Dreams (Jack O'Callahan)

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Numb.

Riley felt numb.

Her discarded cleats stared at her from across her room as she tries to shift her knee to the side- only to feel a shooting pain go up around the side of her leg. She groans, then goes limp again.

The doc said that their's nothing they can do. That she'll have to forfeit her scholarship to UNC to play soccer. She worked so hard... but all that was taken away in her state championship game.

Now, almost a month later, she still struggles to move her knee laterally without wanting to scream in pain.

She'll be walking again in a few months- after the surgery.

Why did this have to happen to her? She was going to go pro. Women's sports were just starting to get appreciated more- she was going to take it a step further. She was going to push for women to have a World Cup. It was gonna happen.

Until- it wasn't.

But that's what happens when you play mixed soccer. Boys play tough. They don't want to get beat by a girl.

All Riley wanted was to get out on a pitch and play. Just play. That's all.

The doc said no.

He even threatened to take her cleats away.

But she wouldn't let him touch them.

Not her cleats.

She was going to bring that trophy home for her country. She was going to be the first girl from her hometown to ever go play at a University for anything.

If only there was more the doctors could do! She should be out there, ruining someone's day. But instead, she was in her stupid room with her stupid cleats staring right at her. Next to it, the game ball from the championship game. She scored the winning shot.

The guys jumped on her. She was so excited. Emily, the only other girl on the team, came up to her and crushed her in a hug. She turned to run back to center of the field for restart- then crash.

That's the last thing she can remember about the pitch.

James, her fellow captain punching the guy in the face.

Emily falling down next to her.

Ned, the keeper, rushing over to her.

Coach- looking like he was going to be sick.

Charlie, her older brother, her role model- staring at her with pity.

Her mom, bawling her eyes out as they rushed her into the ER.

And the same words ringing inside her ears- "You'll never see the pitch again."

And that is a promise.

And now she'll have to live the rest of her life wishing for a chance to redo that moment. If she hadn't turned the way she did- maybe her LCL would be fine. Maybe it wouldn't be ripped in two. Maybe she would have just walked it off like her dad always told her as a kid.

Maybe she could have won that trophy.

Make her dad proud.

But- dreams are just dreams, after all.