SHE'S NOT AFRAID! - G. PORTER

three!

Early that next Sunday morning, Gina was running laps on the track at the high school to clear her head. She always found solace in running, the constant motion allowing her totally focus and clear her mind of all the jumbled thoughts.

Today was to be her first practice with Tucker, and she was extremely nervous because despite the fact that she was confident in her kicks, that doesn't mean she had any aim, or for that matter, any game.

She hoped to God that despite her limited knowledge of football she'd be able to pull this stunt off.

She began to wonder why she was doing this all in the first place. Was for fame, or rather the glory? Was she doing this to impress E.J. ? Partly, but also partly because she wanted to prove to everyone how fearless she truly was.

There was also all of the other insane opportunities that being a girl playing a traditionally all-boys sport could open for her.

Really and truly, the pros outweighed the cons, that was, until she started to consider all of the backlash this was going to cause.

The chances of her stepping out onto the field for tryouts and being instantly turned away before she even got a chance to prove herself so totally possible, and she didn't want to be embarrassed like that.

Not to mention E.J. was going to blow a gasket when he found out about what was going on. And even though they weren't together, they kind of were in the sense that Gina felt guilty for not mentioning it to him. Before they were... whatever they were now they were friends, and Gina didn't like to keep secrets from friends. Not anymore.

As her thoughts piled up on her brain, Gina hadn't even noticed Tucker, on a pair of crutches, coming out to the field.

"You're alive." Gina remarked, stopping in place and putting her hands on her hips to steady herself.

"Well it's a little hard to get around when I have one working leg and I have to use my arms to support it so..."

Gina pursed her lips, "Fair point." She bent down and picked up the football. "Are we gonna get started or what?"

"Not so fast, Regina," Gina sent him a look at the use of her full name, "I want to make sure that you're really committed to this."

"I-" she stopped herself.

"You what?" Tucker asked.

Gina shook her head, "I don't know. Maybe this isn't such a great idea after all." She frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "Like... is it really worth all of the strife and criticism I'm gonna have to go through just to impress someone?" Her eyes went wide once she realized her slip up. "And by someone I mean like you know... colleges and scouts." She quickly covered, hoping that he hadn't caught the almost detrimental mess-up.

"Do you wanna know what I think?"

Gina rolled her eyes. "What?"

"Now I haven't seen you play or anything, but I honestly don't think there's anyone more right for this position, Gina. Everybody admires you and thinks you're a hard worker, so I don't see why you wouldn't get the position." Tucker told Gina earnestly.

Gina cracked a small smile before giving Tucker a light punch to the shoulder, "Didn't know you had such a soft side."

Tucker shrugged, "Just seemed like you needed a pep talk, wasn't gonna let you back down on your great idea."

Gina giggled, "Whatever. And thanks, by the way. I feel a lot more confident now."

"Good, okay." Tucker looked around the field. "So I was doing a lot of thinking last night and I realized that its gonna be hard to show you what you need to do... because I literally cannot move."

"Right..."

"I mean okay, I probably should ask." Gina raised her eyebrows as a way to tell him to go on, "Do you even know anything about football? Like, do you know what the kicker does."

Gina scoffed, "Of course I do. I literally watch it from the sidelines week after week. Obviously I've picked up on the rules by now."

Gina picked up the football. "The quarterback, which was you holds the ball like this after someone makes a touchdown." Gina bent down and held the football in the correct position for it to be punted. "Then I would come running up and kick it between the yellow posts and it would gain us and extra point." She finished, standing up and taking the football with me. "I know I'm right, you don't have to confirm."

"Okay, calm down Porter." Tucker laughed. "I get it, you've done your research. Let's get down to basic training then, yeah?"

Gina nodded. "What's up first?"

"Suicides."

"Pardon?" Gina's eyes went wide.

Tucker laughed maniacally, "I know you know what those are. Get down to it." He made a little motion with his hands, a gesture that could only support what he had just said about "getting down to it".

Gina furrowed her eyebrows and crossed her arms. "I just ran four laps?"

"And you'll run four more, and you'll do suicides, and other various workouts. If you wanna make the team you have to be able to keep up." Tucker stated.

"But I can keep up!" Gina whined defensively.

"Then prove it, princess." Tucker pulled out a whistle from his back pocket, brining it up to his lips, the sounds ringing throughout the empty field. "You'll run till I say you stop. Now go! Go! Go!"

He shooed her and she began to run the suicides, but not before giving him one last eyeroll.

☆彡

Gina's practice with Tucker ran late into the afternoon. She could already feel the soreness beginning to set in on her tired muscles as she took a seat at her kitchen island.

She opened her phone to check her notifications for the first time since that morning. As expected, she had a few missed texts from E.J. , and even one from Ricky asking if she was alive.

She quickly clicked on his message responding, yeah, I'm alive :/ and then swiped to read her messages from E.J. .

Most of them were just asking her how she was doing, and asking if she was free to grab lunch. She debated telling him that she ended up going to lunch with Ricky, but ultimately decided on saying that she had errands to run with her mom.

As Gina contemplated how to spend the rest of her Sunday over a glass of orange juice, her mother came into the kitchen. "Gigi! Where were you this morning? I woke up and you were gone."

"I left a note on the fridge mom." Gina pointed to the bright yellow sticky note on the front of the fridge door that Terri had just opened. The woman closed the door and looked at the note.

"Cheer practice on a Sunday?" Terri questioned.

Gina nodded, "Captains only. Coach wanted to run a new routine by us." Gina checked her watch, "We just ran a few... hours over I guess."

"Proud of you for working hard Gigi, just remember to take it easy for the rest of the day. Don't want you getting worn out." Terri smiled at her daughter, sticking a soft hand out for her daughter to latch onto. Terri was the first to let go, making her way towards the couch. "I was just planning on watching Grey's for the rest of the day, if you wanted to join." Terri have her daughter a wide smile in hopes that she'd join.

"I'd love to." Gina looked down, remembering that she was still in her workout clothes. "Just let me shower first." Was the last thing Gina said before she bolted off to the bathroom.