Play Like A Girl

chapter two

"So," my mom said with an eager smile. "How did tryouts go?"

I sat down at my kitchen table with a sigh, worrying my mom.

"What happened," my younger brother said cautiously.

"The coach doesn't think I'm good enough," I blurted out.

I heard my mother lightly gasp from behind me and my brother tiptoed out of the room. It was silent until my mom spoke.

"Did he not see you play or something?"

"I hardly even played at all," I said quietly.

"What? Honey I can't understand you with your back to me." I didn't turn around to face her. "Could you repeat that again?"

"He hardly even gave me a chance to actually play! We warmed up for ten minutes and then we played two on two for fifteen. We got a drink break and then he pulled me aside and talked to me about how he basically just thought it was cute that a showed up."

"Cute?"

"I don't know! He didn't even see me play. He said its okay if I don't come back for the rest of the week."

"Well you can't quit," my mom said sternly.

"I know. I'm going to go back there and make him feel like a dumbass for saying that to me."

"Language."

"Sorry. Anyways, he pulled me aside to tell me that there wasn't a great chance of me making the team because male competition is harder than female, so he doesn't think I will be able to adapt to the level of play in time. This is ridiculous."

"Well," my mom started. "Did you tell him about how you're getting offers from all different kinds of colleges?"

I smirked and said, "No. I'll let him figure that out himself."

•

Day two of tryouts and I wasn't sure how to feel. After today, Ross said we're doing footwork and scrimmaging to determine the players.

Sixth hour was dismissed and I, once again, made my way to my out-of-the-way-locker and grabbed my soccer bag. On the long journey to the locker room I told myself that today, even after Ross's talk with me, I will look like the most confident player on the field. My dad always told me the most confident player was always the leader. I want to be a leader.

Once in the dusty room, I undressed from my school clothes and slipped on running shorts over my cold legs. I threw on an old Nike t-shirt and got all geared up. I threw my long brown hair into a ponytail, grabbed a water, pinned my number to my shirt, tied my cleats, and was ready to go.

I sauntered out of the locker room and wondered over to the field. I looked down at my feet as I progressed closer to the group, but I could still feel eyes burning into me.

I stopped next to Bryan, who was talking to John and Collin. The trio stopped their conversation and looked at me with similar surprised facial expressions.

"You're back?" Bryan practically yelled the question and everybody turned to look at us.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Behind me a voice spoke up. "Um because you're a girl. And because probably everybody here except you knows you're no where good enough to make the team."

I turned around to face Adam. He had a smirk on his face and his arms were crossed. Bobby and Andon stood by his sides, along with half the other boys.

"I like the fact that you're a sexist, chauvinist douche like the other half of the teenage male population. It's cute."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just because I want to win doesn't mean I'm sexist," Adam said defensively.

"And what makes you think I would prevent this team from winning? The fact that I'm a girl?"

Adam chuckled. "You're adorable. It's the fact that you suck."

I laughed and involuntarily rolled my eyes, turning around to focus on the three boys behind me.

Leave it at that Conner, you lose your shit and he won. That's what he wants.

"Conner, don't listen to him," Bryan told me. "He's full of himself and that's it, we all know it."

"Then why doesn't anybody say anything?"

The three boys looked at me expressionless, unsure what to say. I mean, it's an obvious question, I'm surprised they don't have an answer.

"Look, you're good. He hasn't seen you play, but I have, and you were tough to beat. This team needs you," John said sincerely.

I was taken back by what he told me. I don't know why, but it caught me off guard. John is one of the best players here and everybody knows it. Before I could say anything, I felt my cheeks heating up. For what reason- and I don't know why- this kid made me blush. Great.

The beginning of tryouts was basically the same as yesterday's. Jog, active warmup, stretch, two on two. Only today they didn't split up the older and the younger kids, and we got new partners. Today I was paired up with Drew, one of Adams little friends.

When he was assigned to play with me he just looked at me without saying a word. He was silent the first five minutes of playing, but he eventually started to warm up.

We played two on two for at least twenty minutes more before getting a drink. Drew and I worked pretty well together, we went undefeated. He even complimented me as we walked off the field together. Alright, alright. You're making progress, making progress.

We returned after getting our drinks and Ross announced that we would be paired up with two other groups of two to play some 6 v 6. He continued to explain that this will really prove our capability of playing, especially at such a fast pace.

Ross put me and Drew with Mitchell, Jordan, Parker, and Avosh. Great. Another one of Adam's friends. To my advantage, Adam was moved to a different field, showing no possibilities of encountering me today.

Once the 6 v 6 began I quickly noticed that I was being ignored. I had to work by myself to get the ball but I never received a pass. I found that when a team mate was in trouble they thought that giving up the ball was easier than passing it to a girl. Too bad.

I saw Ross sticking around once he saw the boys play with me. We- well, they- weren't doing very well, and Ross clearly didn't approve.

When the whistle sounded we rotated grids and started against a new team. This time I wasn't being ignored, and we quickly excelled. It ended up turning into a lazy game of keep away instead of actually scrimmaging. It wasn't hard to tell, but I figured the majority of this team were freshmen.

"Honestly, Connor, you're not bad. At all. I wasn't expecting you to play l-like, like how you do play. You do a really nice job," Jordan said. I thanked him for what he said but it opened up a window of complements and apologies. The only silent player was Avosh.

I frantically thanked all of the boys that complemented me, hoping I wasn't blushing. I could tell the boys wanted Avosh to say something by the looks they were throwing at him, and he eventually spoke up.

"Yes, Connor, you're good. And I think you will make varsity. I'm sorry I let Adam pick on you like that. But I'm also sorry to say that you, being a girl and all, are an open target. Right now Adam knows nothing, so you're giving him a blank canvas. If you want him to stop dicking around I suggest you show him what you've got. And do it soon."

______________________________

chapter two 🙃

let me know your thoughts!

thank you for reading!💞