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“I thought I told you not to call me that,” I inform her grinning face.
“I’ll call you Maeve when I see you at Chase’s party on Friday night,” Becca assures me. “But Captain when you’re making us run suicides.”
“You’ll thank me when we win state,” I say as I change into my practice jersey and shorts.
Becca laughs. “I have no doubt we’re going to win. It’s the only reason I’ve gone on those crazy early runs with you since freshman year when you made varsity and I didn’t.”
“You asked what I’d done to prepare.”
“I expected you to recommend a couple of drills or something,” she replies. “Not to tell me to meet you the next morning at six AM. And have it lastthreeyears.”
“No pain, no gain,” I tell her with a grin.
“I seriously have no idea why the only team people here follow is football. You’re the crazy talented Stevens twin, in my opinion.” Her words remind me of Wes’s.
“Is this your way of sucking up to me because you know I’m planning to include suicides next captain’s practice?”
“Well, not originally. But maybe now.” Becca sighs dramatically.
I laugh as I lace up my cleats. “You ready to head out?”
The locker room is rapidly emptying; thanks to my trip to the office, I’m running behind almost everyone else. Becca nods, and we head out onto the spread of green grass that comprises Glenmont High’s main soccer field. Most of the team has already gathered around Coach Bloom.
“Welcome to the first official practice of the season, ladies!” Coach Bloom calls out as the circle around her fills in. She’s been coaching Glenmont’s team for the past decade and has been one of my biggest supporters with soccer ever since I tried out for Glenmont’s team on a whim freshman year. “Based on your preseason performance and the drills Stevens has had you running, I have a lot of faith this is going to be our most successful season in the school’s history. Warm-up today is the regular route. Aim for under fifteen minutes, please. Collins, you set the pace. Stevens, a word, please?”
Becca starts jogging toward the trail that surrounds the high school campus, with the rest of the varsity team following her.
“Hey, Coach,” I greet as I step forward.
“Good first day, Stevens?” Coach Bloom asks.
“Yeah, it was.”
“Good. I’ve been blown away by your work this summer. Not only individually, but with the entire team as well. You’re the most dedicated player I’ve ever coached, hands down. Selecting you as captain was a no-brainer.”
“Wow, thank you.”
Coach Bloom is never stingy with praise, but only when she feels it’s been sufficiently earned. And I’ve never heard her compliment another player the way she just praised me.
“With your grades and work ethic, you’re going to have some impressive options for next year. If you want them.”
“You mean, you think I should play in college?”
“I think you’ll have scouts fighting over you, Stevens.”
“Uh, wow. I mean, I’ve considered it, obviously, but I wasn’t sure if it was realistic or not.”
“It is,” Coach Bloom assures me. “We can discuss it more in the next few weeks, but I wanted to mention it to you now. I know you said Arlington is your first choice, so I’ll make sure they’re at a game.”
“Okay. Thank you,” I reply.
I’ve wanted to go to Arlington University ever since I first visited its ivy-covered campus with my mom and Liam during my father’s coaching days. But their athletic programs are extremely competitive. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to play soccer there.
“Of course. Now get those girls moving.”
“Yes, Coach,” I reply, smiling before I set off toward the entrance of the trail. I took her parting words as a joke, but I haven’t run more than a few hundred feet onto the trail when I come across the soccer team standing around.
“Let’s go, ladies!” I call out. “What’s the—” I stop talking when I reach the group and spot the attraction that’s caught the entire team’s attention. “Seriously?” I ask. “Drool after practice, let’s go!”
