next.
“I made a dozen phone calls last night, people. And I don’t have a single possibility for new players. Not one. Not even one who hedged or wavered on a maybe. We’ve squeezed a third of our high school for our soccer sports program. That’s a ton more, percentage wise, than most other schools nationwide.
We’re maxed out.” He pauses. Sighs. “We’re done, guys. I’m sorry. This is the end of the road for us.”
The whole team stares at the ground, nobody daring to look up.
“To you seniors who played your last high school game as juniors,” Coach says, “I’m especially sorry.
This isn’t the way to end a career.”
He glances at Jacian and around the group. “Some of you have a lot of talent and have a chance of playing on a college team. I hope you give it a shot. Keep practicing on your own. Don’t give up.”
Coach pulls his baseball cap from his head, smoothes his cropped hair back, and replaces the cap.
“That’s it. I’m sorry. We did the best we could. I’ll be on the grounds for a bit if anybody wants to talk further.” He stands for a minute, almost unsure, and then he turns and walks back toward the school building.
The team stands in silent shock, realizing the season’s over, watching their coach walk away for the last time. For some of them their soccer career is over. It’s hard to swallow that.
A moment later Jacian walks away, not following the coach but going toward the locker room. Kendall watches as he enters, and then exits again with his backpack and his school clothes rolled up under his arm. He walks to the truck.
“Wait,” Kendall says under her breath. He’s her only ride if she doesn’t want to get arrested. What a crazy messed-up world.
She runs to the girls’ locker room and grabs her things. Says a little word of good-bye. This is it for her.
So many good things ending.
She jogs back out, and when she sees that Jacian is still sitting in the truck waiting for her, she slows to a walk. Gets into the truck. They both sit there. Jacian’s face is full of rage, but he doesn’t speak.
“Can you take me to your house, please?” she says in a dull voice. “I told your grandfather I’d come by today to see Marlena.”
Jacian doesn’t acknowledge her. A minute later he starts up the truck and peels out of the dirt lot onto the road, going way too fast. The truck fishtails on the loose gravel. Kendall closes her eyes and grips the door’s armrest. They hit rocket speed before he bottoms out in a few potholes and eases off the gas.
Out of the blue he slams his fist onto the steering wheel. “Fuck!” he yells at the top of his voice.
Kendall startles and slides closer to her door once again.
He slows the truck as he pulls into the ranch’s driveway, and takes a deep breath.
She glances at him. His face is even now. He drives carefully, deliberately.
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention that,” he says darkly. “The parentals don’t really give a shit that they’ve wrecked my life.”
Kendall regards him. “You know, maybe you should get some help with that. Anger management is a good idea,” she says.
He laughs bitterly. “You think? Now, where would I go for that? The general store, or maybe the Feed and Seed?”
Kendall ignores him. Looks out her window as Hector’s house comes into view. Says quietly, “Why do you have to be such a jerk?”
He pulls the truck into the big barn and doesn’t reply. He goes immediately to the corner of the barn and grabs a mesh net full of soccer balls. Heads out to the makeshift soccer field, not looking back.
Kendall goes to the house and knocks on the door.
Hector opens it wide. “Hello, Miss Kendall! How nice of you to come by again.”
Kendall smiles. “Nice of you to invite me,” she says.
“I am happy to say that Marlena is taking a nap right now. She needs it. But I think you should feel comfortable out here playing soccer, no?”
Kendall looks at him, standing there with his innocent smile. She slumps her shoulders and drops her backpack to the porch. “Seriously, Hector?” Her voice is strained.
“You should call your mother first to let her know you are here, of course.” He steps into the kitchen and returns a moment later with the phone.
Kendall sighs. “Maybe she should just come and pick me up.”
“Oh, please, no! Marlena has been looking forward to your visit all day. She thought you might be coming later, after soccer practice.”
“Yeah, well, there is no soccer practice anymore.”
Hector’s face falls. “Ah, I’m sorry to hear that. It is a shame for you and for Jacian. Marlena feels responsible.”
“It’s not her fault,” Kendall says automatically. She dials her house and leaves a message saying she’s at Hector’s. Indefinitely. “You can pick me up anytime if you need me,” she says. “See you soon.” Trying not to sound desperate.
Hector takes the phone from her and shoos her in the direction of the yard, where Jacian is warming up all over again. “I am going into town to sit with my friend for a bit,” he calls out. “Just let yourself in later.”
Kendall sighs and goes down the porch steps. “Okay,” she says, not wanting to be here. Wishing she could just go hang out with Nico and have everything be okay again.
She walks toward Jacian, waiting for him to reject her. Just what she needs today. Some pompous jerk to tell her to go away. Stupid Hector. He needs to back off.
Jacian sees her coming and doesn’t stop stretching. Kendall walks up to him and stands there, awkwardly.
“Yes?” he asks finally.
“Marlena’s taking a nap. Hector’s going to town.”
Jacian squints up at her. “What are you, the butler?”
Kendall rolls her eyes. “Mind if I play? While I wait for Marlena, I mean?”
He lifts himself up to his feet and messes with the net bag, opening the cinch and letting the balls loose.
“It’s a big yard.” He passes one to her and then dribbles another one up and down the stretch of grass, warming up.
Kendall pulls a ponytail holder from her pocket and whips her hair back into it. She moves out of
Jacian’s way and warms up too, as if they are at soccer practice. They work individually.
It’s not long before Kendall’s in the zone. The constant whirring of her thoughts quiets, softens. She counts her steps to one hundred, and then she can stop and really concentrate on the ball. She loves the way it moves over the grass, like a hand on bare skin, seeking out all the nuances. She feels her muscles praise her for the stretch, feels the sweat break out on her forehead. Feels her breath paint a path in front of her.
There is nothing else like it in her world. Nothing else like the bliss of her brain shutting down after seven days of constant whirring. Incredible relief.
She ignores Jacian completely, keeping her distance, and then slowly she begins running some of the plays she used to do with Nico, passing instead to herself, running like hell to catch up and slamming the ball into the net. Retrieving it again and taking it all the way down the side yard, then back and forth, like she’s running suicides with the ball. Then back again for another play with invisible Nico.
It’s funny how the presence of a memory is a comfort here on the field.
By the time Kendall has worked out all her stress, an hour has passed. She and Jacian successfully avoid each other, though once when his ball gets away from him, Kendall plants it back at his feet, and he acknowledges her with a wave.
Hector would be so proud.
When Kendall is dying of thirst, she calls it quits, hoping Marlena is awake. Jacian’s shirt is stuck to his body. Sweat drips off his hair, curled in dark spikes. He’s breathing hard as she walks past. She drops her ball by the mesh ball bag. “Thanks,” she says.
“All right.” He almost smiles.
Impulsively she adds, “You need any water? I’m headed in.”
