Unspoken Goals

Kenzie

December 5th

The stadium lights blazed down on the field, illuminating the damp grass. The clock on the scoreboard ticked down like a heartbeat, each second more deafening then the last. The home crowd was a tempest, their cheers rolling like waves against the tension hanging thick in the air. It was the quarterfinal game, the stakes higher than ever, and they were just minutes away from sealing their spot in the semifinals. The scoreboard read 1-0, but the pressure to maintain the lead was suffocating. Abigail stood in her defensive position, her eyes scanning over the field, tracking every movement. Her lungs burned from exertion, but her mind was sharp, focused.

Then came the break: a deflection off an opponent's foot, the ball skidding out over the touchline. A corner.

"Carter!" Coach's voice cut through the noise, motioning her forward. "Get in the box!"

For a moment, Abigail's legs felt like lead, rooted in her role as a defender. But then instinct took over. She sprinted up the field, her heart pounding from the weight of this game. This corner could be it. This could seal their spot.

Juliette was already at the corner flag, the ball cradled in her hands. Her head lifted, and for the briefest second, their gazes locked across the chaos. Juliette's lips quirked in the faintest of smiles and Abigail knew where she needed to be.

Abigail shoved her way into the tangle of players crowding the box. The whistle blew. Juliette raised her arm before letting it drop. Her foot connected with the ball, sending it soaring into the night sky, spinning with precision and intent.

Abigail tracked its arc, muscles coiling like a spring. She timed her jump perfectly, rising above the chaos, her body defying gravity for just a heartbeat. Her forehead met the ball, redirecting its flight toward the goal.

Everything stopped. The world hung suspended as the ball sailed through the air, past the outstretched hands of the goalkeeper. Then, the net rippled, and the silence shattered into an eruption of sound.

The crowd exploded. Cheers and screams washed over her like a tidal wave, the home stands shaking under the weight of their euphoria. Abigail sprinted without thinking, her legs carrying her to the only person she wanted to celebrate with.

Juliette was waiting near the corner flag, her grin wide, arms already open. Abigail leapt into her, wrapping her legs around Juliette's waist as Juliette caught her.

"That was beautiful," Juliette laughed, her voice rich with pride and joy as she spun them in a circle, the world a blur around them.

Abigail clung to her, her cheeks flushed with adrenaline and happiness. "You set it up perfectly," she murmured, her laughter mixing with Juliette's like music in the air.

Their teammates stormed over, a swarm of arms and cheers engulfing them. The group hug was wild, chaotic, and filled with unbridled joy, the kind of celebration that tasted like sweat and triumph.

The game wasn't over yet though. They dropped back into their defensive positions, every second feeling like eternity as the opposing team pressed harder, desperate for an equalizer. But their defense was a wall. The final whistle blew and the field erupted again, teammates and coaches storming onto the field in a sea of celebration.

The locker room was just as alive with music and laughter, the air humid with the sweat of victory. Someone turned the music up so loud it rattled the lockers, and water bottles were sprayed like champagne. Abigail sat for a moment, watching it all, the realization sinking in, for the first time in her college career they were moving on.