Girls, Gifted

by E K Ballard

  “Do you think I’m a slut?” Kristin asked.

  “No!” Jamie said.

  “Do you think it was my fault, that I should have stopped him?”

  “No. It wasn’t your fault. Don’t ever blame yourself. You were just two kids experimenting and it went badly.”

  Kristin lay in Jamie’s arms. She was relieved that she had told Jamie her secret and that Jamie didn’t think less of her. Kristin had blamed herself and questioned her self-worth since that night with Billy and a huge weight was lifted after she shared her story.

  “Do you think this is wrong? I mean, us being together like this?” Kristin asked.

  “No,” replied Jamie. “Do you?”

  “Well, I know my mom thinks gay people go against God’s will, and I guess I did, too, until I met you.”

  “Are you okay with this? With us?” Jamie asked.

  “Yes. I don’t ever want to be away from you again.”

  “Good,” said Jamie. “Are you ready to go to bed?”

  “Yeah.”

  Jamie let the dogs out and back in for one last time, and Kristin got into her pajamas and brushed her teeth. Jamie got ready for bed and climbed into the bed under the sheets and blankets. Kristin joined her and the two lay in each other’s arms and kissed each other.

  “You didn’t tell me about the other girl you’ve kissed,” said Kristin.

  “Oh, that was Nikki. She and I met at a soccer camp five years ago and for a week one summer we slept in each other’s beds and kissed a lot.”

  “Did you like her?”

  “Yes, but she lived three hours away, so we never saw each other except for that week at camp. It was like a summer fling. The last time I spoke with her was three years ago and she had a girlfriend.”

  “And that’s it? That is the extent of your love life?” Kristin asked.

  “That’s it. You sound surprised.”

  “I am,” said Kristin. “I can’t believe you are single.”

  Jamie kissed Kristin and whispered, “I am not single anymore.”

  Kristin fell asleep first, with her head on Jamie’s shoulder and her breathing light and even. Jamie watched her sleep. Kristin was by far the most beautiful person Jamie had seen and Jamie was well aware that she had a rare and extraordinary treasure. Jamie vowed that she would protect Kristin. She fell asleep shortly after Kristin and they slept soundly in each other’s arms.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  On Saturday morning, Jamie woke up lying on her side with her left arm around Kristin and her back pressed into Jamie’s stomach. Their breathing was synchronized and Kristin snored lightly. Jamie examined Kristin’s features and felt lucky that someone as smart and beautiful as Kristin would give someone like Jamie a second look.

  The dogs were getting restless outside the bedroom door, so Jamie got up and let them out. She looked at the clock on the stove. It was almost nine. Jamie reached her arms up to the ceiling and got up on her tiptoes, stretching her body. She’d slept like a rock. She looked down at her knee. It was bruised still, but the swelling was gone. She flexed and extended it and it felt good.

  After she made the dogs their breakfast and let them back in, she went to the bathroom, brushed her teeth, went back into the bedroom and slid back into bed with Kristin. Kristin stirred and rolled over so she had her head on Jamie’s shoulder and Jamie kissed the tip of her nose. Kristin smiled, turned her face towards Jamie, and they kissed each other good morning. Kristin put her head back down. Jamie lay on her back holding Kristin. She closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep.

  At 9:30, Jamie heard the phone ring. She let the answering machine pick it up. It was Jack, who wanted to know what time the game started. Jamie listened to him leave a message, then hugged Kristin.

  “Hey sleepyhead,” she said. “We have to get up. I need to start getting ready.” Kristin opened her eyes and hugged Jamie tighter.

  “Just five more minutes,” Kristin begged.

  Jamie didn’t need much persuading to stay in bed longer with Kristin, where they lay warm in each other’s arms. Jamie started thinking about the game and what she needed to do to get ready. She needed to make them breakfast, take a shower, get into her uniform, make a diluted sports drink water bottle, let the dogs out one last time, and leave for the field by 10:30.

  Kristin crawled on top of Jamie and sat on her stomach. She leaned down and gave Jamie a quick kiss. Jamie tried to kiss her longer, but Kristin shook her head. “I still need to brush my teeth, yuck.”

  “You taste fine,” said Jamie.

  “We don’t have time for kissing,” said Kristin, sitting back. “We need to have a pep talk.”

  Jamie smiled. “I’d rather make more time for this.” She put her hands up Kristin’s side.

  Kristin took Jamie’s hands in hers and held them still. “Later,” she said. “Right now, you need to tell me how you’re going to play today that was different than Thursday.”

  “I am going to play as if the person I love the most in the world, you, is there, watching me play, and if I don’t play well, you will leave the game with Dylan.”

  “Jamie, seriously…”

  “I am serious,” said Jamie. “I don’t even care if we win today, I will just be happy knowing you are there.”

  “What are you going to do when #18 starts following you around?” asked Kristin.

  “Alexia? I am faster than she is. It doesn’t matter who they put on me, I am faster than all of them. I feel great this morning, better than I’ve felt since this summer, and I am just going to go out and play the game for fun.”

  “You haven’t had fun this season? Even the games you won?” asked Kristin.

  “No, I haven’t,” Jamie acknowledged. “The only thing that was fun about this season was getting to see you when you came to cover us for the school paper and getting to know you. The rest of the season was like a chore that I just wanted to get finished.”

  Kristin looked at her, surprised. “You’re so good; I just figured you liked playing, no matter what.”

  “I used to love playing in pickup games over the summer. We played just because we loved playing soccer. This season has felt like a job I don’t want anymore.”

  They got up. Jamie made them a light breakfast while Kristin took a quick shower. They ate and while Jamie showered, Kristin cleaned up the kitchen.

  Jamie came out in her uniform.

  “Oh, I have your shirt and sweatshirt.”

  “I want you to wear them today,” Jamie said while she pulled on her socks. “I am going to wear last year’s shirt.”

  “Okay,” said Kristin. She wore them last night to the game, but they weren’t really dirty. She went and changed.

  Jamie called her brother back and gave him the time and place of the game. Jack said he would be there, and Jamie called her parents to let them know she was leaving for the game.

  Kristin packed her camera, laptop, and notepad. She deliberately left her books there so she would have a reason to have to come back to the house after the game. They let the dogs back in and loaded their things into the Jeep. Jamie took Kristin’s hand and led her behind the Jeep, away from the driveway, where she kissed Kristin long and hard. When she was done, she smiled and walked Kristin to the passenger door and opened it for her.

  The drive to the school was only a few minutes, so Jamie drove slowly. When they got to the school, Jamie was the first one there from the team. She picked up Kristin’s hand and looked into her eyes.

  “I am very happy right now and it has nothing to do with soccer.”

  Kristin smiled. “I know.”

  “I just want you to be happy, too,” Jamie said.

  “Jamie, I love you,” Kristin said.

  Jamie swallowed and nodded. “I love you, too.”

  “I know. Just go out there today and pretend you’re playing in a pickup game for fun. Okay?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And watch out for Alexia.”

&nbs
p; “Stop worrying about her. I’ll be fine.”

  Coach Abbott’s car pulled up just then. Jamie and Kristin got out of the Jeep and got their stuff. Kristin pulled her press badge out and hung it around her neck.

  “You feeling ready today?” asked Coach Abbott.

  “Yes,” Jamie said. “I rested my knee yesterday and it feels a lot better.”

  Coach Abbott frowned. “Let’s see it,” she said.

  Jamie pulled up her sweat pant leg and showed her. “That doesn’t look very good,” Coach Abbott said. “I want you to go see the trainer and get that wrapped.”

  “Okay,” Jamie said.

  They walked up to the gym together and Kristin excused herself by saying she was going out to the field. Jamie and Coach Abbott went into the gym.

  As they walked down the hallway, Coach Abbott said to Jamie, “I understand they had a captain’s practice yesterday without you.”

  “That’s what I heard, too,” Jamie said.

  “Who called it?” asked Coach Abbott.

  “Well, I guess Celeste did, because I didn’t.”

  “Why weren’t you involved?”

  “Coach Detmer called and left a message at my house, but I was over at my aunt’s house, dog-sitting. My dad said that he got a message on the home machine from him saying he wanted us to call a captain’s practice.”

  Coach Abbott shook her head. “Jamie, I know this has been a tough season for you and I am sorry that you had to shoulder a lot of the load. I had to take this job and I thought Coach Detmer would be a better fit for the program.”

  “It’s okay,” Jamie said.

  “I want you to go out there today and play very offensive-minded. Play as if you are another striker, and I am going to play our defense up. I want you to stretch the field and outrun their defense on through balls. Play up with their last defender. I watched Thursday’s game again last night and we don’t need you back on defense. We need you playing up and putting that ball in the net. I want you taking every shot you get today. Play hard. If you have to get rough, get rough.”

  “Okay, Coach,” said Jamie as she got to the training room. She went in and saw the trainer, who wrapped her knee for her and put a sleeve over it.

  “You’ll be fine, Jamie,” she said. Her knee did feel better wrapped nice and snug and Jamie went and found her team in the locker room.

  “Hey, Jamie,” greeted Charlotte. “Where were you yesterday?”

  “Sorry, guys, I didn’t know about the practice. Funny thing how a captain didn’t know about the captain’s practice, you know?” Jamie said. Celeste looked down at the floor.

  “Okay, ladies, I want to show you some film from Thursday’s game and go over our game plan,” called Coach Abbott.

  Coach Detmer approached Jamie. “Jamie, why weren’t you at practice yesterday?”

  Jamie stood up and over him. “The better question would be why wasn’t a team captain involved in calling a captain’s practice?”

  Coach Abbott came over to hear what was being said. He changed the subject.

  “Why aren’t you wearing your team shirt?”

  “Because it was bringing bad luck, so I wore last year’s.”

  “All right, we need to get started on the film. Have a seat, everyone.” Coach Abbott ended the discussion between the two of them.

  Coach Detmer scowled at Jamie.

  * * *

  Kristin walked out to the field and watched the athletic director and crew line the field, put corner flags at each corner, and check the nets and goals. She was trying to figure out where she could get the best pictures according to where the sun was and she walked around the field twice. She smiled and said hello to anyone who acknowledged her. She was happy.

  The Middleton team arrived and walked in groups of two to their sidelines with their equipment. The players put on their cleats and started warming up. Kristin saw Alexia Mooney laughing and smiling with her team mates and Kristin hoped Jamie steamrolled her today.

  Kristin pulled out her notepad and walked over to the Middleton sideline. She approached the coach and introduced herself as the reporter for the school paper.

  “Can I ask you a few questions?” Kristin asked him.

  “Sure,” he said. He gave her his name and spelled it for her.

  “Coach, your team played an aggressive game here on Thursday to get into the playoffs. Do you think you are going to be able to pull off another upset today?” Kristin asked.

  Some of the Middleton players started listening to the interview.

  “I sure do,” he said without hesitation. “We had a game plan to neutralize their best player and, once we shut her down, the game was ours, so we plan on doing the same thing this game.”

  “Yeah!” shouted someone from behind Kristin. “Write that! Write that we were the only team able to shut Jamie Chase down!” Other players from Middleton yelled, “Yeah!” too, and they started high-fiving each other.

  Kristin turned to see who had said that and saw it was Alexia Mooney, who had walked up behind Kristin and was trying to see what she wrote. She placed her hand on Kristin’s shoulder, trying to push herself up high enough to see Kristin’s notepad. “Did you write it?” she asked.

  Kristin was instantly repulsed at this girl touching her, let alone talking about Jamie. She ducked her shoulder down and took a step away from Alexia so her hand wasn’t on her anymore.

  “So, Coach, you are going to rely on playing dirty and hope for another fluke goal to win?” Kristin asked with a straight face. The coach just stared at her, not sure how to respond. The girls stopped their high-fives and looked at Kristin.

  “Yeah, well, good luck with that,” said Kristin as she walked away.

  * * *

  Jamie watched Kristin walk over to the Middleton sidelines and wondered what she was up to. She saw her speaking with the head coach and assumed she was interviewing him. Jamie saw the other players approach Kristin and she stopped in her tracks when she saw Alexia put her hand on Kristin’s shoulder. Jamie was livid. What was she doing touching Kristin? She saw Kristin pull away from her. Jamie started heading over there, but saw that Kristin was walking away.

  A rage had overtaken Jamie. As Kristin walked towards her she saw how upset Jamie was.

  “Why did she just have her hand on you?” demanded Jamie.

  “I don’t know,” said Kristin.

  “Did she say anything to you?”

  “She was telling me what to write,” answered Kristin.

  “Oh, really?” Jamie was beside herself. She glared across the field at an oblivious Alexia Mooney. “I think she was flirting with you,” said Jamie.

  “Maybe,” said Kristin with a teasing smile. “The best way to get even is to beat them.”

  Jamie stared at Alexia. She was going to beat her, all right.

  * * *

  John, Angela, and Jack all sat at midfield in the bleachers. They watched Jamie warm up and were able to catch her attention and wave to her.

  “She looks spry,” commented Jack. “It looks like her knee is okay.”

  They watched Jamie go over and speak to the coaches for a minute, then run back out on the field. “Is that last year’s shirt?” asked John.

  “It looks like it,” answered Angela.

  They watched Jamie sprint up and down the sidelines. Something caught Jamie’s attention and she stopped. Jack followed her gaze. She was looking at the other sideline. He saw by her body language that she was upset, but he didn’t know why. A girl in a Stowe sweatshirt walked away from the Middleton sidelines and Jamie went to talk to her. He could tell Jamie was irritated at something.

  “Who is that talking to Jamie?” he asked.

  “Kristin Olson. She is the girl who moved here from Sarasota, the one helping Jamie with her school work,” said John.

  “And the one who wrote that article on Jamie for the school paper that made the Stowe Sentinel,” added Angela.

  Jack watched Jamie stand an
d talk with Kristin for a minute, and then Kristin left the field.

  * * *

  Rob and Lucas Olson got to the game minutes before kickoff. They found seats in the nearly full stands and looked for Kristin.

  “There’s Jamie. She’s number 14,” Lucas said.

  “She really is tall,” Rob commented.

  “She’s the best athlete at Stowe,” Lucas said. “The kids were saying she’s gonna get some award for being on a varsity team every season of every year she’s been here.”

  Jamie went and stood by a girl in a grey sweatshirt and Rob thought she looked familiar until he realized it was his daughter.

  “Kristin’s really lost some weight. She looks like she’s gotten taller, too.”

  Lucas peered out at his sister. “Yeah.”

  Kristin stood next to Jamie, talking. She was laughing and smiling and her body language gave off an impression of confidence.

  “I didn’t recognize her for a second,” Rob said. “She looks happy, doesn’t she?”

  “She should be happy with Jamie as her best friend.”

  “You really think highly of Jamie, don’t you?”

  “She is the coolest person at school.”

  * * *

  Jamie ran out to the center of the field for the coin toss. This time, Stowe won the toss and took the kickoff. She shook hands with the opposing team’s captains and ran back to her side. After a quick cheer, they took the field.

  The Stowe offense started with Jamie, Charlotte, and Tessa standing at midfield with the ball. They knew their game plan and waited to execute it. When the whistle blew, Jamie passed the ball forward to Tessa and ran up the field. Tessa passed to Charlotte, who moved past one player and passed the ball back to Tessa. Tessa saw Jamie break from the right side of the field towards open space behind the defense that had moved up. Tessa fed a perfect pass to Jamie that she hit at full stride. Jamie saw Alexia charging in from her peripheral vision and pushed the ball forward, then jumped just as Alexia’s legs flew in from the side in a slide tackle. Jamie hurdled over her as she slid, but the bottom of her right cleat clipped Alexia on the chin. Jamie stumbled, regained her balance, caught up with the ball and drilled a low, hard shot past the goalie and into the side panel of the goal. The Stowe fans jumped up and cheered