Rule of the Fist

Chapter 4

On Monday, Mark drove Riley and Nate over to the soccer fields. Riley was finally old enough to try out for the soccer teams in Tuscon. She knew she would be on the recreational league, since she didn't have enough experience yet to play competitively.

But still. She would be on a team. Not like the kiddie league she'd played in when she was in first grade.

Although she'd been looking forward to it, part of her was disappointed that it wasn't her mom driving her to tryouts. For a long time, her mom, along with Nate, would play with her. Mom had been on the high school varsity team in high school. 

Soccer season at the high school wasn't until November, though, so Nate wouldn't be playing for his school until then. 

Mark parked at the soccer fields, and Nate, who had practice, jumped out., dressed in his soccer gear. "See you later, guys! I'm late. And good luck, Riley." He clapped her on the back once before heading off. 

Mark, who wanted to watch Riley's tryouts, led her to the field where they were going on. Riley, dressed in soccer gear herself, felt unprepared watching all the kids running around and practicing, shooting balls at each other.

Sure, she'd practiced too, but there was no way she'd be as good as them. She knew that for sure. Mark seemed to sense her nervousness, because he put an arm around her shoulder and leaned down to speak in her ear. "Don't worry. You're gonna do great."

Riley smiled weakly back at him. "Thanks," she said. She took a sip of water and headed out onto the field, trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach. Why was she so nervous? This was what she'd wanted to do for years, wasn't it?"

One of the coaches walked by, blowing his whistle. "Alright! Everybody line up. It's time for skills testing!"

Riley took her place behind a girl with a long ponytail. The coaches had lined up cones in front of a goal, and Riley watched as kid after kid dribbled the ball neatly between them and aimed for the goal. Some missed, and one boy accidently knocked over a cone. 

The girl in front of her did really well, expertly maneuvering the ball through the cones and aiming for the net. One of the coaches, standing inside as goalie, jumped for it but missed, and the ball made it into the net.

Some of the people sitting in the stands clapped.

That's gonna hard to follow up on. 

Riley tried hard to ignore the voice in her head telling her this as she stepped up to the ball. 

As soon as she started dribbling the ball, though, she knew she was in trouble. It was enough of an effort to get through the cones on their own, because she kept knocking them over. When she finally moved past them and to the goal, her foot slipped off the edge of the ball and it skittered away, never coming anywhere close.

The rest of the tryouts didn't go much better, but Riley still found herself having a little bit of fun. Probably it was just that she could run around and kick a ball around all she wanted. Some kids laughed when she missed it, but she tried to ignore them.

Close to the end of tryouts, the coaches announced the teams. Riley was ranked on the lowest level, with the other kids who didn't do as well. Humiliated but determined not to show it, she joined her new teammates and coach.

Coach Bacon, who told them to call him Coach B, was short with dark skin and muscles. He had a constantly serious expression on his face. When all of their team was gathered, they worked on a name. Riley noticed that all of the kids on her team were boys

"How about the Soccer Stars?" one of them suggested.

"No, that's lame," the boy next to him, probably his friend, punched him in the shoulder.