One on One Page 3
GRAYS EAST/201
I. Hardie
J. Palise
S. Wilson
Who was the third girl? she wondered.
Val wasn’t looking too happy either. Chloe couldn’t tell if it was because she was feeling sympathetic toward Makena or if Val was doing the same math in her mind.
Jessie + Skylar = bad news.
Chloe sat down next to Makena. All three girls exhaled simultaneously.
Wow. Things at camp had just gotten very complicated.
“Girls!” a voice called from the hallway.
No one moved. The door to their room was still slightly ajar. Chloe looked up when she heard a sharp knock.
“Girls! Let’s go!” It was Flavia. A puzzled look crossed her face when she saw them all sitting in a line on the bottom bunk. “Everything OK?”
“Everything’s fine!” Chloe said in a fake happy voice, gently taking Makena by the elbow and guiding her to her feet. “Come on, Mac.”
Flavia gave them one last look and then continued her search for stragglers.
“Whatever you do, just ignore the girl. We’re here to play soccer and have fun, and she’s not going to ruin it. I promise,” Chloe said.
Makena shook her head as if to banish the memories from her mind.
“Come on, Mac. I’ve got your back on this one,” Chloe said. “Trust me. Just follow my lead. Be cool and ignore her. OK?”
“OK,” Makena said. “I can do that.”
“Good,” Chloe said. “Let’s go.”
Val nodded, and the three girls followed Flavia down to the field.
They were some of the last to arrive. Ahead, Chloe could see a gathering of girls, boys, and coaches waiting on the pristine emerald pitch. At first Chloe thought it must be turf—fake grass. No fields in her town looked like that. Nope. As she got closer, she saw that it was all real. The aroma of a fresh cut still lingered in the summer air, and she could even make out the faint crisscross lines left by the mower. It was perfect.
The sight of the soccer field seemed to buoy Makena and Val. All three girls broke into a run. Chloe kept her eyes peeled for Skylar. Chloe hadn’t played in the tournament with Skylar and wasn’t exactly sure what she looked like, but she remembered Makena saying that Skylar had some kind of funky spiky hair. That shouldn’t be hard to spot.
“Allllllriiiiightt! Everyone, listen up!” The voice of a man in a bright-orange shirt boomed out of the center of the group. “My name is Lars, and I’m the camp director. We have a terrific group of kids and coaches here, and we’re going to have a great time!”
Lars was an extremely tall human being, Chloe noted. He had platinum-blond hair cut short on the sides and long on top, which added a few inches and made it appear that white grass was growing out of his head.
“I am from the Netherlands, Flavia is from Brazil, Ian is from England, Carlos is from Spain, and Charlotte is from Canada.” As he spoke, Lars pointed to the impressive crew of coaches standing next to him. “First we are going to take a photo, and then we will break up into teams and play a bit. We will divide the groups by playing level so that everyone gets the chance to shine!”
Lars had all the campers line up for the photo. There must have been about eighty kids. So far, no one had spotted Skylar. Maybe the name S. Wilson was just a coincidence, Chloe thought. Maybe it was Skylar’s lovely twin sister.
Chloe was so distracted that she nearly forgot to “look pretty” as they took the picture. Makena was bouncing on her toes the entire time, and Chloe couldn’t tell if it was because she was aching to play or because she was looking for Skylar. Chloe had planted herself between Makena and Val, trying to keep them both calm. Soon, Flavia came down the line, handing out pinnies, the light tops they wore to divide the girls into teams. She gave out one blue, one red, then another blue, and so on. That meant Makena and Val were given blues and Chloe got a red.
Oh well, Chloe thought. What’s the big deal if I’m not on Makena and Val’s team for the scrimmage?
“Hey, losers,” a voice said from behind them. “What’s happening?”
Next to her, Chloe felt Makena stiffen. She turned slowly, never doubting who she was going to face.
Skylar Wilson.
“I said, ‘Hey, losers, what’s happening?’” Skylar said. She stood with her hand on her hip, leg jutted out to the side, ball in hand, and attitude clearly on high.
Chloe prayed Makena wouldn’t take the bait. Just ignore her, Chloe willed. Be cool, Mac, be cool.
Jessie and another girl walked up and stood behind Skylar. Chloe had never seen the other girl, who had brown hair and a smug look on her face.
Silence filled the air, and Chloe started to relax. Good girl, Mac. She turned Makena around and then heard Skylar start to laugh.
“What a loser,” Skylar said loudly.
Makena whirled back to face her. Oh no, Chloe thought.
“Loser? Who are you calling a loser? You’re the loser. Not me. Loser.”
Oh boy, Chloe thought. Hook. Line. And sinker. She should have known that not taking the bait was not part of Makena’s DNA.
Before the situation could get worse, Chloe decided to try to restart things.
“Hey, I’m Chloe,” she said. Noticing that Skylar and the other two girls all held red pinnies, she added, “Looks like we’re all on the same squad.”
Skylar paused and looked Chloe over from head to toe.
“I remember. You’re the rich ballerina, right?” she said with a sneer. “Great. Just the lame teammate I was hoping for. You better not give up the ball.”
Whoa. Who is this person? Chloe wondered.
Jessie and their new roommate gathered behind Skylar.
So that’s how it’s going to be, Chloe said to herself. OK, fine.
She turned to Makena and Val and said firmly, “Ignore.”
Val and Makena nodded. The three girls put on their pinnies and moved out onto the field.
5
“Vamos, vermelho!” Flavia called as she bounded onto the field, putting on her pinny. Happily for Chloe, it was red.
There were fifteen in the group, Flavia explained, so she was going to play in to even up the teams.
“Pass!” Flavia called to Chloe, and the two began warming up. Chloe was thrilled that Flavia had chosen her to pass with. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Skylar’s glare. Skylar and Jessie grabbed another ball and moved up next to them, passing with exaggerated touches, obviously hoping to impress Flavia.
Chloe smiled and brought the ball down, studying Skylar all the while. She had a side cut, with one part of her hair long and the other half of her head shaved.
Skylar was the kind of girl who needed attention like oxygen—Chloe could tell that immediately. Ignoring her would be fun. Chloe peered over to the other side of the field and saw Makena and Val smiling and warming up with the blues. She was glad they were away from Skylar. Chloe could handle her, she was sure.
Flavia brought the girls in and asked them which positions they usually played. She put Chloe and Isa up front as strikers with Skylar and Jessie in the midfield. Then she put one girl in goal and took another redheaded girl back to defense with her.
“What we want to see today,” Flavia said, “is how you see the field. How much you understand about soccer. Today is not about showing all your moves. OK?”
The girls all nodded. Once again, Chloe found herself drawn to Flavia. She’s simple but direct, Chloe thought, feeling relieved. Fancy moves were not Chloe’s specialty, though she did her best when she could set up the plays. But she made a lot more assists than goals, and she liked that role.
This was going to be great, Chloe thought, forgetting about Skylar for a second.
“Play!” Flavia called, punting the ball to the blue side of the field.
Naturally, Makena was on it, controlling the ball and scanning the field for a smart opening pass.
Chloe was used to playing against Makena and Val at practice, but this felt different. Watching the focus and intensity on Makena’s face made her understand why Mac was so intimidating to opponents. Chloe moved forward, trying to force an error. She caught Makena up, but Makena was still able to get a long pass downfield. Skylar and Jessie won the ball together and connected on a few passes. Chloe had to admit that Skylar was a seriously skilled player. No wonder Makena had once been so impressed by her.
Once the girls settled down, the game fell into a rhythm. Jessie and Skylar were controlling most of the play for the red team, while Makena and Val attacked the blue goal relentlessly. The reds were extremely lucky to have Flavia on their side; it was clear she was a world-class player. Without her, they would have been losing 15–0. As it was, the reds were quickly down by two.
Chloe felt like she was barely in the game. She kept tracking back to help on defense but knew she had to stay forward in case the ball came her way. She worked to get open, but no passes arrived. Frustrated, she moved farther toward her own goal, trying to follow the action. If I can win the ball, I’ll just hold onto it until we can get numbers forward, she thought to herself. Isa had stayed up at midfield, so she knew they were covered.
Val maneuvered skillfully through the red defense; Chloe so admired her ability to keep the ball through traffic and then make a dangerous pass. But as good as Val was, she was still no match for Flavia. Flavia intercepted, looked up, and saw that Chloe was open. She sent a beautiful chip pass that seemed to float down to Chloe’s foot. Chloe turned quickly, sending the ball into space for Isa. Isa sprinted ahead, but Chloe’s pass was a little too hard, and it went over the goal line. Looking back, Chloe saw Flavia nod in approval. She could feel that Flavia knew what she’d been trying to do. She’d make it perfect next time.
“Hey, ballerina,” a voice called from behind her. “Why don’t you get back in position and try to keep the ball on the field next time? You know, inside the white lines? Do you need a choreographer or something?” Skylar laughed at her own joke.
Chloe didn’t respond. She ignored Skylar and got ready for the next play. The blue team took a goal kick, and Chloe moved wide to try to create space. This was something she was good at and a skill for which she credited her dance history. She’d been performing since she was a kid and had even been in a performance of The Nutcracker at Lincoln Center. She just seemed to know where she was in relation to other people. She knew how to get open.
Jessie won the ball at midfield and passed to Skylar. Chloe made a diagonal run into the box.
“To feet!” Chloe called, asking for a pass right to her. She saw Skylar look up and hesitate.
“Now!” Chloe called again. “I’m open!” But Skylar held onto the ball. She seemed to be looking around for anyone else to pass to.
“Skylar! Pass!” Chloe shouted. She was happy to ignore Skylar during a warm-up, but when she wanted the ball, she wasn’t going to stay silent. Skylar dribbled a few more paces, refusing to pass to Chloe. Dumb move. Predictably, Val tracked back, swooped in, and stole the ball. Chloe saw Flavia shake her head at Skylar’s selfish play.
Val ran back upfield at top speed, and Skylar gave chase. Hard. It was clear from the speed of her run she was angry and embarrassed to have been stripped of the ball. From her positioning, Chloe could see clearly that Skylar was following Val, not the ball. Skylar was a good head taller than Val, and Chloe knew that if she took her down from behind, Val could really get hurt.
Chloe willed Val to make a pass before Skylar caught her.
But Val had space, so she kept going.
Time seemed to slow down.
Chloe and Makena’s eyes met.
“Pass!” Makena screamed to Val. There was no one around, but Makena just wanted Val to get rid of the ball too.
Chloe saw Skylar pull at Val’s shirt. She could barely make herself watch.
“Pass!” Makena screamed again. Flavia saw what was about to happen too and sprinted toward Val.
Something in Makena’s voice must have made Val change course. At the last possible second, just as Skylar launched herself in the air, Val pulled the ball back. Skylar’s legs reached out for Val, but Val was too quick. Skylar flew through the air and landed with a thud.
Val passed the ball back to Makena, who was so relieved she let it go out of bounds. Bending, Val put her hands on her knees to catch her breath.
Flavia walked straight over to Skylar, who was picking herself up off the ground.
“Nothing from behind. Never,” Flavia said firmly. “Next time, you’re gone.”
Skylar made a face behind Flavia’s back, and Jessie giggled. Val jogged back to her own side of the field, a look on her face that showed she was unsure exactly what had happened—or almost happened.
When Flavia called for a water break, Chloe thought she might throw up.
“Make sure you keep getting open, Chloe,” Flavia said as they got some water from a giant orange cooler.
“I am open,” Chloe said. “They aren’t passing to me.”
Skylar and Jessie were a few feet away. They heard the exchange.
“I’m just not seeing her, you know?” Skylar said. “She’s too far from the play.”
Isa and then Jessie nodded in unison.
“I’m seeing you,” Flavia responded, giving Skylar a sharp look.
After the break, both sides took the field. From the look on Val’s face, Chloe knew Makena had told her about Skylar’s attempted takedown. Chloe shook her head. The red team was already losing 2–0, and now Makena and Val were mad. They were toast.
• • •
Sure enough, Val scored right away, shooting Skylar a look and Chloe a wink. Skylar looked more and more frustrated by the minute. Chloe worked nonstop to get open but wasn’t getting anything. Finally, she stole the ball from the blue defender and broke for the goal. She heard Jessie calling for a back pass so turned and laid the ball off to her. Jessie gathered the pass and took the ball to the end line. She sent a pretty cross, and Chloe got ready for a header. She leaped into the air. She was wide open. There were no defenders near her.
But at the last second, another body got in front of her, knocking her to the side and clipping her above the eye with an elbow. Chloe couldn’t believe it. It was Skylar, going for the same ball. She’d jumped right in front of Chloe.
Skylar connected with a header, directing the ball right past the keeper. Chloe lay on the ground, stunned, holding her eye and watching as her team gathered around to congratulate Skylar.
The whistle blew. The scrimmage was over.
Skylar shook her head as she walked past Chloe.
“Stick to dancing.”
6
“How’s the shiner?” Val asked.
“Could be worse, I guess,” Chloe said. She turned to face Makena and Val, who tried to hide their reactions.
“Oh, it’s way better,” Makena said, clearly lying.
“Totally,” Val said with a nervous nod of her head.
Chloe peered into the mirror. The swelling had gone down, and the redness was fading. That was the good news. But Chloe could see traces of purple and yellow creeping in and down the side of her cheek.
Serious bad news.
She’d managed to dodge most of the picture taking over the past few days, but if she didn’t show up on the camp’s blog soon, her mother was going to freak. And if she showed up with an ugly shiner, she was going to freak even harder.
“You guys have any cover-up?” Chloe asked.
“Any what?” Makena said.
“You know, cover-up. Makeup?”
“Makeup?” Makena said. “At soccer camp?”
Val and Makena looked at each other and started laughing.
Chloe rolled her eyes. Should have known better than to ask her two tomboy friends. She looked over at her second suitcase. Her dance performance kit, with all sorts of foundations and powders, was inside. But she couldn’t bring herself to open the bag.
I just have to turn my head when they try to take my picture next time, she thought.
Sighing at her reflection in the mirror, she started to braid her hair. Maybe the shiner would make her look tough? She made a face. Nope. She just looked a little battered.
Kind of the way she felt.
The last two days had been a drag. After the scrimmage, the coaches had basically decided to keep the two teams the same for morning training sessions. That meant Val and Makena and the blue team practiced on one field while Skylar, Jessie, Isa, and Chloe practiced on a different field. They were brought together for evening and afternoon sessions, but mornings were awful.
It was clear that the blue team had the most talented players, which left Skylar fuming. Every morning, she asked to be moved to the blue team. She made no effort to hide her opinion that the red team was way beneath her.
“We’ve got the ballerina,” Chloe kept hearing her mutter.
Each time, Flavia and the Canadian coach, Charlotte, shook their heads and gave Skylar back her red pinny. Then, for two hours, Skylar flounced, pouted, and plotted revenge against Makena and Val. She was a nightmare, fouling, taking dives, and taunting Chloe relentlessly.
Chloe was still employing her ignore tactics, but without her usual supporters behind her, ignoring wasn’t as effective. She was sick of Skylar.
Just focus on soccer, she kept telling herself. The morning session was usually small-sided drills, and Flavia was focusing on one-on-ones—which were exactly what they sounded like. One girl with the ball tries to get past one defender. When it was her turn, Chloe knew she had to keep the ball close, approach at speed, and make her move when the time was right. Chloe didn’t have the best skills in the group, but she did have the longest legs. If she could get the ball behind the defender, she was off to the races.