Girl of Fire and Shadow

Chapter Six

"JUMP, PARKER, AND stay on your player!" Ms Miller shouted from the sideline, whistle poised halfway to her lips.

I ducked when the ball shot my way. Not an ideal move for somebody hoping to be put on a netball team, but maybe my incident with the soccer ball last week had scarred me.

"Contact, Wing Defence. Watch those arms, Pierce," Ms Miller warned when I careened into Jac Ophel, but mercifully, did not blow the whistle.

The ball got passed out of my quarter and I nearly fell to my knees in gratitude. The baby hairs at my temples were dripping wet. Ella liked to repeat the old saying, 'men perspire, women glow.' Well, I was glowing alright. Glowing like a freaking red traffic light.

Jade and Ella battled it out in the goal circle. I'd learned early on that the tall girls always played in shooter or shooter defence. Short girls, i. e. me, were tossed into centre court, reduced to the role of watching and cheering from the quarter line as Jade snatched the ball from our Centre and lined up for a shot.

Her knees bent, straightened, and the ball flew from her fingertips. It landed on the edge of the ring ad teetered. Everybody held their breath until I couldn't tell whether we were the ones standing still, or time itself. Little overdramatic for a scratch match, but that was how it felt.

Maybe it wasn't time, but the ball, because it seemed as though it had paused right there on the ring's edge. The team stared up at it, but I was focused on Jade. Her fingers were twitching, dancing. It was then that a something—not quite a shadow, more like a shadow of a shadow—swept over the netball. As though it had been jolted by a breeze, it fell through the net.

Ms Miller blew the whistle and we ran in for a huddle. On the way, I saw Ella pinch Jade on the arm.

"Cheater," she said, not with a lot of malice, but enough to make my own nerves unsteady.

"Yeah," Jac added, coming up behind them. "No cheating, that's what Mum said. You were so obvious about it."

Jade shrugged. "So Parker can do it at the soccer game, but I can't here?"

"The soccer thing doesn't count—"

"Whatever. If you dob me in, Jac, I'll shave your eyebrows in your sleep."

The conversation wasn't meant for my ears, but I drifted toward them anyway. They shut up as soon as I approached, and I presented my best attempt at nonchalance. "Good game," I said.

"You did great," Ella assured me, wiping her forehead. Not that she needed to. Unlike the rest of us, she really did glow.

"Your goal was amazing, Jade," I continued. "For a second there, I could have sworn it was going to miss." There was no doubt about it. It was the soccer game all over again.

Jade simply tossed her head. "It's all in the wrist."

Training ended, and I was officially a member of Redwood Grammar's senior squad, but I couldn't bring myself to celebrate. There was much more occupying my mind.

The boys were sitting in the stands, out esteemed water bottle and bag holders. When Ms Miller released us, we made our way over, and Xander handed me my bottle with bright eyes. "Good news?"

"You're looking at our new WA." Ella waved her hands at me like I was a product in an infomercial. "Told you she'd be fine."

"On ya," he said, but his attention was aimed less at me and more toward his girlfriend's booty shorts.

"We'll go to the uniform shop today and pick up your dress," Jade said, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "You'll love it, Park, they're super cute."

How were they doing it? Talking as if nothing had happened on the court? I wanted to asked about it right then, no subtle comments, but the girls were already heading for the changerooms.

Later, I told myself. Later, you'll make them tell you. 

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