Play Like A Girl

chapter one

I hate that I live in a small city. Hate it, hate it, hate it.

The high school that's in my town only has about fifteen hundred students, and it's our only one. I have to admit, I've heard the sports teams are pretty talented, and I believe it. Only problem is, there are no girls teams. It's not like the school won't have girls teams, it's the fact that we hardly have any athletic girls. So, I figured I'd just try out for the boys team instead.

I just moved here over the summer, so I don't really know anybody. All I know is, I'm going to make the team. My old high school was winning state championships left and right, it seemed everybody that attended Riverbrook High was a natural born athlete. That's how I liked it.

•

"Wait? You're a girl? But Conner's a guy's name."

"Well, that's my name," I said for the hundredth time today.

After persevering through five rough hours, I was not looking forward to sitting next to this guy for an hour.

"Wow. That's cool. My name's Bryan."

I decided I'd leave the conversation at that, not wanting to talk to this Bryan dude any longer. Instead, I found counting down the minutes until school would be dismissed was a better option.

After school came tryouts. And I was planning on showing everybody what I got. I don't care if I have to play with boys, as long as I can still play soccer.

Finally, the wanted "ding!" sounded the room and everybody flooded through the door, eager to leave the most boring classroom I've ever stepped foot in. Every day I get to end my school day with a 105-year-old man, who looks like he's been through hell and back, literally. Great.

I rushed to my out-of-the-way-locker and grabbed my soccer bag. Lord knows where the girls locker room is-if they even have one. To be honest, I wouldn't doubt the absence of it.

I finally found the girls locker room, right next to the library. Two things that are hardly in use anymore- right next to each other.

As soon as I walked in I felt like I was the first soul to step foot in here for years. I made sure to be aware of where I put my feet down. You never know what could be lurking in places like this.

I quickly slipped out of my school clothes and slipped into my running shorts and old shirt. I pulled up my black socks and slipped my shin guards into their awaited spot. I pulled out my new cleats from my bag and put them on.

I bent down to tie my shoes before stepping out of the locker room into the fresh air. I took a deep breath and smelled freshly cut grass, my favorite.

I looked around and noticed a circle of guys with a trail of more guys leading to it. Figuring that must be where the tryouts will be taking place, I headed in that direction

I tried my hardest not to be seen, and it wasn't hard. I just snuck up to the back of the crowd, and it was like nobody noticed me. Lucky for me though. At my old school the guys would make it well known that the Conner Wayne was attending a tryout solemnly for guys.

Soon enough the coach started calling out names, and guys started yelling out whether if the name called was there or not. It took awhile, but the head coach eventually got to my name.

"Wayne...Conner Wayne. Do we have a Conner Wayne here?"

"Here," I said. I guess nobody heard me though, because the conversation level rose.