Grey Skies

Chapter 14

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Chapter Fourteen

I never thought that I'd miss the feeling of sweat dripping down my body and my lungs grasping for air, but I did. I missed it so much that I probably pushed myself more than I should have, loving the dead feeling of my legs as I rested during breaks. The only thing I didn't quite like was the fact that I was playing up top with Carly. I was never really a striker, and definitely didn't want to be fighting my own teammate for the ball. It was kind of like evolution in biology--the survival of the fittest, I guess, both literally and figuratively. Carly was more in shape, and Carly knows the position more, and Carly's been on this team longer than I have. Carly was the fittest, but I damn sure will survive.

"I was wide open," I tell Carly after our last drill, "it's called pass the ball."

She rolls her eyes and grabs a drink from the bench, "It's called open your eyes because you had a defender right on your back."

"I would have slipped past, she was giving me the goal."

"Okay. Sure."

I open my mouth to say something again but Coach Serris calls me over. We've already been through a couple of practices but I still felt nervous around him. He's in an orange Adidas polo shirt and a pair of khaki slacks. Coach White stands behind him, talking on the phone.

"What's up?"

"I take it you don't play as a striker often?"

"I actually wanted to talk to you about that. I'm a lot more comfortable in midfield." The farther from Carly the more comfortable I'd get.

He purses his lips, looks down at his roster, and then shakes his head. "My mids are set. I need a striker, and I think you're what I'm looking for." I play with my fingers, not knowing what to say or do. "Look, if you don't want to I can always find someone else to play up top with Carly. Or I'll switch up the formation. It's all up to you Iris, what do you want to do?"

His facial expression is neutral and I can't tell whether he's upset or actually okay with the idea of me falling back on his offer. I didn't want to become one of those players that never stepped foot on the field because of a dispute with the coaching staff.

"I can play up top."

He smiles, "Don't worry, we'll make sure you find yourself in that position. I won't just throw you in blindly and expect results. It's a project we have to work on together."

I smile and a fraction of me feels better. Then I turn around and watch as Carly whips a goal into the back of the net like she's been doing it as soon as she left her mother's womb. I jog back to the top of the field, the smile drops from my face.

* * *

After practice ends, Beth, Val, and I decide to go grab a little snack at Annie's Coffee Shop. Since it was still early it was fairly empty.

I drop my duffle bag on the ground and stretch my legs out in front of me.

"So how's your ankle?" Beth asks.

I reach down and massage it, "It's alright. I'm still sore from all the conditioning."

"Well yeah you haven't played in a while. You were good today though," Val says, biting into her cookie. Cookies always tasted better when you had to work for them.

"I was terrible. Carly would rather amputate her own leg than pass me the ball."

They both laugh and I shake my head, reaching for one of Val's cookies. I didn't see how they could ever have been friends with Carly. Carly was horrible and she had spent her high school years tormenting me on the field. We tormented each other but Carly always took it to the next step. I couldn't just forget what happened. The past would always be there. She would always be there...in her tormenting glow.