Chapter 4: Because We Can

The week passed very fast. Pauline was buzy everyday with school and after that the trainnings. She managed to keep to herslef that secret and she was proud of herself at this point.

During the week she talked with Jesse everyday about everything exept Saturday. The next of the Because We Can Tour will start on 20th of Septebre in Brazil. It was the day that Jesse heard that Pauline had never been to a Bon Jovi consert before. He was very suprised. He thought she had defently had been to more than once consert.

Saturday morning Pauline woke up in noon, like always. She had a great breakfast and took all the energy she needed for the competition. Her parents would love to come and see her but it's forbidden. her mother was more nervous than Pauline was. She had already wished her good luck more that one million times. Pauline knew her mother and she couldn't blame her for nothing.

That day Pauline called Jesse. She was really nervous about it and she knew that Jesse has a unique reason to calm her down. She wanted to hear his voise like crazy. They talked more than an hour and Jesse made it, he calmed her down. When Pauline told him that she must leave him to have lunch Jesse told her goodbye and hung up.

He left the phone on his desk and got up. He looked to the bed. On it was his uniform. The yellow pants with the dark blue shirt with the 34 number. Next was his helmet along with the other protection. He singed again and left the room.

Walking down the stairs and walked to the living room he saw his two younger brothers watching TV. "Hey guys! What are you watching?" Jesse asked and sut next to Romeo. "Cartoons! If you want to change the channel it's ok!" Jacob answered. He was older than Romeo and he understands some things. "No, i don't want to change the channel! I want to watch this with you if is that ok." Jesse said and looked to his brothers who nobbed their heads in agreement.

They watched a cartoon that Jesse never had seen before. When he was at their ages cartoons were a lot diferent. The story of the cartoon was describing Jesse's sutiation. Even the cartoons were with him. He must admit that he liked the cartoon very much.

While the three youngest Bongiovi's were watching cartoons Dorothea walked in the living room. She was shocked when she saw the three of the four favourite man sitting together and watched TV. She knew that Jesse was a great big brother even he's 8 and 10 years older. "Boys lunch is ready!" she said to her sons and left. Romeo turned off the TV and went to the kitchen followed by Jacob and Jesse.

They ate all the six of them like a family. They talked mostly about Jesse's game. Jesse told them that Pauline wouldn't come. Then Jesse saw the disapoitment in Romeo's and Jacob's faces. But he promised them that one day he'll take them out with Pauline and they forgot everything just in seconds.

Meanwhile in the Timson house Pauline preparing herself for the competition. It was really hard for knowing that her family can't come with her. Her feelings changed when she put in the t-shirt that bought this week for Notre Dame's official wed-site. She couldn't go there wearing something common. A dark blue t-shirt saying with white letters 'Notre Dame' and below that 'We are ND' with yellow lettrs. She loved it for the first she saw it and knew that this was the one. Searching a little more in the wed-site she found a beautiful grey pair of yoga pants. She couldn't say no to that and she bought it too. They arrived in Pauline's house on Friday night.

Once her bag was ready it was the time to leave. She said goodbye to her family and left the house. In the route to the court the only thing she was thining was winning. She wanted it so badly and she was ready to do anything.

She parked to the parking lot and took thr bag from the front seat. She locked the car and walked in the court. The court had been disnged for this event and it looks very diferent that Pauline used to see it. She opened the door the first locker room on her left side. Walking in they were also another nine girls preparing too. She sut on the bench and pulled from her bag her shoes. She wear them and closed the bag. She was looking around the girls she was with. Other were taller than her and other shorter than her. She didn't know none of them. They were from all over the state and they all want to win.

A man knocked the door and informed them to get ready beacuse the competition will start in 10 minutes. All the girls were nervous so was Pauline. Her heartbeat was going faster and faster. Her palms start sweating. This had never happend to her before and she didn't know what to do. She opened the bag and reached for her phone. When she found it she put the earphones in and search for one song that she needed to hear right now, that song was Because We Can.

When the intro started was the only sound Pauline could hear. She loved that song since it came out. It was one of the songs that had the power to calm her down. When she was listening that song she felt that she can do anything and that was she must do right now. Her heartbeat slowed down and she was ready to give everything she had.

Walking out of the locker room with the other girls they went to the court. Walking to a line all the girls stopped in front of the judge's table. A man that never Pauline had seen before took the microphone and said "Ladies i'm so happy that i'm in front of you right now! But let's get to the point! We're all here tonight to pick the best setter that will join the rest of the woman volleyball team of New Jersey. Winning this will not be that easy.... We'll test your setting skills along with all the other skils that a volleyball player must know! There'll be two stages! Today we'll do the first stage. That means that will test you all setting for our opposite, midle and front hitters! We'll choose the best three and in an another day will do the part two! Before we start please aplaused the woman volleyball team of New Jersey!" the ten girls aplauded the women that walked in the court.

A few minutes later the warming up had started. They had 15 minutes to get ready and get the balls. For Pauline that time was great. While she was warming up she looked around the other girls in the court. It was the time she saw Mara McDavid. She've heard lots about her. She's from Woodbridge Township. From what it seems she's taller than Pauline. Her parents were both coaches in volleyball teams in New York. Pauline could see in her blue eyes the passion to what she was doing. She was her first target if she could win her she can win anyone.

Warming up finished, ball time. The ten girls took the balls and made five couples and started. Pauline wasn't with Mara. She was with a girl from Edison and her name was Gina. Pauline liked her she had a great sence of houmor. They played together for a long time without the ball hitting the ground. When they were finished they wished each other good luck and went back to the line.

The man that talked before took the microphone again "Now, ladies warming up is finished! Let's get started!" he said and then called a name. the girl that had this name took a step forward and they gave her a ball. The competetion had begun.