Mark My Words

36 | Last Shot

Ray broke away from her offender, who used her elbow to box Ray in, blocking her from the ball. They skirted around one another until Ray spun around them and raced to intercept the ball as the Lion kicked it back, intending to circle it around to her left foot. Ray skidded between the ball's destination and where it left the girl's cleats for a split second.

She deflected it, kicking it with the outside of her shoe towards the sideline. The Lion that was on her was back by then, though, and both of their cleats tagged the ball and sent it popping into the air. Alyssa flung forward, foot out, and kicked it midair out of the sideline. It arced towards the field and rolled down the sideline, away from their goal and in front of the Lion's benches.

The squabble ended there, though, because #18 hooked it away from the sideline and sent the ball jetting across the field to the opposite side of the goal where their teammate curved it towards the penalty box.

For a split second, Rosalie was convinced that Joanna was going to do something when a Lion geared up for the kick. Joanna moved as if to block, gloves out, but she dove for the wrong side.

As if she ever dove for the wrong side.

"Bullshit!" Brynn seethed, throwing her fists down. From down the line, Rosalie saw Jordan slap a hand to her face, and Coach clasp a hand to her mouth.

Rosalie stepped around Brynn and started for Coach Maguire. Jordan looked up as she approached and jabbed a finger in the goal's direction.

"You know she did that on purpose," Rosalie seethed. "Put me in."

"You know I—"

"You shouldn't, but you can," she insisted. She clenched her eyes shut, let out a frustrated groan before opening them once again. Begging it was. "You know I wouldn't have missed practice unless something bad happened. I've only missed practice once in the past three years."

Coach stared at her, shocked, and Rosalie only then thought to wonder if she ever would have talked to Coach like this if it weren't for the fact that Joanna was being a bratty shithead.

Jordan looked between them as Rosalie maintained eye contact and went so far as to clasp her hands in front of her. All she needed was to get down on her knees and ask for God's forgiveness, and an ounce of empathy in Coach.

"We're two points behind on Adams. It's gonna take the whole game even now to catch up," Rosalie insisted.

Coach narrowed her eyes. She looked out at the field, to where Joanna was the center of the team's collective stink-eye. Alyssa looked like she was about to have an aneurism, and she gestured in Coach's direction to do something with Joanna. At last, Coach sighed and waved the ref over before the next kickoff.

Rosalie dropped her hands, her jaw going with it. She let out a relieved sigh, but it just sent her entire body quaking with the thrill of going out there again. The worry, the anxiety of being under even more pressure now.

Coach pointed to Juliana, who all but hopped and skipped away from centerfield to meet with the ref and Rosalie on the sideline. Juliana beamed at Rosalie, bouncing on her feet as they readied for the swap. Rosalie smiled weakly, her nerves leading to a wary look in Joanna's direction. She wished she could tell whether or not Joanna was going to follow through with their original deal.

I never accepted her new one, she reminded herself, hoping that was enough to keep Joanna from playing like a regular goalie. She wanted Joanna to do her best, even if it cost her Seattle.

As she jogged to centerfield, she scanned the audience, grinning when she heard Sami's voice among the shouts accompanying her arrival to the field. She distinctly heard Dylan Cox screaming, "KICK THEIR ASSES, MASON!" from where he stood down the bench from Sami and Isaiah. Ashton elbowed him in the ribs to shut him up.