Goals

"Captains."

It's cold this morning, but my bed is warm and needy. I must hit the snooze button at least five times before my mom shouts from downstairs that school starts in fifteen minutes. Knowing I can't be late for physics again, I drag myself out of bed and throw on some sweats and an Adidas shirt while simultaneously brushing my hair. I mumble an I love you to Mom as I grab my keys and walk out the door. The black minivan that she had gotten me for my sixteenth birthday is in the driveway waiting for me, and I happily climb in. The drive to Diamond Bar High is a short one, allowing me to arrive in the student parking lot with a few minutes to spare.

I grab my duffel bag and make my way to physics, rubbing the last remains of sleep from my eyes. I take my seat in front of Tobin, who leans over and places a muffin on my desk along with a coffee. For a moment, I'm wondering how she knew I didn't grab breakfast, but then I realize that she didn't. She simply grabbed me something because she was a thinking of me, and I'm suddenly really glad she sits behind me. She can't see how much I'm smiling over this realization.

The class goes by especially slow, with the teacher only pausing his lecture to make sure we're taking quality notes. I never thought somebody could make an explanation of Newton's laws last for almost an hour, but where there's a will there's a way. At least I have some stuff to snack on as he talks. The bell finally rings after what feels like years, startling our instructor.

He quickly gathers his composure. "Leave your notes in the front, please! Remember there's a test tomorrow."

Tobin is the first one out of class, but I know she's waiting for me in the hall. The crowd of students is so compact that I don't notice her leaning against the school's trophy case for a second. Then I recognize the maroon snapback and the longboard and the brown eyes, and I almost start smiling like an idiot.

She grins at me. "Hey, Lex."

"Hey, Tobs. Didn't Ms. Foudy tell you not to bring your longboard inside anymore?"

"Technically she said she doesn't want to see it again, and she won't since she works in the A building."

* * *

The whole team sits together at lunch, a pack of estrogen filled soccer fanatics. Practice had only started about a week ago, but Hope thought it would be a good idea if the upper classmen starting sitting with the freshman at lunch to make sure they feel like they're really part of the team. None of us had objected; sitting with Rose and Steph sounded pretty fun. I sit next to Tobin at our usual booth with Kelly and Christen sitting across from us, the rest of the team scattered among the surrounding tables. We're talking about how Ash got a new labrador when Carli stands up and asks for the team's attention.

"Alright, you guys know our first game is coming up against Citrus. Practices have been going great, but there's one thing we have to establish before league play starts. Captains."

Kelly immediately stands up. "I nominate-"

Becky cuts her off. "No, no, we can't just nominate people now. It creates a tense atmosphere. We should vote anonymously."

Kelly scowls and sits back down. "Maybe I was going to say that I nominate the process of voting anonymously."

This makes the whole team laugh, but I can tell everybody's already thinking about who they're going to vote for. With Abby graduating last year, the team needed a person with enough leadership qualities and experience to take her place. Carli explains to us that there will be two team captains this year, which only intrigues the team more as they silently think about which duo deserved to lead them. I find myself missing Abby and Chrissie; they would know who deserved the spots if they were here. We agree to vote tomorrow at practice, and nothing else is said about the subject.