The one with the debut.

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If you asked Parker if she had any rituals before a game, any superstitions, she'd say no.

If you ask one of Parker's team mates if she has any rituals or superstitions, they'd say 'god yes'.

She's just finished banging her shoes after getting her sock height the perfect length, just to her mid calf with grey tape around her ankles. Always grey tape. She'd had her AirPods in for the last 30 minutes playing the same songs that she played before every game. If they lose, she adds a new song, obviously the universe needed a shake up. She sat there and mumbled along to the same songs every game, Fozzy, Kanye west, Imagine Dragons, Doja Cat, Post Malone, NF, Kendrick, Nirvana, the same every time, not in shuffle mode, she had to listen to the playlist. She took her hair down before putting it back up for a second time before tying a band around her hair, tapping it twice. Once they got the call, she put her AirPods back and paused the playlist, not taking in anything else on the phone. She'd seen the 'good luck' text from Hailee a few hours before, it ignited a fire inside of her. This wasn't just the first time these fans were gonna see her play, it's the first time she's going to see her play. Parker wants to show her she's capable of something other than babbling on.

As she approached the pitch, she turns her back towards the field  and walks backwards before forming an okay sign with her right hand and tapping it against her thigh twice, a signal she's had with her dad since she was a kid, telling him she feels good. That his little girl feels okay.

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The game continued as 0-0, both teams coming close, but neither able to get the ball into the back of the net. Gotham FC had a corner and Parker was worried, her team were definitely at a heigh disadvantage, her being the tallest on the team, and all of Gotham's main opportunities had came from set pieces. She went to make her way into the box but Christen, who was hovering around the half way like, ready to break quickly, shouted her to get her attention.

"Park! On the box!" She yelled. Parker followed her instructions as she me definitely the more seasoned player and moved so she was on the outskirts of the box. Gotham took the corner, but one of the defenders managed to get a head on it after wrestling in the box. Parker watched the ball in the air as it was dropping as she moved herself into a better position. She allowed it to go over her head after glancing behind her, seeing the opposition is a good distance from her. As it came down she stuck her foot out and got good contact, the ball coming to a stop in front of her. She seen Christen start her run with her woman following her step for step. Parker used the outside of her foot to move the ball more in front of her before taking off, allowing her powerful legs to pick up speed as she ran past the halfway line. She kept the ball close to her feet, knowing one of the players on Christen will come to her at some point. As she got into the final third, the player left Christen and took up a position to challenge Parker. Parker quickly stepped over the ball one foot after the other before using the outside of her left foot to knock the ball through the defenders legs and running around them. She glanced up and watched Christen make a run into the box, trying to time it to stay onside. She looked at the ball before pulling her right foot back and putting her boot through the ball. She slowed her run to a jog and watched the ball in the air, landing right at Christen's feet. Christen didn't waste her chance and hit the ball, arms going up as it drifted into the top left corner.

Parker smiled before she followed Christen who was running to the corner flag. As she reached the older woman, Christen pulled her into a hug as their other team mates joined them. "C'mon, we keep going!" Christen shouted as she clapped her hands, willing her team to dig in.

In the 82nd minute was when the referee started to lose control of the game.

Parker was on the ball on the edge of the final third, glancing around her looking for an open pass. The only pass she had was the right back who had made their way up the touch line. She passed the ball but didn't see the Gotham player who had already committed to the tackle. The next thing Parker felt was someone's boot colliding with the side of her calf, she felt every stud go into the muscle, knowing straight away their boot was up. The defender slid through her, taking out both of Parker's legs. She fell to the floor at the force of the dangerous tackle, it didn't necessarily hurt, but it could have, it was a thoughtless tackle which she's seen break many legs before.

You're my captain. (Hailee Steinfeld)Where stories live. Discover now