Breathe

by Tania Trozzo

  After the defense had blocked a play, they managed to get it to Gracie in midfield. She was pretty decent at moving the ball, and after blocking a steal she pushed forward and passed the ball to Clara. Clara still had a way to go before she could make a decent shot but this is where she thrived. Sal had mentioned that there were few times when she seemed free, one of them was occasionally on the soccer field and she felt it now. That freedom, that anger inside her morphed and pushed her, she dribbled the ball, faking it to the left and moved right. At that point, someone tried to foul her but she was able to predict it and she saved herself. She had always played with boys and because of this she learned how to play soccer a bit rougher. When she played with the boys, they always thought she was easy to beat, she always proved she wasn’t. This was one of those times. She heard yelling around her “What the hell, who is this? Get the ball, Jamie, what are you waiting for?”

  At that exact moment Clara went for the goal. It was a tough shot a little bit farther to the right then she would have liked, but she hit it with everything she had, all that anger focused on that ball. It lifted in the air and in the net, it went. Everyone screamed around her, Moira ran up and hugged her. She looked straight at Ms. Lawson, who was smiling and nodding and speaking to someone on her left. She high-fived a bunch of girls and then looked at them and said, “so, are you ready to do that again?”

  All the girls smiled. “Hell, yes!” a few of them said.

  “Good, no stopping now. Let’s prove that wasn’t a fluke,” Clara remarked.

  They started their formation again. Clara made 2 changes that she felt were better suited, also to keep the other team on its toes. While a few girls glared at her, a few had a look of respect in their eyes. One girl who Clara knew was on the soccer team, seemed stunned but her look was full of admiration. In fact, she was smiling. She high fived Moira and encouraged her. They continued to play. Where her team lacked in technique they made up in effort and determination. They lost the ball a few times but Moira could defend pretty well. At a certain point however, Jamie, the captain of the soccer team scored again. Clara’s team managed in the next play to get the ball back to the other side of the field. Another girl managed to get the ball away from Emma right when she was about to pass to Clara. Clara knew she would turn right to take the ball away and towards Jamie or to get the ball out. That is exactly where Clara raced, and she came up on her left, turned and took the ball. It all happened so quickly, she briefly saw the surprise but didn’t have time to focus on it, she pushed through, dodging around someone with only one focus in mind. Get the ball in that goal. She was taught that is your primary and only concern. Always. Those words rang through her mind as she pushed up, saw where the goalie was, faked left and kicked the ball right. Score! Two more inches to the right and it would have most likely hit the poll but Clara got it right in. Clara slowed down, and took a deep breath. That play took a bit out of her. As she recouped, her team members came over and were all jumping up and down and hugging her. Ms. Lawson blew the whistle, telling everyone that class was over in a few minutes and to get their butts in the locker room to change. Clara’s team had tied with the other team and they would rematch it next time. It was in that moment that Clara looked clearly to where Ms. Lawson was and for the first time she noticed Mr. Donovan, Mr.Rossi, Mrs. Chiaro and the entire boys gym class was there. She felt someone’s gaze on her, and as she turned her head and lifted her eyes, there they were, those blue gray eyes staring right at her. There was admiration there and something else. He smiled at her. It wasn’t a full-blown smile, but a small smile, as if it were only the two of them sharing some kind of secret. She heard someone calling her name and jerked her head towards the voice.

  “Clara, come here please.” Mrs. Chiaro said. Clara took a deep breath and jogged over. “This is Coach Donovan, Coach Rossi and of course, you know Ms. Lawson.”

  Clara shook their hands. “I hear you have been trying to get a hold of me, sorry about that. I have time now so how about we discuss the girls’ soccer team? Do you have class next?” asked Mr. Donovan.

  Clara widened her eyes. “Um, no I have lunch but I can skip that,” she answered quickly.

  Coach nodded, “Great, let’s walk on over to my office. Boys, class is over, head back to the gym and the locker rooms and I’ll see you either this afternoon or next week. Ms. Lawson, please join us.”

  “Good job Clara. I’ve got to get the next class started.” Ms. Chiaro said.

  They all walked to his office. When they got there, he closed the door and they all sat down. “Where did you learn to play like that?” coach asked.

  “From my cousins,” Clara answered.

  “How long?” asked Coach Rossi.

  “Um, roughly 4 years. Maybe 3 and a half.”

  Clara looked at all of them. She looked directly at Ms. Lawson and refrained from narrowing her eyes. Ms. Lawson began to speak about how Clara rallied her team, motivated the other girls and yet used technique. “You didn’t just play well, you had them all believe in you without even knowing you,” concluded Ms. Lawson. Suddenly it all clicked to Clara, that maybe Ms. Lawson had done it on purpose.

  “So, does that mean I get to try out?” asked Clara looking at Coach Donovan and Coach Rossi for the answer.

  “Unfortunately, the training for the season has already started, so no official try out,” Coach Donovan began to say, “but I think we can consider gym class today to be your try out. You are a bit behind though. We have practice right after school Monday through Friday. I would like you to start Monday. This weekend you will start on your own and you may have to train a bit in the mornings. You have to catch up. Coach Rossi is officially taking over the soccer team with Ms. Lawson as Assistant Coach. Are you willing to do that?” said Coach Donovan.

  Clara let out a breath of relief. Hearing the beginning of his answer, she had held her breath, ready for a rebuttal but she hadn’t needed it. Looking at the coaches now, they were all smiling. Are they for real? she thought to herself.

  Coach Rossi looked at her and said “Clara, we need an answer. This isn’t going to be easy but you have talent. First and foremost, you are going to have to prove and earn your right on the team with your team mates. You have quite a bit of catching up to do and we are not going to take it easy on you.” Clara realized out of shock she hadn’t responded to the previous question which was why Coach Rossi felt the need to clarify.

  “I’m sorry. Of course, I am willing to do what it takes. I’ll make you proud.” They talked for another few minutes, set a schedule for the following week and a few exercises for her to do during the weekend. She quickly walked out of the office to make it to the locker room to get changed and hopefully grab a bite to eat before her next class.

  On her way out, she saw Ms. Lawson. “Thank you for helping me out,” Clara told her. Clara wasn’t sure if she should say more. She wasn’t positive if Ms. Lawson had done it on purpose to help her or not.

  “You’re welcome. I had a feeling you could do it and I was surprised that even making it difficult you were able to do what you did. Make sure you do your workout this weekend. Get your cousin to help you if you need it. And come in at 6.30 to run drills with me before school starts. And Clara? It’s Coach Lawson to you now,” as she winked.

  Clara rushed to grab a bite to eat before her next class. She smiled on her way to the cafeteria. As soon as she walked in, Rosie saw her and jumped up and came over to hug her.

  “I knew you would do it! Woo hoo!”

  They chatted a few minutes and as Clara got something to eat she realized that she hadn’t smiled this much in a while. On her way out, she glanced to her left. And sure enough, even though he was looking down, as she looked at him, he jerked his head up. Gabe looked right at her, like he always had since the first day at school.

  7

  Gabe

  “So, are you going to talk o
r what?” Alex asked Gabe.

  “About?” answered Gabe.

  “Dude. I’ve been waiting all week. Do you think I haven’t noticed how you look around all the time or the fact that you don’t let the new girl leave your line of sight when you do see her in the cafeteria? Or on that soccer field? You also walked by coach’s office twice, while she was in there. It’s me. Deny it to anyone else, but not me. I think we are well beyond that.”

  Gabe sighed, “There is nothing to tell. She caught my eye, that’s all. She’s new.”

  Alex raised his eyebrow. “And….?”

  “And, yes, she is gorgeous,” Gabe replied.

  “Of course, sooner or later you are going to talk to this girl, right? Have you even said 2 words to her?” Alex asked.

  “No, I haven’t. I haven’t had the chance and when I do have the chance like in creative writing class, Kristin and Sarah are there and it’s like I want to protect her.” Gabe continued, “but seriously, there is nothing to tell. There is something about her. Her eyes are sharp and focused but there is so much uneasiness there too. I can’t explain it.”

  “I’ve noticed. She is on guard, always watching, not totally carefree, kind of like us. She seems like she’s lived a different life than most teenagers,” Alex said thoughtfully.

  “Who are you talking about?” Gabe’s father asked walking into the room.

  Gabe hesitated for a second but realized there was no reason not to talk to him about it. “There’s a new girl at school. We’ve just noticed there is something about her. She seems uneasy and anxious sometimes. I’m not sure if that’s even the right word to describe her. I’ve seen her play soccer so I know she has confidence and I’ve heard she’s on the newspaper but…”.

  “Well, you said she is new so that isn’t easy to begin with especially in a school your size. It’s high school. What’s her name?”

  “Clara Salvino. Rumor has it she lives with her aunt and uncle. Gabe failed to mention that she’s gorgeous, but in a way that she doesn’t realize it. She is totally oblivious to it. She’s got a lot of guys with their panties in a bunch,” Alex answered and had to hold in his laugh when he noticed Gabe’s glare.

  “Salvino. That name sounds familiar,” his father looked pensive. “Alex, did you just say aunt and uncle? So, her true last name may not be Salvino?”

  Alex responded, “not sure if that is her real last name or not but I heard from her friend Rosie that her parents passed away and she lives with her aunt, uncle and cousins.”

  “Hmmm. Remember always what I say that you don’t know what someone has been through. I have heard enough to know that if someone is uneasy or guarded there’s a reason so she may need support at some point. I have to go now but we can talk about this another time. I did want to ask about Sonia and make sure she was back?”

  “Yes, Uncle Ralph, she’s back,” Alex answered.

  “Good. Everything should be set at school for her. Let me know if you need anything. Liz and I have a dinner function tonight. We shouldn’t be back too late.”

  Gabe nodded. His father was a hotshot lawyer, the top in the city. He took quite a few pro bono cases defending the undefended as he called them. Abused victims, many times children. And he never lost, especially those cases. He had heard quite a few horror stories and often told Gabe and Alex to always do the right thing. It’s probably one of the many reasons there weren’t many bullies in their grade. Alex and Gabe would never tolerate it. Gabe’s mom loved kids and after she passed, his father took on more of these cases in a way as if to honor her. He often attended a lot of events, when he had to with Liz, his girlfriend.

  Gabe and Alex nodded. “What do you think?” Alex asked him.

  Gabe thought about what his father had said. He shook his head, “Not sure, but whatever, let’s go out. Is Sonia coming with us?”

  “Yeah, I told her we would go pick her up. Let me text her,” Alex responded as he continued looking quizzically at Gabe. He smiled and shook his head. “Shit, be careful.”

  Gabe raised his eyebrow but who was he kidding, this was Alex. “Care to elaborate?”

  “This girl. I have a feeling that she is going to get under your skin.”

  Gabe laughed. “Really? Just because I have been checking her out?”

  Alex shook his head. “No. Because she has you thinking. And because you are lying to yourself.” He laughed, “This year is going to be very interesting.”

  Gabe sighed, “Let’s go get your sister. And not a word.”

  “Dude, I don’t have to say anything. Sonia will pick it up on the first day or hell, she will probably pick up on it tonight at the party if this girl is there. Nothing gets past Sonia.”

  “True, but there is nothing to tell so stop harassing me. Let’s go.” They went to get Sonia and decided to go get something to eat before heading to the party at Connor’s house. Sonia was Alex’s sister, who had been away to boarding school for some time thanks to their mom but Gabe’s father stepped in and demanded from his brother that he put in his two cents and get her out of there. Sonia was a wild child, constantly getting in trouble at that school. The only ones that were able to reel her in were her brother, Alex and her cousin, Gabe. She was finally able to leave that awful boarding school and come to school with them which is where she belonged. As they headed to the party, laughing in the car and joking around, Gabe’s phone was going off like crazy. As he hung up his last phone call, he got a text from Kristin.

  Gabe sighed, “Who was that?” Sonia asked.

  “Henry on the phone, and the last text was Kristin.”

  “Still not giving up on you, is she?” Sonia asked.

  “Nope. Want to take care of her for me?”

  Alex laughed, “Make sure you get something out of the deal little sis, this one is a tough one.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ve got her,” Sonia said.

  They got out of the car and walked into Connor’s house. The place was packed, there were even kids from Harriston, but Connor knew a lot of people. He was super friendly, had been on a few travel teams throughout the area, had an older brother in college who was popular and a younger sister in middle school. As they got out of the car, everyone parted to let them by, even some of the seniors. People were swarming everywhere, beers were handed out. They headed out to the back deck where they knew Connor was hanging out. They found him on the sofa talking to Bobby, with a girl in his lap. Bobby noticed them, smiled and got up to grab a few more chairs. People shifted and room was made for all three of them.

  “A lot of people came out tonight, Con” Alex said.

  “Yeah, I know, more than I expected. Help me keep things in check guys. There are people from other schools too,” Connor answered.

  “You got it. Don’t worry,” Gabe responded, and Alex murmured his agreement.

  Connor was a mid-fielder on the soccer team with Gabe. Many often referred to them as the dynamic duo. They had been friends since elementary school and he was probably one of the few that both he and Alex respected and trusted. He always had Gabe’s and Alex’s back without expecting anything in return. He was a good guy, a bit of a ladies man with a different girl on his lap every week, but a good guy none the less. He noticed Connor kept glancing at Sonia and knew if Alex noticed he would go apeshit.

  They all took a round of shots and Gabe sat and nursed his beer, looking around when he heard Bobby say, “Sal Capalbo and David Rade are here.”

  “Really? I’m surprised they are here. They don’t usually show up to our parties,” Alex said, “and we’re juniors so that is really weird. Are they looking for someone?”

  “Nah, they walked in with that new chick, Clara,” Bobby answered.

  Alex and Gabe shared a look. Connor immediately told Bobby and Henry to make sure they had drinks. He patted the girl on his lap to get up and stood up.

 
“I’ll go say hi. They are both friends with my brother. He would kill me if he knew they were here and didn’t make sure they were taken care of.”

  The girl went to follow him, “No, stay here,” Connor said. The girl started to pout.

  “Why don’t you bring them over here?” Alex asked. Gabe tried to act all nonchalant but his eyes kept darting around. Was she dating one of them? He shook his head. Snap out of it. You don’t even know the girl, so why should you care?

  But sure enough, a few minutes later, Connor came over with them. Sal and Connor were joking around and David was adding comments here and there but he kept glancing at Clara. He leaned in to her and whispered something to her ear. While she was nodding, she looked around and spotted him. Her eyes widened. David went to put his arm around her shoulder but she stepped away. Gabe was relieved to see that but he kept noticing Sal glancing at Clara as if to check if she was still there.

  “Guys, this is Sal. He went to school with my brother. Both of them were on the soccer team. And that is David Rade, quarterback for UPenn.” Everyone murmured their hellos in some form. Some of them were in awe that two guys from college were at their party.

  Connor then turned to Clara, “Hi Clara. Thanks for coming. Personally, since Mr. Brooks didn’t allow me to be a gentleman that first day, I was worried you wouldn’t come.”

  Clara slightly smiled “Thanks for inviting me. I hope it’s ok, I brought these two,” motioning her thumb toward David and Sal.

  “You have an outstanding invitation anytime there’s a party here and you can bring whoever you want,” Connor stated, winking at her.