Falling for the Goalie and Other Dangerous Sports

Chapter 3 - Maddy

I woke up this morning very refreshed. I got out of bed, went to my closet and saw my favorite sweats were clean, and, didn't trip on my way to the bathroom. While washing my face, an aching pain shot through my forehead. My reflection showed an ugly, big, purple bruise where I had smacked heads with Derek.

Derek.

I had forgotten about him for awhile, and it was complete bliss. The event rolled through my head again, replaying all the stupid things I had said. "You have a hard head." I turned the cold faucet water on and splashed myself in the face. Why couldn't time machines be invented sooner? And the things he said afterword, ugh! It was like he was trying to embarrass me.

My stomach rumbled. "I guess you're angry too." I said to it. Sighing, I dried my face off and headed to the kitchen to get some breakfast. When I got there, I found a note on the table.

"Dear Maddy Pie,

Me and Dad are at work today, so we can't take you to your scrimmage. H & H are at a friend's house, and Drew is with Dad for take-your-kid-to-work day. Sorry to leave you alone, darling"- Mom wrote a sad face in,"-but we've arranged for Heather to pick you up and take you to today's scrimmage. Good luck, go get 'em, tiger!

Love,

Mom".

I sighed again. Well, at least I have the whole house to myself. Plus, I get to ride with Heather. We always have tons of fun in the car because her mom is so energetic and bubbly. We'll stop for ice cream or at a park and stay for awhile on the way home. I now had something to look forward to.

I poured milk and sugar over my Rice Krispies and sat down at the table in silence. Whoa, whoa, whoa. I was home alone. Why am I sitting at the table? You know what-I'm going to be rebel. I am going to eat in the living room and watch NCIS instead of Spongebob.

Feeling dangerous, I plopped down on the couch, getting lost in the NCIS episode. They were just about to bust the bad guy when the guitar riff from "R U Mine" comes from somewhere deep in the couch. Reaching down into one of the cracks, I wrapped my hand around something smooth and rectangular. I pulled the mystery item out to reveal my long-lost phone. I read the screen:

4 New Messages

I opened the first one from Aimee.

Hey

The next two were from Aimee too.

What happened again?

HELLLOOO! U SAID U WOULD TELL ME!

I paused the NCIS episode and sent a shortened version of what had happened. I didn't hear back immediately, so I assumed she was still asleep. I clicked the last message.

Hey, we have a little mix up here...i know we were supposed to take you to the scrimmage, but our car broke down :( so derek offered to take me & u. i didn't know he lived, like 2 minutes away :P

From Heather.

Was she serious? Derek was going to take us? I considered saying I was sick, but I realized we wouldn't have enough substitutes if I didn't go. But I really, really, REALLY did not want to see Derek again, much less ride in a car with him. With a sigh, I typed back a quick okay.

Why? Why does this happen to me? Now, I was even angrier than I was before. Why would he embarrass me like that last night? I know it wasn't in front of anyone, but all for a bloody nose? I got the worse end of the deal with this giant bruise on my forehead! "What a jerk," I mumbled. "I absolutely hate him!"

"No, you don't." A little voice in my head echoed. It startled me. Well, hate was a pretty strong word. I at the least disliked him very much..."But what happened when he moved your ice pack up?" the voice of reason said again. He had accidentally bumped my hand. Not like it was anything, right? "Wrong. And what about those eyes you keep thinking about?" Derek's bright green eyes shot through my mind again. I quickly shook my head. I couldn't be thinking these things. We were on a soccer team together. That could seriously mess things up.

I turned my attention to the TV again, enjoying the catchy opening tune. I had watched at least 3 more episodes, which was very unhealthy. Realizing I had an hour before Derek and Heather would pick me up, I quickly took a shower, brushed my hair, found a clean, orange shirt, and looked for my shingurads.

I switched on the radio, making sure it was extra loud so I wouldn't be distracted by thoughts of Derek and the car ride to come. No doubt I was nervous he would embarrass me in from of Heather this time, but the pounding music shoved the fears away.

Surprisingly, I was able to find my socks, shinguards and cleats very easily. I filled up a big water bottle and put it in my gym bag along with my phone and a change of shoes. Checking the clock, I realized I had a good 10 minutes before they would get here. I went to the kitchen to get a snack to put in my bag, but I stopped by the computer. Maybe I could get some more info on this self-centered Derek Weaver.

I quickly pressed the on button and got my snack while the computer booted up. Returning to the computer and logging onto Facebook, I checked the notifications quickly. Nothing too interesting, just Farmville invites. I then clicked on the search bar, fingers hovering over the keyboard. "D-E-R-E-K," I said, spelling it out loud. A few results came up. Derek Weaver, 29 mutual friends, Derek Smith, 16 mutual friends, Derek Garcia, 8 mutual friends, then a list of unknown Dereks. I looked at the profile picture that came up beside Derek Weaver. It was a picture of him asleep with a little poodle licking his face. I had to chuckle at the picture. Just about to click his name, the doorbell rang. I quickly logged off and heard the door bell ring again. And again. And again.

"Coming! I shouted, shutting the computer down at the same time. I snatched my bag and ran to the door, quickly making sure I looked alright in the mirror. I frowned at the big bruise. I wished there was someway to cover it up, but all the waterproof makeup in the world couldn't get this job done. A part of me was hoping that Heather had somehow got her car fixed and we wouldn't have to ride with Derek, but the doorbell kept on ringing, snapping me back to reality.

"You didn't have to ring the doorbell a million times, Heather-"

"Heather?"

I looked at the person standing in front of me. Derek.

"And yes, I did have to ring the doorbell a million times. I have to go to the bathroom." Derek said, pushing past me and opening doors, looking for the bathroom. Who did this kid think he was? You can't go barging in someone's house looking for a bathroom without asking, I mean, it was rude!

He looked at me, and stunned, I was still holding the door open. "You gonna help me or not? This IS your house." Derek said, raising an eyebrow.

I pursed my lips, determined not to say anything he could use against me. Shutting the door, I walked to the bathroom that was down the hall from the closet he was about to open. "It's in here." I said in a monotone, holding the door open.

"Why, thank you." Derek said in a cocky voice. I did my best to keep my mouth shut and walked back to the living room, waiting for him to be done. He came out a couple moments later, adjusting his flippy, brown hair. "Okay, let's go." he said, heading out the door. I grudgingly followed him, taking the extra key hanging in the bush and locking the door. I still can't believe he just barged into my house like that. I made a mental note to check the peephole next time.

"Hey, Maddy! What's going on?" Heather said, scooting down to the other side of car.

"Nothing much," I said. "Who are we scrimmaging today, anyway?" I asked her.

"South Hamilton." Derek said, sitting up front in the passenger seat.

"Oh. Are they any good?" I questioned.

"Wouldn't say nothing you guys can't take." said the mystery driver. I leaned forward to see none other than Max Weaver, the greatest goalie Ashcrest has ever seen.

"Oh my goodness! It's Max Weaver! I didn't notice you before!" Heather said. Max chuckled.

"I guess I'm a celebrity around here, aren't I?" he replied, pulling out.

"Whoa, I didn't know you guys were related..." I said drifting off. A wire started to connect in my head when Derek butt in.

"Yeah, because having the same last name is a coincidence." he said rather rudely.

"And being goalies, too!" Heather added. I glared at her. I already was embarrassed enough. Max broke the awkward silence with a witty remark.

"Oh, please. He's not half the goalie I am." Max said, giving Derek a punch on the arm.

"Whatever, you're just jealous that I'm better than you in 8th grade than you were." Derek remarked. I wondered if that was true. No doubt Derek was a heck of a goalie, but if he was better than his brother in 8th grade, he'll win the state championship for the team his whole high school career.

"Do you play soccer in college now?" Heather asked. That sparked a whole new conversation about Max's new career, architecture. He went into how he could relate the arches of the soccer ball to arches on a building, figuring out angles and trajectories and such. Max was also known for his math smarts. He was a skilled mathlete, almost always the one to hit the buzzer.

When we got to the field, we were still asking questions. Several of the people we passed stared and whispered to the person next to them. "Is that really him? Oh my god, it's Max Weaver! Where did he go? Why is he here?" Arriving at field 8, Ashcrest parents and South Hamilton parents alike started whooping and clapping for Max. It was a pretty small district around here, so nearly everyone knew his name and the name he beheld. I looked over at Derek. He had his mouth in a sort of nervous smile, wringing his hands together. I assumed he was nervous to be Max's brother, you know. Big shoes to fill. I guess I'd be nervous too, but Hadley & Hannah were working to get into fashion design, while Drew just wanted to be a fireman. Course, that's every 4 year old's dream. I pitied Derek for the tiniest bit of a moment, but snapped back into my old suspicions. He was someone to be wary of, not pity. Right?

The three of us jogged out onto the field, leaving Max to bask in his glory. Derek immediately stepped into the goal-no, swaggered-into the goal, waving his hands to make Nate move out.

"This is my goal, dude." he said.

"What a stuck-up." I whispered to Dakota.

"No doubt. But a good stuck-up." Dakota kicked the ball just under the crossbar, but by some unknown force, Derek blocked it. "Damn." she added, trapping the ball coming back.

I proceeded to kick my own ball, landing it the upper left corner. Derek dove, just missing it by inches. He glared at me, getting up and dusting himself off. I smirked, making him more annoyed.

"Hustle over, team!" Coach Reed said. All of us jogged over, forming a circle around Coach Dublin. "Now, as you can see, the opposing team isn't so...opposing. I still want you to work hard, and remember about getting the ball to the outside." we all nodded. Coach Reed started to name positions.

"Okay, Derek, in goal." He had already grabbed his gloves and neon yellow jersey.

"Right-o, Coach!" Derek said with a salute.

"Then Jarod go center mid, Wyatt left wing, Aimee right..." I half listened, taking the chance to check and evaluate the opposite team. They definitely weren't the best players. They had pretty bad shots, and not the best goalie.

"Maddy, center defender. Let's go get 'em, tigers."

"One, two, three, ASHCREST TIGERS!" we all shouted. I headed out to my position, on the edge of the outer goal box. Not that I mind playing defender, in fact, I thrive on it. I looked at my allies, Dakota on the left and Carter on the right. I was in charge now, and there wasn't any ball that was going to get past me.

"...you're the boss of these three, okay? I want you taking charge this season." Coach Dublin said to Derek.

Wait...Derek?

"Mkay, Coach." I heard him reply. I turned around to see him staring at me with those green eyes, a playful smile moving across his face. His eyes had something else to them, a sort of darkness. I gulped.

Derek wasn't even supposed to be in charge of me. I was the sweeper, center defender, head honcho, whatever you want to call it, I was in charge. But why has she told Derek to take charge? I didn't know, but I was extremely nervous. I tried to calm myself down by saying that he wasn't going to make me do cartwheels or anything. At least I hoped.

Twwweeeeeeeetttt.

The scrimmage started, us easily stealing the ball from the two forwards. I watched as we advanced with the ball, moving into the other team's goal box.

"Move up, Maddy." I heard Derek say from behind me. I then realized I was way farther back then I should be, Carter and Dakota at a reasonable distance.

"You hear me? I said MOVE. UP." he repeated. I had to resist the urge to turn around, march up to him and give him a smack in the face. Silently walking forward to about midfield, I watched the ball bouncing around outside the goal box.

Wyatt crossed the ball to the other side just a little too hard, sending Kendall in a run down against an opponent. They were just out side the goal box, Kendall seemingly in control until WHAM! The other kid full-out pushes him away. There was a few seconds until the whistle sounded again.

"Direct kick!" Coach Reed said. It was odd, the other coach acted like he didn't see anything. He didn't even call the foul, Coach Reed had to.

Kendall proceeded to take the kick, the ball soaring through the air. Oliver somehow managed to get the ball in the net, scoring the first point. We clapped as he jogged back, me taking my position outside the goal box again. The first half was pretty boring, not much action where I was. Coach moved me up to forward for a little bit, but soon realized that wasn't the best decision. My kicks were almost always too powerful or off course. You can't blame me, though. Defenders are used to clearing the ball, kicking it as hard and long away from the goal as possible when you're in trouble.

I eventually moved back to trusty center defender again. Surprisingly, Derek hadn't said anything on my poor forward skills, or bossed me around too much. Maybe he realized how I was ignoring all his rude comments and decided to grow up. I watched as we scored another goal, this time by Aimee. A few short minutes later, the whistle sounded for half time.

We all jogged back to our sideline setup, chugging down water. "Good first half, you guys. I can tell how much improvement you've ma-"

"HORRIBLE! Just, HORRIBLE!" the opposite team's coach yelled. We watched as the pudgy little man turned red faced, yelling at his team. He must've noticed us staring, because he moved his team in closer and quieted down.

"Well, anyways..." Coach continued her evaluations. I knew she wasn't going to mention me, for my brief spell as forward didn't go well and nothing really happened on the defensive side. Instead, I wondered why Derek wasn't being the usual jerk. It was so unlike him, and it kind of worried me. Sneaking a glance at him, I found him busy playing around with the hem of his jersey. His brown hair covered most of his face, but nothing could hide those bright, green eyes. Derek finally looked up, me snapping back into place. I listened to Coach for a minute, but quickly got bored again. I looked through my peripheral vision, noticing him staring straight at me, a sort of innocent look on his face. I tried to focus on what Coach was saying again, but his head had turned sideways, his expression questioning. Finally, I turned my eyes towards him. We locked gazes for a minute, and I felt my face soften. He looked so cute with his hair in front of his green eyes, moving in the fall breeze that had blown through. I was enjoying gaping at him like an idiot, but he abruptly turned his face turned into a smirk, eyes narrowing in suspicion. Derek turned away, leaving me pouting. I wanted to see his innocent look again, not the "I've-got-something-bad-in-store-for-you" look.

"'Kay? Alright, let's go-one, two, three-"

"ACHSCREST TIGERS!" we yelled once again. The parents cheered and clapped for us as we walked out onto the field, taking the usual spots again. There was a change up in the right and left defenders; now Heather and Sam were my partners in crime. Heather was pretty good, but poor Sam is just so tiny, I'm afraid he'll get clobbered.

The whistle sounded, us taking the ball up field again. I moved upwards, not taking the chance that Derek would call me out again. Watching the game, I noticed something. The other team was being a lot more aggressive and forceful, and our guys were having a hard time finding a shot. I watched as Wyatt accidentally kicked the ball outside the baseline, giving the other team a goal kick. The ball soared through the air to Heather's side, in which she quickly trapped and passed up the field to Aimee. It went a little ways up until she lost it and the other team was dribbling to our end.

"Maddy, move back a little." Derek said. I ignored him; I was at a reasonable distance.

"Maddy, move back. Hey guys, MOVE BACK!" he shouted. I didn't need to; I could easily steal the ball from this kid that was dribbling towards me. He was way too hyped up and out of control. As he got closer, I started chopping my feet, ready to attack.

"Maddy, you too!" Derek said. The player was approaching me, and I kept my safe distance, making him move slower and trying to get him to pass. The opponent pointed to the right corner, signaling his player to move there once he kicked. Psht, like that was going to happen.

He approached the ball with his left foot, me moving my leg to block the pass when he quickly hit the ball with the outside of his foot, leaving me lunging, watching him dribble towards our goal.

I sprinted as fast as my feet could take me, hoping Sam or Heather would have my back, but Sam was too far up too and the player had already faked Heather out. It was one-on-one with Derek.

Nothing kept me from sprinting back, hoping I could some how stop it. I watched Derek chop his feet, eyes focused on the ball. The player was coming too close for comfort, and finally, Derek decided to rush him. He kicked his feet out, hoping to deflect the ball, but it was too late.

Score.

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SUSPENSE XP Whatya think guys? Looooooong chapter, ik. But I'm gonna do tell you a few inspirations and truths about this chapter:

1) I had practice yesterday and we scrimmaged the team practicing on the other half of the field. Yes, the team was bad and no, they didn't score at all. once. the other coach told the his team member to "Get angry Ben! Growl at her!" he was just like, "But i don't wan" "GROWL AT HER!". lol. the kid was just like "Raaaaaawwwr!" at me. it was the funniest thing ever XDDDDDD!

2) Haha, our coach actully put the goalie in charge of us defenders, and he said "This is my goal, homies!" so that's that inspirations. he wasn't all jerkish though haha. I'm surprised at how nice all the guys are on the team. You would at least expect them to be perverted or sexist or mean, ya know.

Well, I'm gonna get cracking on the next chapter. remember, COMMENT & VOTE PLEAAASSSSE!!!!!!! :)

(A/N originally from Bri)