The Rules My Brothers Made

Chapter 25

“Meghan, get your ass down here!  You’re going to be late for school!”  My dad yelled up at me the next morning.  Why is this scene so familiar?  I groaned and rolled out of bed.  Once I was showered and got dressed, I made my way downstairs to join my family for breakfast.  I smiled as I looked them over.  They may be crazy, but I love every single one of them more than I ever would have thought possible.  Dad was reading his paper.  Mike was obsessing over Erica not eating.  Matt was finishing his homework.  Mark was eating cereal straight from the box.  Max was building a tower out of his cheerios.  They were such a fun group.

“Morning.”  I greeted everyone as I sat down.

“Hey, Meg.”  Erica greeted me.  “Cute outfit.”

All the girls from the team agreed to wear just red, black and white the whole week to celebrate our win and prepare for the championship game.  School spirit and all that jazz.  I was wearing a pair of white shorts and a red flowy top with a pair of black flats.  “Thanks.”  I said.  “How did things go with you two?”

Mike smiled down at Erica.  ‘Well, we’re going to the doctor today, but we’re going to stick this out.  It’s probably the best thing that could have happened to us.  We’ve been fighting feelings since the first day of orientation, so this is a good chance for us to try out a relationship.  Regardless of whether there’s a baby or not, I’m going to stay with her.”

Erica smiled.  “He’s been fighting feelings.  I still maintain that he’s a possessive jerk.”

“Smart girl.”  My dad muttered.  Everyone looked up at him.  “What?  She’s right.”  Mike threw a handful of cheerios at my father, who laughed it off.  “Meg, check out the sports section.”  He instructed me.

“What?  Why?”  I asked as he handed it to me.  I gasped when I saw the front page of the section of the LA Times.  “Oh my god.”  I exclaimed when I saw three giant pictures.  The first was of Evan serenading me at the game, a picture of me jumping in the air after I scored a goal, surrounded by teammates, and then one more of the team in a huddle.  There was a series of smaller pictures, the team portrait photos of me, Sally, and Madison.  The headline at the top of the page read “Local Seniors Make a Splash at State LAX Semi-Finals.”

“Holy shit.”  Mark exclaimed when he saw it over my shoulder.  “Let’s read it!”  He snatched the paper out of my hand and began to read the article to all of us.  I couldn’t do anything but listen intently as he read.

Yesterday’s semi-final game in the race to the high school lacrosse championship was quite the production as Fairfax High School crushed local rival La Brea High School, winning 11-5.  Senior Meghan Miller led the game with five goals and four assists, closely followed by seniors and co-captains Sally Mitchell, who scored three goals and four assists, and Madison Simpson, with the final three goals and three assists.  Miller, Mitchell and Simpson created an unstoppable force, leaving the LBHS Tigers without a fighting chance against the roar of these Lionesses from FHS.

When confronted about her exceptional performance, Miller modestly denied any superiority.  “There’s way more that goes into the game than just scoring.”  She told our reporters.  “The team provided the entire support system throughout the game.  Our defense is unbreakable, our midfielders set up perfect plays so all we have to do is toss the ball in the goal.  They are entirely to thank for this win.” 

Her teammates beg to differ.  “Meghan is an inspiration to all of us.”  Sophomore Ellie Finn reports.  “Not only is she a strong player, but she brings us all together, making us a unit.  She truly loves the game, and you’ll rarely find her on the field without a smile on her face.  She teaches us how to bring our individual strengths together so we can work as an effective team.”  Junior Amy Anderson agrees.  “Without her, we would be a different team.”