Everything According to Juliana

Chapter Forty-Nine: Penalty Kick

Cassie walked down the hallway with her head held high. She no longer felt tense or like there was someone watching her. She felt free. She didn't realize how much she missed having the freedom to be herself without being controlled.

She walked into cooking class feeling fearless. She wasn't scared that Luke was in her class. She knew that if he tried to talk to her, she would ruin his life just like she told him she would. That was a game he didn't want to play.

Her eyes landed on Jordan when she was walking to her seat. Max was leaning over his shoulder as he pointed to something on his Jordan's phone. She laughed to herself before not hesitating to walk over to them. "How's your new seat, Jordan? Is it better sitting next to someone else?"

He looked up from his phone with a dumbfounded look on his face. She was the last person he expected would be talking to him after she made a big deal that she was betraying Luke's wishes. He then noticed there was something different about her. He didn't know if it was because she wasn't wearing her usual style, instead was wearing her soccer uniform, or if there was just something in his eye.

Max didn't give him the chance to speak as he was quick to chime in. "Wow, Mexico. You're a bit snippy this morning, aren't you?"

She scoffed before a toothless smile formed on her face. "I'm always snippy, Max. You just don't know me."

Jordan finally spoke. "Luke's right there," he pointed to him sitting in his seat at the front of the classroom. Cassie didn't bother turning around to look at him. "I thought you couldn't talk to me? You might want to watch out. He'll come over here and say something."

She nodded her head slowly before walking away. "He doesn't have anything to say to me."

✰ ✰ ✰ ✰

"Welcome back everyone!" The announcer exclaimed as the girls' soccer team was stretching on the turf. "This afternoon West Coral's girls' soccer team has its last game. If they win, however, they will advance to the quarter-finals."

The football team was cheering on the bleachers in support of the soccer team. At this point, Coach Mendez no longer had to convince his team to go, yet after watching a few games, the football team was invested in their performance.

"The last time West Coral played Bay Pines, they lost two-four. Let's hope our girls can come on top today!" The announcer informed.

When the girls finished stretching and warming up, Coach Ryan confronted Cassie. "Your dad told me about what happened to your toe this weekend," she said as she looked down at Cassie's foot. "How does it feel?" She asked with concern in her voice.

Cassie had endured more pain in her life than a bruised toe. She shrugged her shoulders. "Only a little."

"I'm going to keep you out the first twenty minutes," her coach informed her as she crossed her name off of the starting lineup. "I don't want you getting hurt," she said before looking up at her. "And you always get hurt, Cassie."

She nodded her head, standing with her teammates that always subbed in for the starting lineup. "I know,"

The first twenty minutes of the first half went terrible. West Coral was already losing zero to three. Cassie prepared herself to come in hot for the next twenty minutes of the first half—and the rest of the game. She knew the other team had no idea what was coming for them. She waited in the box for her teammate to run off so she could sub in for her.

"Oh, good!" Trevor exclaimed as he pointed to his sister who was running towards the middle of the field as the game was in play. "She's playing."

Max furrowed his eyebrows, missing when Cassie subbed in. He was focused on the defensive side of the team who tried to keep the ball out of the goal. "Who?"