Out of Bounds

by Andrea Montalbano

  But Makena watched as Skylar sauntered over and took the ball from Jasmine’s hands. What’s she doing? Makena wondered.

  Skylar bent down to tie her shoe, black hair flopping over her headband. By now, the Westside coach’s face was as red as her hair. Makena worried she was going to explode like some kind of cherry bomb.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me!” the coach bellowed, pointing at Skylar.

  “Play on!” the referee warned. Skylar kept tying her shoe.

  “Jessie, go take it,” Coach Lily yelled from the sidelines, with a shake of her head.

  “Skylar, let’s go.” Jessie sprinted over, grabbed the ball from next to Skylar, and threw the ball up the line. Makena saw Skylar laugh and jog back onto the field.

  “One minute left,” Makena heard Lily try to encourage the girls. “Look alive, defense!”

  Makena and the rest of the field suddenly heard a howl.

  “Owww! My ankle!” It was Skylar. “I stepped in a hole!”

  Makena watched, worried, as Skylar ripped off her black headband and rolled on the ground.

  “Coach!” the referee called Coach Lily onto the field. After a few seconds, their coach helped Skylar limp to the sideline. She plopped down a few feet from Makena and gave her a wink.

  “Abby,” Lily called. She needed a substitute on the field. “Get ready. Quickly.”

  The referee had his hand on his watch. He was holding the time. Abby had already taken off her cleats. She thought the game was over.

  “This is outrageous!” Makena heard one of the parents yell. She struggled to her feet. She could go in for the last minute of the game and just stand there.

  Abby scrambled to get ready, but Skylar suddenly rolled over, ran to the sideline, and said, “Coach, I’m OK now!”

  “What?” Coach Lily had a tense look on her face. “It’s OK, Skylar. Just take a rest and get some ice.”

  “No, really. Look, I’m fine,” Skylar said, jumping up and down to prove her point.

  Coach Lily looked at Abby, who was still trying to jam her foot into her cleat. She sighed, “OK. Go. Now!”

  The spectators booed as Skylar retook the field. She was running fine. Nothing was wrong with her ankle now. The referee took out a yellow card.

  “What’s that for, Coach?” Makena asked.

  “For wasting time,” Coach Lily answered in a low voice. Makena could hear disapproving murmurs from parents on the other side of the field.

  The Wildcats gave one final push, but then time finally did run out. Makena collapsed in a heap when she heard the whistle blow.

  3

  “Victory!” Makena shouted across the messy hotel room. “Can I have this tattoo?”

  “Sure.” Skylar nodded. “Victory. That’s what it’s all about, right?”

  Makena ripped the word from a colorful sheet of temporary tattoos. Vaulting a pile of dirty soccer clothes, she ran into the small bathroom to get some water while Val and Jessie sorted through the rest of the tattoo choices.

  “How long do I have to hold it?” Makena yelled.

  “Fifteen minutes,” Skylar answered.

  “Fifteen minutes?” Makena came out of the bathroom with a wet washcloth on her arm.

  “I’m kidding.” Skylar laughed. “Sucker!”

  Makena scowled.

  “Just, like, thirty seconds,” Skylar said, still chuckling. “Love the look on your face. Just be sure to lift the paper off slowly so it doesn’t tear.”

  “Look at this one,” Jessie said, holding up a flaming soccer ball. “This one is like your shot today, Val.”

  Val smiled and asked. “How long do they stay on again?”

  “A couple of days, depending on how many showers you take and how sweaty you get.”

  “What do you think?” Makena asked, showing off her right arm. Bright-green and orange letters covered her skin.

  “Oh, love it,” Skylar said. “We’re going to kill ’em tomorrow.”

  “Can you believe the looks that team was giving us at the buffet?” Makena asked.

  “I didn’t know all the teams were staying in the same hotel,” Jessie said. Coming face-to-face with the Baton Ridge Thunder at dinner that night had caught most of the girls by surprise. The Breakers had won their second game of the Philadelphia Freedom Tournament easily, and now they would face the Thunder in the morning. The winner would be on to the finals.

  “The whole tournament is staying here,” Skylar told them.

  “The girl in the salad line looked like she wanted you for dinner,” Jessie said.

  “Oh, whatev,” Skylar said.

  “Do you know them?” Val asked.

  “Nah, not really. I might have seen one or two of them at a soccer camp or something like that.”

  “They seemed to know you,” Val said in a voice that Makena recognized. Val was not digging Skylar.

  If Skylar noticed, it didn’t slow her down. “My dad says their regional ranking is below ours.”

  “Regional ranking? What does that mean?” Val asked.

  “Oh, you get points when you play in a tournament, and the better you do, the higher you are ranked. My dad tracks all this stuff on his computer.”

  Makena shrugged. She’d never heard of rankings for soccer teams, and the thought of either of her parents having any idea how to look up that information made her chuckle a little bit. She was about to say so when a loud knock on the door interrupted her. All four girls squeaked in surprise.

  “Anyone hooomme?” Jasmine’s mother, Mrs. Manikas, asked, sticking her head into the room.

  “Hi,” the girls answered in unison. Mrs. Manikas was the team mom and their chaperone for the night. Makena, Skylar, Jessie, and Val had been assigned the hotel room that connected to the one that Mrs. Manikas shared with Jasmine, Ella, and Abby. The rest of the Breakers were with their parents in rooms down the hall.

  “I’m collecting stinky socks. Anyooooone?” Mrs. Manikas said. Pinching her nose, she looked around the room with disgust. There were muddy shoes on the beds, clothes pouring out of duffel bags, soccer balls and shin guards strewn on the floor, and one particularly alarming puddle on the worn rug in front of the television.

  Jasmine’s mom bent down to investigate.

  “Melted Popsicle,” Makena offered. “Pink lemonade.”

  Mrs. Manikas nodded and took a few steps back.

  “You girls need to clean that up. Also, please give me your dirty uniforms from today, and I’ll throw them in the laundry. I’ll wash them tonight and have them for you by six thirty tomorrow morning. OK? Breakfast is at seven o’clock in the lobby, so be sure to come dressed to go.”

  The girls scrambled to gather their belongings while Skylar made a halfhearted effort to soak up the Popsicle she had spilled on the rug. Pieces of grass floated to the carpet from Makena’s socks as she handed them over.

  “They’re still a little wet,” Makena said. “Just sweat. I think.”

  Mrs. Manikas backed out of the room holding a pile of uniforms.

  “Lights out in half an hour. Big game tomorroooow!” Mrs. Manikas sung.

  “OK,” the girls replied.

  Skylar closed the door behind her. “Oh, so glad she’s goooone,” she said, and all four Breakers collapsed in giggles.

  “Man, I’m so sore,” Jessie said, rubbing her thighs.

  “Me too,” Makena agreed. Her legs hurt when she walked, sat, lay down. She plopped down on the bed next to Val and admired her new tattoo.

  “This is nothing, girls,” Skylar said. “When you go to ODP, you have, like, three practices a day, and then you hit the gym. Now’s that’s how you get sore.”

  “What’s ODP?” Jessie asked.

  “What’s ODP? Are you kidding me? ODP is the Olympic Development Program. You know, where the
y pick the girls for the national team? Carli Lloyd? Alex Morgan? Hello?”

  Jessie shrugged her shoulders, clearly embarrassed.

  “You need to start learning about the real world of soccer if you want to be taken seriously,” Skylar went on. She had Makena’s full attention. Makena wanted to play soccer for the rest of her life. She wanted to score in the World Cup. She wanted to win a gold medal at the Olympics. She wanted to make it to the top, and if Skylar could help her get there, she was all ears.

  “There are definitely going to be some big-time scouts at this game tomorrow.”

  “Scouts for what?” Makena asked.

  “College,” Skylar said solemnly.

  “College! We’re not even in eighth grade,” Makena said.

  “Yeah, college. If you aren’t on the recruiting radar by eighth grade, you might as well just forget it. That’s what my dad says.”

  “Come on, Skylar.” Val rolled her eyes. “That’s ridiculous.”

  “Is it?” Skylar replied. “Mark my words, they’ll be there tomorrow, and they’ll be watching. Which is why we have to win. No matter what.”

  “No matter what?” Val muttered, shaking her head. She jumped off the bed, grabbed her toothbrush, and headed for the bathroom. As she pushed open the door, she leaned back and asked, “Hey, Skylar, how’s your ankle?”

  Val closed the bathroom door behind her without waiting for an answer. Skylar ignored the question and motioned for Makena and Jessie to come closer.

  “I saw an awesome hot tub out behind the restaurant,” she whispered.

  “Yeah, so?” Makena asked.

  “Let’s go check it out. We can loosen up our sore muscles. It’ll be perfect.”

  “It’s pitch-black out there,” Jessie said.

  “Exactly. We’ll have it all to ourselves.”

  “Mrs. M is never going to let us go,” Makena pointed out.

  “Who said we’re going to ask? We just have to wait until everyone’s asleep.”

  “We’ll get in so much trouble,” Jessie whispered.

  “It’s only a crime if you get caught,” Skylar said. “And we’re not going to get caught. Trust me, all the big players warm down in a hot tub. It’s just what we need.”

  4

  Makena Walsh’s heart thwacked in her chest like the churning blades of a helicopter. She and Val were sharing a bed, and somehow, her friend was sleeping soundly. Makena couldn’t imagine how all the jumping and thudding her heart was doing wasn’t keeping her friend awake. She was grateful Val was sleeping though, because she knew she would be really upset with her for even considering sneaking out of their hotel room, much less going without her.

  Was Skylar brave enough to really do it?

  Sure, Makena wanted to soothe her sore muscles like a pro, but she’d never done anything like sneak out before. She’d never even contemplated doing anything like that. Makena saved her most daring exploits and moments for the field.

  This was so unlike her.

  But it was also exciting. Skylar was exciting. Makena loved her cool tattoos. She envied Skylar’s wild hair. Skylar was different, in the best kind of way. Makena gathered a section of her own strawberry-blond hair around her finger as she lay in the bed. For games, she always wore a long ponytail or, when she was feeling crazy, two French braids. Next to Skylar, Makena’s hair was basic and boring. How was a college coach going to notice Makena next to someone like Skylar?

  Val rolled over. Makena could tell Val didn’t like Skylar. Val wasn’t very good at hiding her feelings. Was what Skylar had done during the first game really that wrong? So she tied her shoe at the end. Big whoop. It’s dangerous to play with your shoelaces undone. And she twisted her ankle. Not her fault she stepped in a hole. Makena thought Val was being a little hard on Skylar.

  Makena adjusted her pillow and felt a twinge in her side. She hurt all over. Getting the wind knocked out of her was an awful experience. Maybe it would be good to relax in a nice, warm tub. Makena felt herself calming down, the helicopter circling in to land. Yawning, she pulled the covers over her shoulder and nestled down into the soft sheets. The room was pitch-black and quiet.

  She was pretty sure Jessie and Skylar were already asleep and wouldn’t be going after all. Well, it would have been fun, Makena thought. I’m brave too. She closed her eyes and started to doze off, relieved she didn’t have to prove it.

  She didn’t feel the first poke. The second one made her sit straight up.

  “What?” Makena cried out.

  “Sh,” Skylar said. “Here.”

  Makena’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she saw Skylar and Jessie standing over her bed. Val shifted slightly next to her. Makena noticed Skylar and Jessie both had streaks of black under their eyes.

  “Is that eye black?” she asked.

  “Let’s move,” Jessie ordered.

  “Here,” Skylar said again, shoving something into Makena’s hands.

  “What’s this?”

  “T-shirt and shorts. Unless you want to go naked? I don’t have a bathing suit. Do you?”

  “Oh, right,” Makena said. Silently, she changed her clothes. “What time is it?”

  “Midnight.”

  Makena realized she must have fallen asleep.

  Jessie poked her head out into the hallway. “Coast is clear,” she said softly. Makena suddenly imagined her teammate with a career in the military.

  The three girls crept silently down the hall to the stairs. Their room was on the fourth floor. Quickly, the trio found themselves in the lobby. The receptionist was busy on her phone and didn’t seem to notice the three barefoot girls scurrying by. They found the door that said Patio and slipped outside. It was that easy.

  Hot vapor swirled invitingly in the cool night. Skylar went first, making a face that said the water was scalding hot as she slid slowly into the Jacuzzi.

  “Ahh,” she whispered. “Now that’s awesome.”

  Makena and Jessie climbed the steps. Makena paused before getting in. She looked around but saw only potted plants. She heard muted voices from people in the parking lot behind the hotel.

  “Get in,” Skylar urged.

  Jessie went next. Then Makena slipped her foot into the steaming water.

  “Ow!” Makena cried, yanking her foot back. She hadn’t been in too many hot tubs in her life. “That’s hot! Really hot.”

  “You get used to it,” Skylar said, lounging in the corner, her arms resting on the sides.

  Makena tried again. She could not believe people did this on purpose. Her skin was going to fall off. Jessie, the budding Navy SEAL, didn’t seem to be having any problem, Makena noticed.

  “Since you’re up,” Skylar said, “how about turning on the jets? The button is right behind you.”

  Makena reached back, hit the green button, and saw the pool come to life. Skylar and Jessie immediately started trapping bubbles in their T-shirts and shorts. It’s now or never, Makena thought. She marched down the first few steps, sucked in her breath, and slowly sank down in the water.

  “This. Is. The. Life,” Skylar sighed, her head tilted back, hair sticking up in front like a tuft of grass.

  Makena had to agree. “I feel like a celebrity,” she said, moving closer to one of the jets. “Plus, I really do think this is helping my muscles.”

  “I wonder what the Thunder will be like tomorrow. I hear they’re really tough,” Jessie said.

  “Me too,” Makena agreed.

  “It’ll be a piece of cake,” Skylar said. “They have matching bags and stuff. They think that makes them good or something.”

  Makena turned to the side to massage her sore back. “Man, that really hurt today.”

  “Yeah, but you got us the free kick. That’s all that matters,” Skylar said.

  “How is your ankle?” Ma
kena asked. “Did you step in a hole or something?”

  Skylar rubbed her leg and smiled. “I saw that in a USA–Brazil game. It must have eaten up at least the last three minutes.”

  “You mean you didn’t really step in a hole?” Jessie asked.

  “Look, all the pros do it. Don’t you guys watch soccer on TV? When you’re ahead, you’ve got to do what it takes to eat up the last few minutes of a game. It’s called gamesmanship. I didn’t make it up.”

  Of course Makena watched the World Cups, men’s and women’s. There was a lot of falling down in the final minutes, no question about it. It just had never occurred to her that it was something U13 girls could do.

  “But, Skylar, isn’t that cheating?” Makena blurted out.

  “Getting hurt isn’t cheating, Makena. It’s a totally expected part of soccer. Just remember, when you get hurt, even a little, roll on the ground and act like your leg is about to fall off. That way you’ll get the free kick or the penalty kick. Everyone does it. If you want to play soccer like the pros, you better do what the pros do. That’s how you win.”

  Makena and Jessie shared a look. Coach Lily had never told them to do anything like that. Makena shifted to massage the other side of her back as she thought. Skylar seemed so sure of herself. And she seemed to know what she was talking about with the ODP stuff, rankings, and college coaches.

  Makena didn’t know what to think. She traced the outline of the tattoo on her arm. Victory.

  Makena was opening her mouth to tell Skylar she didn’t really think the Breakers were into faking injuries when she heard loud footsteps approaching. She looked past the bushes and saw the beam of a strong flashlight bobbing on the path to the hot tub.

  “Someone’s coming!” Makena said.

  “Kill the jets,” Skylar whispered to Jessie. Jessie jumped out of the Jacuzzi and hit the red button. The hot tub went silent, which only made the footsteps seem louder.

  “Hey!” they heard a deep voice yell. “Hot tub closed at ten.”

  It was hotel security. A tall man with a serious scowl was approaching. Jessie stood dripping on the patio, eye black smudged across her face.