Shoot Your Shot

VI: Take on Me (Ellie)

"Taking your milf mobile? About damn time." Cat said as she chucked her bag into the front seat beside Ellie, who rolled her eyes and shifted the car out of park.

"Yeah yeah just shut up and get in. We still need to get Riley."

Ellie was glad her car finally was drivable again. The back tires stopped making the awful rattling noise. Her brakes were much better too, stopping more proportionately rather than in unreliable segments.

After picking up Riley, Ellie drove them towards Basin, unsure what to expect today.

"Nervous my team is going to beat you both?" Riley said from the backseat with a smile as Cat waved her off.

"You wish. I was on the winning team last year, so surely that good juju sticks around."

Ellie chuckled at their banter, her eyes fixed on the road. She had made up her mind nights prior that she would at least give herself the courtesy to explore her potential feelings and essentially determine what they meant to her, rather than getting in her head and conjuring untrue assumptions.  

"You know why Ellie isn't fighting us on this right Riley? She's going to be playing a whole different game today. And she's going to win." Cat said after a while, seeing as Ellie had been nearly silent the whole drive.

"Your faith in me is endlessly inspiring."

"It should be Ellie, as it's been forever since I've properly antagonized you."

"Ellie today is the day," Riley chimed in from the backseat, "We can't keep watching you mope about, so either you get her number or I will."

"Trying to steal her out from under me?" Ellie said, humored and quirking her brow as she looked back at Riley in the rearview mirror.

"Last I heard you were the one under her."

"I'm going to crash this car. Is that what you want Riley, for me to crash?"

Riley laughed as Cat did a little gesture in front of her face, as if going into coach mode, and turned to look at Ellie from the passenger seat.

"Game face on Ellie. Today's your chance. I wanna see some of that weird fucking flirty banter shit you do, some hand brushing as you walk side by side, and trading numbers. Do not, I repeat, do not, forget to trade numbers."

"It's a wonder you're still single Cat."

"Shut up Ellie I could say the same about you."

"Regardless," Riley said, giving Cat a look to cut her off from the back seat, "Let's try to make most of today a learning experience. Try to play a position you haven't in a while or attempt a play you normally shy away from."

"Oops, looks like captain's back." Cat said, Riley poking her shoulder from the backseat.

"It's important!! Soccer is the main reason we are here, contrary to Ellie's ulterior motives."

"I'm here for soccer too!! Future Women's National Soccer player here remember?"

"Better get your autograph while we still can."

—

Finally, Ellie pulled into the lot, seeing the Basin soccer fields packed with teams getting ready for the scrimmages to begin. Ellie opened her car door and let her legs dangle as she laced her cleats, each girl getting ready before Ellie hopped out of the car and locked it behind her.

"I wonder what teams we were assigned this year, I hope I get to be paired back up with some of my old teammates, they were cool." Cat commented as they made their way towards the booth.