanted to fit in so badly and be respected by everyone, but it was so difficult since Kateri was part of the popular crowd.
 
“Really?”
 
“Yes but I won’t have my daughter retaliating unless she wants trouble.”
 
“You think I will, you don’t trust me?”
 
“My daughter wouldn’t do that, of course I trust her.”
 
There went my dad again. Firm.
 
“Come here so that I can give you a squeeze.”
 
But loveable…
 
He picked me up on his lap and gave me one of his mighty hugs.
 
“You need not worry about what Kateri or her friends says about you Sierra. You know what is true and what isn’t. Your close friends know the same. It is never worth sinking down to someone else’s level and you have all the power in the world to rise above them.”
 
I nodded at his words of wisdom. “Thanks dad.”
 
He smiled and ruffled my hair and then jokingly added, “And if you need further convincing, simply remind her of who scored the winning goal in last month’s soccer finals when you played against her.”
 
He obviously didn’t want me to say that to Kateri since that would be a form of retaliation, but it did make me feel better about myself.
 
What I had failed to tell him was that she was my Sex Ed partner and we had to do a project together. I hated Sex Ed, I always seemed to be chosen by the teachers for demonstrations or for sharing personal stories.
 
“What have you planned tonight?” My dad asked.
 
“I have a project to do; I need to go over to my partner’s house.”
 
He didn’t have a problem with that since school came first for him. “Who’s place?”
 
“This girl in my class…”
 
“What’s her name?”
 
“Kateri…”
 
My dad looked at me and then started chuckling.
 
“It’s not funny! I hate her! Misses Lyndal randomly picked the groups and I’m stuck with her!”
 
He nodded, probably happy of the whole situation. “You two will need to make a choice. Either work together as a team with differences aside or fail your project and not rise to the occasion of making a new friend. I think by the sound of that, the former is a much better option, don’t you think?”
 
I sighed, nodding. He continued. “Great, I’ll be talking to her parents to make sure they’re aware of the situation. I expect you to be on your best behaviour but you’ve always been so I’m not worried. Try to become friends, please?” He looked at me and I nodded in silence after a few seconds.
 
“Good, now I need to pick up your mother from her meeting, I’m taking her out for dinner tonight. You want me to drop you off at Kateri’s?”
 
I shook my head. “No it’s okay; I’m not in a hurry getting there.”
 
He looked at me as he grabbed his coat. He didn’t argue even though he felt like doing it. He gave me another hug and a kiss goodbye before I took my workbooks, a snack and a soda pop...make that two, before heading out.
 
I dreaded the idea of spending my night with Kateri and I had a big feeling that she thought the same. That’s why I took my sweet time getting there. I literally stopped to smell at roses or to take the scenic route towards Kateri’s house.
 
But I couldn’t do that forever and at the time she was expecting me, I knocked on the door. She wouldn’t greet me, why would she? She hates me. But her kind, loving parents opened up for me and her mother, a beautiful Alaskan arctic rabbit, hugged me. Her husband, Kateri’s dad, stood a few paces away, standing tall and thin. He was a hare, very athletic, toned and handsome. “Come on in!” He said in a jovial fashion.
 
“Oh Sierra, Kateri said you were coming. She’s in her room.”
 
“I’ll call her down.” The father said.
 
“Hello Mister and Misses Rees.” I said, curtseying and walking inside.
 
“Oh always so polite, we’re happy to see you. My husband and I are both happy you’re Kateri’s partner. Between you and me, it might help her grades.” She giggled and I did the same albeit nervously.
 
“Here’s a nice tall glass of orange juice, make yourself at home. If there’s anything we can do to make your time here better, please don’t hesitate to ask. Even Kateri, she’s been told to be on her best behaviour.”
 
Mister Rees called Kateri down and then turned to smile at me. “How’s your jolly ol’ dad?”
 
“Very good, he said he’d call to say hi and how I’m doing.”
 
“Ah, looking forward to it. We have a lot of respect for him. He’s done a lot for us.”
 
“He speaks as kindly about you.”
 
My words seems to warm their hearts and both parents smiled and tended to my every small needs as I waited for Kateri to come down and greet me.
 
Eventually she did so. She was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. I heard her loud hip hop music blaring from her room upstairs because she left her door open. She looked at me awkwardly and I did the same back.
 
“Hey.”
 
“Hey.”
 
She took a deep breath and signaled me over. Turning around, she made back for the stairs after taking a baked cookie and a glass of orange juice her mom made for her. I got a refill and a cookie of my own before following her up the stairs. I promptly thanked her parents and as I walked upstairs looking up at my rival’s perky little bottom and bushy white tail, I pondered the possibility of her being adopted.
 
“This is my room, kinda messy but comfortable.” I passed the Master Bedroom, a bathroom and as I entered her room, I noticed the black and pink painted walls with the same colours in a checkered pattern on the blanket of her bed. She had lava lamps, lanterns, and a surprising mix of celebrity posters, and scientific posters displaying areas of physics. Some on magnetism, prisms and movement. She had science kits and an incredible collection of marbles. Even a kaleidoscope that looked exactly like mine. Wait. Because it was mine!
 
“I see you found my kaleidoscope!” I said, picking it up from the corner.
 
“I meant to give it back; you forgot to take it home after science class last week.”
 
I nodded and thanked her. Though deep down I’m sure she would’ve kept it forever if she could. My eyes wandered around the room some more and I whistled at all the different stimuli. There was no theme to her room, but I think the chaos of it all was what made it so much cooler. “Wow,” I said checking out some fiber optic lights. “You got it all.”
 
She nodded and sat down at her bed. “So... Sex Ed, huh?”
 
"Sex Ed," I repeated with a sigh, sitting down and sharing in the awkwardness that was this moment, "Says here we have to list all of the body parts and write two things about what they do."
 
"All the parts!? What the hell." My big round ears perked up when she said "Hell". I wasn't allowed to use language like that back at home. I swallowed my saliva, assuming I had made her angry.
 
"Well, not all the parts. Basically the outside stuff. Eyes, nose, ears, mouth...arms...shoulders...chest...hips...legs..."
 
"I get it. How is this Sex Ed?"
 
"Well we have to do that for all the body parts...of the reproductive system."
 
"Oh you mean the pleasure system?"
 
"The what?"
 
"You know, the pleasure system... Down there?"
 
Kateri looked at me and I saw her eyes go from narrow to large and round. It was at that time where I knew she was going to laugh at me.
 
And laugh she did... "You mean to tell me you NEVER heard of the pleasure system? What are you, in first grade!?"
 
I bit my lip, taking her insult because probably I was when it came to this. "What's...the pleasure system?"
 
"It's the system that we girls have that makes us better than them." She proceeded to unbutton her jeans and pull them down a little. I saw that she was wearing red and white Christmas panties with two intercrossing candy canes. It had the shape of our Canadian flag and I found them quite cute. But I was snapped back to attention when she started explaining to me something I'd only talk about to my mom, my older girl cousins or my teacher. Not this snot brain classmate.
 
"Our privates? That's the reproductive system."
 
"And our pleasure system!" She shook her head and I blushed. "My goodness, I'm embarrassed just being in the same room as you." Before I had the chance to argue or show my displeasure, she continued talking while moving towards me. "I guess I don't have a choice but to show you."
 
"Show me what?" I asked sternly.
 
"What it's like being a girl. You ignorant rat."
 
"Mouse. I'm a mouse."
 
"Whatever."
 
"How would you like it if I'd call you a weetle foozy boony?"
 
"I'd like the fact that it would give me a reason to kick your ass."
 
And I shut up, I didn't want to anger Kateri because she would not let herself be pushed around on a field or on the court. She was aggressive and strong and...I was scared of her while admiring it at the same time.
 
"Take off your pants, I promise I won't hurt you. In fact, I'll do the opposite of that. Trust me, you'll love it. You'll beg for me to continue."
 
I just sat there while she prepared a phallic shaped device. "Is that supposed to be a banana?"
 
She snorted and laughed and I could see through the reflection of the mirror she was facing that it was out of mockery. It made me feel bad.
 
"It's a dildo. My older cousin gave it to me, but you can't tell my mom okay? She doesn't know I have it and apparently only eighteen year olds and up are allowed to have one. Something like that at least."
 
My eyes widened, I didn't know what to do or what to say. I was in the presence of something I thought was illegal and I felt wrong and weird on the inside.
 
"I don't want to do it then."
 
"Oh relax, as long as nobody knows, than ignorance is bliss. You'll love this."
 
"Loving something doesn't make it good."
 
She rolled her eyes and zipped down my skirt before pulling it down my leg. "Are you sure about this?"
 
She nodded and proceeded to do the same with my panties. Pulling them down, carrying my tail through the hole along with it. When she looked down at my naked girlhood, I saw a certain sparkle in her eyes. But then it turned into a nasty look of jealousy. Frankly I had no idea what she was jealous about but her mouth dropped and her eyes widened in amazement. "Oh my God..." And she looked up at me.
 
"What--What is it?"
 
"You have one of the prettiest pussies I have ever seen and you mean to tell me you never took advantage of it? Never explored it?"
 
"Well..."
 
Before I could contest with no valid arguments, she took the device she called a dildo and turned it on and it began to vibrate like crazy with a buzzing sound. I showed a bit of fright but Kateri told me to relax.
 
"Now this is sex ed..." She said, lowering me down on my back and spreading my legs a little. She now saw my little pink star shaped anus appear from within my tight butt crack. Again Kateri looked taken aback. "SIERRA!" She said loudly. "You could've been the coolest girl I know. You have such a beautifully shaped pussy and a desirable ass...I mean...what the hell!"
 
I ignored that but felt embarrassed that I didn't know I had something she thought was so perfect. I never had anything Kateri wanted that she couldn't get.
 
"Alright, Sierra. All I want you to do is to relax. Enjoy yourself. You're gonna be a big girl now." I swallowed my saliva and felt warm and tingly inside. Probably because I saw the tip of the dildo approaching my vagina and I had no idea what to anticipate. It got closer and closer and I felt the tip vibrate over my clitoris which had appeared out of my folds. I felt a wetness collect inside of me, lubricating my folds and deeper into my vagina. I gasped, making Kateri giggled as she pulled away. I was about to take a deep breath but instead they were short quick ones because the rabbit ran the length of the rapidly pulsating dildo down my pussy crack and back up in order to let it camp over my button. I arched my back and moved my hips but Kateri held on to me in order to keep the dildo between my lips.
 
"Look how you...envelop it. You're liking it, aren't you?"
 
I curled my toes, breathing like I was in labor. My claws dug into the carpet where I was now laying. Without realizing, my hips were doing small humping motions and I was pushing against the dildo, as if wanting to feel it deeper inside me.
 
"You want more. I can feel it."
 
Kateri proceeded to turn me over and propped me up on all fours. I enjoyed her touch and the way she moved me around. She was the alpha girl in the classroom and I felt like this was making me become her friend. I was never expecting to do something so intimate with her, especially not this morning. But what an incredible spin to our relationship this was. Maybe Kateri always wanted to be my friend, she just needed to become jealous of my girlhood to become it. Nah, that can't be the reason...
 
She held on to my tail and shivers ran down my spine. I loved it. She exposed my little tail hole. I loved it. She then massaged my clitoris with the dildo in this new position. I adored it. Finally she pushed it slowly into me, my folds separating and my inner walls wrapping over the vibrations. It felt like my entire body was vibrating from the inside and it felt wonderful. I felt the vibrations into my intestines, deep inside my butt and all the way to my sphincters.
 
"Your butt! Haha, it's winking at me. It looks like it's breathing!" I swallowed my saliva and concentrated on these new feelings. I couldn't even conjure words to reply to such a funny visual.
 
She began to pump the dildo in and out. "You ripped your hymen?" She asked and I nodded.
 
"Sports?"
 
I nodded again.  But that was a lie.  I was curious one day and popped my cherry with a hairbrush, but I didn’t want to tell her that.  

My eyes widened as I felt a slippery finger snake into my butt. She had forced it passed my sphincters and curled it into my butt hole, my tail now free to wave around. It did so like it had a mind of its own. The double penetration joined every parts of my body into a loop of pleasure. I felt it all over and I didn't know what happened but it felt like I was peeing in a new and strange way. Instead of a stream like I am used to, it came out in violent gushes of squirts. Kateri was laughing, enjoying the sight of my spraying juices while seeing my whole body wrack in pleasure, my face contorting in my first orgasm face of my life.
 
I collapsed and panted and she pulled out from both holes with a loud plop and a few squishy sounds. My mind was somewhere else, I was disoriented. "Sierra?" Kateri laughed. "Sierra, that was amazing!" She tapped my buttocks and feeling sensitive everywhere around my body, I retracted into a small little ball. I felt weird, as if I did a bad thing.
 
"What happened?"
 
"Welcome to being a girl, little mousie. Now that's what I'm talking about. You even squirted! I didn't squirt my first time."
 
I looked at the mess I made. "I'm sorry."
 
"Don't be! It was so hot!"
 
"I hear you say that word a lot when you look at girls and guys. What does it mean?"
 
Kateri shook her head and I lowered mine. "Oh God Sierra...it means they're good to look at. Sexy. Beautiful in the...um...well in this way." She pointed at my juices and got up and left. I didn't ask where she was going but fortunately for me she came back a few seconds later with a towel which I proceeded to clean myself up and soak up what she called my cum.
 
"Now I think we can become friends."
 
My ears got all big and round again as I looked up at her after pulling up my skirt. "We can?"
 
"Sure!" She looked at me up and down. "I mean now that you were initiated and that you're the second best athlete in the class and since you got the leading role in drama class...you deserve to be a part of the group. You can hang with us now."
 
"You mean at recess?" I asked excitedly.
 
"Sure! And on the weekends!"
 
My eyes glistened and I smiled happily, but then I remembered someone and my smile disappeared. "I can't."
 
"What?"
 
"I can't, I'm friends with Leslie, she'll be all alone."
 
Kateri rolled her eyes; she didn't care for Leslie much. But what she said next comforted me. It showed that she really wanted me as her friend.
 
"Tell you what, she can come too. But not all the time."
 
"Oh Kateri, thank you!"
 
"Yeah, yeah. Now--"
 
"I can't wait to tell her the news. Are we going to initiate her too?"
 
"Perhaps give her the envy...I heard Twister is a good game for that."
 
"I love Twister!"
 
Kateri laughed and gave me a friendly pat. "Alright so, you write down the Sex Ed project and I'll invite both you and Leslie for a sleepover. We'll watch a movie, have pizza, drinks, stay up late and play Twister...how does that sound?"
 
FLASHBACK ENDS
 
Morning came around and I had little sleep. Luckily for me, I was allowed to sleep-in so most of my rest came at dawn. I had eaten a healthy bowl of yoghurt, granola and fresh field berries before putting on my spring jacket and meeting my mom in the driveway. She was dressed in the colours of my school. Marine blue and red, just like our uniforms. I gave her a smile and tried to remain focused. I had given her clear instructions to not hype me too much before the game as it may make me crash later. I simply turned on the radio and sipped water from my water bottle as the car drove out of the driveway and onto the suburban streets towards Stonebridge High for the volleyball grand finals.
 
It took me a while to notice that my mom had taken a different route than our usual. I looked up at her confused, and at first I expected it was because she needed to put gas in the car or something, but when she turned into a hotel plaza, my eyes widened in surprise and excitement.
 
"Your mother still got it." She said as she halted the car in front of the most beautiful vixen in the world, my best friend Leslie.
 
I ran out of the car and into her arms which she returned the gesture without hesitation.
 
"SIERRA!"
 
"LESLIE!"
 
We held our hug for a while, the last time I had seen her was a full year ago and I had miss her dearly. We used to do everything together before my move to Ridgewood from Winnipeg. We nuzzled for half a minute before my mom came out of the car herself and put a hand on my shoulders.
 
"We still don't want to be late, sweetie."
 
"Of course not, it's your big game!" Leslie added.
 
I pulled away and looked at her excitedly. "Is that why you're here?" Leslie looked up to my mom and nodded.
 
"Your mom's the best Sierra. She flew me here so that I could come see you."
 
I turned and jumped into my mom's arms. She hugged and our tails met, curling in love over one another. I gave her a big kiss and pulled back. "Wow mom! Thank you! That's such a nice thing. When did you land?"
 
"Last night, I thought this would be a nice surprise before the game. And look..." She unzipped her coat and showed me a Stonebridge High uniform. Probably one of mine my mom gave her to wear.
 
"I don't care if I win or lose today...this made my day."
 
"You'll win. You have too."
 
"Did you know it's against Kateri's team?"
 
"It's why you have too. She wrote all over Facebook and stuff, you know...she's really serious about this game. She's got a lot of fans back home."
 
I nodded; truth was I took the game as seriously as she did, if not more. "This game is everything I've ever wanted. The highest level of competition. This is for all Canada at our age level!"
 
"I know that's crazy! You worked really hard and here you are. You think you'll try out for the national team when you turn eighteen?"
 
I smirked, getting in the car, sitting in the back seat to be beside Leslie. "No, I think this year's my last."
 
"What!? Sierra without volleyball? That's like a chicken with no head. How are you going to survive!?"
 
I smirked and rubbed at her thigh playfully. "Who knows...time will tell I guess."
 
"You really think this will be your last game?" My mom chimed in. "Because I don't think so."
 
"What do you mean, mom?"
 
"I've spoken with your coach."
 
I blushed, my mom had always been fond of Erik Mitchell and that made me nervous knowing that what had once happened between us. "And?"
 
"And he said that it'll be your last game under his mentorship, but I won't believe for a second that you're gonna quit volleyball."
 
"But there's a ton of other sports I'd want to do..."
 
"I know Sierra, but you're so good at volleyball, you could go far, if you want my money to pay for a sport, that will be it."
 
"You mean that?"
 
Typically parents are meant to be supportive no matter what interest their child has, but here was my mom hell bent on me playing volleyball.
 
"You'd have to find a job if you'd want to pay for your other sports."
 
I groaned. "Blah."
 
"Working ain't all that bad." Leslie said laughing.
 
"You got a job?"
 
"Yeah, restaurant hostess, but I get to wear a cool uniform, look pretty and greet people. Plus the money's really nice."
 
Wow, my best friend already has a job and I was just doing sports camps instead. My mom was right, every summer she spent thousands of dollars for my sports and here I was ready to quit on a sport she paid heaps for.
 
"Sorry mom, I didn't think about what you've done for me. I'll continue volleyball."
 
She smiled in the rearview mirror and I returned it. Reaching back she squeezed my thigh and returned her hand on the wheel.
 
"I'm so happy you're here Leslie."
 
"It's as if you never left..."
 
"And the fact we're going to play against Kateri."
 
"I know, oh my God, that's so cool. Coincidence?"
 
"I think not...Let this be the pinnacle point of our rivalry."
 
The car pulled up into Stonebridge High and I had to say my goodbyes to Leslie and my mom before heading out to join the rest of my team. Many were gathered. We were expecting a crowd of about five hundred. A lot of them would be the school members. Harbour View had a lot of fans that followed them from Winnipeg too. They were all eager to watch their favourite team play the mysterious Stonebridge High. The same way our fans viewed Harbour View Academy. I looked up at the rafters and saw many fans settling in. My eyes met with Leslie and my mom and they gave me a wave.
 
I joined my team for the warm up. We passed the ball, stretched and worked on some spikes, transitions and serves. At times we would come face to face with a girl from Harbour View that was hitting and warming up on the other side of the court. They all looked tall, athletic and eager to win. They passed with precision, their game was like a flowing river. My heart began to pound at my chest and my throat started to feel dry. "Oh my God, they're good..."
 
I stood there dazed but got woken up by a ball spiked against the side of my head. It gave me a small whip lash and I fell on all fours. The crowd was still getting organized and getting food from the concessions to have really noticed, but I heard some chuckling in the rafters above.
 
"Oh shit, Sierra! Are you okay!?" I heard Jasmine yell out, my co-captain. She rarely had reason to be concerned for me, but I suppose grand final day would be a suitable exception.
 
She hastened my way alongside her friend Genevieve but I got up and waved my hand at them before they reached me. "I'm fine."
 
They both looked at me and at each other. "Alright, we're with you." Genevieve said and I gave her a thumbs up. "And I with you."
 
We spent twenty minutes warming up. By now the crowd had fully gathered and it was the first time I played in front of so many people. Most of them wore our colours. Stonebridge High was chosen to be the grand final's host at the start of the season. We were lucky enough to be a contender for the championships in that same year.
 
Erik Mitchell called us in and we dropped whatever we were doing and ran in to make a tight circle of bodies. Anybody watching our huddle would simply see interlocking arms, beautiful backs and long tails hanging behind us, all intertwined like one loving family.
 
"This is it girls, there is nothing else I can show you or teach you. Everything you've learned came from your desire to play the sport of volleyball. All of the choices you've made collectively brought us here today. The start of the season can't be as remarkable as the way we will end it today. You all know how to play, how to win. And today, let us make these people sing songs of Stonebridge High!"
 
"YEAH!"
"LET'S GO GIRLS!"
"WE GOT THIS!"
"WOOO!"
 
We all placed our hands in the middle and yelled out our cheer as loud as we could. An uproar of applause and cheers followed it. An equal amount of praise was given out of authenticity or good fan sportsmanship towards Harbour View.
 
The lights dimmed and a large alligator walked near center court and hushed the crowd. A music came on and players lined up and when everybody were ready, the announcement to rise for our national anthem was declared and it didn't matter who you were, we all sang with vigour and spice.
 
Both teams went to their respective corners but the alligator called for captains. He took off his jumper and saw that he was wearing the zebra colours. He was to be our main official for today's Championship. At his side was his assistant referee, a Siamese cat and two linesmen. One duck and a crane, the latter had beautiful slender legs and played with her flag while the alligator waited for both captains to arrive.
 
The whole gymnasium went silent as the two captains approached one another to meet at center court. With every step, I could feel the crowd’s eyes locked on me until I reached the alligator. In front of me, arriving a few paces later was Kateri. She placed her hands over the back of her spankies, with her fluffy rabbit's tail poking out between them. Kateri looked at me intensely and I returned the look. The alligator proceeded to explain the rules and the setup of tonight's match. We listened, but our eyes were locked on one another, as if trying to intimidate each other.
 
"Harbour View, call it."
 
"Tails." Still we looked at one another with such fierce intensity.
 
"It's Tails. You will take serve or side?"
 
"We'll take serve."
 
The alligator looked between both of us as he talked, used to this kind of behaviour from captains.
 
"Stonebridge, your side?"
 
"This one."
 
"I suppose it's futile to ask the two of you to shake hands?"
 
Both Kateri and I were called to show where our leadership had taken us and with the entire crowd watching, I raised my hand and delivered it to her. She just smiled cheekily, turned around and walked back to her team. I didn't spend more time, I did the same after the entire crowd acknowledged with boo's and roots the decision of Kateri to simply make this game all the more interesting.
 
"That bitch, she didn't even shake hands!" One of my teammate said when I joined her. All of them were lined up as they too watched the coin toss.
 
"I wasn't expecting her to. She's just trying to get into my mind."
 
"You won't let her though, right?" Jasmine asked.
 
I looked back at Kateri, she had joined her team and they were all huddling again. Kateri looked back at me as if we knew what each other were thinking and then she smiled, throwing me a wink to go along with it.
 
"Never..."
 
FLASHBACK BEGINS
 
Leslie had the baton and was gaining, but still remained a good second or two behind. That meant I had to make up but it was quite unlikely. Kateri was beside me in her lane and the winner was to represent the school at the Under 13 provincial championships. Her big white tail covered what looked like her entire behind and she taunted me by stroking it upwards and turning her backside to me. "Get used to the view," she started, "cause you'll be staring here for the entire race."
 
And by race she meant the 4x100 relay sprint. Her legs started to lightly jog and I saw Isabelle a fast lemur, finish her sprint and passing off the baton. At that moment I began to lightly jog before bursting in a sprint when Leslie handed me hers. I heard cheering as the boys and girls of the school's sixth grade track and field team encouraged us. Kateri was ahead but I was slowly gaining. Everything felt like a blur. My hair bounced and trailed behind me like my tail. My eyes felt the wind and they became dry as I gritted my teeth and ran my fastest time yet. Everything just flowed and soon that little rabbit's butt left my sight as I joined her side.
 
She was extremely focused but I knew she was surprised and scared to see that I had caught up, and I wasn't stopping. There were still fifteen or so paces to go and if I could continue with this same pace, I would certainly win.
 
But no! My legs! They started cramping as lactic acid burned my lower body. I did everything I could to maintain my speed, my back spazzed and I felt something pull but I wasn't stopping. Why was this happening now!? I had trained for this, I had stretched for this, was I really running so abnormally fast that my body just couldn't maintain itself? I felt my legs giving up and in the last few strides, it was Kateri whose body remained composed, not mine. She crossed the finish line by a foot or two and while she was celebrating, I came crashing down on all fours, wincing at my pain.
 
"Don't go blaming it on an injury, I won fair and square." Kateri said with audacity.
 
"You did..." I replied. "And it's not an injury, I just wasn't fast enough..."
 
"Then get off the ground..." Kateri said panting before her team joined up to her and ran into her arms. "WE DID IT!"
 
And I did so. I rubbed my knees and massaged my thighs. "I was just tired from the race..."
 
Kateri heard me but didn't reply; she was too busy soaking in the credit of winning that last run, even though it was the strong start of runner one, two and three that deserves the credit. It was such a close comeback.
 
"Good job Sierra, you allowed Kateri to slip another victory passed our noses." My starting runner said. She's a hyena and used to be on Kateri's team but she was benched and we picked her up. Apparently she wanted to be their starting runner but the rest of Kateri's team did not. We then welcomed her in our team but since we did she's been nothing but annoying. She always complained and tried to coach us even though she knew just as nothing on the sport like we did.
 
"Oh shut up, she came really close. We all did." Leslie fired back.
 
"Yeah, what happened at the end? You slowed down right when you were about to win." Our second was another rabbit and her name was Gracie. She's a fast runner and a great artist. Though she was very small and had to run against Kateri's second, a gazelle.
 
"I know I let you down girls...I cramped up, I did everything I could."
 
"Well, since you're moving, I guess I'll run last from now on. It's not first but at least I'll make sure to secure victories."
 
"Okay you know what Agnes? No one likes you so just shut up and go away." Leslie was angry and didn't mind saying mean things when she was.
 
"Stop standing up for her, it's annoying. Let her fight her own battles. Besides why do you even stay with her? She's always second to Kateri and Kateri likes you, you could be on her team for like everything...and at least you'd win.
 
"Sierra's my friend. Kateri isn't." Leslie said firmly.
 
"But at least you'd win."
 
"It's not just about winning!" Leslie showed teeth and Gracie ran away. She was in fifth grade and was pretty sensitive to arguments.
 
Agnes shook her head, this was the meanest I had ever seen her. Agnes returned the threat and stood tall. My heart was warmed by what Leslie was saying, but I too was worried that it would get out of line. In the distance I saw Gracie approaching our gym teacher.
 
Kateri and her team were cheering and hugging as ribbons were pinned on their uniforms. They would be receiving medals later in the day, as would we but silver was hardly anything special when you know the one who beat you is the girl you've been competing against all your life. It's quite a funny story between me and Kateri. There was a time we were inseparable friends until I had stolen her crown in badminton. She started off mean, we became best friends then I realized it was a fake friendship so I kicked her ass in badminton...she hated me ever since and was probably glad to learn I was moving.
 
"Why don't you go and stick your hyena nose up Kateri's ass." Leslie said, making a fist.
 
"Why don't you stick a carrot up your cunt." Agnes replied. My eyes were wide, they were really using big people words and it made me very uncomfortable.
 
"Hey, whoa! What's happening here!? Poor loser stuff?" Kateri asked, walking forward with her team. "Like my ribbon? Look at the colour, it's blue! Not like my tail though, must be nice to see something different for a change, now that the race is over!" She proceeded to laugh and I promptly stood at Leslie's side.
 
"Nobody asked you to rub it in Kateri, get lost."
 
"I don't plan to."
 
Leslie pointed at Kateri. "There she is; why don't you ask her? Nevermind, I'll ask her for you. Kateri?"
 
"Yes?"
 
"Agnes wanted to ask you when you were going to let her stick her nose up your butt."
 
Kateri's ears straightened and she laughed. "Oh my, how about right now? I'm a little frisky after winning. I get that feeling all the time." She gave me a wink, only to tempt me further. Her friends laughed and both Leslie and I felt outnumbered.
 
"Careful that she doesn't fart on your face." I said.
 
Leslie giggled and Agnes made a grimace. Kateri snapped at me. "I don't fart, don't be gross. Nobody asked you to go there."
 
"Oh but you do...Sierra, remember when we played Twister with Kateri?" Leslie asked sheepishly.
 
The rabbit's eyes widened and she moved in closer.
 
"Don't you bring this up; I never played Twister with you. I never play with losers!"
 
"Oh I remember perfectly Leslie, she was touching her toes and I remember her tail wiggle, her tummy grumble and what came next was--"
 
I felt my body collapse underneath Kateri's weight as she caught me by surprise and knocked the wind out of me. Convenient since I was still catching my breath from the race. I was able to tense up enough, like I had learned in karate to defend myself on the ground and I managed to push her off me and get up faster than I have ever done before. She wanted a fight, I was happy to give her one.
 
This was so not me; I had never actually physically fought someone other than a few pushes and dirty moves during competitive sports. Kateri got up and I heard people around us call us out and parents who acted as officials as well as school staff members were moving in from all directions to intercept us. Agnes had pounced on Leslie but the vixen was fast enough to move away, she kicked the hyena in the gut and clawed at her face before our grade 6 gym teacher, a mastodon named Brevan, separated them. He turned his attention to me. I was in control of that fight and all the racked up anger I had towards Kateri was coming out in the few seconds I had left. I had never felt this way, but fighting right now felt so liberating. I was a dead girl afterwards, but Kateri started it...surely they'll believe me...she started it!
 
Kateri and I collided and I managed to dexterously trip her. She fell on her back rather hard but had left over energy to pull on my tail and drag me down at her side. She proceeded to mount me but I grabbed at some dirt and pebbles and slammed it across her face and all over her mouth. She was hoisted up by the collar while spitting out the mud. Brevan didn't have to aggressively lift me as I lay there unmoving and horrified to learn the consequences. He left me there and moved aside to reveal my father. I heard him scolding Kateri, Leslie and Agnes, leaving my discipline to my father. The big mouse stood in front of me with his eyes stern, his mouth closed and the biggest look of disappointment I had ever seen in him. Staff members and other parents were getting all the students and kids organized to their next events but everybody was talking about our fight.
 
I slowly rose to my footpaws and took a deep breath. My uniform was dirty and ripped at a couple of places. My hair was disheveled and my knee was bleeding a little.
 
"Sierra Aven..."
 
"Yes dad?"
 
"In the car...now."
 
I didn't argue. I had to forfeit my next events because my dad was giving me an external suspension. He called the school to notify them of my behaviour and he was notified that Mister Brevan had already reported the incident and he could carry on with his plans of taking me back home. I closed the door to the car and heard him sigh. He put the keys in the ignition and turned towards me but did not start the car.
 
"You know when I was your age, I too had fought. There was a school bully and like Leslie did, I stood up for my mates. But this..."
 
He swallowed his saliva. "But this does not come from me or your mother. This is sheer disappointment Sierra. You have proven to us time and time again that you had a head on your shoulders. That you were capable of making smart, mature decisions. We talked about this. We talked about Kateri and your relationship with her."
 
"But dad, she pounced on me!"
 
"Pounced or not, you provoked her and fought back."
 
"What am I supposed to do!? Let her abuse me!?"
 
"Talk to an adult or leave the conversation before it leads you to react this way."
 
"But I'm tired of being called a pussy!"
 
"DO NOT USE THAT LANGUAGE SIERRA! THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE!"
 
"IT'S WHAT THEY CALL ME!"
 
He lifted his hand and I sunk into my seat, but his hand came down on the wheel and started the car. "You listen to me young missy... if you feel the need to vent or let go of frustrations, there are healthy ways to do so. I am signing you up for a Yoga class and that is final."
 
"But I hate Yoga!"
 
"And as for your misuse of language, your cell phone."
 
"No dad! I need it!"
 
"No you don't, you'll just have to do it the old fashion way."
 
"But they suck!"
 
"I'm about to extend it longer if you challenge me right now Sierra. I promise, you ain't gonna win."
 
I stared him in the eyes for a while before giving in and handing over my cell phone from my duffel bag. "Good, now not a peep from you until we get home, and then it's straight to your room until you're called down for dinner."
 
I crossed my arms and sulked. "I won't come down anyways because I don't want to eat with you."
 
"Right, cause I'm the bad guy here. My daughter embarrasses me publicly with uncharacteristic behaviour, I get mad and set her straight and I'm the bad guy. I'll let that play in your mind a little. Think about it Sierra."
 
I turned to look out the window and to show him more or less my back, though the seatbelt restricted me from doing so effectively. Right now, I didn't know who I hated more...Kateri for being Kateri or my dad for the consequences.
 
"You've always told me to defend myself dad..."
 
"If it's a serious situation yes..."
 
"And this wasn't!?"
 
"I rank it as a petty squabble between friends."
 
"Friends... hmpf, don't call us that."
 
"You and Kateri are probably the most spoken about pair in your junior high school. There was a time where you two were inseparable. What happened?"
 
"Speaking of whatever happened, whatever happened to not a peep from me?"
 
"Disregard that, Sierra... look at me." He stopped at a red light. I did so, but my eyes still signaled my reservations of being the cute loveable angel I've always been known to him for. "What happened?"
 
"I had an invitation to a pajama party. All the girls were gonna be there, even Leslie. But I defeated her a couple of days before the party in badminton and she had never lost a game until I challenged her. We were best friends then but she never knew I was just...better, I guess. She took the loss pretty badly, and I wasn't invited anymore. I called her out on it and the pajama party was pretty much a "Let's make Sierra's life a living hell party..."
 
He nodded, but he probably thought it was kid stuff. He knew I wasn't going to be bullied and my mental health was really strong for an eleven year old, but still it pained him to know his daughter has had hard times with the daughter of personal friends of his.
 
"I trust next time you will be the better person. You've always been Sierra, we're all very proud of you. But violence...does not become you. Does not become us. You represent our family and our name Sierra. You will apologize to Kateri, to your gym teacher and to the principal. Is that understood?"
 
"Oh dad, not Kateri. The others sure, but please don't make me apologize to Kateri!"
 
"Knowing her parents, expect one from her too."
 
"But it'll be so fake!"
 
"But don't fake your own. We clear?"
 
"...Yes." I sighed and took a deep a breath before closing my eyes and remaining silent for the rest of the drive back home.
 
FLASHBACK ENDS
 
"Alright Peyton, Sabrina, Whisper, Sierra, Jasmine and Geneviève, I want you all to remain focused and treat every bout like it's zero-zero. Don't forget to move to the ball, call it out loud and clear...really loud, cause listen to that crowd." They were indeed cheering pretty loudly, which made some of the girls on the bench pulling at their hair. We were nervous, there was no denying it. "A nice pass to Jasmine, a nice set at the net and finish it. Remember to transition rapidly and to keep your composure."
 
All of the girls joined in the huddle at this point and we all placed our hands in the center. We looked at one another, pride filling our eyes. We had all worked very hard to reach the grand finals. "Are we ready?"
 
"Ya!"
 
"Do we want to win this!?"
 
"YA!"
 
"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"
 
"YEAH!!!" We all patted one another and cheered and the crowd went wild for us as we lined up before being called on the court. That's when I felt a teasing touch near the base of my tail. It came from my favourite gemsbok, my coach Erik.
 
"Sierra, you're on the court for the whole game, it's time to be a captain."
 
"I won't let you down." We looked each other in the eyes for a few seconds before the alligator whistled and we took our positions on the court.
 
Officials matched positions with numbers and the game was underway with Harbour View's best server. The crowd went wild with the opening serve as the overhand sent the fast flying ball to our backcourt. Genevieve picked it up but it wasn't a good enough pass for Jasmine to get to. "Help! Help!" She yelled and Whisper, our shortest member, ran under the ball to prop it up. She lobbed it near me and I jumped to tip it over the net successfully. They easily picked it up, we transitioned to defend against a spike but left our right wing open and Kateri proceeded to dump it in the hole for the first point of the match.
 
"That's alright! Let's get it back girls." I said, clapping my hands and crouching down in a ready position.
 
We had noticed many of the guys sitting behind the court instead of the side. I guess they wanted the rear view of us girls in spankies. And when we got in a ready position, they had six girls to pick from. But I didn't think about that right now, I was focused on the next serve. The head ref whistled and the serve came very fast, hitting Peyton's arm and returning over the net passed the back line, giving Harbour View a 2-0 lead. The third serve came, harder than before and we looked at one another dumbfounded as the ball hit the ground for an ace.
 
"Alright girls, time to wake up!" Erik said from the sideline. "Sierra back up a little. Back line, create a row. Jasmine, behind Sierra for the switch. Sabrina, at the net! C'mon girls, get it back."
 
The crowd's worry about our performance only increased after every serve. They opened up with 6 points before we came on the board, but our point was won because she served into the net, which we reciprocated the same way. Erik saw we were getting frustrated and the girls on the bench rubbed their faces, but yet the crowd cheered us on and we continued to fight.
 
The only image imprinted in my memory of this first set was watching their best server, a skunk girl smash ball after ball in our court. Kateri made impeccable sets, turning what we thought would've been a free ball into a dangerous spike. She cheekily dumped the ball to score some points and every time Harbour View cheered and huddled, we were just shaking our heads in frustration.
 
In between sets, Erik made a few lineup changes but I was still assigned to position four, Power. He stated to everyone that we know what to expect and we should be able to adapt at this point, there should be no more surprises. We know what we have to do to defend against them. They are very strong at the net but their backline struggles. Get the ball at the back of their court, he suggested.
 
Alas, as much as we tried, we couldn't get a good enough attack. Our passes to Jasmine was shaky at best and we couldn't do miracles with them the way Kateri did. Erik was biting down on his backboard and the crowd began to get agitated. They didn't want to watch their team lose in a 3-0 sweep.
 
But looking up at the scoreboard, that's what the forecast announced unless we would make a drastic change or pull something out of our ass. Tails were limp and morale was down and after giving up the first set 25-7, we gave up the second 25-11.
 
I looked towards Harbour View's bench. They were high fiving and having fun. Why wouldn't they? The team travelled hundreds of kilometers to leave such a hurtful wound in our school. They were a set away from winning the Canadian U-17 title. Erik pulled me aside and snapped his fingers in front of my eyes.
 
"Sierra, wake up. I've been watching you stare towards Kateri and the Harbour View bench since you got here." I swallowed my saliva, Erik was being serious. "I need you to stop looking at them and start looking at yourself and at us."
 
Here he was talking about looking at each other and my best response to his message was my head lowering and my eyes darting for the floor. "Chin up Sierra, look at me." I did so and then heard Kateri yell out something incomprehensible and I turned my head to look her way. "No, Sierra, look at me." The crowd had time to buy food at the concession stands and go to the toilet as entertainers were given the stage for 10 minutes while players rested. "Sierra...everyone's down because we're thinking about this." He pointed to the trophy in a windowed case waiting to be hoisted up by hands of champions. "About this." He waved at the crowd. "And you're thinking, about her..." And his fingers pointed straight towards Kateri. He then pointed down at my heart and proceeded to run a hand through my hair. "That's where I want you to think."
 
I took a deep breath and nodded. "I need you to think about what these girls need. And I'll give you a hint. Hope. We're the underdogs here; let's use that to our advantage. We didn't come this far only to suck! These girls don't want to see a limp tail!" He proceeded to grab it and pull it up. I giggled and batted his hand away. "Look a limp tail!" He grabbed it again and I batted his hand away once more. He was getting me to laugh and he spun me around. "C’mon, lift that tail up!" And I did so proudly and he gave my little tush a couple of taps with his back board. "Go see your girls, I think they need you!"
 
I did so with renewed enthusiasm and gusto. Erik was right. I was way too preoccupied by the meaning of this game. By Kateri, by our rivalry. I wanted to win so bad but for the wrong reasons. Now, I just needed to focus on the team where with some inspiration, we could all start giving this wonderful crowd a game to remember.
 
We were ready to start the game again, but Kateri had called me over and I met her at the net. Erik pointed to his eyes and I nodded.
 
"Hey Sierra, you look really pretty." She opened up. I didn't respond, only placed my hands over my buttocks like there were imaginary back pockets over my spankies; the same way she did during the opening coin toss. "Well, aren't you gonna say hello?"
 
"Huh? Oh sorry, I thought you weren't finished. Typically you call me pretty when I'm about to lose at something."
 
"Oh c’mon Sierra, I'm not that shallow. I really wanted to just say hi."
 
"If I was winning 2-0, would you still want to just say hi?"
 
"Why are you being like this? Whatever happened to good sportsmanship? You're renowned for that."
 
"It'll come out when one of us will be crowned champion. But right now, you're just trying to get in my mind."
 
"I'm not the same person you know. The results don’t really matter."
 
"Pfff..."
 
"It's true! I'm just super pumped to be playing you. I mean, the grand finals, look at this crowd, pretty awesome huh?"
 
"You had plenty of time to tell me that before the game. You waited till it was 2-0 to act like the good girl."
 
"Well, can you blame me?"
 
"Prepare to get a smash in the face."
 
"Haha, by you?"
 
"The game's only starting."
 
"Alright well, I guess what I really wanted to tell you was that I'm sorry we had to crush your dreams with this dominating performance. We honestly thought you guys would be a challenge."
 
I turned around shaking my head and both teams welcomed back their captains and the third set was announced to be under way. Erik had put together a new lineup and gave us confidence and everybody felt good coming on the court. We were backed up against the wall, time to go all out. The crowd was still on our side and they increased in vigour and strength as we opened up the 3rd set with pizazz.
 
Serves were going over, passes were precise, smashes connected and transitions flowed. We were playing at Harbour View's level in the first set and that caught them off guard. They were getting beaten at their own plays and we had managed to stuff that tall skunk on a few occasions. I had yet to shine, but the 19th point was all me with an incredible dive on the serve. Jasmine saw how fast I got up and in position so she sent the set my way and with a long stride I jumped at the net. For a second, the crowd shouted "Oooh!" and down came my handpaw on the ball, spiking it so hard that none of the girls on the other side even reacted. I raised my hands and the crowd cheered me on, the whole team hugged me and we were back in this game. Erik was clapping and continued to give us instructions to refine our play and I could see the pride in his eyes, this was his team's style of play he was seeing and it was a victorious one.
 
The 3rd set came as a surprise to everyone. The score still suggested it was a relatively close set at 25-17 but now we knew Harbour View would come back in the 4th with fire in their eyes. They were beaten once but the way their coach talked to them, that would certainly not happen again. We kept our morale up but this time it wasn't just about smiles and good spirits, it was about going back to the fundamentals of the sport. Sometimes it's not the most complex play that will win you the game, but the ability to utilize basics with such perfection. And that's what made us good. Harbour View had fancy footwork, complex transitions and mind boggling passing, but our reception, approaches and spikes were really top of the line.
 
In the 4th set, the score was back and forth. Not one serve went out so each point was a hard fought rally. One of them lasted over an entire minute! It ended with Harbour View's point when Kateri made a beautiful jump at the net to stuff Genevieve. "It's okay batty, we'll get it back!" Jasmine shouted, patting her back. The score was 13-12 in our favour and the meaning of this game just took a whole new level. Everybody was taken aback by our poor performance early in the game, and pleasantly surprised that we were now able to hold our own.
 
Their serve came in fast by their star skunk which, over break, I learned was called Alixe. I had deliberately moved to open up a little hole and she took the bait serving for it. I dashed ready, connecting with the ball to give a perfect pass to Jasmine. She passed over Genevieve which the latter proceeded to fake a spike. Harbour View were forced to shift as the ball came travelling to me. I was already soaring in the air and I connected with the ball, sending it in their back row. With an incredible dive, a white fox kept it alive but the ball was coming back in my direction. Kateri jumped up in the air to give it more speed but missed her shot and fell back down over the white fox and falling on all fours her back towards the net. She merely had the time to turn her head to see that I had once more jumped up and successfully spike the ball. This time it went straight for Kateri and before she could react, the ball smacked against her butt and she fell flat on her face. While the fans of Harbour View cringed, the entire flock of Stonebridge fans erupted in cheers and laughter. Kateri got up and growled, rubbing her under tail.
 
"Hey, Kateri!" I said from across the net. She turned to look at me.
 
"I told you I'd smash a ball in your face."
 
Kateri gave me a scorn and Harbour View began to panic and do desperate plays as our lead increased to 23-18. Their coach called a timeout and made a line change. Kateri was replaced with a new setter and I saw her sit down, her arms crossed. "Haha, she looks pissed off." Jasmine said and I nodded, first time we felt a connection. We gave each other a high five.
 
Her replacement had remarkable agility. She was a monkey and had incredible hands. They managed to score five points in a row, tying it up at 23 before Erik called a time-out. This tactic worked to psyche out their server. It didn't exactly psyche her out but the serve was easily picked up for a quick transition attack and a point. Our next serve was an ace and we took set number four to make this grand final a 2-2 game.
 
There was another ten minute break. Just enough time to wave hello to both my mom and Leslie and for my team and me to talk about our game plan. Harbour View were doing the same, they were unable to perform the way they did during the first two sets and that was because we had adapted to their play style and forced them to fight against our own.
 
The fifth set started with some good serving on our side. We opened up the final set with a 3-0 lead but lost the serve after a misplaced pass into the net. It was really difficult to hear one another; we had never heard so much noise at a volleyball game before. Harbour View pulled out a few new plays successfully and caught up in the score, but when our back line was changed, nothing was getting passed us and our spikes were too much for Harbour View to handle. Their newest setter appeared younger than Kateri and she was cracking under pressure with now inconsistent sets. This forced the coach to sub her out and put Kateri back in, this time with fire under her tail.
 
That was probably their best play as Kateri changed gear and delivered some spot on sets. Tension was at an all-time high as Kateri's work equalized the score once again. Time outs were made just to settle the nerves of the girls unused to play under so much pressure, and that’s without mentioning the loud crowd believing in us. The score crept closer and closer to the climax that would eventually become a 24-23 game, with the next point winning it all for Stonebridge and the next point giving Harbour View's skunk Alice the final serve of the game. It was Jasmine's serve and we all believed in her. The crowd went silent and that caught her off guard. The alligator had whistled and began counting down the seconds. She hoisted it up and successfully over handed it over the net. It was received by an otter who passed it high for Kateri. She ran to the ball and made a beautiful back set to Alice at position 2. She proceeded to spike but Genevieve caught her with a block. We thought it was all over but one of their players dove to keep the ball alive, Kateri set it again but this time at position 4. Their power jumped and spiked. Whisper dug it up, to Jasmine, to me and I delivered a mighty spike down center, propped up again to Kateri which proceeded to pass towards power again. This was contested at the net, dropped back down again on their side. Position 4 up to Kateri at middle. I shifted and everything felt like it was running in slow motion...
 
The crowd, everyone, everything went silent as I jumped. Across the netting I saw Kateri, her eyes locked on the ball. She was well aware I had jumped to block but her motion was for a spike, not a tip and so this point would be determined right now unless I had backing, which, in mid jump, gave me no indication. Kateri made contact with the ball and I had spread my mouse fingers wide enough to make enough contact to see the ball drop down into their court and on the floor, even though two of them had dove for it, my block came in too fast.
 
I spun around to my team, dropped to my knees and raised my arms and screamed as loud as the gymnasium did. The entire crowd was on their feet yelling, clapping, whistling and cheering. Harbour View was defeated and all of them found a place on their court to lie down and either cry or painfully wait for our celebrations to be over. Erik Mitchell ran to me and hoisted me up and all the girls joined under me as they lifted me to the crowd. I waved excitedly and kissed at all the loved ones I saw. Even Kateri's parents who were there and clapping and smiling for me. After dropping down on the ground, Jasmine gave me a big hug, followed by Geneviève. Those hugs meant a lot as there was a time back in Ridgewood where I thought Jasmine would've become my next Kateri. Then it was Erik's turn to hug me.
 
"Sierra! We did it, we did it!"
 
"WE DID IT!"
 
And he squeezed the living daylights out of me, and it felt so good. "You hug like my dad did."
 
He ran his paws up and down my back and continued to hug me really hard. I had given him his final victory and crowned our time together as both student and coach. But not just me, my whole team!
 
The celebrations lasted the entire day and the entire evening after the medal ceremony and the awarding of the official victory banner. But the details of the celebration didn't feel more important than what I experienced next.
 
Harbour View had no more reason to be there and I had heard that the parents and coach were taking their girls out to a restaurant and then to the waterslides to get their mind off the loss and to at least find some enjoyment from this trip. I remember after answering questions in an interview, I saw the gymnasium door open and the Harbour View bus was pulled up. The girls were getting on and the one that had just exited was Kateri.
 
She was reporting to her coach but before she could throw her bags underneath and mount the bus, I called her out. The rabbit looked at me for a long time before taking a few steps towards me.
 
When I looked into her eyes, I did see pain from her defeat, but when she said she had changed, I now had reason to believe it. She was looking at me not out of jealousy, but out of mutual respect that we were leaders and captains and we made this day worth remembering for the rest of our lives.
 
"Congratulations." She said.
 
"Kateri..." I looked down, feeling bad.
 
"Tut-tut. You deserved it. You...wanted it more I guess."
 
"I wouldn't have wanted to face another team than yours."
 
Kateri smiled and kicked at a pebble. She then put her hand paws into the pockets of her jacket. Our eyes met and both of our vision began to blur. I could see her eyes watering and so were mine. We had built up such an immense rivalry and now that we had settled it and even outgrown it, we were looking into the eyes of the person we both envied to become.
 
"Sierra..."
 
"Kateri..."
 
"Come back..." Kateri began to sob.
 
"I maybe just might..."
 
And we kissed a long and passionate kiss that drew the attention of some members on the bus that was pointing down at us. When we broke off, we hugged and their coach came over to us.
 
"Congratulations Miss Aven," he said, "Did you know I had coached your father in Volleyball? He was a great captain."
 
The news made my heart melt and I placed a hand over my heart as a tear rolled down my cheek. He wasn't Erik but with a comment like that, my respect for him quickly soared to new heights.
 
He then looked at Kateri. "Are you coming to eat and ride the slides?"
 
Kateri wiped her tears and smiled at me, taking my hands and squeezing them. "You've always been an incredible person Sierra. You're my winner and I really love you. I'm sorry for making it difficult for you at times. I felt so threatened by someone...better. Like I had told you at Camp, remember? The times we were friends were the best days as a teenager. Which brings me to ask..."
 
I sobbed while Kateri opened up. This connection was very powerful and I nodded for her to continue. My handpaws squeezed over the bridge of my nose while I wiped my tears away.
 
"I don't have a roommate in my hotel room." She looked up at her coach. "Would you like...to sleep over at the hotel tonight? I'll eat dinner with the team and wait for you to get there and then we can go sliding together...when the rest of the girls are in their rooms. This should give you plenty of time to celebrate with your team. I just...I just...really want to see you, you know?"
 
I smiled and nodded. "It would be my most singular honour Kateri. I'll be more than happy; my team won't even notice I’m gone."
 
"Are you kidding, you're their captain! You were the star of the game!"
 
"I still think you deserve MVP Kateri, your sets were at a level Jasmine could only dream of reaching."
 
"You go have fun; you have my number, text me. We can sleep in late tomorrow so it doesn't matter what time that is."
 
"There's only one thing though..."
 
"What is it?"
 
"Leslie flew in to watch the game and--"
 
"Leslie's here!?"
 
"Yeah, she's--"
 
"She should come over too!"
 
"You're okay with that!?"
 
"Yeah! If you are! And if she is!"
 
I smiled and gave Kateri one more hug.
 
The coach nodded his approval. Kateri's parents accompanied her so she was in their charge, meaning as long as they approved, Kateri and I could do anything we wanted. He climbed aboard the bus and Kateri followed suit but stopped at the stairs to turn around to look at me.
 
"Oh Sierra, almost forgot. Bring your Twister game if you still have it!"
 
THE END
 

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