Offside

by M. G. Higgins

“Oh, great,” Alan grumbled. He rushed down the hallway.

  Faith slumped back into her seat, tapping her fingers on her desk. Then she straightened up again.

  “Alan,” she whispered, rehearsing the speech she’d been thinking about all morning. She reached out and touched her notebook as if she were touching his hand. “I know how you feel about me. I feel the same way. I’m ready to—”

  Jacob Lane walked in, and Faith stopped talking. As he sat at his desk the next row over, he turned around and did a double take.

  “Wow. I didn’t recognize you. You look … nice.”

  She lowered her eyes and smiled.

  “Kind of heavy on the perfume, though. Sheesh.” He waved his hand in front of his nose.

  Faith bit her lower lip and remembered her lipstick. She wiped her teeth with her finger.

  Class started late. Alan seemed distracted as he took attendance. He didn’t even look at her when he called her name. Splitting up the fight must have troubled him. He was a sensitive guy.

  When the period ended, Faith stayed at her desk, waiting for the classroom to empty. But the same moment that Faith got to her feet, Sheila Baker stormed back into the classroom waving her quiz in front of his face.

  “Why did I only get half credit on my essay answer?” Sheila raged.

  Faith sat down again and wiped her damp palms on her thighs. After Alan explained why Sheila’s lame essay was hardly worth half credit, the girl left.

  They were alone.

  Faith jumped up. Her nutrition assignment clutched in her fist, her heart beating in her chest, she trotted to Alan’s desk.

  “Hi,” she said breathlessly.

  “Hey, Patel,” he said, standing and shuffling papers. “Coach Simmons said you made a nice defensive play Friday. Finish your assignment?”

  She handed him the report, her hand trembling. “I … I know how you—”

  “Yeah, I wanted it today. Great.” He set the assignment on a pile of other papers. “See you at tonight’s game. Four thirty.” He crossed the front of the classroom, heading for the door.

  “…Yeah,” she answered, then wandered back to her desk and picked up her backpack. She rolled her shoulders. This wasn’t the end of the world. There would be other opportunities to talk. A classroom wasn’t very romantic, anyway.

  “Hey.” Alan was leaning through the doorway, his hand on the doorframe.

  He’d come back!

  “Um … I’m not sure, but I may have a favor to ask you after tonight’s game.” He grinned sheepishly. “I just want you to know it’s okay if you say no.”

  “I … I won’t say no.”

  “Well, no need to answer yet.” He slapped the doorframe. “Okay. Later.”

  F

  aith ran home after school, her feet barely touching the sidewalk. She flew through the apartment door and hugged her mom. “I love you.”

  Her mom patted Faith’s arm. “I love you too.” She pushed Faith away and held her by the shoulders. “Are you on drugs?”

  “No! I’m just happy.”

  Her mom slowly smiled. “That’s nice. I’m going to my room.”

  “Mom,” Faith called. “Do you mind if I do stuff on Saturday sometimes when you’re off work? Like, go out with friends?”

  “Of course not. I wish you would.”

  “Thanks. Have a good nap.” Alan was the friend Faith planned to do stuff with. But that afternoon wasn’t the time to tell Mom about him.

  Antim wandered into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Faith’s legs.

  “Hey, Ant Man!” She lifted him up and squeezed him in a bear hug.

  “Ow,” he whined. “Too tight.”

  . . .

  Faith got to the field as early as she could. She’d been daydreaming about Alan’s favor. Did he want to know if she’d go to dinner with him? Maybe take a trip somewhere? Each scenario she thought of included kissing. Lots and lots of kissing.

  Players were already gathering on the field, but she didn’t see Alan. The door of the equipment shed was open. She trotted over and peeked inside. He was stepping in between deflated balls and cans of sideline paint, pulling at the goal net.

  Her heart flipping, Faith stood behind him. “Hi.”

  Alan jumped and turned. “Jeez, Patel. You scared me.” He took a breath. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  Faith tilted her chin up, signaling it was all right if he kissed her now.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  She lowered her chin. “Yes.”

  “So, that favor? I was hoping I could find someone, but no one’s available, so I’m afraid it’s a worst-case scenario.”

  “What?”

  “I don’t have anyone to watch my boys after the game tonight. And I have to get to the hospital.”

  Boys? Hospital? Faith gaped at him.

  “Sorry. I’m a little frazzled. Here, take a look.” Alan pulled out his cell phone and pressed a couple of buttons. He held the screen under Faith’s nose. In the photo, a dazed but happy-looking woman in a hospital gown held a red-faced infant. “That’s little Angelica, just born Friday. And my wife, Jennifer. They’re coming home tomorrow.”

  Then he clicked to a photo of two boys aping for the camera. Faith guessed they were about eight and six. “The older one is David, and the little guy is Jeff,” Alan said. “They’re great kids, but they think hospital hallways are ice rinks.”

  Faith looked up. Alan was beaming. Finally, she understood. “You want me to babysit?”

  He slid the phone into his pocket. “Just for a couple of hours. With pay, of course. I thought of you because you said you had siblings you take care of. And I know you’re responsible. But remember, you can say no.”

  She hesitated. “I… I can’t. I have to babysit my brothers and sister. My mom works nights.”

  Alan hit his forehead. “Oh, that’s right! You told me, and I completely forgot.” His sheepish grin was back. “I told you, I’m frazzled.”

  Faith shrugged.

  “That’s okay, don’t worry about it,” he said. “I’ll go to plan B.”

  Faith lowered her head and turned to leave.

  “Hey, Patel,” he said.

  Faith stopped without turning.

  “If there’s an opportunity to use you at midfield tonight, I will.”

  She nodded but didn’t look back.

  F

  aith lumbered to the Copperheads sideline. She should have stretched, jogged, or juggled a soccer ball, something to get ready for the match. But why bother? Alan. Coach Berg. Her soccer coach and health teacher—that was all he was.

  And he had three kids.

  She sat on the bench and buried her head in her hands. She started to cry, too devastated to feel ashamed about doing it in public.

  The bench bounced as someone sat next to her. “You okay?”

  Faith recognized Caitlyn’s voice. Without looking up, Faith shook her head. “I just heard Coach has a new baby. Crap.” She sat up and wiped her nose with the hem of her jersey. The field was a blur. “He wanted me to watch his sons after the match.”

  Caitlyn snorted. “He asked you to babysit? Are you freaking kidding me?”

  Faith shook her head.

  “What a jerk.”

  “It’s okay,” Faith said. “He’s not a bad person. I just made a mistake. I shouldn’t have liked him.”

  Caitlyn was quiet a second. “Yeah, falling in love with a teacher never turns out well. You’ll get over it eventually.” She rose to her feet and walked onto the field.

  Faith watched as Caitlyn, Olivia, and Addie passed a ball back and forth. Taking a few deep breaths, she got to her feet and positioned herself at an angle between Caitlyn and Olivia. Caitlyn sent a pass her way.

  Faith returned to the bench when the match started. The Copperheads were playing the Blue Lake Trojans. It was a team they’d beaten easily earlier in the season. But whether it was because the match was on a Monday night or Coach’s head wa
s someplace else—like with his wife and new baby—the Copperheads were already down 2–0.

  Faith’s head wasn’t in the game either. I’m an idiot, she thought.

  She’d misread every one of Coach Berg’s kind words and gestures. He wasn’t being romantic, he was just showing concern. Caitlyn’s photo captured a moment in time that didn’t mean anything. Alan—Coach—was trying her at midfield to help the team, not because he was doing Faith some huge favor. And she’d thought he might kiss her that night? Confess his feelings? She wished there were a hole in front of the bench that she could crawl into.

  At halftime, the score hadn’t changed. It seemed like the threat of a loss hadn’t dawned on Coach Berg until the team huddled together. He laid into them.

  “I know you’re tired! But Monday matches are no different than any other night. You will not lose to this team! You’re better than they are.”

  He waved Faith over.

  “Look,” he said, “about midfield. If we were ahead, I’d consider it. But not tonight, okay?”

  She nodded. It was what she’d expected.

  “But Addie needs a break.”

  “Okay. Great.” It surprised Faith how much she wanted to play defense. She felt comfortable there. And it was where she could help the team most right then.

  Inspired by Coach’s grilling, the Copperheads quickly scored. But soon after the Trojans took possession, they were deep into Copperhead territory again. Caitlyn charged the attacker with the ball. She reached in with her foot to steal, but the forward did a stepover and kept possession.

  “Crap!” Caitlyn yelled as the forward dribbled toward the goal.

  But Faith had already shifted to back her up. She was focused on the ball in front of her but aware of the net behind her back. The net was the lake. She would not let the ball drown. The Trojan forward must have seen the resolve on Faith’s face—she pulled up short. Caitlyn rushed in alongside Faith, double-teaming the charging Trojan. Under pressure, the forward made a weak pass back to one of her teammates—which Sophie intercepted for the Copperheads.

  As Caitlyn trotted to her position, she stuck out her hand. Faith slapped it.

  “Thanks for the backup,” Caitlyn said.

  “You too,” Faith responded.

  Faith had never played so intensely, and Coach kept her in for the rest of the match. The defense didn’t allow another goal, either, and the game ended in a 2−2 tie.

  After the match, Coach gave the team a few minutes of feedback and then quickly left. Faith noticed Melody trotting after him. She must have been Coach’s plan B babysitter.

  As Faith walked across the field toward home, she heard a “Hey!” She stopped. Caitlyn caught up with her.

  “Good match,” Caitlyn said. “Sucks we didn’t win, but you did good. It’s like you’ve caught fire the past couple of games. You should think about playing club ball.”

  Faith shrugged. “I can’t afford—”

  “Hear me out a second,” Caitlyn said. “My club has some scholarships. The way you’re playing right now, I bet you could get one. But you’d need to play Saturdays.”

  Faith nodded.

  “League tournaments are a great way to get seen by college scouts too” Caitlyn continued.

  College. It wasn’t the same thing as sharing the white cottage with Coach Berg. But in a way, it sounded even better. More real.

  “I’ll think about it,” Faith said. “Thanks.”

  Caitlyn took a deep breath. “Okay. I need to show you something.”

  Now what? Faith thought. Caitlyn took a cell phone out of a pocket on her game bag. After showing Faith the photo, Caitlyn pressed a couple of buttons and it disappeared.

  “Why?” Faith asked.

  “I don’t know. I suppose because I shouldn’t have taken it in the first place.”

  It wasn’t exactly an apology, but Faith was grateful anyway. She nodded.

  “I need to get home.”

  “Yeah. See ya.” Caitlyn walked toward the locker room as Faith headed in the other direction.

  After taking a few steps, Faith turned and called, “Hey, Caitlyn? Um… if you guys are doing something Saturday night, could I, like…” She shrugged, too embarrassed to finish her question.

  “Tag along?” Caitlyn finished for her. “Sure.” She paused. “Hey, if you can wait a minute, I’ll give you a ride home.”

  “Okay. That would be great.”