Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
~AMELIA~
Kansas City is a must-win game. Coach Watts might want to come up with a new narrative when he’s talking to us about this, I think to myself.
He’s been droning on and on in the team room before warm-ups.
Jase has taken a turn or two chiming in, as has Andie.
I almost want to shout We get it! But I don’t.
I’m more respectful than that. I’ve been on edge all day today.
I’m trying to chalk it up to game day jitters.
But I don’t think that’s it.
DJ has been staring at Dex and talking about him to anyone who will listen.
She hasn’t said much to me yet. But we usually pair up for warm-up for our long kicks, so I’m guessing it’s coming.
Cassie has also been acting weird. I heard she had dinner with him and Jase at the Backwoods that night.
I’m assuming he said something, but she won’t tell me what it is.
And when I ask I get “Why do you care?” and a giggle.
No matter how many times that I tell her that I do not care, she still seems to grin all-knowingly at me.
I think something was said, but Cassie’s not going to spill if Dex told her not to.
She’s a vault like that. A quality I usually love about her but right now it’s driving me mad.
Ever since the night in the kitchen, I notice him more.
In the house, at the fields. My eyes always manage to find him in a crowd, whether I knew I was looking for him or not.
I look over and see him standing off to the side.
He’s staring down at his phone, not even listening, although I’m not sure this speech is not so much for him.
As if he can read my thoughts, he looks up in my direction and he smiles at me.
I feel that smile from my head to my toes; my body lights up with warmth at the simplest gesture.
I wink at him and for a split second I wonder if it was too much.
He winks right back and my cheeks flush.
Sure, I may have winked first but the returning gesture means so much more to me.
Dex, grinning, points to the front of the room and mouths “Pay attention.”
I nod but keep watching him. His eyes are locked on mine too. It’s not until I hear Hendrix clear her throat behind me that I snap my eyes forward. I hear Hendrix take a step forward.
“Something you want to share with me?” I hear her ask.
“Nothing really to share. That’s the first time that has happened,” I admit.
“I’m liking this new development.” I can hear the smile in her voice.
“There’s no new development,” I reply.
“Shh,” I hear Cassie say from in front of me.
“Well, it’s something,” Hendrix replies.
That ends our conversation, and we get to the part of the pep talk where Coach Watts wants us to get fired up. Thankfully, that wraps the pep talk for today.
“What’s with you? I could practically hear your irritation in that room,” Hendrix asks me as we make our way out to the pitch.
I shrug. “I don’t know, he’s not saying anything that hasn’t been mentioned before, I guess.”
She looks at me a beat longer. “Does this have anything to do with the fact that you have to go and kick around with DJ right now?”
I shake my head. “No, I like DJ.”
“You’d like her to stay away from Dex,” she teases.
“Whatever,” I say, ending our conversation and heading out to where my circle is stretching and getting ready for the game.
“You okay?” DJ asks.
Of course, my annoyance is noticeable by everyone, and DJ is the last one that I want to piss off because she didn’t do anything wrong. She is just a girl who asked out a guy. And it’s not like I even have any claim on Dex.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I think it’s the anticipation of this game. I want it to start,” I lie, hoping that she buys it.
“I get it. I’m a little nervous too,” she admits with a shrug.
“It’s going to be fine. We’re ready for this.”
“We need this for the playoff, remember,” she replies, not sounding convinced.
“This is why I would like them to stop talking about this game so much; he’s getting in everyone’s heads.” I shake my head. “Now, let’s go warm up and get ready for it.”
DJ and I are kicking the ball back and forth, and I notice she keeps staring over in Dex’s direction. One time she even misses my pass because she’s so distracted. I sigh and wait for her to retrieve the ball.
“Amelia!” Dex calls my name from across the pitch. “Can you come here a second?”
“Give me one second,” I tell DJ. I see the disappointment in her eyes, but I ignore it as I jog over to him. “What’s up?” I ask when I get there.
“Just wanted to check in on you and make sure your knee was feeling alright.” There’s a smile on his face and his green eyes are shining as he waits for me to respond.
“Yeah, I’m good. I told you that I would come and find you if I needed anything.
I don’t think she did any permanent damage.
You gave me some really good stretches that have been really loosening me up.
It’s great that you’re here and you don’t need to check on me.
I know you’re here and I’m in good hands. ” I blush at my choice of words.
“Well, you see, that’s kind of my job, to check on you.” He winks at me quickly and then looks back at the field. “Please do me a favor and don’t go down today.”
I nod and say, “I’ll try not to.”
“Thank you,” he says. His eyes are back on mine and I flush under his scrutiny, “Now you better get back out there.”
My eyes flash to the ground and back at him, I shift my weight from foot to foot. “I guess I better. Big game and all.”
“I’ve heard that somewhere.” He chuckles and I laugh along with him.
“Yeah, I think I have too.”
“West! You okay? Need the trainer or something?” Coach Watts comes jogging on over to us.
“I was checking on her knee. Making sure that everyone was okay before we get underway,” Dex informs him. “You know, since she took that fall and all.”
“Thanks, I appreciate you taking the time to check in with girls.” Watts beams at him before walking away to check on the other groups of girls who are warming up.
“He likes you,” I tell him.
He shrugs. “I think it’s nice for him to have a full-time trainer. Lucas is a little green, you know.”
“He sure is.” I rock on my heels. “Well, I better get back to it.”
“You better.”
We watch each other for a moment before Dex says, “Go get ’em, West.”
“Thanks!” I call over my shoulder as I head back to DJ.
She doesn’t ask me anything about our encounter and I don’t share.
I keep on warming up and getting my head on right for game day.
Because if I’m being honest, I’m nervous for this game, and all the reminders from the hit that almost took me out were not helping.
We’re in the forty-second minute and the score is still zero to zero.
It’s not for lack of trying either. Mac has been a force up front; charging towards the goal and getting some good shots off.
Their keeper is amazing and stopping every shot we put up.
The key is to keep on firing because the more offensive pressure we get up there the better.
If we keep doing that we might actually pull off a win or maybe even a tie.
Their offense hasn’t made its way across the half much. Our defense has been on lock today.
My lungs burn as I move to cut the angle of the forward that is coming towards me.
She shoots the ball forward, probably thinking that she can get past me, but I get to the ball first, sending it up and over to DJ, where she should send it up.
DJ misses a step, and the ball ends up rolling back a bit.
And of course, Meg from Kansas City is there and waiting to take advantage of this little mishap.
She kicks the ball and is heading back towards Hendrix, firing a shot off.
But Hendrix pulls off a hell of a diving save, flinging her body onto the ground and grabbing the ball tightly to her chest. The striker who was running hard to her can’t stop, there’s too much momentum behind her steps.
She trips and falls over Hendrix’s body. But Henny remains in control the ball.
“Let’s be smart here, people!” she calls out as she look around before punting the ball up the field.
I want to call back an apology, but I don’t. Instead, I decide that I have to work that much harder to keep the ball away from her. Or from that mistake happening again.
The whistle sounds and that’s the end of the first forty-five minutes.
“We have another half, people. Let’s focus on that,” I hear Mac calling out as we’re walking into the tunnel.
“Yeah, another half,” I grumble to myself as I head into the team room, where there will be more pep talks, which I hate. I want to be left to my devices to get myself locked in for the next half.
“Keep your heads up and hearts in this game! It is not over yet!” Coach Watts calls out as he gives us our halftime talk. I listen but keep my head down.
Jase calls to me. “Get your head up. It was one pass, and it wasn’t quite hard enough. She could have stepped, you could have stepped a bit or given it more power. We could sit here and say could have should have all night long but that’s going to get you subbed out of the game.”
I look over at him and smile. “Thank you for that.” He may be the goalie coach, but he always makes time for the other players. I appreciate it in times like now that even though he’s the goalie coach, he plainly saw how my fuck-up has affected me.
“You’re welcome. Now get the fuck out of your head. Next play, move on.” He pats me on the back and joins the rest of the coaching staff.
I nod and keep repeating his words to myself. “Next play, move on,” I say over and over again until it’s time to come out on the pitch.
The mantra works - maybe a little too well. I play a little too aggressively and end up slide tackling a Kanas City player that I don’t recognize. Even I know it’s questionable. I’m watching the ref with wide eyes, waiting to see if he’s going to card me.
“She did that on purpose. No way that was clean!” I hear the Kansas City coach yell.
“Fuck,” I say under my breath as I await the verdict.
“Don’t make me tell you again.” The ref points his finger at me and jogs away.
I nod and get ready to defend the free kick.
Thankfully, it does not result in a goal.
But when the end of the match comes, neither team has scored.
We haven’t lost but we haven’t won either.
Coach Watts was really looking for a win, and we couldn’t deliver.
I try to console myself by saying that I stopped a goal by taking her out.
But I’m not sure how much I actually believe that.
I listen to the pep talk on autopilot and Hendrix has to pat me on the shoulder to get me to move.
“Come on, let’s get cleaned up and get on the bus. Apparently, it’s pizza in the hotel lobby before we hit the hay.”
I nod. It’s what Watts usually does when we don’t win or tie, and have an early flight. He keeps it a low-key night and makes sure we get a hot meal.
“Sounds like a plan. Maybe I’ll take a slice to my room,” I tell her.
“Oh no, you won’t. Everyone stays out there, and I won’t let you wallow. That was a badass tackle. If not a little questionable. But you did a good job.” She pats me on the shoulder. “Now chin up.”
“Yes ma’am.” I salute her as I make my way to my locker. It’s time to get ready to get out of here. I’m all for that.