youngblood | a.i.

two || opening

Monday, August 24th- 5:27 p.m. | First day of junior year

| Opening |
the starting move of a match

"I don't know what to do!" I complained as I watched my mom walk around the kitchen.

I swiveled in the barstool as I awaited her help. I really didn't know what to do in my situation. I just wanted to cry.

"I'm already taking advanced classes. I don't have time to play a sport too!" I added on as I waited for my mom to answer.

"I don't know what to tell you, sweetie!" she finally answered as she continued to make dinner. "You have to decide on your own. If you're dead set on this program at UCLA and need this scholarship to get in, you're gonna have to play a sport to get the scholarship."

I sighed as I knew she was right, I just didn't want her to be.

"Luke!" she called up the stairs as I spun around on my chair. "Dinner's ready!"

"What sport am I supposed to play?" I pleaded for help as I aimlessly watched the spot on the ceiling as the world shifted around me.

"Well, you could always play soccer. You're really good at that!" my mom suggested as she gathered plates for us.

"Uhh, no way," Luke said as he caught wind of my mom's statement. He walked into the kitchen quietly, barely even making his presence known until he rounded the corner.

"Well, why not?" my mom complained as Luke got farther into the room. "She practices with you all the time. She could play!"

"Cause it's an all boys team," he plastered that fake Luke Hemming's smile on.

"Then you could play for the girls," she offered up as she looked back over to me.

I opened my mouth to speak but Luke beat me to it.

"There is no girls team," he told her as I pointed towards him, knowing he just said what I was planning on.

"Well, why not?" my mom exclaimed as she looked between us.

"Because the boy's team is actually co-ed," I explained as I hopped off my seat to plate out some food for myself. "Just no girls play on it."

"So you can join it still," my mom continued on.

"You're not joining my team," Luke said, wiggling his knife in the air towards me like a threat.

My mom just let out a tisk at him. "Now Luke. She needs it for her college scholarship. She has to play some sport!"

"So play volleyball or something! Don't play soccer with my friends," Luke announced as we all sat down at the table.

"I am not playing volleyball," I quickly shut that idea down. "I play soccer with you cause I don't have hand-eye coordination."

"I don't care what you play, you're just not playing soccer," he told me as he stuffed his mouth from across the table.

My mom sighed from beside me. "Now, why not?"

"She's not playing as the only girl on an all-boys team! She'll look like a whore!" Luke quickly rebutted. "And she's not playing on my team."

"Now, Luke! She can fend for herself," mom said from beside me. "Plus, you'll be there too."

Luke just shook his head from across the table. He looked up to me from his plate. "Are you seriously considering this?"

"I don't know what else to do," I shrugged, not convinced myself. "It's just one season I have to do."