The Girl Standing Front Row (revised)

Chapter 27

"Big game today!!" Mackenzie said to Sapphire

"I know i'm so nervous!"

"Don't be you'll play great" kyleigh said

"And even if you don't we'll be cheering so loud for you" Sophia said from the back seat of the car.

"Thanks" Sapphire said sarcastically "I'm so happy Luke is coming to the game but I'm nervous i'll do bad because a scout is coming to watch me play today"

"Don't let any of that psych you out" Mackenzie said

When they arrived to the field the day of Sapphire's game they walked her over to the field then they split off so that Sapphire could go sit with her team. Mackenzie had Luke's phone number so that he could text her when he arrives so he could come in and sit down with her Sophia and Kyleigh without being noticed. Sapphire was so distracted today but was completely ready to play a great game. She knew that she had the skills and smarts to win a scholarship but knew she didn't have the confidence either.

Sapphire's coach approached her "Number 5 front and center!"

"What's up coach"

"We need you to play extra extra tough today because we are down the other defense and we're going to move Julia from mid to defense"

"I got this!" She said trying to give herself confidence
The big score board had a countdown clock going to show when the game started it read
*10:41, 10:40, 10:39, 10:38, etc.* and continued counting down

Every time she looked at the clock she would look at the bleachers by where Sophia, Mackenzie, and Kyleigh were sitting and noticed that Luke was not there yet and her heart completely sank down to her stomach. She could feel the actual butterfly feeling in the pit of her stomach each time that she looked over at the bleachers and over to the scout sitting on the opposite end of the bleachers.

The blow horn went off at the 5 minute mark noting that there was exactly 5 minutes until the game started.

Back at the bleachers Mackenzie's phone started to buzz and it was a text from Luke that read: "I'm behind gate where r u?"
"Coming to gate now stay put"

She got up and went over to the front gate. When she opened it to let him inside she gave him a slight punch in the arm and said "where the hell were you? We thought you weren't going to show"

"Of course i was going to show. Whether I watched from the bleachers or the sidewalk. I wasn't going to miss Sapphire's game. I love her." He said and Mackenzie was speechless "but don't tell her i said that i don't know how she would feel about it yet"

"Well good so now your here and I take back that punch I gave you"

They went over and sat down. Luke sat on the edge of the bleachers wearing black sunglasses and a snap back on his head.

The countdown read *00:10, 00:09, 00:08, etc.*

Both teams were huddled up talking to each other planning out their strategies. Once the bull horn went off announcing the start of the game all the people in the bleachers began to cheer.

Sapphire is a starting defense and when she went onto the field she was too focused on the game that she didn't look over and notice Luke was in the stands with her friends. She was dodging the other teams dribbles, drove the ball down the field, and intercepted passes. She was playing her best game of the season.
Suddenly the whistle was blown and the players were instructed to do a long hit down the field after a foul was done. Then when one of the players hit the ball with a hard drive the ball flew up in the air and hit Sapphire right in her collar bone when she went to deflect it out of the circle.

She yelled "OUCH!!" But kept playing on until the next whistle.

Once the whistle was blown her coach yelled for a time out. She rounded everyone up and she asked Sapphire "hows your neck?"

"Fine i can keep playing"

"Well you've been in the whole first half take a break for a minute or two"

"Okay" She went over and sat down and she took out her mouth piece and drank some water.

For a few minutes she was sitting drinking some water on the bench. She then got up and remembered that she never looked at the bleachers since before the game started. When she looked over across the field she saw that Luke was sitting right there with her best friends. When she took her goggles off of her face she realized that her and Luke had made eye contact and she smiled and put her mouth piece back in. In a weird voice with a lisp she said "can i go back in coach?" Then after watching the players run down the field the coach touched her shoulder and said "yes, next whistle trade in with Ashley".

The score was 3-1 and Sapphire's team was winning. She was so happy that Luke was there to see her play for the first time and she was incredibly proud yet nervous about the way she played for the scout that she was trying to impress. None of her teammates knew that a scout was there because she didn't want them to steal her scholarship because she believed that these girls lived for making her more miserable then ever.

The last few seconds of the game were counting down so quickly and Sapphire knew that her team was going to win because it was now 4-2 after she went in again.

Once the game was finally over she and the rest of her team cheered and shook hands with the other team. Before she could run over to Luke and her friends she had to take down the nets and clean off the cones and equipment on the field. After about 10 minutes Luke, Sophia, Mackenzie, Kyleigh, and Michael (who showed up for the game afterwards) were huddled in a circle right by the sideline by the gates and from behind Sapphire ran up and gave Luke a hug.

"I'm so happy you made it!"

"Of course i wouldn't miss it for the world" he gave her a hug and a kiss.

"How'd you guys like the game?"

"Very physical" Kyleigh said

"Too much running" Sophia laughed

"Okay. How about some nice criticism on the way i played" Sapphire said playfully rolling her eyes 

"You played amazing" Luke said putting his arm around her and kissing her forehead.