Scoring The Coach ✔️

chapter eight

Chapter Eight

There is no greater feeling than the thrill of the game. As the adrenaline pulsed through my thirsty veins, I felt more ready than I ever had in my entire life. It was a sensation I had come to love, standing under the goal post waiting for the shot to come.

I was back on the field like I'd been for a couple of weeks. There was the familiar smell of sweat and grass. We were soundtracked by the sound of the referees blowing whistles and crowds cheering incomprehensibly. Playoffs had come as quick as a wink. I kept busy with my jam-packed AP schedule and the practices where I nearly pushed my body to the breaking point.

The one thing I couldn't shake was the way Jared and I interacted—if you could call it interacting. We only ever talked when I needed to be directly addressed. It was like being invisible for the most part. Every time I felt the weight of his gaze fall on me and shift, the knot in my stomach grew tighter and heavier. I wanted him to look at me and not feel wrong about it, but I knew such wishes were impractical.

I knew scouts were sitting on the sidelines and their eyes were on me. I had managed to block all but one goal up until this point. We were leading, and all we had to do was win this to head to Championships.

Championships were my favorite part of the season. It consisted of two teams from our entire district coming together to battle it out for the cup and never ceased to be exhilarating.

I blocked the next goal, chest heaving as I gulped in another lungful of air.

We had a few minutes left before we could win the game. That alone was enough to send my heart slamming into my ribs. This was what I had worked for all season. I knew that somewhere out there was a scout for my dream college. I had to impress everyone.

When I looked over at the sidelines and saw Jared, he didn't look away. Instead, he watched me as he mouthed, "You've got this."

His words sparked automatic motivation as I braced myself for the next incoming goal. It was obvious the girls were exhausted, but neither side was about to give in. This game was just too important.

There were mere seconds on the clock as the ball went flying at me. All it took was a small dive, my hands catching the edge before it could get inside the net. My knees hit the grass, staining green, but I didn't care.

Time was up. We won. We were going to the Championship game.

I leaped to my feet and started sprinting to where Risa was standing, throwing my arms around her despite both of us being sweaty and smelly. Shea joined in not two seconds later, Gen close behind.

"We're going to Championships!" Risa squealed, throwing a triumphant fist in the air.

I grinned so wide I was sure my face might split open. "Hell yeah, we are!"

Obligatory, sweaty handshakes were exchanged with the opposing team before we headed back to our side of the field. I was tired, perspiring, and horribly thirsty, but none of those were a concern.

Before I even realized what I was doing, I threw my arms around Jared, barely tall enough to rest my chin on his shoulder. I half-expected him to shove me away, but he squeezed me just as hard as I did him, his hands resting just above my hips.

"Good job out there," he murmured.

When I realized we'd been hugging a tad too long for it to be appropriate, I let go, face red from both the temperature and my blushing. He turned to address the other girls, trying to smooth over the embrace as though it were meaningless. I wasn't offended by it. It was necessary.