Finding Excellence

Jewel had been downtown before, even though she was technically too young to get into the bars. Even at eighteen she could get in without having to pull a card out. So when her group of friends 'demanded' her presence at a local bar the following Thursday, she could hardly say no. Especially after they reminded her about the few interesting characters she had met before. So she skipped her night class and went downtown to watch a pool tournament.1

But she didn’t end up watching pool that night. All she ended up watching was him.2

They had gotten to the bar around 6:30 so that Derek could get properly relaxed (with the help of a few tequila shots) before the tournament began. The first time she had been downtown with the group she had nearly passed out from the heavy smell of smoke and alcohol that permiated every corner of the bar... but now that she had spent some time there it was a familiar smell, a comforting smell. The smoke was dense tonight, more so than usual – but then, so was the crowd. The tiny bar was packed with players and friends, and the sounds of yelling over the loud music was deafening. Still, Jewel had to admit, she loved it.3

The night had started like any other, watching her group pay for the tournament and then worm their way through the crowd to begin playing. She had mingled along the edges, watched a few of her friends win and lose and move on to their next opponent once a new table opened up. She had followed Derek until that point. They could always find something to talk about, and he was also the best player among them.4

Derek couldn’t hold a candle to Matt.5

They had exchanged pleasantries at first, set up the table and flipped a coin to decide who broke first. Jewel had been watching Matt. He was a good looking guy – taller than her by quite a bit at probably 5’8”, well built. He was constantly brushing his straw-colored hair out of expressive green eyes, an action that made him that much more attractive for his laid-back attitude.6

It was Derek’s break. He sank two solids on break and ran off three more of his eight before missing the pocket by less than a centimeter. Derek was good… Matt was better.7

Matt was a god.8

He ran the table in two minutes flat. His stroke was smooth, his accuracy was perfect, and his form was gorgeous… from that moment on, all Jewel wanted to do was play him. If it took her years to scrape the talent to give him a run for his money she would do it just to be his opponent.9

She bought her own pool cue the next week, a beautiful piece of work that cost her nearly two-hundred dollars… half of her monthly pay-check from her job on campus. But in her eyes, it was worth every penny. She began spending all of her time at the Union renting a table to play against herself. She dropped her night class in order to attend the Thursday tournaments regularly. She was still socializing with people at the bar, still hung out with her group – but she always had an eye out for Matt. She watched him constantly, analyzed his every move, every shot.10

As time passed she got better, better even than most of the people in her group. The fact of the matter was that she was analytical enough to understand the shapes and physics without thinking – she just hadn't cared before. Derek could still beat her half of the time, but she won 4 to 1 against the rest of them. She was so close… and after semseter of practive she finally reached Derek’s level – ranked as a six out of seven on a good day, four on a bad. Since she could hold her own against Derek and had very little challenge against the rest of the group, she entered the next tournament.11

It was the first time she had to sign up to be on the chart, so she followed the rest of the group up to the bar. Like every other tournament night, this in itself was a challenge. The fact that Jewel was small didn't make it easy for her to navigate, so she stuck rather closely to the rest of her respective group. Each person offered their name and five dollars in order to play for the night and then moved on to wait for the games to begin. Jewel approached the bar last, after most of the crowd had meandered away and into the mass of people around the tables.12

“Entry?” she asked, holding out the five dollar bill to the man before her.13

He nodded and wrote the name ‘Entri’ down on the board before taking her five. Jewel shook her head, “No, my name’s not Entri, it’s…”14

“Too late” the man interrupted her, “It’s your tournament name for the night.” He winked and smiled. “Don’t worry about it… Just have fun, alright?”15

Jewel smiled back and nodded, moving away so that the last few people entering could do so. Grabbing a seat at the table her group had claimed she slipped her cue case from her back and let it lean against her chair. Derek smiled and leaned back, looking at her.16

“Any idea who you’re up against first?”17

“No idea.” Jewel said, shrugging lightly and smiling back. “What about you?”18

He glanced around the crowded area, “Clueless… They usually have the charts set up by now... I was just wondering if you have seen them.”19

She sighed and her gray eyes scanned the room, “I haven't seen them post anything.” Spotting an empty pool table in the corner she picked up her case and looked back over her shoulder at Derek, “Quick practice game before the tournament?” she asked.20

He nodded and pushed his chair out of the way so he could move towards the bar. “I’ll get the cue-ball, make sure the table stays open.”21

Jewel nodded and walked over to the table, setting her case on top and unzipping the lid so she could assemble her cue. Derek returned with a cue-ball a little later to find Jewel sitting on the table, cue in hand. Long black hair was pulled back into a loose braid at the base of her neck.22

“Why’d you put your hair back? You never pull your hair back to play.” He asked, setting the ball on the table and assembling his own cue.23

Jewel smiled and jumped off of the table, leaning her cue against the nearest wall. “'Course I do,” she replied, “I just don’t around the group, normally. I want to play my best tonight. I can’t have my hair getting in my way and messing up my shots.”24

Smiling at his rather curious expression she pulled out the rack and set up the table for a quick game. They made it through a set of three before the tournament began and they were kicked off the table. She had come out on top, after losing the first game and winning the second, only because Derek miscalculated his last shot by a few millimeters. Now that she was warmed up, though, she was ready for the tournament to begin.25

She and Derek returned to the group table and took a seat again, noticing that two of the usuals had already been called for their first match. Carol was gone, and Jewel honestly didn’t think she would last her first game. But she would cheer for her anyway, as long as she didn’t have a match at the time.26

“Anyone seen the charts yet?”27

The group all shook their heads and one of the other guys spoke up, “They’re going around setting the matches up this time. Don’t know who you’re playing until they tell you.”28

“So we can’t prepare?” Derek demanded.29

“Doesn’t seem like it.” Jewel said with a smile, “Just don’t worry about it.”30

The manager of the tournament approached the table from the side, and Jewel was able to just catch him out of the corner of her eye before he spoke to the group. Half of the people jumped.31

“Jake?”32

One of the members stood up and nodded, “My game?”33

The guy nodded and pointed to an open table, “You’re next up, let me find your partner.” He scrolled down the list and nodded, then smiled and looked up. “Entri, your game.”34

“Entri?” Derek inquired, looking at Jewel for an answer when she stood up and picked up her cue. The rest of the group watched her quietly.35

She shrugged with a sly smile, and laughing she moved off to begin her first tournament.36

She ran Jake off the table with a score of three to nothing within thirty minutes. It would have been shorter except for the fact that Jewel was paying special attention to the details this time. Her next game went much the same way, sending her into the winner’s bracket along with the few people remaining, including Derek… and Matt.37

Most of the group had remained throughout the tournament, whether or not they were actually in it anymore. Those that remained sat around the table they had claimed earlier and talked with lightened voices while Derek downed his fifth shot of tequila and Jewel fidgeted. Derek stared into the shot glass for a moment before muttering to himself.38

“That shot went down too easily...” he continued staring at the offending shot glass until Jewel switched her position again. He turned to look at her, “What are you so worried about?”39

“There's an uneven number of players... one's going to get an upper hand.”40

“So, what if it's you?” He smiled slightly.41

Jewel shrugged, “It's not balanced, if I don't deserve to win I don't want to get higher on an automatic pass.”42

Derek laughed and poked her softly in the shoulder, “You and your perfect morals... it's only a minor tournament. Nothing comes of it anyway, except maybe practice and observation.” He gave her a rather meaningful look.43

Silently she noted that he had probably pieced together what her motivation for the tournament was – but she still wouldn't admit to him that she had been watching Matt from the beginning. So instead she attacked him back – playfully touching on his own competitive nature. “You wouldn't be saying that if you hadn't won that last match by one ball...”44

Derek made a sour face at the comment and Jewel laughed, called foul on herself, and continued. “I was only joking, Derek... you won that match fair as can be.” Jewel could only continue laughing at the way he glared at her. Perhaps he was upset because she was joking with him during such an ordeal, or maybe it was because he had noticed the shift in topic.45

“Entri?”46

Mercury eyes glanced over at the man walking towards the table. The rest of the group had fallen silent as Jewel picked up her case and stood to meet him.47

“My game?” she asked lightly.48

The man checked the clipboard he was holding and nodded slightly, pointing over in the general direction of the nearest empty pool table. “Next opponent’s Matt.”49

Time seemed to stop for a very long time as she processed the implications of her next match. She could almost feel Derek watching her closely for a reaction, but she wouldn't give it to him. She smiled, “It's about time... I hope my game hasn't deteriorated over the wait.”50

The manager laughed, “I doubt it, with the way you've been playing tonight.”51

She was dimly aware of the rest of the group standing to follow her across the room to the match about to begin. When she reached the table Matt was practicing his accuracy, but he stopped when she arrived.52

“You Entri?” he inquired, looking her over.53

Being only 5'2” Jewel had to look up to see his eyes. She smiled up at him though she was inwardly shaking at actually facing him so early in her game... in retrospect she should have known it would happen once she got good enough to enter at all.54

“I am, and you're Matt?” she held out her hand to shake his, glad that he accepted the gesture, “Nice to meet you.”55

“And you.” he replied. His head nodded towards the empty table, “Any preference on starting, or shall we flip a coin?”56

“No preference.” she replied. She called out tails when he flipped the coin and was grateful as it landed on tails. Her break. It might actually be possible to get in a few shots before he ran the table on her.57

She broke well on the first game, sinking a stripe. Her next shot took out two more stripes and again she followed through and managed to take out all but two of her balls before leaving a shot she had to miss in order to not sink the eight. Matt took over and ran the table.58

At least she had gotten to shoot the first game. As she set up the next rack she had to admit that the game was almost completely luck when you got to his level. Usually whoever broke, if they didn't screw up, ran the table and thus ran the entire match. If she really wanted to have a decent game with him she would have to find a way to play outside of the tournament so that breaking wasn't set. If breaking rotated it might not have been an issue, but since whoever won broke for the next game she doubted that she would get another chance to shoot.59

In a race to three, Jewel expected to go out without shooting more than she had the first game. Perhaps he had wanted to see her shoot again, or perhaps it was an honest mistake: whatever the reason, during the third game his shot stopped just short of the pocket. Not enough power behind the shot had left it centimeters from actually dropping.60

Jewel looked closely at Matt's face for any indication on throwing the shot. Either he was very good at acting or he had honestly messed up... she very much doubted he had made such a simple mistake, but she took her shot anyway.61

She managed to run the table and take a win. He was up one, but it was her break. She decided then that the match might not be a total loss. He racked the balls and she broke, sent a solid and a stripe into the pockets, and ran the table. Now they were on the hill – last game.62

“Nice game.” he said quietly.63

“Lucky.” she responded. She had ended up with a table without many difficult shots, it had been easy to run with the break she had managed. The next game didn't go as well. She broke well, like she normally did, sinking a stripe in the process. Three balls later and she was stuck with a shot that was almost impossible. She missed it by a half a centimeter, and inwardly she called game right then. Matt ran the table and took the match.64

But he smiled when he shook her hand, and it seemed to Jewel that he genuinely meant what he said when he complemented her on her game.65

After that night she determined that she actually had ground to stand on, so she started entering the tournaments every week. Thursday night she would drag as many people as she could downtown starting at seven sharp. She was never late, and she rarely left the bar until at least midnight – sometimes well after. 66

She played Derek on numerous occasions, beat him more often than not, and managed to scrape a few more matches with Matt in the process. She always lost to him, but she got closer each time to giving him a challenge. If she could master leaving the cue ball set up for her next shot she would be ready to give him a challenge.67

Each night after the tournament she would stick around the bar for another hour or so, just practicing her game – as well as watching Matt finish out the tournament each and every night with a grace that seemed completely instinctive. Now most of her own game was instinctive, natural grace and understanding – but she still had to think about some shots. He didn't seem to think at all when he played, and she simply could not grasp how he did it.68

Most times the group had already left by the time the tournament was over, but she never left when she could practice until the bar closed. So every night she racked the balls and broke in a game against herself. Ran the solids, then the stripes, sank the eight ball without a care in the world. But she would be so much better if she didn't have to think about it.69

Setting up the rack for the fourth time one night she walked around the table in order to break and noticed someone watching her. She glanced up to see Matt, leaning against the corner of the table watching her intently. He nodded his head in her direction.70

“Let's see your break.”71

Hesitating for a moment she shrugged inwardly and found her position. She sank a stripe and solid on break. Matt nodded from the side, stopped her next shot by taking a step forward.72

“Shoot the three.” he pointed to the ball, set up in an almost perfect 90 degree cut into the corner pocket.73

Jewel hesitated for another moment, but again obliged him. After all, she had spent nearly a year watching how he played... he had every right to want to see her game. She sank the three with only slight difficulty. Matt stepped forward and took the cue ball before it could hit another.74

“Set it up again.” He pulled the three from the side and gave it back to her. Jewel set the shot up again, perfectly. He nodded his approval.75

“Now... shoot it again, but instead of using the shape, use just a little bit of english to make it go where you want it to.” he placed his finger firmly on the table, “I want the cue ball drawn back here.”76

It took her two more tries to land the cue ball exactly where his finger had been, and he smiled in approval. “You learn quickly, Entri. Shoot the ten, draw it back here.”77

“Jewel.” she corrected before taking the shot, drawing the cue ball within millimeters of where his finger lay. She stood back up with a thoughtful look on her face, analyzing her own shot. “Entri's just my tournament name. Outside of tournaments, I prefer people to call me by my real name... Jewel.”78

He nodded, “Jewel then. That was better.” he handed her the ten and she set the shot up a second time. “One more try now, I want it perfect.”79

From then on training began immediately after each tournament. Jewel stopped entering in order to perfect her skill – with Matt's help. He stayed each time to help her perfect her game, driving the concepts into her mind so forcefully that they slowly became second nature. One night, near the end of the semester, Jewel took another shot after performing the one she had been told to do.80

She went to set the balls up again, restore the table until he told her which ball to take, but he stopped her with a few words.81

“That was good.”82

Jewel looked up over the edge of the table, “But I didn't know where to leave myself.”83

“So if you had, what would you shoot next?”84

Jewel responded immediately by pointing at one of the balls. She was surprised that she had been able to think that quickly, like it had always been there. Matt nodded, “Shoot it.”85

“Where should I leave it?”86

Matt motioned across the table, “Anywhere you want it.” He smiled, “You understand it naturally enough now to do what you need to. Leave it anywhere you want – but run the table without fault...”87

“And if I don't?” she asked, lining up her shot.88

“Practice is canceled for the night.”89

Jewel's eyes turned to look at him in disbelief, even as her body followed through and shot at the cue ball. She turned back to the table to see her natural movement sink the ball she had been aiming for and land exactly where she had planned it to be. She blinked in shock.90

Matt laughed lightly, “Keep going!”91

Smiling, Jewel ran the table, without fault. When she went to set up the rack again Matt stopped her. “My turn to rack... play me one game.”92

Jewel nodded and broke after he had it ready. She ran solids off the table and sank the eight ball within five minutes of beginning the game.93

“Good.” Matt announced. “Now, we get to the fun part.” he took three balls off the table, set them up and then placed the cue ball on the table. “Make the four and come back to hit the six... but don't let the eleven go in.”94

Without hesitation Jewel lined up the shot and took it, making the four and the six, but sinking the eleven in the process. She looked a little sourly at the table and Matt laughed. “It's a start, Jewel. Don't get too worked up about it. Trick shots are fun, but they're difficult.”95

After that they didn't play another game. Matt took up the time she would usually practice her game setting up trick shots that had caused her to lose against him in the tournaments before she had begun training. She would shoot the same structured shot for thirty minutes straight, just to make sure she had it perfectly. Matt cut off the training the night she managed to sink every trick shot he set up – nearly three months later.96

“You don't need me anymore.” he gave her a little hug, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and squeezing slightly. “You're the best I've seen, and I can't teach you anymore.”97

“But I still haven't beaten you...” Jewel stated with a smile, “I'm determined to, you know.”98

He laughed, “Yeah, I know. But that's what the tournament is for now. Practice and refine your ability over the week and we'll have a face-off next week at the tournament.”99

“Agreed.”100

Throughout that week, Jewel was very rarely anywhere but at classes or at the Union practicing for the tournament. When Thursday came Jewel headed off for the bar, along with the rest of the group in tow. Derek and Carol were riding with Jewel, since neither really wanted to bring their car along.101

“So, excited about the tournament, Jewel?” Derek asked, smiling at the driver.102

“I am... but it's more determination.”103

“Why?” Carol asked lightly from the back seat.104

“Well, I haven't played in the tournament for a while – but Matt and I have a deal... Tonight we'll have our first real game.”105

There was silence for a moment, “But you've played him before in the tournaments... at least you did when you entered last.” Derek said.106

“Sure, but I didn't really stand much of a chance then. I didn't know enough.”107

“And you do now? How?” Derek asked.108

“Practice makes perfect.”109

“Why Matt specifically?” Carol asked suddenly.110

“We had that agreement from the moment he started training me.”111

“When?” Derek and Carol asked at the same time.112

Jewel laughed, “Every night after the tournament, when you guys went home, I hung around until after the finishing match. Matt and I would hang out for two hours or so practicing.”113

“Just your game?”114

“We'd both practice on occasion, but most of the time it was just about my game.” Jewel pulled into a parking spot on the street and killed her car.115

The three sat in the dark for a moment before Derek opened the car door and stepped out. Jewel and Carol followed, silently walking towards the door. Derek opened the door and let the two girls go first, smiling at Jewel as she passed, “Good luck, I guess.”116

Jewel smiled and walked next to him as they went to give their entry fees, “Luck has nothing to do with it... it's up to instinct now.”117

The tournament ran as it always did. Carol had left half way through the tournament in order to finish her homework, and the rest of the group had followed her example to whatever end. Derek was out of the tournament just a few matches before the final one, so he followed Jewel's game up until the end instead of leaving with the rest of them. Jewel held an almost perfect score, except one game against Derek where he had managed to run the table before her turn. She had won the games afterward without fault.118

The final match was against Matt, as she had expected it to be. When it began they smiled at each other. “Guess this is it?”119

Matt nodded, “Guess so... don't let me down, now.”120

Jewel laughed, “You either, I want a real game tonight.”121

They nodded at each other as Matt pulled out a quarter to flip. Jewel called heads... her break. The match was over in less than no time. She ran each table with a grace equal to and almost beyond that of Matt's. At the end of the match Matt gave her a hug, and Derek followed by draping an arm over her shoulder and poking her.122

“So, what next?” He asked.123

Jewel smiled, “Back to life, I suppose.”124

There was a moment of silence as both guys paused in shock, “You're giving it up?” Derek demanded, “That's it? One tournament and you're finished?”125

“But you could go pro...” Matt added.126

Derek's head swivelled to look at Matt strangely before returning to rest his gaze on Jewel.127

Jewel shook her head, “What would the point of that be? Now that I've proven to myself that I can learn, it's time to switch tracks and learn something new.”128

“You're never going to play again? All that secret training and you're still quitting?” Derek asked incredulously.129

Jewel laughed, “I didn't say that. I'll still be coming to the tournaments, and hanging out at the Union on Saturdays... I just don't want to have to dedicate my entire life to it anymore.”130

Again there was silence for a while. But since the tournament was over and there was no scheduled practice afterwards, Matt said his goodbyes and moved towards the door to go home. Derek still stood unbelieving at Jewel's side.131

Jewel jabbed him in the ribs with her finger, “Come on, Derek. Let's go back to the dorms.”132

Shaking his head they headed off towards the exit. Halfway there they were stopped by a guy asking if Derek would be at the track that weekend for dirt-bike racing. Derek promised the guy he'd try to be there before moving off towards the exit again. Jewel had a curious expression on her face as they reached her car.133

“Like what?” Derek asked when they had gotten into the car and turned it on.134

Jewel blinked and looked at him from her seat before backing her car out and heading back to campus. “What do you mean?”135

“You said now that you were done learning how to play pool that you could move on to learn something else... like what?”136

Jewel thought for a moment, stopped at the end of the street and pulled onto the road back home. For a while she was silent, and then she smiled. “How about dirt-bike racing?”137

“Dirt-bike racing!? You want to learn to ride a dirt-bike?” he looked positively shocked.138

Jewel laughed lightly, “I was only kidding...”139

Derek sighed and leaned back in his chair, shaking his head. For a while all was silent, until Jewel spoke quietly.140

“Although... it sounds like it could be fun to ride one...”141

“Jewel!” Derek sat straight up in his seat.142

Jewel laughed at him, but no matter what she said she was unable to convince Derek that she wouldn't actually try and learn to ride a dirt-bike – which made her laugh even longer when she reminded him that he had promised to go to the race that weekend. After all, she might as well go. Who knew what interesting characters she might meet there?143