Momentum

Poems.

I stumble out of the locker room, clutching a pair of leggings against my chest and trying to suppress my laughter. Alex is right on my heels, and the sound of her cleats striking the pavement motivates me to run even faster. Our teammates shoot us confused glances as we rush towards the parking lot, unable to determine what shenanigans we're up to this time.

I glance behind me before making a sharp right. The door of the girls' locker room bursts open, and the silhouette of a girl who can't be more than five feet tall appears in the doorway. She steps outside, and a light mounted on a nearby wall illuminates her furious expression, as well as what Alex and I have done. Ash and Pinoe look at each other with wide eyes and slack jaws, incredulity and amusement captured by each of their expressions.

The person who has stunned them is the one and only Kelly O'Hara. And thanks to her two best friends, she isn't wearing any pants.

"It's too cold for this kind of shit! I'm kicking both of your asses!"

Alex contains her laughter for a moment to whisper, "She'll have to catch us first."

We run until we make it to Alex's car, and I jump into the passenger's seat. As soon the forward is situated behind the wheel, she presses the button on the armrest that locks all four doors. Kelly appears only seconds later and futilely attempts to get inside the vehicle, smoke shooting out of her ears. Most people would be terrified by her vehemence, but Alex and I can't take her seriously when her Spongebob underwear is on display for the whole world to see. We lean over the center console, grabbing at each other and laughing like maniacs.

The two of us only calm down because our sides begin to ache and we need a minute to catch our breath. Kelly stands in front of the hood of the car, her mouth set in a thin line. Alex puts the key in the ignition and turns on the headlights, and it becomes painfully clear that Kelly's thighs are much lighter than her calves. We immediately begin laughing again, unable to control ourselves.

"I really hate you guys."

Alex rolls down the window and hands our friend her leggings. The defender quickly puts them on and hops in the backseat, her anger beginning to dissipate.

"Spongebob underwear?"

Kelly glowers upon hearing Alex's comment. "Shut up. They were on sale."

The forward grins. "Do you guys still want to stop at Shake Shack?"

I nod and look behind me to see what Kelly wants to do.

"Heck yeah. If you guys buy me a Shack Attack, I'll pretend this never happened."

"Deal." Alex adjusts her rearview mirror and  begins to pull out of the parking space. "Buckle up, boys."

I connect my phone to the vehicle's speakers and put on my favorite playlist. I begin to relax and close my eyes as the sound of Jake Luppen's voice washes over me, but I am launched out of my personal nirvana when Alex suddenly hits the brakes. I instinctively sit up and stretch my left arm out, completely alert, but I quickly realize that we are not in any danger. We have yet to leave the parking lot; the gate that Foudy locks once everyone has left remains wide open in front of us. My best friend remains situated in her seat beside me, her physical condition untarnished as she gazes out the window.

"Jesus, Morgan." Kelly rubs the back of her neck, wincing. "Give us a heads-up next time."

Alex ignores her and murmurs, "I think she needs a ride home."

I lean over to see who she's looking at and spot a girl sitting on the curb. My lack of glasses makes it difficult for me distinguish her features, but there is one thing about her that is strikingly clear.