Sophomore Year || Parenthood Series, Book One || WATTYS 2018

Chapter Forty-Six

SOUNDTRACK: "Bulletproof" - La Roux

"Wexler, may I have a word?" Coach Miller said as Kate walked by him on the field. She stopped and walked over to him. He was standing next to another man. "Kate, this is Juan Geraldo from the Santa Clarita Blue Heat," he said introducing the man. "He has something he'd like to talk to you about."

"Kate, nice to meet you," Geraldo said, holding his hand out and shaking Kate's.

"You, too," she replied, aware of how sweaty she had become in the day's practice. "What can I help you with?"

Juan smiled. "It's actually you that can help me with something," he answered. "I was wondering if I could come by your house and talk with your parents about an opportunity to play with Santa Clarita."

Kate's eyebrows shot into her hairline. "Uh...what?"

"We've been watching you since you came onto the main team at Winterlake, at Coach Miller's request," he explained. "He thinks you're very talented and suggested you to me as a potential replacement this summer. I'd like to sit down with your parents to talk about the possibility of you coming up to watch a training session and meet some of the staff and players. It'll give you a chance to see if you're a good fit. We've got a summer training session coming up and we'd love to have you be a part of it. "

Kate's jaw dropped to the ground. "You're serious?"

The prospect of playing for a professional team had never occurred to her.

"Yes," Juan chuckled. "How does tomorrow night sound? Around eight?"

"Absolutely," she agreed without thinking.

It was only after she started walking away that she realized her mistake. She didn't even know if Jared was free the next night at eight. She made a mental note to text him as soon as she got out of practice. He didn't respond at all, so she figured she'd just talk to him about it when she got home. But before she had barely walked through the door, he was waiting to confront her.

"What do you mean, 'can this coach come over tomorrow'?" he asked, leaning against the table in the entryway, arms crossed over his chest.

She paused as she closed the door behind Samir. "Uh, it means exactly what it sounds like," she said. Samir gave Jared a nod before disappearing into the house, leaving them alone. "A coach from Santa Clarita asked if he could come over so he could talk to you about me playing for his team."

She shrugged her backpack of and started walking toward her bedroom. Jared followed her, arms still crossed.

"But you play for Winterlake," he replied, not understanding the concept.

"I know. And I still will," she said. She put her backpack on the floor and went into her closet. "But Santa Clarita is a professional team, Jared. It's a big deal."

He waited as she got changed in her closet before coming into the room and sitting on the bed. "I thought you didn't want to play professionally?" he asked, playing with the bedspread.

"Not when I get out of college, no. But they don't scout that many high school kids, Jared. It's kind of a big deal," she replied, sitting on the sofa.

He sighed. "Well, I guess I can cancel the dinner plans I had."

She smiled. "It's just a meeting. I can see if Coach Miller can come, too."

Jared nodded and stood up. "I've got to go cancel a date. You do your homework."

~~~