Kiss List (Book I of the List Series)

Chapter 1 - Never Been Kissed

Chapter 1 – Never Been Kissed

Left.  Right.  Fake right then spin.  The Churchill girl was coming at me like a purple rocket.  I was ready for her.  I had seen this show before.  I had forced her against the sidelines and if she tried to go through me I was going to lay her flat on her preppy little back.  That meant there was only one place for her to go.

When she came out of her spin both the ball and I were gone.  Tough luck, girl.  Next time focus less on the tricks and go for speed.  That’s what I do.  Churchill girls sprinted for me as fast as they could but I knew they were no real threat.  I was too fast for them.  As I reached the last defender I didn’t try anything fancy.  I just kicked the ball past her and sprinted after it.  I think she had been expecting a fake out attempt.  Too bad for her; there would be some tough words from her coach after the game.

The goalie came out to meet me.  She looked nervous.  She had reason to be.  I threw my right shoulder forward as if going in for the shot.  Her eyes widened and she began to dive.  That’s when I went in for the kill.  One more half step and then my left leg swung forward.  Poor goalie.  Nobody told her that Sadie Anderson, star captain of the Lakeville Pirates varsity girls’ soccer team, could shoot perfectly with either foot.  The ball soared into the top right corner of the net even before the goalie had fallen to the ground by the opposite goal post.

Moments later I felt bodies slam into me.  I was buried under a pile of girls screaming and cheering in excitement.  With less than a minute left in the game, the goal clinched our victory over our arch nemesis, Churchill. 

My ears were still ringing minutes later after we had shaken the Churchill girls’ hands and I was pulling on my sweats.  The sun was just beginning to set and the field lights were slowly waking up. 

“Sadie!” someone called.

I looked up and smiled as Alyssa, one of my best friends, approached. 

“Great game!” Alyssa said enthusiastically.  “Two goals and an assist, pretty impressive.”

“A hat trick would have been more impressive,” I answered.

Alyssa rolled her eyes.  “Okay Miss All-State,” she said.  “Come on, you killed it out there and you’re still just a junior.  Imagine how good you’ll be next year.”

“Next year I’ll be much better because I’ll have you to back me up,” I said.

Alyssa smiled.  “I know, right?  It will be so much fun.”

Alyssa was a good soccer player.  Good didn’t cut it at Lakeville.  You had to be great.  Alyssa was on the junior varsity team and I had no doubt that she would be called up to varsity next year.  She already played varsity occasionally when we needed a backup.  Alyssa would never be the star of the team but she was a solid player.  She just didn’t live the sport.  Not like I did, at least.

We were walking off the field when Alyssa gasped.

“What is it?” I asked, looking around in confusion.

“Two o’clock,” she said.

“What?” oh right, the direction.  Where would two o’clock be again?

Then I saw it.  It was the most beautiful thing ever to grace the face of the earth.  Aaron Caldwell’s shirtless body.  Toned six-pack abs, tussled dirty-blond hair, and a gorgeous smile… he was a vision walking towards us.  He just had on red soccer shorts and a duffel bag slung over his shoulder.  He was one of the sexiest boys I had ever been blessed to lay my eyes on.  And then, for a moment, his beautiful blue eyes made contact with mine.  I gave him my best smile.