August 25th, Saturday, Carnegie soccer field 6:29 am Nobody really knew why Leena had summoned the team to meet at the field at 6:30 in the morning, when they should have been sleeping, not even Freya. The match was only a few hours away, and some of the girls were still a little tired from their last-minute exercises yesterday, but Leena made sure to impress upon them the urgency of this meeting. She promised they would have plenty of time to rest later- they just had to attend for a few minutes. Fifteen sleepy pairs of eyes stared drearily at each other, and at their Coach, who- despite her sudden request- looked especially lovely in the morning mist. "Hello, ladies," she said. "This won't take long. I just wanted to start a little tradition for us. On the morning of every game, whether we're here or at another campus, I want us to meet together on the field and take a moment of silence. But before that, please take your shoes and socks off, and gather together in a circle." "We're not going to hold hands and sing songs, are we?" Kasumi grumbled. "No. This is a moment of solemn reflection. Take your shoes off, please." "Yes, Coach," she sighed. Sixteen pairs of bare feet, including Leena's, circled around on the dewy grass, and they waited for their coach to explain herself. After a few moments of silence, though, they began to realize how quieting and peaceful this was, and many of their fears and anxieties left them as they absorbed the morning tranquility. "Today we are gathered here as a team," Leena began. "We are going to prove ourselves worthy of victory and worthy of recognition. Today we are standing on holy ground, ladies. Upon this field, and the many fields that are just like it, people such as yourselves have battled one another for glory, honor, and respect. Many of them were as nervous as you are. Many of them have passed through the fires and distinguished themselves as valiant warriors. Their struggles have been impressed in the soil; their blood, tears, and sweat have consecrated this ground for us. May we honor them with our strength, and may their spirits be with us today." She dismissed them after about five more minutes of silence. And people dream dreams that transcend time Held in the arms of a still sea As they looked up at the birds and clouds It set their ephemeral souls on fire on a thousand mornings I bet they're taking flight to where the light is headed Now is the time to launch your dreams Off into the frontier that is carrying boundless dreams Farther and farther, dive in the sky "Game On!" When the team reached the door that would lead them to the field, Leena advised them to take a deep breath, relax, and just do the best they could. As overused as her line of thought was, it was really the only thing she could say to assure her team and give them strength. Her part in this was over for now: it would be up to them to win now. "Here goes," Freya whispered as she pushed the door open, leading her team onto the field. It was a wonderful day for a game. The sky was as clear as glass, bold and beautiful blue like a vast curtain overhead, and the sun shined bright, but not too strong. The wind was gentle and calm, the grass smelled sweet and ripe, and the surge of adrenaline took over to wash all fears and anxieties away. The only problem was that very few people were there to witness this match. Carnegie's new soccer field had bleachers that could seat a thousand comfortably, but there was barely a fraction of that number in attendance, and they were mostly family, friends, and curious onlookers with nothing better to do. "Turnout's a little lower than I was hoping," Freya murmured. "Well, what can you expect?" Fausta grumbled. "We're a small school with a brand-new sports team that owes its reputation to novelty. And it's a practice game." "I know, but I really thought our efforts would bear more fruit." "At least the crew from Lily and Parody made it," Felicity said, noticing Gardenia, Robin, and Odessa sitting with a few of their employees. "I see Ms. Rosewood and the Chairman, too, and Mr. Warren as well. That's an unusual combination." "The Chairman's probably here to see how his rival's pet project is moving along," Fleur said. Carnegie and Laudendale met in the center of the field and began doing warm-ups; in the meantime, the girls kept chattering and the staffs set everything up. "I don't see my family anywhere," Elisa murmured as she peered through the crowd. "Oh! There's Rain! She certainly is a bundle of energy!" Elisa smiled sweetly at Alice, who was trying to wave and stretch at the same time. Felicity's father had made it as well, but she was trying hard to ignore him: she didn't want to be distracted by his meticulous stare. "Yo, there's your boyfriend, Shan," Lauren pointed. Shannon turned around and saw Scott waving at her. She saluted him but cast a sour expression towards the substitute goalie. "He ain't my boyfriend. We're just close, is all." "Right, and Fausta's St. Francis Xavier." "Hey, don't knock him! That guy was one ballsy bastahd!" "Whatever. Damn, he's hot! Must be nice having a 'best friend' like that." "Oh, shut up." "Catholics," Fleur muttered, rolling her eyes. Nadia suddenly jumped up and waved at somebody: apparently her Nana had made it after all, and she even brought a new toy with her. "Good Lord, woman!" Jen exclaimed. "Does your grandmother have a new lover every week?" "Might be the same one. Nana says she iz having big heart. I say being heartbreaker iz not attractive." "We're almost ready to start," Kasumi said, glancing at the Coach's box. She had scanned the bleachers for her father, but was disappointed. He had called to say he "probably" wouldn't be able to make it, but swore on his life he'd be there next time. Valencia saw the grim look on her face and wanted to help ease her mind, but Leena was calling them over. The announcer introduced himself and the two teams while she was imparting some last-minute advice. "Welcome, ladies, gentlemen, and all sports fans, to an event which promises to be one for the books. It's a gorgeous Saturday afternoon today, perfect weather for a soccer game between two fresh faces in the sports world. Today's their very first time playing a game, so it'll be interesting to see how two rookie teams do under the pressure. The visiting team today is Laudendale University, led by Coach Fredericka Wilstone, no stranger to the sport as she's carried several little league teams to state championships. The team hosting this game is Carnegie University, led by Coach Leena Parkin-Katajisto, a veteran of the high school tournaments. This may be a practice game, but you can bet that both teams will be giving everything they've got to prove themselves. And...it looks like they're ready to begin. Folks, if you'll take a look at your programs, you'll get a rundown of today's lineup, so I hope you'll be able to keep up once I get going." Since this was only a practice game, there was no need to play the national anthem. The air was tense as the ladies parted from their coaches, took their positions, and waited for the referee to begin the game. Kasumi stared at her rival striker, who was wearing a frown of anxiety. There was something calming in knowing that her opponent was just as nervous as she was. "Hey, good luck today," she whispered. "Thanks, you too." In that moment the two women somehow became friends...and then the whistle blew, the ball was thrown, and the game began. - Alice Hawthorne, 140 lbs (63.6 kg), American, right midfielder/reserve Kasumi bolted out of the blue and swept past the other striker, dribbling down the field to the midfielders, where she handed the ball to Felicity. Fleur and Elisa closed in to support them; Felicity moved around the left midfielder but got blocked by the defensive, so she tapped the ball back to Kasumi. She bounced it off her chest and attempted to score, but the goalie caught it and threw it back. Laudendale's stopper and sweeper passed it between them as they ran through on the way to their forward, but Elisa and Fleur cornered them, taking the ball into their possession and handing it back to Felicity, who made a wild shot. The goalie took it again and threw it far, so that her striker and forward could take it and make an attempt of their own. Nadia quickly sniped the ball away and saw where she could have a clear shot, but meekly kicked the ball to Fleur, who was quickly surrounded. Without thinking, she launched the ball to Elisa, who was suddenly stricken with fright. "Oh dear, oh dear, oh...shit!" she squealed, too panicked to keep her ladylike composure. She hyperventilated as a rush of adrenaline washed over her and sent her flying down the field like a mad gazelle. "Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic!" she kept on praying. "Just go, go-go-go! Go for it, go for it, go for it, go for it!" "You idiot, don't try to score by yourself!" Fausta hissed. "No! Give the ball to...oh, for crying out loud! You stupid..." She started cursing in her native language as Elisa, overflowing with terror and energy, kicked hard and sent the ball hurtling straight for the goal. The keeper caught it easily and, with the left midfielder out of position, Carnegie's defensive net now had a hole. The Laudendale striker and forward exploited this weakness and sprinted all the way to the goal, making their first serious attempt to score. Thankfully, Lauren stopped it and handed the ball to Shannon. "Good catch," she sighed. That last offensive had taken her by surprise. Fausta covered her face and rebuked her friend. "Don't ever try that again," she scowled. "Next time you get the ball, just give it to me or Nadia!" "I'm so sorry!" Elisa wheezed, pale and drenched in sweat. "Something just took over me and I lost control!" "Then exercise some restraint!" "Get off girlfriend's back, bitch!" Nadia growled. Leena groaned and shook her head, hoping her team wouldn't start arguing now, of all times. Luckily, the referee didn't have to call them out, and they behaved themselves long enough to intercept another attack. "Well, folks, Carnegie's off to a great start this afternoon. They're already made three offensive maneuvers, one right after the other, but Laudendale's defenses have held. You have to admire the spirit of that left midfielder, though, running the gauntlet without any support. Carnegie's defensive midfielder has the ball now after a clean interception...she's making it to the center with Laudendale right at her heels...passes to the right midfielder...she makes a run for the other side...gives it to the striker...striker gives it to the forward and makes a run for the goal...forward shoots and misses, but it's a free ball...oh! The striker just made a clean shot! It's the first goal of the game in Carnegie's favor!" "Good shot, Kasumiiiii!!" Valencia cried. "You rule, uh...girl with Japanese name!" Rain shouted. "Sorry I don't know your names yet! Hey Coach, send out Hot Lips Hawthorne!" The game quickly resumed as the scattered applause died down, with Laudendale taking a lead. They got past Nadia and Jen with some quick passes and fast running- two weaknesses Carnegie was still struggling with- and got through Amy and Terra, who fought bravely to keep the ball on their side. But then there was Fausta, who wasn't going to let them get through her again. She plowed right into their formation, stole the ball, and launched it at Shannon, who made a mad dash for the goal. "Is that crazy bitch going to score?" Lauren wondered. It looked like she was going to try: Kasumi and Felicity stayed with her as she made her way into Laudendale territory. The crowd started to clap, and one devoted young man decided to add his own support. "GIVE EM' HELL, SHANNON THE CANNON!!!" Shannon bounced the ball to Felicity, who faked the goalie out and returned the ball to Threal. A single flick of her ankle set the score at 2-0. "What an astonishing play! Carnegie jumps into the lead with another goal! Lauderdale has to be feeling the pressure now! They're moving in deep and they're not letting up. Playtime is over for these brave newcomers: now it's their turn to prove themselves. They're going past the midfielders and the defensive lineup...they're playing very hard, very close to the chest...I don't see anything reckless now. Their offense is a little lacking, but I've noticed Carnegie's defense is at the same level, so it'll be interesting to see what gives...oh! A great shot, but they missed- NO! The shot rebounded and they made a second attempt! Carnegie's goalie is being assaulted from all angles. It's a miracle she was able to recover and guard the net after that last attack! Now their sweeper has the ball and is trying for a center field pass, but Laudendale's morale has been lifted after that last attack, and you know they'll try something like that again. With just five minutes left in the first half, it's still anybody's game." "Crap, that took a lot out of me!" Lauren gasped. She resisted the strong urge to bend over and lean on her knees- Laudendale certainly needed no further encouragement. "Yo, ladies, why didn't you stop them? I thought you all were more aggressive than that." "They're bound to get through eventually," Shannon answered. "It ain't like we haven't been tryin' or nothin'. Oh- watch out! SHIT!!" Shannon dove but missed another offensive, but luckily, Fausta and Amy were there to watch her back, and recovered the ball for Carnegie. Amy kicked the ball back to Fleur, but she was tackled and lost balance as Laudendale took the ball back. Lacroix tried to stand, but winced in pain: she had twisted her ankle. "I told her," Arina sighed. She faced Freya and added, "Now you know that pride comes before th- " "Shake it off, Fleur! Come on, Terra, you'll have to do better than that if you want to work for me! Heads up, Lauren!" "...Never mind," she muttered. The girl who knocked Fleur over broke off from her team and went over to help her up. "Oh my gosh, are you all right? I didn't mean to be so rough! Can you stand?" "Piss off!" she snapped, hopping back to her position. "And watch where you're going next time!" "Sheesh, I was only trying to help you," she griped. She turned to Jen and said, "What's her problem?" "Don't sweat it," she smiled; "she's always like that." Meanwhile, as the final seconds counted down, Terra scrambled for the ball with Fausta at her side, but it was too late. With Lauren weary from her last two dramatic saves, Laudendale had an easy goal. The score ran up 2-1 right before halftime. "And there you have it, folks: a scrapper's heart and determination! It seems as if pummeling the goalie with shot after shot was the perfect strategy for Laudendale, and it looks like Carnegie's right midfielder has been injured. Coach Parkin-Katajisto will probably take this time to call up her reserves, but will it be enough? Stay seated for the second half, ladies and gentlemen, as these two bold beginners show us what they're made of!" - Shannon Threal, 138 lbs (62.7 kg), American, stopper- "Don't say a word," Fleur snarled as she hopped to the player's box, aiming her glare at Arina. She laid down and elevated her leg for the doctor to look at, but didn't seem to be in much pain. "I was just going to ask how you're holding up." "How do you think I'm holding up, fool? Now I'll be out for the rest of the game- and maybe the next one, too." "Just take it easy," Leena advised her. "This sort of thing happens all the time; we just have to cope with it. You're all doing well; I'm proud we've gotten so far. I'm a little disappointed that you started that argument, but you seem to have gotten through it and focused on what's more important. Just keep up the good work and we'll make it through." "What about Fleur, ma'am?" Freya said. "She's not in any condition to play." "It's not as bad as all that," she grumbled carelessly. "Believe me, I've had worse and walked away from them." "Still, Freya's right. Hawthorne, you're taking over. Don't make me regret it." "I'm ready, coach," she replied strongly. "I've been working very hard. I swear I won't let you down." "That's what I wanted to hear. What about you, Ofdensen? Think you can go another round?" "Short answer, no," she muttered, gulping down water and drying her face. "Long answer, hell no." "I appreciate your honesty. Durante, you're taking over. Are you ready?" "Does it matter if I'm not?" she answered nervously. She looked to Kasumi for strength, but Beckett was performing stretches, trying to keep herself limber. Instead, help came to her from an unexpected source. "Y-you'll d-do fine," Amy said, placing a warm hand on her shoulder. "If I c-can last th-th-this long, anyb-body can." "Yeah, but you're an accomplished athlete." "D-don't be l-l-like that. J-just rem-member w-what the Coach s-s-said earlier. C-come on, I'll b-bet you're g-g-great." Valencia couldn't help but glow at Amy's confidence in her abilities, and psyched herself up for her moment of truth. The worst part was waiting for the second half to begin, but at least they had someone to entertain them. "All right, it's about time the cavalry arrived! Woo-hoo! Hot Lips Hawthorne to the rescue! Show these Lauderdale lame-brains what a giant babe can do! I LOVE YOU, ALIIIIIIICE!! Woo!" "She's crazy," Arina giggled. "Ya got that right," Fleur muttered. Meanwhile, in the stands, Chairman Fitzgerald was starting to wish he could disappear. How could his best pupil humiliate him like that?! "Well, she's certainly getting into the spirit!" Warren grinned. "Maybe you have some redeeming qualities after all, old man!" "Don't speak," he barked. "I'm embarrassed enough as it is." "I think the young lady is quite charming!" Rosewood chirped. Fitzgerald glared at her, too, while Warren laughed. As the second half began, Samuel Velur sat up straight in his seat, making himself look more prominent, and glared at his daughter. Felicity had been making one mistake after another throughout the first half, and he would make sure she would remember what was at stake for the second. Felicity caught a glimpse of her father's profile before heading out into the field, and felt her stomach sinking. She could only try to drown out her frustration and anguish as she focused everything she had into the game. What more does he want? I'm doing the best I can! I just hope he doesn't throw a tantrum and yell at the Coach. No matter what I do, it's never going to be enough for him, is it? All my awards, all the victories, all of the sacrifices... I lost all of my old friends because he kept pushing me and pushing me...and now I can't even get close to these people, all because of him! Nadia, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me for ignoring you! She wiped her eyes as Elisa gave her control of the ball. She wouldn't fail now... - Arina Essylt, unknown weight (average), French, team psychologist/reserve- "Well, folks, if the first half of the game belonged to Carnegie, this one is all about Laudendale! They haven't let up once since the whistle blew, as so far they've made an impressive five runs for the goal and have defended their territory on three separate occasions. Their keeper seems to be at peak performance, and they've learned from the mistakes they made in the first half. I'm not about to dismiss Carnegie, but if they don't pull together and show us something impressive, I'm afraid I might have to! Carnegie's forward has the ball now...we've seen some pretty decent plays from her so far, but- uh, no, wait, it looks like she's making a run for it! Holy cow, that woman's on fire! Straight through Laudendale's defense and...wow! Another goal for Carnegie! Folks, I don't know what to tell you! A seemingly mediocre forward has just pulled her team out from the depths and gave them a serious lead over their rivals- and it was almost too fast for me to call! That's one for the professionals to keep their eyes on!" "And about time, too," Samuel Velur muttered. "Feleezity kitties rock hard!!" Nadia screamed. "Yeah, not too shabby," Shannon smiled, giving a thumbs-up. "This game's in the bag now!" "Don't let your guard down!" Terra shouted, taking an aggressive stance. "They can still beat us, you know! We have plenty of time to lose!" Fausta looked over at her coworker and smiled proudly at her devotional outburst. Apparently, there was more to meek little Terra than a cute face and an awkward personality. Carnegie took this boost in morale to launch an offensive, but it's dangerous to attack a wounded animal, especially if they're cornered, and with Laudendale down by two points, with only twenty minutes left in the game, there were bound to be surprises. Felicity was on a roll, and turned from a depressing hermit into a lethal weapon, driving hard down the center to score again. But Laudendale was ready for her this time, and sent a right midfielder to steal the ball. She kicked hard, but her shot was blocked and turned around on her. Hawthorne flew in to recover it (Rain suddenly bursting with excitement), but Laudendale had excellent passing and lobbed it between their players, confusing her. They shot deep into Carnegie territory, held off Amy and Shannon, and fought a surprisingly tenacious Terra for a few rounds before offering a lame shot. Valencia caught it without any problems, but that only caused Laudendale to double their efforts, and they began relentlessly hounding the inner defense. Amy really showed her quality as she defended her position, and even held the ball for a moment as Shannon came in to claim it. But Laudendale was persistent, and captured the ball while it was sailing in midair. Valencia caught the next shot, but missed the second, which sent the score up 3-2. "I told you!" Terra exclaimed. "Don't let up yet! We can relax once the game's over!" "Sorry," Valencia murmured, flushed with guilt. Shannon just waved at her. "Aw, nothin' to be sorry about. Ya doin' fine." And I'll do better next time, she swore. But in the meantime, her team held tight onto their lead, and battled Laudendale fiercely as the minutes ticked away and the fate of the game remained unclear. "Five minutes left in the game. Carnegie's up three to two. Laudendale's played an excellent game so far, and if they can manage to get past Carnegie's defenses, they might be able to pull a victory out of this. Carnegie's goalie looks tired, but their coach appears confident- she's not sending in another substitute. Laudendale's offense isn't on par with Carnegie's, but if they can get one more goal and keep those penalty kicks coming, they'll emerge the winner. Carnegie has to play a defensive game and hold onto their lead if they want to win. Laudendale's driving through...they're going for it...they're going for it...! No! Their stopper interfered and is taking the ball back to center. She's...is she going for the goal? The stopper's going strong...passes to the midfielder...she's going for the sweeper...she's holding it...going for the goal...she kicks...it's not good, but there's no time left for a countermeasure! Laudendale makes a desperate attempt, but it's too little, too late! Carnegie wins three to two!" The applause and the cheers were fairly upbeat considering the number of spectators, but the joy on the field was much greater. Nearly everyone was jumping, cheering, waving, hugging, and dancing, and they had deserved it: they all fought hard to earn their first victory as a team. But considering how excellently Lauderdale played, it only seemed fair to go over to their side of the field and congratulate them. Kasumi sought out the other team's striker, smiled at her, and reached her hand out. "That was a great game! You were really awesome!" "You weren't so bad yourself," she chuckled. They shook hands and she said, "I'm Stephanie." "Kasumi." "Good to meet you." Stephanie laughed and hugged her, flustering the dear girl. Lauren grinned as she saw what they were doing and figured she wanted in on some "hug action" as well. "You, I'm gonna say hello to that goalie of theirs!" "She's not gay, you know," Fausta said, pointing to the woman as she kissed a young man. "So what? It's the diplomatic thought that counts. Come on, I know you wanna wrap your arms around that adorable sweeper they got." One by one, all the girls went over to congratulate their rivals, even Felicity and Fleur, though they weren't quite as warm about it as the others, and Fleur scowled at the poor girl who had injured her. The announcer laughed at their wholesome charity. "Well folks, there's sportsmanship at its best, and Laudendale deserves no less for its incredible debut. Both teams have proven themselves here today, and one can only hope they make the same strides in the future. I'm Tom Meriworth, and this has been...a good game!" Friends and family of the players streamed down to shower praises on them- mostly. Samuel Velur made a beeline to his daughter and glared at her; only she could hear what he said to her on that field. She wished she had the courage to actually stand up to him, or just bury herself and be rid of him forever, but she weathered his acidic criticisms as she always did: silently, obediently, her spirit always on the verge of breaking. She left the field before anybody could see her crying. If Chairman Helmuth Fitzgerald was affected by this blow against his plans, he certainly did a good job of hiding it. His face remained as cold, rigid, and impartial as ever; he felt no anger and no loss. Rosewood was graciously silent- she respected her younger adversary too much to gloat- but she did call for him as he stood up to leave. An ambiguous smile came to her lips as she held up her index finger, as if to say, "one victory out of the way". Fitzgerald responded with equal ambiguity, holding up two fingers, indicating the obstacles yet to come. The true reason he wasn't upset was because he had planned for Carnegie to win: he wanted to arrange for them to play an "easier" opponent first, so that their spirits would rise just in time to be completely crushed in the next two rounds. And so far, judging from the cheers and applause, it was working. Fitzgerald's star student wasn't concerned with his schemes or his feelings: she was running out on the field, ready to focus all her happiness on Alice and, to a lesser extent, the team as a whole. Even though Hawthorne had only played a bit part, Rain was still exuberant and proud- two feelings she had been unfamiliar with for most of her life. Hawthorne and the soccer team did something to her, something dangerous, something wonderful, and Rain knew she would never be the same thanks to her exposure. She was almost within arm's reach when something stopped her, grabbing her by the shoulder and turning her around. "Where do you think you are headed to?" It was her fencing teacher, his face twitching with impatience. "The match has concluded, and this is not the direction of the fencing school." "I was just going to say hello to everybody," she pointed. "And how much of my time do you think you'll consume in the process? Thirty minutes? An hour? Two hours? I wanted to believe you were more responsible than that, Miss Howlet. This time, your condition will not save you. I expect you to be at the school and ready for instruction in nine minutes. Otherwise, discipline will be too soft a word to describe what I might have in store." "But sir, you know I won't be able to make it in nine minutes! That's a fifteen-minute walk from here!" "Then you should run, and not delay. Nine minutes, Miss Howlet, as of now." Rain fretted and hesitated for one agonizing moment- the choice between her duties and her desires had never been so cruel- then turned around, squinting her eyes so she wouldn't weep for the injustice of it all, and sprinted as fast as she could towards the fencing school. Fitzgerald adjusted his glasses, regarding the celebrations with polite indifference before going on his way.
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