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We’re in the visitors’ locker room before our first match of the season, forty feet down the hallway from the one that used to be mine, and everyone is buzzing. We’ve been working hard for weeks. We’re ready to prove everyone wrong.
I’m tying up my boots, when Valentina comes up to me, a smile on her face. She looks stunning in her uniform, her hair tied back in a ponytail, her eyes shining. She’s my rock, my everything.
“Hey,” she says, kissing me on the cheek. “You ready for this?”
“Born ready,” I reply. “How about you?”
“Me too,” she says. “I can’t wait to get on the field.”
I stand up, wrapping my arms around her waist. “I love you, you know that?”
She laughs. “I know. You tell me every day.”
“Well, I’m going to tell you again,” I say, kissing her softly. “I love you, Valentina Reyes.”
“I love you too, Lexa Delvaux,” she says, kissing me back. “Now come on, let’s go kick some ass.”
We join the rest of the team, who are huddled around Raul. He’s giving us an inspiring pep talk, his voice passionate.
“Listen up, ladies,” he says. “This is it. This is our chance to make a statement, to show the league what we’re made of. We’re not just a team, we’re a family. And we’re going to fight for each other, for this club, for ourselves. We’re going to go out there and give it everything we’ve got. No regrets, no excuses. Are you with me?”
We shout our agreement, our voices loud and unified. We’re ready.
“Yes! That’s what I love to hear,” Raul says, then his face turns serious. “You’ve worked hard, but it will be a hard match. Scarlet Tide was always the favorite, and just because they go by a different name, it doesn’t mean that they’re less of a threat. They sound new, but most of the players are still the same, and we all know them. I want to see a clean game, no unnecessary roughness, no stupid fouls. Understood?”
“Yes, Coach,” we say in unison.
“Okay then,” he says, clapping his hands. “Bring it in.”
We gather around him, putting our hands in the middle.
“On three,” he says. “One, two, three…”
“Breakers!” we shout, breaking the huddle.
We head out to the tunnel, where we wait for our cue. I look around at my teammates. We’ve got this.
I find Valentina, who gives me a thumbs up. I return it, then turn to Aditi, to make sure she’s still okay with me wearing the armband.
“It’s yours,” she tells me. “You’re a good leader, Lexa. We’ll follow you anywhere.”
I swallow hard. “Thanks, Aditi. I’ll look after it.”
We hug, then line up behind Raul in the tunnel. The music starts playing, signaling our entrance.
We walk out of the tunnel, into the bright light and the deafening noise. The stadium is packed, the fans cheering, chanting, waving flags and banners. Adrenaline floods through me. This is what I live for.
The banner over the season ticket holders doesn’t say SOMETHING BIG IS COMING anymore. It says APEX PREDATORS now, in letters taller than me.
I apologized to Alycia for my reaction about her pregnancy and we made up. This morning she told me that the away section sold out in an hour, and all the stuff she ordered for the team’s store has been flying off the shelves.
People love the underdog story, and we’re the underdogs in this league. Everyone’s counting us out, but last year we finished higher than anyone predicted, including some very unexpected wins like the final match of the season against the Tide.
This year, we’re going to do even better. We’re going to shock the world. We’re not strangers anymore, and Raul’s been working us hard during the off-season to prove to everyone that we’re this year’s contenders for the title.
We make our way to the center of the field, where the referee and the other team are waiting. Some of the players are my old teammates, but more of them are strangers than I expected. The Predators went through some serious changes, keeping only the players who were loyal to the Apex brand.
My eyes land on Ingrid, their new striker. She’s tall and seems intimidating. She’s also wearing my old number, which stings a little. But I don’t let it get to me, especially because the colors aren’t the same.
