Out of Bounds

by Andrea Montalbano

  “But, Mom, I scored my first goal in these!”

  “Oh, Makena. If you want my help cleaning your room, you have to give up some of this junk.”

  Makena stared at her mother in shock. Junk? These were her prized possessions.

  “Mom, this isn’t even my room, remember?” As Makena spoke, she saw the look on her mother’s face and instantly regretted her words.

  “How can I forget when you remind me every hour on the hour?” Makena’s mom responded in a sharp tone.

  Makena quieted and went back to sorting socks, reluctantly placing the odd ones in the donation pile. She kept the shorts though. Why did she have to bring up the room situation? Last fall, she had to move into her brother’s bedroom when their grandfather, Papa, came to live with them. Papa was old and needed a room with a bathroom, so Makena reluctantly gave up hers. At first, she was miserable about the change, but she’d come to enjoy her grandfather. Who knew an eighty-year-old could love America’s Got Talent as much as she did? Even sharing a room with Will wasn’t as bad as she’d thought it would be. Almost every night they read comic books together and told knock-knock jokes until laughter made their stomachs hurt and their parents started yelling from downstairs.

  Makena watched as her mom pulled another pile of random items out from under the bunk beds. The past few months had added worry lines to her mom’s face. Recently, Papa had developed a terrible cough that wouldn’t go away. Her parents had had to take him to about a zillion doctors. Mom and Dad hadn’t really told Makena and her brother Will much about what was going on, but they knew it wasn’t great news.

  “What about these?” Makena’s mom held up a pair of princess pajama pants that must have been for a four-year-old. “You win any big tournaments with these on, Cinderella?”

  Makena laughed, grabbed the pants, and threw them in the donation pile. “See, I can get rid of things!”

  “Oh, very good,” her mom said. Smiling, she got up from the floor. “My show starts in an hour. I have to get ready. We’re dissecting a Palos Verdes Blue, which is…”

  “The rarest butterfly in the world,” Makena dutifully replied.

  “Very good. Thought to be extinct for more than a decade, you know. That is going to be a big event on BugsAreCool.com.”

  Makena’s mom kissed Makena on the top of her head and left the room. Her new web show, Butterfly CSI, was a hit in the bug universe.

  “You going to watch?” her mom called back over her shoulder.

  “Yeah, Mom,” Makena said. “I’ll watch it on the computer downstairs.”

  Makena went back to the chaos on the floor but quickly lost interest. She looked around for something else to do. I’m so bored, she thought. Bored and lonely. I’m so bored and lonely I have to tell myself I’m bored and lonely.

  From the first day of school, Makena longed for summer to arrive. Now that it was here, she couldn’t wait for it to be over. Val was in Texas visiting relatives, and Chloe was in an all-day ballet camp in New York City. Since the Memorial Day tournament, soccer was mostly done, and Makena found the days to be hot, empty, and endless.

  Her next soccer event was the upcoming Fourth of July tournament, but that was still almost a week away. Makena flopped down on Will’s bottom bunk and gazed up at her favorite poster of the U.S. women’s national soccer team plastered above the desk. The USA players were in their white uniforms, arms wrapped around one another, sweaty and happy after another victory.

  Makena hadn’t touched a soccer ball since she’d returned from Philadelphia, and she’d never told Val about her Skylar adventures. She tried not to think about the loss or the missed penalty kick, but she stifled a laugh when she remembered the security guards trying to catch Skylar in the parking lot. She really is brave, Makena thought. And she was right: We didn’t get caught.

  Just then, Makena heard a ping from under a pile of sweatpants. It was her new cell phone.

  Ping! Makena rummaged through the pile, knocking over shirts her mother had folded that morning, sending them flying into the air like popcorn. Val didn’t have a cell phone yet, and Chloe wasn’t allowed to text during her dance camp. Who could it be?

  When Makena finally found the little black phone, she didn’t recognize the number. The area code was 201.

  Where is that? Makena wondered. But it didn’t take her long to figure out who the sender was.

  Been to any good hot tubs lately?

  It had to be Skylar.

  Makena was excited to get a text but couldn’t imagine how Skylar had gotten her number. She asked her.

  Coach was the immediate reply. Psyched 2 play in 7/4 tourney.

  Well, that’ll take care of my boredom, Makena thought. Suddenly, her phone rang. She nearly dropped it in surprise.

  “Hello,” she answered.

  “It’s me, Skylar. How’s it going?”

  “Good,” Makena said. “But actually really boring.”

  “Yeah, me too,” Skylar said. “Nothing going on here either.”

  “If you were here, we could go kick around,” Makena said. There was a brief pause, and then Skylar spoke.

  “Well, maybe I could come over and show you some of the cool moves I’ve been working on.”

  “Are you serious?” Makena asked. “That would be awesome!”

  “Totally. There’s a practice this week to get ready for the Canada trip, and I was thinking I could stay and hang out or something.”

  “Oh yeah, I didn’t know you were coming to practice. Let me go ask my mom. But she loves all my Soccer Sisters, and I bet she’ll say yes.”

  “So I’m a Soccer Sister now?”

  “Of course! You’re on the team, right?”

  Makena didn’t give Skylar time to answer. “Call you right back,” she said. She ended the call and sprinted to find her mother before she started filming.

  “Mom!” she yelled, galloping down the hallway. “Mom!”

  “What! What is it?” her mom answered, instantly worried. “Why are you yelling? Are you hurt?” Makena’s mom always thought Makena was hurt.

  “No, I’m fine. I need to ask you something.”

  “Not now, I’m about to go on the air.” She was preparing her dissection tools.

  “No, I need to ask you something supremely important.”

  “Can it wait?” her mom asked, turning back to her work.

  “Mom. Pleeeeease. My friend Skylar from soccer wants to come and spend the night. Can she, Mom? Please, please, please?”

  “Mac, I don’t have time for this right now.”

  “Please just say yes, Mom. She can stay in Will’s room with me. I’ll donate clothes. Clean the whole house. Everything. Anything. I promise. I’ll be nice to Will. I’ll let Papa watch his shows. Please just say yes.”

  Makena’s mom shook her head in resignation.

  “I have a lot of work this week, and your grandfather isn’t feeling very well. I have to take him back to the pulmonologist. I don’t have time to entertain you and your new friend. Who is she anyway? I don’t know that name.”

  “Mom, she’s the amazing player I told you about. She’s, like, on the national team or something. We won’t be any trouble, Mom, I promise. We’ll just go to practice and hang out. She’s going to show me some cool moves. Please just say yes.”

  “OK,” she said with a sigh.

  “OK? That’s a yes? She can come?”

  “Yes, that’s a yes. She can come. But please understand there’s a lot going on and I need you girls to entertain yourselves.”

  “We will, I promise.”

  8

  Makena had to cut quite a deal with her nine-year-old brother, Will, to convince him to sleep on the couch. She had to clear his dishes for a week, help him finish his endless Lego Death Star, and catch twenty-five fireflies. Plus she had her usual c
hores: She had to vacuum the living room, organize her books, pull weeds, and wash windows at Rosa’s, her father’s shop downtown. She was going to be busy, but she knew it was totally worth it to have Skylar come and visit.

  Makena laughed when her dad saw Skylar’s hair for the first time and did a double take. The magenta stripe was now bright green, and the tips of the short, cropped part were neon yellow. But Skylar won him over quickly by being a great eater and complimenting his cooking. Food was the fastest way to Rory Walsh’s heart.

  Skylar even played a few heated games of backgammon with Papa, who was surprisingly crafty. Things did get a little testy when Skylar and Papa didn’t agree on who should get sent home on Survivor, but it had been a good visit so far. Makena was relieved Skylar didn’t want to sneak out of the house or anything crazy like that.

  “Mom, can we go to town today after practice?” Makena asked at breakfast.

  “That’s a great idea,” her mom answered. “I have to take Papa to the doctor anyway.”

  “Can I come?” Will asked Makena and Skylar. “I want to get the new Asterix comic from Longo’s Store.”

  Makena was about to answer yes when Skylar came out with a lie.

  “Oh, Will, we’d love for you to come, but I think some of the Breakers are meeting up in town to work on our community service projects. It’ll be so boring for you.”

  Makena’s eyes went wide. There was no meeting and no community service planned that she knew about. Just practice at noon. But she nodded along with the story.

  Makena’s mom spoke up. “Yeah, Will, let them have some girl time. Girls, I love the idea of community service projects. Was that yours, Skylar?”

  “Well, not entirely. The whole team wants to give back,” Skylar lied.

  “How wonderful,” Makena’s mom said. “So, Makena, please keep your phone close and check in with your father when you’re in town. We’ll be back this afternoon.”

  “OK, Mom,” Makena answered guiltily.

  • • •

  The walk to Brookville was just a few blocks. Makena was excited to show Skylar around. Makena thought Brookville was a beautiful town, full of cute shops and cafés. It had an old-fashioned main street with a park, a soda fountain, Longo’s comic store, and, of course, her dad’s shop, Rosa’s. Makena was saving that for after practice, when they could get anything they wanted there for free.

  Practice was at the school field during the summers—just a ten-minute walk from Makena’s house.

  “This is a nice place,” Skylar said.

  “Yeah.” Makena shrugged it off, but in truth she was proud of her little town.

  “Have you ever played in the Roberts Cup?” Makena asked Skylar. The Roberts Cup was the tournament they were going to the coming weekend in Toronto.

  “Oh sure, I played there last year. There are a lot of top coaches from colleges who come to watch,” Skylar answered.

  “Why aren’t you playing with your old team anymore?” Makena wanted to know.

  “You guys are better. They weren’t going to the tournament this summer, and my dad says I need better exposure.”

  Makena was surprised at the answer. Even if she knew of a better team, she would never leave her friends. She’d been playing with some of them since kindergarten.

  “My dad really thinks I need to keep focused on the future, and he thinks my old team is a bunch of losers. He said he won’t even come and watch me until I find a better team.”

  “Well, is he coming this weekend?” Makena asked.

  “Not unless we make it to the finals.”

  Wow, I hope we win so Skylar’s dad will come, Makena thought. The girls arrived at the field, and Makena pointed to some of the players gathering by the far goal.

  “Oh look!” Makena said, as they got closer. “Chloe’s here.”

  “Who’s Chloe?” Skylar asked.

  “She’s the girl on our team you are playing for.”

  “The dancer?” Skylar asked.

  “She’s not just a dancer. She’s, like, kind of famous for her age.”

  Makena took off running toward her friend. “Chloe, hey!”

  “Hey, Mac,” Chloe said with a wave.

  “I didn’t know you were coming to practice,” Makena said, excited. She’d hardly seen Chloe since school got out.

  “My instructor got some sort of flu, so I was free and thought I would come play.”

  “Does that mean you can play this weekend?” Makena asked, hopeful.

  “Nah,” Chloe replied, “Unfortunately not. I’m a soloist in Romeo and Juliet in Central Park on Saturday. So lame.”

  Makena noticed Skylar staring at Chloe. Chloe got that a lot. Makena thought she was by far the prettiest girl in their school, tall and lean with long, super-straight, blond hair. Not only did she look like some kind of supermodel, she was sweet and probably the coolest girl Makena knew.

  “This is Skylar,” Makena said.

  “Oh hey,” Chloe said. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  Skylar gave a nod in reply.

  “Girls, let’s get started,” Coach Lily called, and they all ran over to warm up.

  They started with their regular stretching and then worked on technical skills, dribbling through and around small, neon-colored cones set up all over the field. Makena was amazed at Skylar’s comfort with the ball; her first touch was incredible. It was like the ball was taped to her shoe.

  “Isn’t she awesome?” Makena whispered to Chloe during a water break.

  “Yeah, she’s really skilled,” Chloe answered. Makena hoped her friend wasn’t too bummed about missing another tournament.

  “You’re going to love playing with her,” Makena said, hoping to cheer her up. “You know, in the fall.”

  “Yeah, for sure,” Chloe said. “I can’t wait.”

  Next, Coach Lily broke the girls into small-sided games meant to simulate situations they would face on the field. The first drill was one of Makena’s favorites: four-versus-one keep-away in a small box grid she made with the cones. Makena was in the middle first and after a few passes was able to win the ball from Skylar. It was Skylar’s turn to be in the middle and try to win the ball back from the girls passing it on the outside of the grid. Makena gave a pass to Chloe, but it was a little too slow, and Skylar was able to steal it off her foot.

  “Oh, my bad pass, Chloe,” Makena said. “Sorry!”

  Chloe shrugged and smiled. Makena was so happy to have her at practice. She was always positive, and even if she wasn’t the best player on the team, she was always fun.

  “You’re in the middle, dancer,” Skylar said, and Makena could see Chloe’s smile fade a little bit.

  “Oh, it was my bad pass,” Makena protested, moving into the circle.

  “No, it’s cool,” Chloe said and took her turn in the middle.

  On the outside, Makena, Skylar, Jessie, and Jasmine got on a roll, and Chloe fought to win the ball. Instead of getting set the way Lily taught them, she started lunging at the ball. Makena thought she looked frustrated.

  “Oh, let’s count how many passes we can get,” Skylar said. “That’s got to be, like, twelve.”

  Chloe was tired from chasing the ball around and slowed down. The fun little game didn’t look very fun for Chloe anymore. Makena made a bad pass on purpose.

  “Oh, I’m in,” she said, wanting to give Chloe a break, but Coach Lily blew the whistle, and the drill was over.

  “Girls, get some water.”

  “Where’s Val?” Skylar asked during the break.

  “Oh, she’s in Texas. She’ll be back in a few days.”

  “She’s coming to the tournament, right?”

  “Yeah, of course,” Makena said.

  “Awesome. She’s a good player,” Skylar said. “We need her.”


  Coach Lily came over to talk to the team.

  “Girls, you know the deal this weekend. I expect perfect behavior from everyone. After our last tournament, I got an email that there was some incident at the hotel. They couldn’t identify who the kids were, and I know it was none of you girls, but I want to remind you that when we go away and stay in hotels, we represent not only ourselves but our team, our club, our state, and, in this case, our country. Remember, this is a privilege and can be taken away.”

  Makena saw Skylar and Jessie smirking at one another.

  “We clear on that?” Lily asked.

  “Yes, Coach,” Makena answered, a stab of guilt filling her stomach.

  “OK, girls, we’re going to have small-sided scrimmage for the rest of practice,” Lily said as she started to hand out pinnies, the colorful bibs the girls wore in practice. “The rules of the game are as follows. There are no goals, so you want to try to keep possession of the ball. Every five passes will equal a goal. Practice keeping the ball. This is about possession.”

  “Practice makes perfect!” Chloe yelled.

  “That’s right,” Lily said with a laugh. “OK, seven passes in a row equals two points. We’ll play to three. Losers do push-ups, OK?”

  This was another of Makena’s favorites. She, Jessie, Jasmine, Kat, and Sydney put on blue bibs, while Skylar, Chloe, Ariana, Ella, and Tessa put on green bibs. Coach Lily put the ball in play.

  The green team had a good run and, after five passes in a row, got a point. Makena and the blue team took over then and started working the ball around the field.

  “Chloe, you need to mark tighter!” Skylar yelled.

  Chloe sprinted toward Jessie, and Makena was actually happy when Chloe was able to intercept the pass. She gave the ball to Ariana. One pass. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Makena worked hard to win the ball back. One more pass, and the game was over. Chloe had the ball and looked around for someone to get open.

  “Chloe, pass! We only need one more,” Skylar yelled. “Pass! Now!”

  Chloe picked her head up and made the pass. But Jasmine was too quick and intercepted the ball.