⬆️ The water bottle Val uses. How do you think she gets the boys attention?😉
The coach starts talking to Deputy Dawg and my mom.
"So, Val? Were you on a soccer team before?" Evan asked me, trying to start a conversation while the rest of the kids eyes were fixed on the three adults.
"When I was 9, I did both soccer and cheer. But then I quited both do I'm not as good as I used to be." I say. Newt runs up to my mom. "Newt! Let them talk!" I run to get him back.
"Hey, come. I thought we were gonna play now." He says.
"Go on back, and we'll be back with you in a minute." Deputy says.
I drag him back to the others, "You heard him. Let's go."
We stand next to the others and I bend down to talk to him, "Don't just interrupt them like that. Be patient and wait to till the game starts, ok?"
He nods, the cute smile still on his face.
We keep watching until I hear the coach say, "They got little kids and girls on the team." The boys laugh.
"Gentleman, this is not soccer." I think he's a little hard on those boys.
"All right, you midgets! You better win or you're walking home!" Deputy yells at us. We just stay quiet. He just wants to beat that coach.
⚽️TIME SKIP ⚽️
The games is about to start. The coach motions to the 'Knights' and the goalie raises his hand. He motions to us.
Larry was being an idiot, "Hi, I'm Larry."
Not gonna lie these guys look a little intimidating, but nothing we can't handle, right? Okay, my moms positive attitude is getting to me. The knights and I get into position, while the rest just stand there. I see Newt hold Pollys hand. <3
The whistle is blown. Jeff kicks the ball towards the knights. They get ready and run so they can score. I run to see if I can catch the ball. I get close and get the ball.
"Go Val!" I hear my mom shout. None of the guys follow me to help. I guess I'm on my own. I was a striker on my old team. A striker's purpose is to score, but it still needs help from defensive, midfield, and other offensive players.
I get tackled, which means I got the ball taken away from me. "Dang it."
They keep getting closer to the net.
"Watch where you're going." Kate says annoyed.
They're about to score, and I see Larry freeze as if he's scared. They easily score since he ducked. The fans cheered and the players high five their coach.
"That's my boy. That's a knight!" You know, what that megaphone is getting annoying.
My mom and Deputy start attempting to help us.
"That's all right. Just stay with it."
"Get it together. Suck it in."
It was Newt's turn to kick the ball. The whistle blows and he stubs his toe. "Ow, ow,"
They score again. "Yes, Score!" I swear if he doesn't shut his mouth.
I see Evan make a face. He kinda looks cute. NO. Val, stay focused. I run towards him.
"Come on, it's not the end of the world. We got this." I sigh, "I hope." He smiles.
The knights get the ball again. Everyone starts following the ball, but they don't manage to get the ball.
They score. AGAIN.
Its 7-0. Then 8-0. Then 9-0. Then it's halftime
Everyone's exhausted, including me. I haven't ran that long in a while.
I grab my water bottle, drink some, and sit down on the ground.
"Val, you look tired. Wanna lay down?"Evan asks, since everyone's doing it.
"I'm good. I don't wanna lay down on the grass." I don't wanna get my hair dirty.
"You know, you could lay your head on me. I-I mean if you want." He asks, a little shy.
I nod and lay my head on his stomach while the rest of my body lays on the grass. "Thanks."
Our team continues to get as much rest as we can.
"Let's take into consideration. This is a learning experience. Let's all get back out there, and concentrate and let's try and have a good time."
"Hey, we may not be the sharpest tools in the shed, but we know the difference between a good time and bad time."
"And this..... is not.... a good time."
"Val, come on. You always have something nice to encourage them" My mom suggests.
"I hate to say it, but we are getting our butts kicked from these guys." I say, snuggling more into Evan.
Halftime as over, and we're back on the field. Kids are trying hard but we still don't score. Larry is the one not trying at all to block the goal.
"Come on Larry!" I say.
It's 14-0. Then 15-0. Then 16-0.
"Valeria, come on. Get aggressive."
"Val. Come on." Both of my 'coaches' yell towards me. I put my game face on. I end up with the ball and I avoid the boys getting my ball, but I accidentally let on slip away.
"Kate, help me!"
"Tackle him!" My mom yells to Kate.
Wait. Does she know what tackle means in soccer. Then she actually tackles the guy down.
"Penalty kick!" I was so close.
"Maybe I can get into this." Kate says.
The penalty kick didn't go well. Larry got trapped in the net.
"Get off of me! You'll never take me alive!"
The knights win. We walk back to go home.
"Two, Four, six, eight, who do we decimate?"
"What were their names again?"
"They're not good enough to have a name or even uniforms."
"They're nothings from no where." They keep calling us nothings.
"Knights, two, four, six, eight, who do we decimate? The nothings! The nothings! Yeah!"
"We aren't the nothings from nowhere. We're the Elma nothings." Polly says, trying to make the situation better.
"Is it over yet?"
Deputy Dawg walks over to the coach.
"Well, Tom, we're a high scoring team, but 18 to nil. That's good, even for us.
Tommy, a suggestion, lose the girls. Even better, lose them all." I lost it.
I try to go forward but a hand grabs mine. It's Evans.
"Val, as much as I would I would like you to smack someone, they're not worth it."
I sigh. He's right.
"Of course, I don't know how you're going to do that in Elma." The knights laugh. "All right, victory lap. Let's go knights." They run and high five the coach.
"What a jerk." Kate says.
"Come on Kate. You tried. We're all proud of you."
"Why? We tanked."
"Weall, technically speaking, yeah." Deputy Dawg said.
My mom spoke, "Yeah, but you all played, and that's what's important."
Larry tried to speak in an English accent, "What's important is that we never play again."
We all agree.
"Can we get out of here? This is embarrassing." Kate says. I nod.
'Lets just go." I walk back to the cars, Evan's hand still in mine.
A/N: Okay, I hope I said some things about soccer right. I did my research. Hope you like this chapter.
