Dangerous Play

11 » game day (ii)

Felicity elbowed me as I finished stretching. "Hey, is that Kieran sitting with your family?"

I peered across the field, shielding my eyes from the bright sunlight. Sure enough, I could just make out a dark head of hair on the turf beside my brother's shock of ginger hair. "Huh. I guess it is." When Coach Walker wasn't looking, I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text.

Abby: what are u doing here?

Kieran: supporting my gf, duh

Abby: *fake* gf

Abby: seriously, u don't have to stay if u don't want to

Kieran: who said I don't want to? maybe I just want to watch you play ;)

Coach Walker turned around, and I shoved my phone back into my bag. Not that I would've known what to say in response, anyway. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

"...Tesfaye and McMahon, you're up top." With a start, I realized that I'd missed most of our starting lineup, having tuned back in at the sound of my name. I glanced up to find Coach pointing at Zala and me.

I scrambled to my feet, hoping my momentary lapse in attention had gone unnoticed. Zala, a gorgeous Ethiopian girl who usually played as my fellow forward, gave me a knowing smile, but thankfully didn't say anything. Not for the first time, I found myself envying her perpetually smooth, russet brown complexion. Especially the fact that she didn't need to slather on sunscreen every time she went outside.

The sun was high in the sky as I jogged out to the center circle and prepared for the kick-off. Curse my father's Irish heritage—I would definitely be developing some new freckles today. The day had gotten significantly hotter since we'd first arrived here, but a gentle breeze provided a sliver of relief from the unrelenting sunlight.

I bounced on the balls of my feet and exhaled. This team, Legends FC, was notorious for playing dirty and trying to juke their way around every player. For the next hour and a half, nothing else mattered except what happened on the field. No distractions. I shook my head, clearing my mind like an Etch-a-Sketch as the referee prepared to start the game.

As soon as the whistle blew, I tapped the ball forward to Zala, who sent it backwards to Felicity, back on defense. Felicity held the ball for a few moments as a forward on the other team rushed toward her. Just before the forward could reach her, she fired off a neat pass to Tess, a brown-haired girl who played right fullback. With one touch, Tess sent the ball to one of our center midfielders as we prepared to go on offense.

The ball ended up at Rose's feet, out in left midfield. With one look from her, I knew it was coming to me next. The defender guarding me tensed in anticipation, only half a step behind me as I rushed forward. I turned and received the pass, shielding the ball with my body. The defender elbowed me roughly in an attempt to gain possession. I didn't appreciate being pushed, and I certainly wasn't about to let her get away without retaliating. I crooked my elbow and jabbed at her ribs, making sure the ref couldn't see what I was doing. She grunted and took a step back to steady herself, neon green cleats flashing. Her momentary distraction was all I needed. I whirled around, shifting the ball to my right foot as I darted around and in front of her.

Unfortunately, her delay had provided enough time for backup to arrive. Three other players now stood between the goal and me. While I was fairly confident that I could shake a couple of them, there was no guarantee that I would maintain possession long enough to shoot on goal. The game had just begun; no need for risky maneuvers yet.

I spun and sent the ball back to one of our center midfielders, a girl named Olivia. Her glossy ponytail swayed as she received the pass. That girl's hair belonged in a shampoo commercial. It was long and pin-straight, sleek sheets of black hair that looked so much more manageable than my wild mane. She scanned the field, looking for an open teammate.