Live Love Lacrosse

by Barbara Clanton

  “And smooth poops.” Troy giggled.

  “No, that was Mrs. Takahashi.”

  “Oh, yeah,” Troy said. “It’s called couples counseling, isn’t it? Are they going again?”

  Addie nodded. “Um hmm. Next Tuesday.”

  “Did Mom tell you what they talked about?”

  Addie shook her head.

  “Daddy seemed happy last night, too.”

  “Yeah, he did. Maybe . . .” Addie didn’t want to say the words out loud.

  Troy seemed to know what she meant because he answered, “Yeah, maybe. I hope.”

  They remained silent for a moment, until Troy said, “If Mom and Dad get over their fight, do you think we’ll move back to Watertown? I mean, I’ve made a whole lotta friends here. Maybe we can stay here.”

  “I know. I never would have found lacrosse in Watertown. I mean, I know they probably have teams there, but I wouldn’t have found lacrosse if it hadn’t been for Kimi.”

  “Yeah, Kimi’s cool.”

  “You want to walk to the game with us tonight?”

  Troy shrugged.

  “We’re walking the long way around, so she can show me the middle school we might go to next year. If we stay here in Syracuse that is.”

  “Okay, I’ll go on one condition.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You guys don’t talk about fiber or smooth poops.”

  Addie burst out laughing and smacked him on the arm. She leaped to her feet and scooped up the ball in her stick. “I can’t make any promises on that one, Troybot.” She turned away from him and looked over her shoulder. “See that old tire leaning against the fence? I’m gonna score a goal in it. Unless you can stop me.”

  She took off running the length of the yard. “This is lacrosse, Troy. Try to keep up,” she taunted.

  Troy was on his feet and hot on her heels in seconds.

  Chapter 21

  Wasabi Peas

  THE BUTTERFLIES IN Addie’s stomach would simply not go away no matter what she did. Even though she was not allowed to play in the game that evening, she had permission from her doctor to warm up with the team beforehand. She had been dressed and ready to go by three o’clock that afternoon, even though she and Kimi didn’t walk to the field until five.

  Addie sat in the team circle, stretching. Coach Cairns had cautioned her to take it easy during the warm up. A stern look and a wag of Coach Cairns’ finger convinced her to go slow, even though she desperately wanted to do everything full out.

  Stretching finished, they stood up to form lines for the scoop/roll/pass drill. The entire team formed two lines facing each other, about ten yards apart. Kimi was at the head of Addie’s line and Taylor was at the head of the other. Kimi flicked the ball out of her stick so it rolled toward Taylor. Taylor scooped it up and ran toward Kimi, but dodged Kimi and then passed the ball to Paige who was next in line. Paige rolled the ball to Anne-Marie and the whole cycle started again. Addie caught Anne-Marie’s throw easily, which calmed her jittery nerves somewhat. She rolled the ball smoothly to the next girl in line.

  “Nice to have you back, Addie,” Anne-Marie called as she ran by.

  “Thanks, Anne-Marie,” Addie called over her shoulder. “It’s good to be back.” Finally!

  To Addie’s surprise, she remembered all the pre-game drills and didn’t make too many glaring mistakes. The last drill they were doing was the three on two shooting drill. She was part of the three attackers and passed the ball to Anne-Marie, whose shot soared wide of the goal. Just like that, their turn was done. Addie sprinted back to the end of the line and was a little out of breath, but her legs didn’t feel heavy, and she didn’t feel wobbly at all. For the most part, she was able to keep up with the other girls. It was nothing like the time that Kimi dragged her out to the field for the very first time. She remembered being so out of shape back then. And she’d had that stupid candy bar in her pocket. She shook her head in disgust, but then sighed. According to Dr. Wright, that was negative thinking. Life, she’d said, is about learning from your mistakes and moving on. It was about erasing your ignorance.

  “Exactly,” Addie said out loud as she remembered Dr. Wright’s words.

  “Talking to yourself, Addie?” Coach Cairns said and winked.

  “Just giving myself a pep talk.”

  “You’re doing fine. Now listen, when you’re attacking the goal,” Coach Cairns pointed toward Brooke who was laser-focused on the attackers, “stay out of the crease. I think you stepped in a few times.”

  “The circle around the goal?”

  Coach Cairns nodded.

  “Okay, I will. Sorry. I forgot. There are a lot of rules in lacrosse.” It sounded like an excuse, even to her own ears, but it was the truth. There was a lot to learn. She was erasing her ignorance.

  “As an attacker you want to draw the defender to you. You know, force her to make a big commitment to you, then as soon as she does that, pass the ball off to another attack player. Spacing is the key. Attackers need to stay spread out so the defense can’t possibly cover all of you at once. Another key is to make sure the defensive player doesn’t get in between you and the player you want to throw the ball to. Kimi is notorious for stealing passes. She’s sneaky. Watch for her.”

  “Okay, Coach, thanks.” Addie moved up in the line, trying to absorb the advice. There was so much to think about. Too bad she couldn’t play in the game. She could try out everything she was learning.

  As she watched the action, she heard Coach Marks’ booming voice say to Coach Cairns, “I don’t know why you’re wasting time on that big-boned gal, Haley. She doesn’t even know enough to stay out of the crease for heaven’s sakes.”

  Coach Cairn’s response was calm and sure. “You’re not seeing her, Bob. You’re just seeing . . . Look, I don’t know what you’re seeing, but she has skill and she’s smart and she’s picking up this game faster than anyone, anyone, I’ve ever seen.”

  “You’re right. I don’t see it.” He shook his head and headed to the sideline.

  Addie was fired up. Big-boned gal. Why did he have to keep calling her that? She’d show him.

  Addie, Taylor, and Paige were the three attackers. Kimi and Megan were the defenders. Paige had the ball and Kimi took three steps toward her, so Paige passed the ball to Taylor. Taylor was immediately swallowed up by Megan, so she passed the ball to Addie. Addie saw Kimi heading toward her, but knew that Kimi would try to steal her pass to Paige.

  Addie stopped and Kimi bounded toward her, taking three springing steps, but instead of passing the ball, Addie spun away and headed toward the goal. Kimi squealed at this surprise move. Seeing her way clear, Addie took three more steps and then leaped in the air to shoot on the run.

  “Goal!” Taylor shouted and ran over to hug Addie. Paige joined the hug two seconds later. They headed to the ends of their respective lines.

  Kimi sprinted toward Addie, her mouth hanging open. “How’d you do that?”

  “Do what?” Addie couldn’t help the grin creeping up her face.

  “Get past me.” Kimi didn’t wait for Addie to answer. “I had no idea you were going left. You faked me out, big time!”

  “I heard what you were thinking.” Addie winked. “I knew what you were going to do.”

  Coach Marks blew his whistle from the sideline. “Bring it in, Owls.”

  Addie circled up with the rest of the team, and Coach Cairns put a hand on her shoulder. “That goal was impressive, Addie.” She leaned down to whisper, “I can’t believe you burned Kimi that way.”

  Addie beamed. She was back. Sort of. Almost.

  The game got underway and Addie was antsier than she’d ever been. She wanted to get in that game. Bad. She couldn’t even make herself sit down in the fold-up chair Kimi’s father had opened up for her.

  “Wasabi peas, Addie?” Kimi’s father held the open bag toward her.

  Addie froze. What were wasabi peas, and were they good for her? Did they have proper nutrit
ion? According to Dr. Mitchell it was all about nutritionally sound food.

  “Honey, honey,” Kimi’s mother said and reached across her husband to put a hand on Addie’s wrist. “It’s okay, Addie. All things in moderation, remember?”

  Addie relaxed a little, realizing she had tensed up. “How did you know?”

  “That you were freaking out a little?”

  Addie nodded.

  “Your face. You had a panicked expression.” Kimi’s mother smiled that soft smile Addie was coming to know as her mama bear smile. She was protecting her cubs. Her heart swelled as she realized that Kimi’s mother thought of her as one of her cubs. “Where’s your water, dear?”

  “My water? Right there.” Addie pointed to the water bottle on the ground.

  “I suggest you pick it up and open it.” Kimi’s mother’s smile had turned into a mischievous grin.

  “Uh oh. What are Wasabi peas?” Addie held her hand out as Kimi’s father shook three into her palm.

  “Japanese decongestant,” Kimi’s father said with the same grin his wife still sported.

  Crud, what was she getting into? Not feeling that brave, she only popped one into her mouth. The instant she crunched down, the inside of her mouth exploded with fire. The burning, like lava, climbed up through her face to her nose. She coughed and tried not to choke on the volcanic flavor. Her nose began to run as if adding insult to injury. She took the tissue offered by Kimi’s mother. Both of Kimi’s parents were laughing. That seemed a little cruel to her ears, but she didn’t have time to be mad. She had to concentrate on breathing. After a moment, she caught her breath and took a swig of water. And then another and another.

  “That was a dirty trick, you guys,” Addie said to Kimi’s parents. She handed the two remaining Wasabi peas back to Kimi’s father. He didn’t seem surprised.

  “Sorry about that, Addie,” Kimi’s mother said. “He does that to everyone. And it won’t hurt you. It’s simply horseradish.”

  “I don’t know what that is, but I don’t ever want to do that again.” Addie coughed again, but then laughed. “That was a mean trick, Dr. Takahashi.”

  His smile reached his eyes. “You’re right, daughter. I now have to earn your trust back, don’t I?”

  Addie shook her head. She trusted him. And she trusted Kimi’s mother, too. They were helping her get healthy and strong.

  The whistle blew on the field and their attention was drawn back to the game.

  The official threw a yellow card at Kimi.

  “What happened?” Addie said out loud.

  “Dangerous check,” one of Addie’s teammate’s mom said.

  “Kimi?” Kimi was usually careful about checking.

  “Yes, but I think the other girl forced it. Kimi is wearing her out, and the girl is getting frustrated. She pushed Kimi right before the play.”

  Addie stared wide eyed as play resumed and was secretly pleased to see that, despite just having received a yellow card, Kimi wasn’t backing off her opponent. Not even a little bit.

  “Go, Kimi,” Addie yelled to her friend.

  As if spurned on by Addie’s encouragement, Kimi stick checked her opponent, knocking the ball to the ground. She scooped the ball up and passed it to a sprinting Taylor who evaded one defender by simply outrunning her and then passed the ball to Paige who shoveled the ball back to Kimi.

  “Go for it, Kimi,” Addie yelled with the rest of the Onondaga Owls’ fans on the sidelines. “Go, go, go!”

  Kimi headed straight for the goalie and faked left. The defender fell for it and Kimi was free. Kimi must have seen the same gaping hole between the goalie and the net that Addie did. Kimi shot the ball toward the upper left of the goal and it hit the back of the net with a soft thwack.

  “Goal!” Addie shouted. “Goal, goal, goal. Way to go, Kimi!” She high-fived Kimi’s mother and was about to high-five Kimi’s father but pulled back at the last second. She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips as if deciding whether she was still mad at him. His eyes widened, but the crinkles at the corners of his eyes told her he knew she was teasing him.

  Addie nodded slowly and then broke out into a grin. She high-fived him and turned to cheer for Kimi and the Owls as they went on to beat the Seneca Falls Fillies by a score of 12–7.

  “Addie, can I speak to you?” Coach Cairns asked after the game.

  “Sure, Coach, what’s up?”

  “When Anne-Marie and her family go on vacation to the Wisconsin Dells, we’ll need another attacker. Are you game?”

  Addie leaped into the air. “Game? Am I game? Do you even have to ask? Yes, I’m game.” But she realized she wasn’t exactly in game shape, having taken two weeks off from activity, and she was still overweight, having been a couch potato her whole life.

  “We’re going to work you back in slowly.” Coach Cairns handed her a hastily written workout plan. “I want you to do this workout routine. Do each drill a little longer each day and soon enough we’ll have you in the starting lineup.”

  “I’ll help.” Kimi grabbed the workout sheet from Addie’s hand. “No problem, Coach. This’ll be cake.”

  “You’re in excellent hands, Addie,” Coach Cairns said and headed away to speak to Coach Marks.

  Addie groaned. “I see a million burpees and squats in my future. Am I right?”

  Kimi nodded with way too much enthusiasm. “Don’t forget the sprints. But, hey, boot camps don’t even come close to the torture of Wasabi peas.”

  “Your dad is not to be trusted,” Addie said but with a smile. “And, you’re right. If I can handle that, then I can handle anything.”

  Chapter 22

  LAX On!

  ADDIE TRIED TO focus on the baked chicken her mother was teaching her to make, but her grandmother kept trying to sabotage the whole thing. She poured oil into a frying pan trying to get them to make fried chicken. She even pulled out potatoes, when green beans, not potatoes were the vegetable on the menu that Addie and her mother had written up for her pre-game dinner. Not quite giving up, her grandmother make a basket of bread and butter, threw them on the table, and stomped into living room to watch television.

  “She has to be in charge of everything,” her mother whispered loud enough for Addie to hear.

  As her mother taught Addie to cook, they talked about how good nutrition raised energy and helped body chemistry reach its proper levels and balance. She’d learned from Dr. Mitchell that if you didn’t give your body what it needed, then it would fail, like hers did when she collapsed.

  Addie shared some of the things her doctors told her. Her psychologist, Dr. Wright, said that seeing a nutritionist was Addie’s way of taking responsibility for her own health. Her nutritionist, Dr. Mitchell, suggested that a few lifestyle changes were needed by the whole family. Consequently, Addie and her mother went food shopping together and read all the labels, trying to figure out healthier foods to buy. And by cooking together, they were finding healthier ways to prepare the food. Like baking, not frying, the chicken.

  “Dinner’s ready,” Addie called to Grandma and Troy.

  Troy bounded down the stairs and slid into his seat at the table.

  Grandma moped her way back into the kitchen. “What do those doctors know?” Grandma grumbled and pulled out a jug of lemonade from the refrigerator. “They just want your money. Lydia, let me tell you something.” Grandma sat down. “I don’t think she should play in that game tonight.”

  Addie almost knocked her glass of water over. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Not play? Impossible. She’d rather die than not play. “LAX or die!” She shouted in her head.

  “Mother, her doctors and her coaches say she’s fine and that she’s more than ready to play.” Addie’s mother sat down at the table. “She seems fine.”

  Grandma shot a glance at Addie. “What if she faints again? She comes in here every afternoon sweaty and out of breath.”

  “I’m training to get in shape, Grandma.” Addie knew her grandmothe
r would choose not to hear her.

  “You can’t afford medical bills right now, Lydia. It’s bad enough that no good husband of yours is hanging around again.”

  “Mom! Not in front of the kids. We talked about this.” There was an edge to her mother’s voice that Addie had never heard before.

  “Fine, but let me ask you this. How much is this new hobby costing you? How much money have you shelled out for this? Money that you don’t have, I might add.”

  “Daddy paid for a lot of my stuff,” Addie blurted and regretted it instantly. She had poked the bear. Again.

  “Pah,” her grandmother spat and waved a dismissive hand in Addie’s direction. “Your father doesn’t have a pot to piss in. Your mother’s about to start a new job—”

  “I’m not taking it,” her mother said softly.

  Grandma’s fork clattered in her plate. “Excuse me?”

  “I’m not taking the job at the plant with you, Mom.” Addie’s mother lifted her head high and stared steadfast into her mother’s eyes. It was the first time Addie had seen her mother stand up to her grandmother and really mean it.

  The silence between the two women was so thick that Addie lost her appetite. Troy must have felt it, too, because he put his fork down and watched the epic moment unfolding in front of them.

  “Mom,” Addie’s mother said, “Tim and I have been going to Dr. Wright, that family counselor—”

  “Pah.” Grandma waved her hand again in dismissal.

  “And she’s helping us see that although I am happy being a mom—” She flashed a smile at Addie and Troy. “She helped us see that I was unfulfilled simply having a job. She helped us understand that I want and need some kind of meaningful career.”

  “A career? You’re thirty two, Lydia. What kind of career can a middle-aged mother of two get?” She made air quotes when she said the word career.

  “I want to go to nursing school.” Her mother’s cheeks turned bright red.

  “You’re going to be a nurse, Mom?” Troy said. His gaping open mouth mirrored Addie’s.