One Shot, One Heart (The Heart Series)

1. Dedication

My hands shake as I make my way toward the soccer coaches office. Tryouts were last week and I made it. It's mostly a boys teams since they didn't want to fund a girls and girls don't want to play with the boys so they just put us together. There is only one other girl on the team that I know of, but she broke her leg.

I knock on Coach G's door. He tells me to come in, he's leaning on his chair with his feet on the desk as he goes over plays.

"Hey coach, I was wondering if I could get the keys to the girls locker room?" I fiddle with the straps of my adidas bag. He tosses me a key and smiles at me.

"Glad you joined the team, Piper." He smiles at me. I wave to the man and head for the girls lockers room that is next to the boys locker room.

I hear the boys howling behind me with laughs as they head for the locker rooms. I did a private try out so I haven't met any of them. I hope they are okay.

"Is that the new girl? Didn't coach say she is joining our team?" One asks as I unlock the door of the locker rooms.

"Girl! Don't go in there! Yet! Wait." A deep voice says. I pause at the door and slowly turn around to see a large group of boys crowding the hallway.

"Whoa!" One says stepping forward. He walks up to me and slings his arm around my shoulders. "Boys, this is..."

"Piper." I inform him.

"Piper, these are your new team mates. I'm Ryder your co captain. But I'm the best soccer player." He winks at me. His brown fluffy hair falling into his brown eyes.

"Bull shat! I'm the best." A dark haired boy tugs on my arm and pulls me to him. "I'm Cade your new best friend. I'll be your man if you need me to." He winks. He intertwines our fingers. "You see this!" He holds up our hands. "Mine! I am the alpha. I am the omega!"

"Stop quoting MGK!" A guy pops out who looks just like Cade. "I'm Blake. His brother, the better twin." He smiles at me nicely.

"Let's go! We have practice!" A voice booms from end of the hall. His voice so deep it echos off the walls. Blake looks at me with a shrug.

"That's our Captain." He motions toward the tall, bulk figure walking down the hallway. "His name is—"

"Blake! What did I just say? Stop flirting with cheerleaders and get changing. Now!" The guy with black hair demands.

"She's not a cheerleader, Taylor's." Blake fires back. Taylor's, his last name I assume, crosses his muscular arms and glares at Blake. "She's our new player. Her name is Ripley." Blake grabs my hand.

"Okay." Is all he says and nods for Blake to go in the locker room.

"See you on the field, Pipe." I smile at the nickname Blake gave me as he walks into the locker room. The captains eyes look down at me with a piercing gaze. Cold hard bright blue eyes. He doesn't seem very nice but his eyes seem kind. I know they are not though.

"Piper Ripley?" He says, the words rolling off his tongue. "Is that your name?" I nod my head in response. "Do you not talk? Because in soccer you have to have communication—"

"I would know." I say venomously. He looks taken back. "I've played soccer since I was five. Try telling me something I don't know."

He glares at me, "I'm Riley, your captain."

"Ooo! A captain, it's just a lable. Doesn't matter what your label is, Riley, it matters how you're much you dedicate yourself to the sport." I give him a tight smile and go off into the lockers.

•••••••••••••••••••••

"Piper!" Cade shouts. I jog over to the guys I just met and give them a smile. "We heard what you said to Riley. I thought he was going to eat you alive." He grins at me.