SUNSHINE

one

"How many days left until we're done with this place?" Riley asked as the bell rang for their last class of the day to be done.

"I think about fifty-six of actual class? Don't quote me on that, though." Her best friend Casey answered, walking beside her out of their advanced placement calculus class, a class they both regretted taking but knew it was too late to drop at that point.

"You workin' after practice?" Riley asked as they put their belongings in their lockers before heading to the locker room across the school. They were in their second week of their spring season, their last season playing for the Dragons of Jefferson High School.

"Yeah, six to ten as usual. It shouldn't be too busy tonight, so I'll send you the calc when I finish it." She answered with a wink, knowing for sure that Riley was not going to do the homework.

"Oh, you know me so well." She said as they walked into the locker room to change. They greeted some of the teammates they saw before heading back to the back cages where their lockers were. Casey had to rent out a locker all year due to being a three-sport athlete. This time of year, it was soccer, her favorite sport to play. She was the starting goalkeeper for the Dragons and was ranked one of the best goalkeepers in the state of Florida.

"I'll meet you at the fields." Casey informed as soon as she changed into her shorts and t-shirt. Riley waved her off and she rolled her eyes, grabbing her soccer back and backpack, then grabbing her keys out of the front pocket. She walked out of the locker room and went to the front of the school where the student parking lot. By now, it was deserted, and she was going to be able to get to the field behind the school with ease.

Once she arrived, she was one of the first people there, so she made sure she grabbed the bag of balls and gear back out of the fieldhouse so they did not have to run for not grabbing it. The sun was beaming down on the turf, making it hotter than it really was, but she did not mind. She had lived in Tampa for eighteen years, and she enjoyed the heat and the tan it gave her.

"Casey!" Two voices shouted in unison from behind her, and she whipped her head around as she put her hair up into a messy bun to see who it was.

"Aren't you two supposed to be running?" Casey asked, sitting down on the turf to switch her Nike's out for her cleats. She looked up at Jackson and Daniel, who were two of her best friends.

"Yeah, well, we're supposed to but that's no fun." Daniel piped in, and she rolled her eyes, lifting her arm in the air. Jackson got the gesture and helped her to her feet with ease.

"I'm working tonight if you guys want to come by." She informed, and instantly their eyes lit up.

"Man, I haven't been to the trucks since, probably during surfing season." Jackson said eagerly, then nodded. "Yeah, I'll stop by if I'm getting a discount." He added with a wink, and she just laughed.

"You always do." She answered as more of the team started to show, as well as their coach. "Go, run your little hearts out and I'll see you guys later." She said, shooing them away. She stretched out on her own before they got started with a half lap around the field then going into stretching lines.

"Cas, come here for a sec." Coach Henderson called to her, and she left her leading position in the stretching line and jogged over to where he was.

"Yeah what's up coach?" She asked.

"So I was going to wait to tell you this, but you're captain this year." He informed, and she nodded.

"I have been a captain the last two years." She reminded, and that was when he chuckled.

"I meant, you're the sole captain this year. Lead this team well, Casey." He reworded, and she nodded. "Alright ladies, bring it in!"

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