Linksshifter II

A Path Between The Waves - ~~

Jordyn shook her head. "No, I got work today – Campbell's been on holiday, cycling around the north coast for something, and they've me on extra shifts. I do want to come and help, but I guess the plants at the home center won't just grow by themselves. But –" and she smiled a devious smile, skating around in front of Sonali, between her and the classroom door "– if you're rowing with your parents, then after, if you're feeling down, you can come round mine and –"

"For the last time, that time I let you pet me was three years ago, and I did it only because I did not know what you were on about with it. I am no let you pet me again, no if you're goany be weird about it, an you are going to be weird about it, it is all over your face that you are going to be weird about it – you are asking me so's you can be weird about it." Sonali's glare was still mostly mock anger, though, so Jordyn returned it with a wide smile as she ducked away, pushing the class door open.

"Shauna, Ryan, you got to hear this – you will not believe who's finally gone and melted poor Sonali's heart!"

Sonali rolled her eyes to the ceiling, puffing out hard as she stood in the doorway, a fountain of coffee breath going straight up like a whale's spout. There was something else wrong about this Colleen Macnamara, something strange that went beyond a girl with model looks from a neighborhood that produced mostly neds and car thieves, beyond a fifth-year looking at a couple underclassmen like they didn't exist, but she had more important things to worry about than Jordyn spinning up this sempai-noticed-me story on her behalf. Like the library, and the sea – and trying, somehow, to get ahold of someone, anyone at the club and get them to give her a straight answer about how she was going to get back in.

This was shit. Everything was shit. The library had been shit, and Coach Emslie had been worse shit, and now the hill here, this up-slope between the training ground and the road back home that was never a problem before, was being shit, so bad that Sonali could barely handle it, standing straight up on the pedals like she was going up the side of Everest or something with Ben Nevis on her back. Fuck's sakes, she was sixteen – like baba never got tired of telling her when he thought she was being out of line. Wasn't she grown then? Didn't that count for anything at all? If she couldn't find anyone to disagree with Coach Emslie, then no, it really didn't – and the only thing she could do was get out, as far and as fast as possible.

Her club ID didn't open the door any more, so all she could do was hang around the training center, waiting as the rest of the team straggled out, some barely acknowledging her, some pointedly not making eye contact, until she could catch one of the coaches as they left. This shouldn't be a big deal – she hadn't done anything, nobody had said anything, and it wasn't like women's football made the papers when a youth player without a pro contract yet got cut. And yet the way Coach Emslie fairly jumped out of her skin when Sonali called out to her, it was clear that somehow it was.

"Hey – hey, coach. No, sorry if I caught you by surprise, but I just got to ask something. I heard from my ba- – my father, that he'd taken me out the club; it's no me wanting to give up, so if you could, could you tell me what I'd have to do to join back up myself? Like training fees, if I have to get a medical again or nothing."

The coach had relaxed, shoulders slumping. "I – well, Patel, you stopping was no my idea either. If I had a free hand, I'd give you a handshake and tell you come in an get your ID fixed. But I can't, and you'd better no come around here again." She'd looked depressed, and maybe a little resentful, in the half-light from inside the clubhouse, but all that Sonali'd been able to think about was her words.

"Wha– what? I'm sorry – what do you mean about no coming around again? What happened? Did someone get like an interdict on me? I swear, I didn't do nothing – I didn't hear nothing about it. Anyone who had a problem with me, I'll straighten it out – I'll go to court if I have to even, but –"