SUNSHINE

fifteen

[ Again, published from my phone so please let me know if there are any layout errors! Enjoy! ]

She did her handshake with Riley and the two of them went to their positions. They were about to play one of the best teams in the county, so it was going to be a good game. Casey just hoped she did not get injured once again, for she could not afford to miss their next game or the rest of camp. The whistle of the start of the game brought her out of her thoughts, and she went into game mode - a selfless player who would do anything for her team.

The game was back and forth for the first twenty minutes of the first half, the offense from their opposer mostly silent. Their defense was doing their job, Casey yelling at them to keep them working as flawlessly as they were. The Dragons had a few shots on net but nothing in the back of it to avail their hard work. Casey has spotted Kelley, Emily, and Alex come to the side of the gate, but they had disappeared soon after, and it wasn't until thirty minutes in that she noticed them on top of the press box.

"Great way to go unnoticed." She muttered to herself with a roll of her eyes and a silent chuckle as she refocused on the game she was in. A midfielder broke loose on the left side of the field and took her touch to the middle on a breakaway. Casey readied herself as she watched Riley chase down the midfielder, and she made a tackle, but the midfielder got around her, leaving Casey between the ball and the net. She studied her movements, watched her hips and waiting for them to open up to take the shot. She got close when she did, and Casey took her chance, sliding on her side as the shot was taken, but she took the ball straight from her feet. She shielded her head as she watched the cleat come up, her hand taking the blow instead of her face. She winced in pain but got up to her feet, shaking her hand out as she got ready to play the ball up the field. She punted it up, then massaged out her hand through her glove. She stayed focused until the whistle for halftime blew, and then she gingerly took her gloves off, wanting to rip them off but not wanting to injure herself more. She grabbed a water and went down to the corner flag with the rest of her team.

"Casey go get that checked out." Coach Henderson told her before she could sit down, and she looked down to her already swollen hand. She rolled her eyes and took her water bottle and went over to Evan.

"I thought I told you not to get injured this game?" He chuckled, and she groaned.

"Yeah, yeah. How's it look?" She asked as he took her hand in his. He took a look at it, pressing her fingers into where she got cleated. She winced, and he sighed.

"You know you shouldn't play on this." He muttered softly so only she could here.

"And you know I have to play. It's swollen, there's nothing broken, right?" She reasoned with him, and that got him to fold.

"No, nothing broken, but let me put some biofreeze on it and let me tape it up." He negotiated, and she complied.

"Yes, fine. Do your worst." She huffed, sitting back and taking a gulp of water. Her eyes wandered to the press box where her three hitchhikers who were still at their perch. They seemed to be having a good time for being at a high school soccer game, and it made her laugh.

"You know them?" Evan asked, bringing her out of her trance.

"Oh, uh, yeah I do. They're a little crazy." She chuckled as he wrapped her hand in prewrap so the tape did not stick directly to her skin.

"Yeah, they've been having a lot of fun up there. I'm surprised Larry let them up there." Evan huffed with a laugh.

"He a big soccer fan?" She asked, looking back to him with a smirk.

"Yeah, I think he's flying out to France for the World Cup this summer." He answered as he got the tape out.

"Then that's why they're allowed up there." She muttered with a stiffed laugh. She watched as her team got up from the corner flag and started to walk back toward the bench.