Soccer Girl

Chapter 5-Lost With New Chances

"I don't really know. I have stuff to do at home and-" I start but I'm cut off by the lad.

"Come on! It'll be fun!" I sigh. How much harm could a drink do? A whole lot, stupid.

"Fine. One drink and that's it." Finn and I meet up at Marcus's Big Ford pick-up. I climb in the passengers seat and Jack, Finn, and Olly clamber into the back.

"So, big game tomorrow, everyone excited?" I ask, trying to make conversation, only to be met with an awkward silence.

"Am I missing something?" Honestly, you could cut the tension with a knife. "Common guys. Spit it out."

"Our last captain, Chance McGregor switched out last year and is at Northridge." So it was jealousy they felt. All the better. It will make for a good game.

"So? It'll make for a great game. Competition makes you work harder." Marcus's grip tightened on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white.

"See, you weren't here when he was so I don't expect you to fully understand how much losing him affected the team. He plays for the Olympic Development Program. He was our strongest player and he brought us together as a real team. He was our leader and our friend." realization dawned on me. That name. I KNOW that name!

"Chance McGregor! I remember him. I trained with him for a couple of years when he first started ODP. He was a scrawny little kid back then. Barely 5 foot." I smiled, remembering his sunny blond hair and his sky blue eyes.

"Really? It makes sense that you'd play for ODP too." Nods Olly.

The rest of the car ride was filled with loud chatter, discussing girls and who had the best 'rack'.

"You lads are pathetic." I frown when they start to discuss my 'perky, grapefruit sized breasts' .

"It's okay! You have great tits and any guy would be lucky to have them." Said Jack, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Pedophile." The conversation ended abruptly as we pulled into the gravel parking lot surrounding a small white building. It looked like an old fashioned ice-cream shop with one big window and a few signs listing the types of daiquiri options there are. Finn helps me out of the tall truck and we walk over to the window to place our orders.

"Looks like the slut is here." I look around to see the blonde girl from the locker room sitting on Rivers lap and the rest of the cheerleaders salivating over the rest of my team mates. I can't help but roll my eyes and bite my tongue from making the obvious remark that if anyone's a slut here, it's her. I walk up to the guy behind the counter, an older gent with grey hairs at his temples, and order my drink, pulling out my money but he shakes his head no, handing me my drink.

"Drinks are on the house for you sweet-cheeks. Girls can be mean." I flush a little red and give him a big smile.

"Thanks. I tell him, putting a 10 dollar note in the tip jar. I walk over to where Jack, Finn, Olly, and Marcus are. Jack and Finn make a space in between them for me on one of the whitewashed benches and I sit down, causing half of the table to fall silent. Can you guess which half of the table? I look down, sipping on my drink quietly.

"SO. Sam. I noticed you made friends with Maddie?" The blonde asks me a hint of grit in her high southern draw.

"Um, do I know you?" I ask her.

"Well no, I guess not but-" she started but I cut her off.

"Then why would you need to know?"

"Ooo, kill em."Jack mumbled in my ear. I ignored him but cocked an eyebrow at the blonde whose face was quite red.

"It was just a question, no need to be a bitch about it" said Harvey. Great, now I have both the slag AND the wanker on my back.

"How's the nose Harvey?" asks Marcus. Harvey flipped him the bird and went back to hungrily snogging the pants of the blonde.

"You know. I still don't know her name." I tell The boys. But when is say the boys, I mean Jack, Finn, Marcus, and Olly.

"Her name's Stacey Ridgeway. Her and Harvey are fuc-erm, having sex."says Jack

"She's the same one from the cafeteria the other day" adds Finn.

"I quite like slag better, it's a lot more fitting." The boys nod, pretending to know what a slag is. I guess with the context it isn't very hard to figure out. I finished my drink before the rest of the boys and rested my chin on my hands, barely listening to their conversation.

"Want me to drive you home Sammy?" Whispers Marcus.

"Oh no, I'll walk. besides it's not that dark out and I only like a few blocks from here." Marcus looks at me quizzically but shakes his head.

"Bye lads, slags and wankers." I wave at the boys and nod at the rest of the table and start off down the street. After a few minutes of walking the gravel road gave way to a cobble stone: I had found the town square. On both sides of the street little shops and restaurants crowded with shoppers. Four roads lead to a huge grassy area, filled with glistening water fountains, a stage with a jazz band playing music and little booths selling popcorn, physic readings, roasted almonds, ice cream and old fashion lemonade. In my distracted haste to get out of the way of traffic I run into a tall boy. I look up to see blond hair covered by a beanie, telltale sky blue eyes, and an unlit cigarette dangling from pale pink lips. A t-shirt stretched over a broad chest and black skinny jeans with holes in the knees.

"Damn you've gotten tall." Is the first thing to come out of my mouth.

"Sammy" He sounded surprised, "Yeah. nearly six foot three inches, you've grown up quite a bit too." his smile revealed perfectly straight teeth, void of the braces he had once had.

"Wow. I'd heard that you were living in Northridge but I did expect to see you until tomorrow night."

"Wait. You play for Saint Mikes? When did they get a girls team back together?" He asked, a look of confusion crossing his face .

"Um, we didn't. I'm playing on the boys team."

"Damn. Who's the captain of the team now?"

"That's what we're deciding tonight at coaches house." He bobs his head in an agreeing fashion.

"Cool. I'm thinking of switching back over to Saint Mikes, my dads job is moving him back this way and I think it will be happening soon. We should hang out sometime. You know, since you live so close by and all." He's switching back to St.Mikes? The boys hadn't said anything about that.

"Yeah...Yeah that sounds good." We exchanged numbers and he starts to walk away.

"Hey Chance?" I call before he can get to far.

"Yeah?" He turns around, halting in front on bypassers, causing them to break around him like a river would seperate around a boulder.

"Do you happen to know where Coach Mathers lives?"