Dangerous Play

10 » game day (i)

Saturday morning dawned bright and clear. Finn squinted against the sunlight as he stood beside his teammates, rubbing sunscreen across his face, especially his nose. Abby and his parents sat on the sideline on the other side of the field.

That morning had been rather chaotic. While their family always made an effort to attend each and every one of his and Abby's games, the twins usually drove themselves out of convenience, as warmups began at least an hour before the actual game. Today, however, their parents had insisted on driving both of them. Since Finn's game was an hour and a half earlier than Abby's, that meant that she had to be ready for her game at the same time as him, something she was clearly not happy about. Then again, considering the fact that she took her sweet time getting ready and nearly made him late for his first game of the season, Finn wasn't thrilled with her either.

The one bright side of their rushed morning was that it had provided him with a distraction from the rumors swirling around all day yesterday. By the time they reached the soccer complex, his annoyance—with Abby, with the Sayeds, with himself—had dissipated into nervous energy. He tugged at the hem of his navy and light blue striped Sporting Academy jersey self-consciously. The action didn't go unnoticed by his sister, who shared the backseat of their dad's SUV with him. "Nervous?"

"A little bit," he admitted. "How are you feeling?"

She shrugged. "I'll be okay."

Their mom turned around from the passenger seat to smile at her children. "You both are going to be incredible today! I can't believe it's already your last first game of club soccer. Where did the time go?"

"Lots of last first things coming this year," Finn said.

"I know, but... my babies are growing up!"

"Don't worry, Mom," Abby said, with a devilish grin. "Finn will always be a baby." He shot her a dirty look but secretly appreciated the fact that it managed to put him slightly more at ease.

Finn wasn't sure where the nerves came from—he hadn't felt this way since he first tried out to play for his current club, Sporting Academy, the best of youth soccer in Kansas City. Then again, this entire season was tantamount to a tryout for college soccer. There was no guarantee that the UVA reps would even see this game, but he wanted to be on his A-game regardless.

Their dad pulled the car into the parking lot. He slid out of the car and grabbed his bag, setting off toward the field marked with the number 1. His teammates greeted him cheerfully as he sat down and laced up his cleats.

Warmups passed in a flash. Before he knew it, Coach was calling out the roster, sending him to his usual position as center-back. He and Kieran grinned at each other as they headed to the middle of their half of the field, Kieran taking up his spot in front of Finn as a center midfielder. Behind him, Finn heard Maddox pounding his gloves together in anticipation.

Finn bounced on the balls of his feet as the other team positioned themselves, relishing the feel of the turf beneath his cleats. The dewy morning lent a slight chill to the air and a dampness to the ground that sparkled in the weak sunlight. Prime playing conditions; bright, but not too hot, and comfortably cool without too much wind. Adrenaline began pumping through his veins, burning the last of his nerves away. This was his game.

The shrill tweet of the referee's whistle cut through the air. Immediately, his mind blocked out all other thoughts besides a laser-like focus on the game. He watched as Jamal, one of their forwards, collided with a boy on the other team, coming away victorious with the ball.

"Everyone UP!" he shouted, jogging forward to push the defensive line father upfield.

To his right, Cairo mock saluted the command. "Aye, aye, Captain!" Though he was rarely serious, on or off the field, Finn knew the sandy-haired kid was a force to contend with. He was nimble and steady, two traits that served him well as an outside back. Not to mention, his powerful crosses had helped the team score more than its fair share of goals.