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43.

Today is the day. The day we play Shane's team. A coed charity match. Everyone's pretty psyched. This should be fun.

Right now Dakota is putting one of the shots in.

"Now, how does it feel?" She asks as I get up.

"It feels fine," I say putting on my knee brace. I then start walking around a bit.

"Good," she says.

"Are you excited?" I ask.

"Eh. Soccer really isn't my thing. But if I have to I will play," she says.

"So you are playing today?" I ask.

"Yeah," she sighs.

"Yes!" I say.

Our uniforms are just back shorts and jerseys. Each of the jerseys say a number and our last name.

"We should get going," she says.

"Huh?" I ask.

"The game's gonna start soon," she says walking to the hall. I follow her.

*****

It's 2-2 and we're in overtime. We called for a time out. I run back over to the pit where everyone else is.

"Someone has paid the referees," Reid states pointing to the referees with his bad hand.

He hasn't been playing in overtime at all. He was hurt just before overtime. Someone knocked him down and he hurt his wrist.

"Hey, Reid, stop moving your wrist. You're going to make it worse," Dakota warns.

"I don't understand why he can't play," Hunter says, "If he says he's fine to play then let him."

"It's Nate's call," Cameron says.

"Nate?" Hunter prompts.

"Please?" Reid says.

"Um... I'm not sure," I say.

"Please Nate?" He says getting up.

"Nathan," Dakota says firmly, "His wrist is broken."

"So? I'm fine," Reid says moving his wrist around.

"Reid, stop," Dakota says.

"Look. Point is, I'm fine and I wanna play," Reid says and makes a wrong move with his wrist, "Fuck!"

"Well now you're not playing," I say.

"Yeah," Reid complains.

The referee blows the whistle, we get back on the field.

We start playing. Hunter has the ball. He makes a pass to Cameron. I get open. Cameron makes a pass but before I can get it I feel someone knock me to the ground.

My knee hurts bad. Like excruciating pain. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

"Hey, you okay?" Hunter says panicked.