“I am soo excited,” Olivia said. “Because the best part is that the girls get to ask the boys and the boys have to say yes to the first girl who invites them.”
“Best part?” Lily asked. “Try nightmare. All the girls are freaking out about which boy to invite. It’s bad enough to have to be asked, it’s worse to have to be the ask-er.”
“What do you mean has to say ‘yes’? Boys can’t ask girls to the dance?” Vee was confused.
Olivia jumped right in. “Right. If a girl asks a boy who isn’t already going to the dance he has to say yes! I think it’s genius.”
Vee thought it didn’t sound that great to her. If you are girl, you have to do the asking. If you are a boy, not only can you not ask a girl if you want to, but you have to say yes to any girl who asks, even if they are totally annoying. Vee had yet to find her first crush. Instead of feeling left out, she felt grateful all this dance nonsense was going on in Brookville.
“Well, I already know who I’m asking,” Olivia boasted. “And I’ve got to do it right away because he is so popular, I know he’ll be picked right up.”
“Who?” Vee asked, only slightly curious.
“Oh, right. Like I’m going to tell anyone!” Olivia responded.
Vee was taken aback by Olivia’s sharp response and regretted her question. “Whatever, dude,” she replied defensively, “I don’t even live in Brookville or go to your school.”
Vee attended middle school in Highland Ferry. Tomas, and lots of other folks who lived in Highland Ferry, worked for people in Brookville. Brookville was mostly large homes, restaurants, and pricey boutiques. Vee’s middle school didn’t offer a soccer team for girls, nor did her town, which was why she started playing on the Brookville squad. That, and she and Lily were inseparable.
Vee sprinted ahead of Olivia for the final leg of the warm-up run and plopped down close to the rest of the team to stretch. There were only nine girls at practice because the winter season was optional, so the team was smaller. They played games with seven players on each side, instead of eleven. The fields were also smaller, but the tighter spaces suited Vee’s game perfectly. She was a striker and had a reputation for her amazing speed and dribbling abilities. Even though she was smaller than most of the rest of the team and twelve, young for her grade, that didn’t matter at all in indoor soccer. It was skill and quick thinking that made Vee stand out even more than she did during the outdoor season.
Vee started on her push-ups as Lily and Olivia caught up. She watched Olivia finish her last lap with Lily and wondered why she was acting weird about a dance. To Vee, the whole concept of crushes, boys, and dances seemed like a vague and dreary task waiting somewhere far off on the horizon. Vee was much more interested in soccer.
“All the way down, girls!” a voice teased. Vee looked up from her second push-up to see Tabitha Gordon, hands on hips, standing over her. Tabitha smiled at Vee and offered her hand when she was finally done with her last late-for-practice push up.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” Tabitha said. “All these girls have gone completely nuts.”
“Because we are late?” Vee answered with a question, feeling worried that her team was angry with her.
Tabitha laughed. “No, because of this dumb dance. It’s non-stop negotiation. I can’t understand why they are so worked up. It’s annoying.”
“Oh, no. All of them? Olivia already wigged out on me about it.” Vee glanced at the rest of her team, who were deep in conversation, hardly paying attention to the passing drill Chris had set up for them. Tabitha rolled her eyes and Vee smiled. She knew her friend would never let anything social concern her. Tabitha Gordon was by far the most popular girl in Brookville. For starters, she was gorgeous. She had the straightest, longest, most perfect platinum hair. Her flow-y locks could inspire Taylor Swift to write a chart-topping revenge song. She’d been a ballet dancer since she was three and had so far sachayed her way around the whole awkward tween phase. The Gordons also lived in the biggest and fanciest house in Brookville. Vee was one of the few people who knew Tabitha’s life wasn’t perfect, but when it came to something like a dance, her buddy had it covered.
“Hey Tabitha!” Olivia said, arriving with Lily. They started their push-ups.
“Hey Olivia. Hey LJ,” Tabitha said. “How’s the jog?”
Lily smiled. “Well, I’m not freezing anymore!”
“Okay, Chris told me to tell you the drill.” Vee could see Chris setting up cones on the far side of the field. “We’re doing three versus two. You, me, and Vee are starting on offense. Olivia, you’re on defense, over there with Avery.”
“Dude! I love 3v2’s!” Vee said. She also loved the word “dude.” With the right tone and attitude, Vee knew “dude” could convey nearly any emotion. Right now, she was psyched because 3v2’s were her specialty. Three offensive players started at midfield and tried to score on two defenders and a goalie. Because they out-numbered the defenders by one player, the offense was expected to get a shot off every single time. The key, Vee knew, was that very first pass.
Chris blew his whistle, and Vee started off with the ball on the right side. Tabitha was on the left and Lily was in her spot in the middle. She quickly tapped the ball with her left foot and dribbled sharply at Avery, the defender on her side. The trick was to draw Avery to her by moving toward the goal quickly. The defender had no choice but to try and take the ball, or Vee would be in a position to just go straight to goal and shoot.
Avery approached, crouching low, and then back-pedaled, shadowing Vee like Spider Man as she pushed toward the goal. She watched Vee’s feet carefully, looking for an opening to steal the ball, but also trying to slow her down and herd her to the outside of the field. Some players made the mistake of stabbing at the ball with their foot, getting off balance and making it easy for an offender like Vee to slip past and get a cross off to the middle of the field. But Avery was an experienced defender, and she didn’t rush.
Vee dribbled, keeping her eyes up and ears open.
“Through ball!” she heard a voice yell and saw that Lily was making her move—a diagonal run toward the goal. Olivia was slow to respond, and Lily broke free. Vee passed the ball on the outside of Avery and Lily collected it easily. Then Vee made her run. In soccer, you have to pass and move. You never just observe the action. Ball watching was a sin on the Bombers. Lily crossed the ball to Tabitha, who was wide open in front of the net. Tabitha laid it off to Vee, who was flying in and fired off a screamer.
The goalie, Beth, had no chance as the ball slammed into the back of the net.
Vee, Lily, and Tabitha hi-fived in the middle of the field and then started jogging back to half field.
“Stop!” Coach Chris bellowed. The girls slowed. “Everyone freeze. Vee, LJ, and Tabitha, get back into the original formation. Olivia and Avery, you too.”
The girls shared a look. This wasn’t good.
Chris grabbed the ball and passed it back to Vee.
“Okay, Vee, now in half-speed, dribble down the line again.” Vee sprinted back into place and did as she was told, repeating the same path but much more slowly.
Chris continued, “Okay, now Avery, you did a good job of slowing Vee down. Lily, you made an excellent run to the line. Olivia? Where did you make your mistake?”
Olivia shrugged her shoulders and looked at the ground, mumbling “Dunno.”
“You let Lily get ball-side of you, and instead of following her on her run, you were just watching and not really covering anybody.”
Olivia shoulders sagged and she looked at the ground.
“Okay, now LJ, make that run again,” Chris said, guiding Olivia gently by the arm. “Olivia, now you stay with her, always keeping yourself between the goal and the player, in this case, LJ. Try it again, girls, but this time, Tabitha, you start with the ball.”
The next few runs went much more smoothly and before Vee knew it Chris called for a water break. As she jogged over to the sidelines, Vee felt
a rush of cold air hit her calf.
“Here.” Tabitha ran up to Vee and handed her the camouflage bandana.
“Oh, thanks,” Vee said, grateful to be able to cover up. “I’m getting goose bumps already!”
“Hey Vee, can’t you afford a whole sock?” Olivia said, in a joking voice.
Vee picked up the bandana and retied it over the hole in her sock. “I guess I better get some new ones.”
“Seriously. And while you’re at it, a new ride.” Olivia was laughing as she said this, but Vee heard a strange edge to her voice. “Your car is a hunk o’ junk.”
“Well, I think the bandana is pretty cool,” Tabitha said. “Maybe I’ll wear one next practice.”
Vee flashed Tabitha a smile of gratitude and again felt surprised at Olivia. She began to wonder if maybe Olivia was mad at her? Vee tried to recall anything she might have said or done to anger her teammate. Vee had scored every time she got the ball during the last drill, but that was pretty normal. Vee was about to ask her if everything was all right when a huge gust of wind blew open one of the dome’s front doors. A blast of icy air rushed onto the field and the girls shrieked their disapproval and fear. One of the coaches rushed to secure the flapping door. The dome took on an eerie feel, as everyone stopped playing. It was oddly quiet, except for the howling wind. The kids on the fields looked up because the lights were swaying precariously over their heads.
Immediately, whistles blew as coaches gathered their teams.
“Bombers! Over here!” Chris called. “Get out from under that light!”
The glass might not break, but all the lights looked to Vee like they might come crashing down. Two other coaches continued to struggle with the door. Every time it seemed they had secured the revolving panes, another arctic blast would rip through, making a terrible crashing noise as one door slammed against the other. No one could come in or go out the main entrance. The swinging lights cast crazy shadows on the sides of the dome and the temperature started to plummet. Vee and the rest of the Bombers huddled together wondering what was coming next.
It wasn’t long before the power flickered off and on, and then off again, leaving the Sports Dome totally, utterly dark.
“Oh, I don’t like this,” LJ shivered.
The lights came back on quickly, but the door continued to slam and then the entire dome itself seemed to be heaving against the violent winter squalls.
“Okay, I really don’t like this,” LJ repeated, grabbing Vee by the arm.
“Girls, let’s start moving toward that emergency exit,” Chris said, pointing to a door across the field. “Stay together.”
The Bombers moved to gather their bags and balls when the lights flickered again.
“Just get your jackets if they are close and follow me. Everyone hold hands,” Chris instructed. All of the girls grabbed hands and arms. Chris latched on to Vee’s arm to lead them and said, “Stick close.”
“I dropped my ball,” Avery cried. Her pink and neon orange soccer ball rolled across the turf.
“Leave it,” Chris ordered. Vee could feel the tension in his grip and hear the stress in his voice.
The Bombers moved like a shuffling train, arms linked, toward the exit. Vee had Chris on one side and Lily on the other. Lily was squeezing Vee’s upper arm like a vice. Another howl of the wind seemed to shift the entire ceiling and, for the first time, Vee was a little frightened too. The Bombers picked up the pace to a trot, the neon pink EXIT sign beckoning their escape.
With just twenty feet to go, the power cut for good. Vee and the rest of the team were engulfed by blackness. Only the Exit sign shone dimly ahead. Vee looked up, but the top of the dome was as black as the ground in front of her.
Vee leaned on LJ and whispered, “Dude.”
Chapter 2.
“Okay girls, we’re going to keep moving toward that sign and gather outside. It’s going to be really cold. Try and get your coats on and stick together as soon as we get out.”
“If we get out…” Beth said in a nervous voice.
“Of course we’re getting out,” Vee said calmly. “The door is right there.”
The team shuffled forward, arms entwined. Chris found the door handle with an outstretched arm, and let go of Vee. She could hear him grunting to try and get the door open against the howling wind.
“Vee, LJ, help me,” Chris commanded.
The two girls moved forward and used the weight of their bodies to shove the door with their shoulders. Vee was nearly a head shorter than Lily and probably about fifteen pounds lighter. She was also nine months younger than Lily and had always been small for her age. Still, she was tough, wiry, and strong. Mostly, she was determined. She had grit.
“On three,” Chris said, “One…Two…Three!”
Vee leaned against the door and pushed with all her might. She used her legs. She grunted. Finally, the door cracked slightly and a blast of wind hit her right in the face. It startled her and she tried to catch her breath. The door slammed back shut.
“Again,” Chris said. “Girls, help us.”
“We can do it!” Vee yelled. “Come on!”
More of the Bombers gathered behind Chris, Vee, and Lily and they all pushed together. Suddenly, the wind caught the metal door and slammed it all the way open with an alarming and violent crash. The team jumped and screamed.
Vee wanted to get out of the dome, but outside wasn’t much better. The wind was whipping past with a creepy howl. The immediate area behind the dome was pitch black, too. The only light was from a building in the distance.
“Whoa. The whole area must be out of power,” Tabitha said from behind them.
“Okay, let’s go. Everyone out,” Chris said. “I know it’s cold, but we can’t stay in here. It’s too dangerous. If you have a jacket get it on. Keep your fingers in your pockets and we’ll head toward the parking lot and get into the cars.”
Vee and the Bombers shuffled into the cold blackness.
“Maybe living in California would be nice,” Lily joked.
“Or Florida,” Avery chimed in with a shiver. “I never thought I’d say this, but I’d be happy to move in with my grandparents.”
“Or Hawaii!” added Beth. “We can start a surf team! Called the Bubblers.”
“Anywhere but this frozen popsicle stand!” Lily yelled.
Vee loved that her team could kid around at a time like this. As a group, they had been through muddy losses and sunny wins, and Vee knew that adversity always brought them closer together. Plus, they were a giggly crew.
Chris shuttled the girls forward, counting heads as they exited the doomed dome. Soon, they were stumbling on rocks and roots in the wooded area that led back to the parking lot. Like a welcoming North Star, a small beam of light illuminated the path ahead. Vee looked behind her to see where the light was coming from. Tabitha was holding up her cell phone.
She shrugged and smiled, “Flashlight app. Never leave home without it.”
Vee cracked a smile and thought, leave it to Tabitha to have the latest gear. Arms linked, the girls moved en masse to the parking lot in front of the Dome. A group of frightened parents had gathered at the main entrance unable to get inside because the entrance door was still unsecured. They rushed forward to gather their kids.
Avery’s mother, Mrs. Dwyer, and Olivia’s father were the first Bomber parents to reach the team.
“Are you girls alright?” Mrs. Dwyer asked the team. “The whole far side of the dome looks like it’s about to collapse!”
“I can take some of you home,” Chris offered. Most of the parents had just dropped the girls off. It would be a few minutes before they came back to pick them up. Vee wondered how she, LJ, and Tabitha would get to the restaurant. She would be mortified to have to have her father drive anyone other than Lily. She rubbed her icy knees in the cold and pulled her jacket tighter, suddenly wishing she had listened to her father and worn sweatpants after all.
“Tabitha, do you want a ride home w
ith me?” Olivia asked.
“Oh thanks, Olivia, but Rini is on his way. I texted him already,” Tabitha replied casually. “LJ and Vee are coming with me, coach.”
“Okay girls, I’ll be in touch about this weekend,” Chris said, watching as one by one the girls’ parents arrived to get them out of the cold. “Game is home this weekend, so I’ll have to work on getting us a new location or we’ll have no choice but to forfeit.”
The Bombers shrieked in horror. Forfeiting was not in their vocabulary. There were only two games left in the indoor season, and they were heading for a showdown for their first-ever indoor title. A forfeit would throw that all away. Vee sneered at the sky. She was sick of winter.
“I’ll find a field,” Chris tried to reassure them.
“Tabitha, are you sure you don’t need a ride?” Olivia asked again. “We can take you home if you don’t want to wait. It’s really cold out here.”
“Yeah, I’m sure, but thanks. Rini will be here soon.” Rini, Vee knew, was the man who drove Tabitha around when her parents couldn’t. The first time Vee heard Tabitha’s family had a driver, she thought she was living in some kind of Disney movie. No one in her world had anything like that. Lots of people she knew in Highland Ferry didn’t even have a car. But Tabitha’s mom and dad both worked constantly and Tabitha and her brother had so many after school activities, they hired Rini to drive them wherever they needed to go.
“Are you sure? It’s really cold out here,” Olivia asked one more time.
Tabitha looked surprised that Olivia wouldn’t let it go.
“I’m good,” Tabitha said firmly.
Even in the darkness, Vee saw a look of consternation flush over Olivia’s face. She smiled at Olivia, trying to ease the awkwardness in the air. Instead of returning the smile, Olivia’s scowl deepened and she picked up her bag.
Then she turned on her heel and stormed off without another word.
Chapter 3.
“I didn’t fhtink fhis was a methican resthruant!” Tabitha said, or tried to, as spicy green tomatillo sauce dribbled down her chin.
Vee Caught Offside Page 2