Winner Takes All

Chapter Nine ✘ Personality Of A Pickle

"She just wants to talk through the daytime,
And I just want it all when the time's right." Moonlight - Chase Atlantic

From the second I step onto the field, I already knew I'm going to love our Coach.

Athena Summers is a blonde, 5'9 thirty year old woman who's the walking definition of a MILF. Well, I don't know if she has kids yet, but if she does, she can be considered one. Seriously, at first glance, you cannot tell that she's thirty. She's as toned as the rest of us, sharp cheekbones and bright green eyes that are strikingly gorgeous, like a cat's.

Once everyone makes a semi circle around her, she gives us a wide pretty grin, asking each of our names one by one. Coach Summers already knows most of us by face and name, having looked through our profiles when we were recruited. While Coach runs through everyone else's names, I take the opportunity to look around at my to-be teammates. There's eleven of us, some girls clearly seniors. Maya and Malia are here as well, standing adjacent to me. They throw me a smile in greeting, which I return.

"Alright girls, now that we know each other, let's start with a friendly match. I'll divide you guys up into two, and we'll play a good old match just for me to see y'all in action. All good?" Coach Summers says, looking around at all of us as she speaks.

"Yes coach!"

Thirty gruelling minutes later, we collapse on the grass, panting our lungs out. Between the match, we were introduced to our assistant coach and trainer, Coach Raye. Right now, she and Coach Summers are pouring over a clipboard, jotting stuff down as we're given a water break. I'm gulping down my bottle of water when I suddenly notice a couple of people sitting on the bleachers a few feet away from us. My eyes zero in, and I immediately recognise the familiar handsome faces. Jace and his friends.

They're all in basketball kits, sweaty and dishevelled, probably right after practice. The basketball court is right next to the field, separated by a net, but I didn't notice them earlier. Jace is resting his elbows on the bleachers behind him, his toned arms in full display, glistening with sweat under the sun. I notice a few of the girls looking over to him, and judging by the slight smirk on his face, he notices too.

That guy knows he's attractive.

Too bad he has a personality of a pickle.

Jace's piercing green eyes catch mine, and he raises his eyebrows mockingly. I opt for a dramatic eye roll before diverting my attention back to the team. Coach Summers steps forward and clears her throat. The girls are scattered around the grass in close proximity, so she begins to walking around between us as she starts to talk.

"So, ladies." Coach begins, crossing her arms across her chest. "You all played very well. Good work, it's comforting to know that we have some good talent this year. However, we have a problem, this is important so listen up. Usually, the girl's soccer team has its own unit and facility. Last season, a pipe burst in the building, and it's been shut down since. Unfortunately, with budget cuts, and a few internal problems, we can no longer use the facility."

Everyone lets out disheartening mumbles in response.

"Yes, I know. Our team absolutely flocked last season due to various reasons, and the board does not see a point of putting work into a team that cannot land sponsors." Coach's jaw tightens, as if speaking about this pains her. "So, this time, we better bust our asses to prove that we can make our marks, and make some proper changes around here. And that means training hard, scoring win after win under our belts, and reaching finals."

We're all hanging on to her every word, the only sound other than Coach Summer's voice being the late evening wind rustling through.

"I'll explain the process of games just to clarify and make it clear. First, we play regionals, against other colleges in the state. If we succeed through those, we will be qualified for the NCAA games, where we will be going against colleges across the country. It's not an easy task, but with the right work, we can definitely pull it off. If we win finals, we prove every damn person wrong, attract sponsors and investors, and prove to the board that we're capable of doing the work." Coach pauses to tuck a stand of hair behind her ear.