SUNSHINE

fifteen

"You good Cas?" Jenna asked, and she gave a thumbs up back as they went to run from the opposite touchline and back.

"You almost done?" Casey asked, a little frustratedly.

"Yeah, yeah gimme a sec." He answered. He was used to her impatience, so he knew to work quickly. He was finished with her hand with one minute left of their halftime break, and she made sure she could move her hand around before putting her gloves back on.

"Thanks Evan." She said as she hopped off the golf cart and went to join her team in the huddle. Her hand still hurt but with biofreeze and the tape to keep it stiff, she was going to be alright for the next forty minutes.

The team took the field, she and Riley did their handshake, and they got into position. The whistle blew and they started with the possession. The ball made it back to Riley, and they worked from the back out. They worked together as they always had, which was the type of chemistry that this team was going to miss after their entire back line graduated come Friday. It had been an interesting second half, the Dragons having main possession but not able to get a single shot on goal. There were some dirty tackles on them, which made the game fairly interesting and aggressive, and the referee let it go, which created a riff in both the teams ways of play. The Dragons did their best to play clean, but in some scenarios, they could not contain themselves. They all kept their heads in the game, and with less than ten minutes left on the clock, it was starting to get out of hand. Fouls were being drawn, the referee was letting some of them go, and neither team was having it.

The last shot on net from the other team came in the last two minutes, and Casey made a big save to keep the game scoreless still. She took a moment to waste some time off the clock. She looked around to see where she would play the ball, and she noticed the goalkeeper off her line. She knew that this was going to be all or nothing, and with the strength training she had been doing with the National Team, she had to try. She took a breath and drop kicked the ball, her team watching it soar through the air. She felt her heart thud in her chest as she watched the goalkeeper back pedal and try to get a hand to it, but it took an awkward bounce and over the goalkeepers outreached palm, going into the back of the net as the time ran out on the clock. The referee blew the whistle to end the game, and the crowd erupted in chanting and cheering as her team ran out on the field, tackling her to the ground. They just eliminated one of the best teams in the county and they were heading to their fifth district final. Casey had been a part of three of those finals, helping her team win all three of them.

"You just scored your first high school goal!" Riley screamed in her ear as she hugged her while she was still on the ground.

"Can I get up please? We've got to go shake hands." She asked, and her team helped her get to her feet and they all went to line up to shake hands. The other coach complimented her on her performance, and she thanked him as she went through the line. After they went through, they all piled on top of Casey once more, this time she was expecting it though and was able to stay on her feet.

"Casey Radcliffe you are a miracle." Jenna said, and they all celebrated their ticket to the final.

"Alright, anyone down for dinner? I'm buying." Riley asked, getting Casey and Jenna's attention.

"I wish I could guys, but I've got to get back to Orlando." Casey sighed, and they all groaned.

"It's only six, you can't get dinner with us?" Riley asked.

"I'll have to check with some friends I brought." She muttered as she slipped her cleats and shin guards off and put on her Birkenstocks.

"You have friends?" Riley asked, and Casey shoved her.