Eden Wakes (Eden Factions Book 1)

by C. S. Harte

  One by one, the girls leaped into the air and roared at the top of their lungs.

  “OK, bring it in.”

  They all huddled around the coach.

  “I want to see greatness tonight ladies. On three.”

  “One,”

  “Two,”

  “Three,”

  “Wolf Creek!” the team cheered. They stormed out of the locker room and rushed to the field.

  Coach Mitchell pulled Kayla and Izzy back. “I called in some favors and got scouts from various Division-I schools here.”

  Both girls covered their mouths as they gasped.

  “Don’t let that distract you. Just keep playing your game, and they’ll take notice. You’ll both do great tonight, I know it!”

  Kayla stood on the center line as the match was about to start. She searched the nearly sold out crowd for Tommy, spotting him in the first row of the center stand, emphatically waving at her with Charlie at his side. She flashed a silly grin before returning her attention back to the game.

  The first goal was scored by Izzy two minutes into the match. It came off a pass from Kayla as she was dribbling down the far side of the field. Kayla drew three defenders to her side, leaving Izzy wide open on the near side. She made a clean pass to Izzy, who followed it with a powerful goal kick that resulted in a 1–0 score.

  The opposition evened the game in the 25th minute on a free kick, 22 feet from the goal. It was the end result of a phantom handball on a Wolf Creek defender.

  At halftime, the score remained tied.

  The Ravens struck first in the second half. Kayla showed off spectacular dribbling to free herself for a shot on goal just inside the penalty box. The Ravens’ goalie made an even more impressive play to save it and immediately started a counter attack on the near side. The Wolf Creek defenders were not able to keep up with the speedy Raven attacker. Then the Wolf Creek goalie made a terrible mistake in coming out of the box to challenge the striker. After a series of shifty moves, the Ravens' striker eluded the oncoming goalie and shot the ball into the net. This resulted in a 2–1 score with the Ravens in the lead.

  It was the first instance all season where Wolf Creek trailed in a match.

  During an injury timeout in the 76th minute, Izzy went to Kayla. “We’re running out of time.”

  “I know, but the game isn’t over yet,” Kayla said with a defiant tone.

  “I’m taller than all their defenders. Just throw the ball into the box, and I’ll head it in. Kick it about here,” Izzy used her hands to show how high she wanted the ball to be above her head.

  “They’re crushing me on defense. I want to take more outside shots before the defenders collapse on me.”

  “Do whatever you feel is right. You know where I’ll be.”

  The referee blew the whistle to restart the match.

  Izzy tapped Kayla on her rear. “We got this!”

  Kayla gave her the thumbs up.

  A Wolf Creek defender threw the ball into the center of the field where a Wolf Creek midfielder caught it. She dribbled a few feet before passing it to Kayla who was about 45 feet from goal on the far side. Kayla saw two defenders coming at her. Izzy made a break for the center of the Ravens' box. Kayla kicked the ball in a perfect arc over the defense.

  Please get there ball. Please get there Izzy.

  Izzy reached the ball at full speed and headed it into the top left corner of the net. The Ravens' goalie, blocked by her teammate, had no chance to stop it.

  2–2, 79th minute.

  The Wolf Creek fans erupted into cheers.

  At the end of regulation, the score was still tied. The referee added three minutes of penalty time. A tie would still be enough to get Wolf Creek into the state championships, but Coach Mitchell had instilled a desire in his players to play to win — not to tie.

  The Ravens had possession of the ball and were pressing into the Wolf Creek side of the field. Their best striker broke away from two Wolf Creek defenders and made a clean shot on goal — a shot that looked true when it left her leg. The Wolf Creek goalie was able to get her finger tips to deflect the ball out of bounds.

  The Ravens were awarded a corner kick.

  Approximately one minute left in extra time.

  A Ravens' midfielder kicked the ball into the box hoping for a good header or a lucky bounce. The entry pass floated for what seemed like an eternity while both teams fought for position in front of the goalie. Instead of bouncing into the goal as the Ravens wanted, it bounced out to Kayla.

  The Raven defenders were completely out of position. Kayla had surged to midfield before anyone turned around. She only had to beat the Ravens' goalie to guarantee a first place finish for Wolf Creek, the first in school history. The referee’s whistle could blow at any moment, signaling the end of the match.

  Memories of the first day of practice strobed in her consciousness. Kick the ball hard and low into the net, as hard and straight as you can.

  Kayla’s hand unconsciously placed itself over her locket nestled underneath her shirt. She glanced down at the sphere spinning in front of her. A faint yellow aura surrounded the ball, leaving streaks of sunlight as it streamed forward. Kayla shifted her gaze to the goal, the finish line for a marathon day of emotions. A calmness radiated from Kayla’s core that displaced the darkness where her doubts and insecurities hid. The stars aligned for this new Kayla. She was the spotlight of everyone’s attention. With one stroke, she could be the hero of her own story. Seizing every ounce of will, she shot her leg forward and struck the ball with all her strength. A comet streaked across the field, zooming past the goalie.

  The entire stadium went silent.

  The Ravens' goalie stood frozen. It was unclear if she was stunned at the speed of the ball coming at her or if she didn’t perceive it at all.

  The referee raised his arms to signal a goal.

  The entire Ravens team fell limp. Some dropped to their knees, crippled by the weight of their defeat. Others cried into their hands and shirts.

  The Ravens' goalie finally turned around to see the ball bouncing, rolling behind her. Her mouth dropped. She picked up the ball and examined it while shaking her head in disbelief, before heaving it away with a hefty grunt.

  For the victors came a rush of euphoria. Every Wolf Creek fan, player, and coach jumped and cheered, raising their fists in conquest. Kayla’s teammates swarmed her with jubilation, designating her the new Queen Bee.

  A couple of Wolf Creek players lapped the field in victory with their arms outstretched like airplanes.

  “KAYLA, YOU’RE SO AWESOME!” Izzy screamed. “That was such a miraculous goal!”

  Chants of “Kayla! Kayla! Kayla!” broke from Tommy’s section of the stands. His voice was loudest among them.

  “Why aren’t you happier, Kayla? What’s wrong?” Izzy asked with a slacked expression.

  Kayla shook her head and stared at Izzy unblinking. “I guess I’m stunned that we won and it was me who made the game-winning shot.”

  Did I actually connect with the ball? I remember wanting to kick it, but I don’t remember connecting my foot to the ball.

  “Of course we won! You won it for us!” Izzy picked her up off her feet, bouncing Kayla in her arms.

  Kayla laughed. “OK. OK. You can put me down now!”

  “Oh look, Tommy is heading for you,” Izzy giggled. “We’re gonna have a party at the Flyer over on Country Road 125. I’ll see you and Tommy there, right?”

  8

  Tommy filled a jug of water from a nearby pump. He poured the water over his mother’s tombstone using his hands to scrub away the dirt and grime. When he finished, he laid a bouquet in front of her memorial. “Happy birthday, mom,” He wiped the sweat from his brow and sat.

  “I can’t believe it’s been a year. I miss you, mom. But I want you to know that I’m doing OK. I even met a girl. Her name is Kayla,”

  He took out a photo strip from his shirt pocket and rested it on her grave. It was a
memento of him and Kayla taken not long ago at a carnival photo booth. The entire wondrous night distilled into four frames.

  The first frame showed Kayla pretending to kiss Tommy. Her lips just grazing his cheek. The second photo was goofy-themed, not hard to do for silly people. The third captured serious faces. Tommy’s look was intimidating, while Kayla’s serious face was not much different from her goofy face.

  The last photo was different. Tommy stared at it the longest. It was the only one where she wasn’t wrapped around him, or he wasn't entangled in her. They were sitting, smiling at the camera in front of them. Their faces conveyed a contentment but also an ache, like they knew the night was going to end, but didn’t want it to. Tommy would fix his gaze on the last frame nearly every night before he slept. He pictured himself and Kayla growing old in that photo. It animated in his mind’s eye, screening a future version of himself with Kayla on a ranch, kids running around, happy, with more stories yet to be written.

  Tommy's eyes shifted back to his mother’s tombstone. “We’ve been talking a lot since the summer started. I like Kayla a lot. I think I might even love her. We get along perfectly. She’s fun. Funny, even. And so beautiful. I’ve never cared about someone the way I care about her. I wish you could meet her...”

  Tommy’s face began to sag. He stared at his hands as he spoke. “Everything is so hard. School. Work. I’m going to be working two jobs after high school so I can afford a place to live. I want to take night classes at the local community college. That was the plan I mentioned last time.”

  He picked up the photo and cradled it in his palm. “I never expected Kayla to come and change all of that. Believe me. She wasn't part of the plan. We’ve been getting real close, spending hours every day together. I dunno why, but all I want is for her to be happy. But I have so many problems in my life that I don’t know if I can be more to her,”

  For much of Tommy’s life, he's never had the option to choose his own path. Instead, he was given a series of road blocks and dead ends. But a major decision lay ahead for Tommy.

  “I want to ask Kayla out. I want to be someone more to Kayla. But I feel like I would be selfish to date her. If I mess up, I’m only messing up my life. If we start dating and things get screwed up, I would ruin both our lives. The last thing I ever wanna do is hurt Kayla. I know what it feels like when the world stops caring about you.”

  His phone buzzed. The alarm for Kayla’s soccer game. “I have to get going,” Tommy tucked the photo into his pocket and stood. He swept the grass off his jeans. “I hope I make the right decision. I love you, mom.”

  The girl's soccer team held an impromptu victory party at the only 24-hour diner in Wolf Creek, the Flyer — a loosely alien-themed restaurant with an excess of green neon lights wrapped around the building’s exterior.

  Coach Mitchell showed up to provide the restaurant with his credit card. He gave a short speech about the “good win” and to “stay focused on the big picture.” Afterward, he left to give the girls their team bonding time.

  As the night wore on, the celebration grew thin. Tommy arrived late. Most of the party had already left. By midnight, only Kayla, Tommy and Izzy remained.

  “Is Charlie at home with Mrs. Cooper?” Kayla inquired.

  “Yup. He’s good and fed,” Tommy said with a smile.

  Silence followed.

  Kayla yawned. Her eyes were bloodshot like Tommy’s.

  Izzy, however, was wide awake. Her eyes darted back and forth, alternating her stares between Tommy and Kayla. At times, she squinted as if searching for something in particular.

  Tommy cleared his throat.

  Kayla avoided eye contact with Izzy.

  Tommy glanced at his watch. “Well, it’s getting late. We should —“

  “Erm…bup…bup…bup… “ Izzy picked up the straw from her drink and pointed it at Tommy. “I have very important questions that need honest answers.”

  Tommy stiffened under the interrogation and scratched his forearm.

  She paused before continuing. “I have it on good authority, that you like Ms. Odachi. Is this information correct? I remind you that honesty is required when you’re under oath.”

  Tommy didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he took two big gulps of water before slowly returning the glass to the table. His lips parted, but only garbled sounds came out. He shook his head as if giving up on Izzy’s question.

  Kayla became more alert, the subject matter percolating her awake. She fixated on Tommy, looking for clues revealed through his mannerisms or body language. Every night since they were placed together, she had been searching, longing for signals. Something, anything that was an indication of more.

  Tommy dropped his shoulders. His yawn becoming more pronounced. The topic of discussion seemingly having an opposite effect on him, tiring him even further.

  Izzy was relentless with her pressure, holding steady the Straw of Truth on Tommy.

  Kayla held her breath and waited for an answer to a question she yearned to know. The lack of oxygen forcing her heart to beat faster.

  A cloud of tension rolled in. The air sparked with nervous energy.

  Tommy turned to face Kayla.

  Kayla made a sharp inhale.

  Izzy’s eyes widened.

  Tommy leaned in, closing the gap.

  Kayla held her breath.

  Tommy grabbed Kayla hands underneath the table.

  Kayla tilted her head and closed her eyes. An inch separated their lips from bliss.

  A loud BANG shot through the restaurant, followed by glass shattering.

  Kayla and Tommy jumped apart. Shock and confusion filled their faces. Their moment ruined by a faceless enemy.

  BANG.

  The other patrons in the dinner screamed and ducked under the tables.

  BANG.

  The waitress immediately fell to the floor.

  BANG.

  Tommy grabbed Kayla and pushed her down, covering her with his own body.

  Izzy slid under the table.

  Tires screeched, like nails scratching a chalkboard, following the last shot.

  Everyone waited for the shooting to stop. They cowered in silence for what seemed like an eternity.

  Tommy was the first to rise, slowly poking his head to look outside.

  Kayla tried getting up as well.

  Tommy pushed her back down. “Don’t get up yet. I don’t see anyone outside. I think they all left.”

  The waitress stood up next. She immediately headed for the phone.

  Tommy’s jaw clenched. “They spray painted something on my truck. Stay here. I’m going outside.”

  “NO! They could still be out there.” Kayla screamed.

  “Don’t be crazy Tommy,” Izzy added.

  Tommy’s voice was jagged. “I need to look at my truck!”

  Kayla peeked outside.

  Tommy approached his truck. The words “DIE BITCH” were spray painted in red on the passenger side of his white truck. He circled his truck. No damage to the tires. All the lights and windows were still intact. There were no holes or other apparent damage to his truck.

  Tommy’s nostrils flared. “GODDAMMIT!” He flipped his arms up.

  Other people followed Tommy outside and headed towards their respective cars. Only Tommy’s was tagged.

  Kayla and Izzy were the last to come out. They cautiously made their way towards a seething Tommy.

  Tommy asked, “Do you think that was for you or me?”

  Kayla shook her head. “I don’t know. Do you think it was the guys from the gas station? Do you think they know us? Or maybe followed us?”

  “Wait, who? Know what? You guys know who did this?” Izzy asked in a raised pitch.

  Kayla placed a hand on Izzy’s shoulder. “Remember when I said things have been weird lately?”

  Izzy nodded nervously.

  “Well, I wasn’t just talking about the stuff that happened between Tommy and me.”

  Tommy’s ears pe
rked up. “You were talking about me earlier today?”

  Kayla smirked. “Not everything is about you, geez.”

  “Whatever. We’re going to have to give a statement soon when the police come. Kayla, I don’t think we should mention every detail.”

  “Why wouldn’t you mention everything to the police?” Izzy asked.

  Kayla looked deeply into Izzy’s eyes. “I got some filling in I need to do with you.”

  9

  Izzy glared at Kayla. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me somebody attacked you. Why didn’t you just go to the police right away?”

  Tommy stepped into the conversation, directing most of his attention to Izzy. “You can blame me for that. I wanted to talk to Kayla before we went to the authorities. Make sure we saw the same things. I don’t trust them. And I didn’t want us giving them different stories. They could suspect us of attacking the idiots first. Trust me on this. You don’t understand how the police can look at you if you’re poor or a nobody. How could you?”

  “Wait, what is that supposed to mean?” Izzy said with a raised voice.

  Kayla stepped in between the two. “Everything has been happening so fast. It’s crazy to think that it’s been less than 24 hours since all this started.”

  “It’s getting late. We should get home.” Tommy released a long, drawn out yawn. “We can talk about this tomorrow. I dunno 'bout y’all, but I could use some sleep.”

  “My house is closer. Do you just want to stay at my house tonight?” Izzy asked.

  Kayla hugged Izzy, fully appreciating the offer. “I don’t think our foster parents would be OK with that. But thanks for the invite.”

  “Let me check in with the sheriff before we leave.” Tommy walked away.

  The police took the statements of everyone at the diner. They were aware of the gas station incident, but there were no security tapes for them to review. The gas station cameras were fake, props acting merely as a theft deterrent. Now that they knew Tommy and Kayla were directly involved, the police asked them to give a statement on Monday and to provide a description of their attackers. Tommy and Kayla agreed to do so after school.