October 13, Saturday, St. Thekla's women's changing rooms 12:50 pm Sometimes, the world revolves in very strange ways. Take one Shannon Wilson, Scandinavian in appearance and American by birth, now tending to St. Thekla's dwindling sports program as if she were the answer to so many prayers. Shannon, of all people, who had been another nameless face in the crowd until that year! Shannon, who most people only knew by weak association; Shannon the spoiled girl, Shannon the doll, Shannon the desperate rebel, Shannon the vibrant, the mouthy, the starving, the lonely. Damn, but she was human. Still more dramatic was the change she had undergone in a year's time. Most people her age see enough turbulence as they grow, but Shannon's whole world was taken away, turned on its ear, and thrust back like a crumpled ball of paper. She had been forcibly expelled from her old school, along with all the other students and faculty, torn apart from friends and pushed into a world that neither understood nor accepted her. Thankfully, Shannon came from wealth, and her father still had enough influence to brush her underneath the protective carpet of a small private girls' school until she graduated. St. Thekla's had not been her first choice for college life- she had wanted to travel to the western coast, perhaps in Washington or Canada- but a coincidental meeting with the university's miniscule athletics department altered her fate. Like Carnegie, St. Thekla's was encouraging several sports teams of their own- not to win any prizes or prestige, but merely to provide their students with a pastime they could be proud of. In other words, "something that would look good on a résumé". Shannon had little interest in sports outside of ice skating, but her uncanny ability to predict where a ball might fly in trajectory earned her passage into the school's soccer program, as its star goalie. From then on, her life had become a whirlwind, and she (and the school) were gaining a strong reputation. Shannon had little interest in the sport- she wanted to be a dancer one day- but she had her pride, and would not allow herself to back down because of a little indifference. Besides, she was gaining a few friends, and seemed to have something of a life again. But there was a hole in her heart that only one person could fill- and they were halfway across the world, probably forgotten all about her and the time they shared. Oh well; that was the way things went. There were no happy endings; Shannon merely had fleeting moments to look forward to. And now it was time to make one. "Coming, Wilson?" her coach said. Shannon stood up from her meditation. "You bet!" In this wide world People you're meant to meet can be seen Beyond the window, beyond the rainbow I think you're aware of them Take off that restrictive weight Let your feelings go Now keep your ears open and wait for that time Awaken now Cherish the little dream you've drawn in the vast sky If you do, you can always become happy It's certain, whoa whoa! "Against a Wall" "Well, folks, it hasn't even been five minutes yet and it's already shaping up to be a great game. Carnegie's Nguyen has taken the offensive early on, with Nazario and Howlet close at hand, and they've bulldozed right through St. Thekla's defense. Nguyen's already made a shot, but up-and-coming superstar Shannon Wilson came forward to show everyone here what she was made of. People have been calling her 'the unbreakable wall', and even though Carnegie had an excellent attack, they stood no chance against their aptly-named opponent. "Now it looks as though they're playing things conservatively. St. Thekla's forward Omnerson has the ball now- whoa, she got sideswiped by Beckett and Velur. Beckett looks a little shaky out there today, but Velur's her same old stunning self. It looks like...yes, they're going for another offense. Velur's got it, Ramirez and Cocza block her, she swerves to a hard right, passes to Beckett, she holds...oh, and Ramirez intercepts! Was Kasumi Beckett asleep down there? Now Ramirez is taking it in deep. Howlet and Tu have drawn a bead on her and are closing in. Khovansky's going for the kill...she gets the ball back, sends it to Howlet...Howlet's playing things evasively, showing off those famous unpredictable moves of hers... Remember that Rain Howlet was the last-minute addition to the team during their decisive victory against Lovelace, and she's been...whoa, is she going for another offensive? It looks like...she is! Cocza and Figeroa are right on her heels- she swerves around, Khovansky comes up from behind to help, she shoots- aah, no good, Wilson easily deflects it. "Now it's back in Cocza's hands. This is a woman born and bred on soccer, folks. Raised in Brazil and currently studying music and athletics, she's solid through and through. Cocza takes it to Ramirez, Ramirez fades...back now to Omnerson- wait, here comes Beckett again! Beckett dives...wait, Wilson is moving somewhere. Does she think Carnegie's going to...HOLY MOLEY, was that Fleur Lacroix coming in from outta nowhere? Yes- she's completely aerodynamic today. Lacroix is flying like an arrow, takes the ball, makes a shot- BOOM, the goalie doesn't even budge! Lacroix hit her dead center and Wilson lives up to her nickname! Truly, this woman must be a tactical genius to see a play like that! "St. Thekla's got the ball now and they're going in deep. Andre and Khovansky are keeping a tight perimeter, but Hughes and Zweivalt keep them busy long enough for Omnerson to pass through. Khovansky's going straight for Omnerson, Zweivalt's keeping Andre busy...here comes Nguyen again, back for more- whoops, Threal's in on it now; she has the ball...one Shannon gunning for another...Hughes gets it back but- whoa, Threal sideswiped her and is taking it hard down the field! She's got Beckett and Lacroix at her side...Figeroa's coming in fast, but she can't seem to...there they go again! Beckett shoots but it's bad! Cocza easily intercepts, passes to Figeroa, she's going in far- Velur's got her, they fight for control- no, the ball's loose now! It's anybody's game. Cocza takes it, kicks it hard to Ramirez, Ramirez takes it all the way down to Zweivalt, Zweivalt shoots...oh, no good! Nazario takes it and doesn't give anything back! Wait, here comes Cocza and Figeroa again. They certainly don't give up. Nazario hits it hard down the field to Howlet, Howlet takes it again, driving it down the- hey, she shot again! Wilson stops it but she can't catch it! It's just sitting right there! She dives- WAIT, SHE DOVE IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!! She didn't go for the ball and the goal is wide open- THERE'S BECKETT AGAIN!! She's got it, shoots...HOLY COW, what a hit! Wilson must've seen that coming from a mile away, folks, because I don't know how else she could've saved it! "Carnegie is playing wonderfully today, ladies and gentlemen, but St. Thekla's isn't letting their performance intimidate them. If anything, their game seems to have improved during the course of this match. Now Hughes has got the ball and is playing conservatively. Carnegie's got a tight defense with Threal and Nazario, but their weakest link is Nguyen and Tu. St. Thekla's might take advantage of their inexperience to pull out a surprise. Carnegie's best strength lies in its offense, as anyone who's watched Kasumi Beckett, Felicity Velur, Rain Howlet, and Nadia Khovansky can tell. These four women can go face-to-face with professional-level players. St. Thekla's either going to have to squeeze past them and strike their midfielders or beef up what defenses they have and rely on Wilson 'the Wall' to catch those wild shots. Fifteen minutes left in the first half, score is still zero-zero. "Carnegie looks like it's starting to get serious now. Khovansky's driving it hard down St. Thekla's field, easily outmaneuvering their defensive line. She's meeting Omnerson and Hughes now...Vallan comes at her from behind, she passes to Andre...Lacroix wedges into the action, takes the ball, drives it; Vallan slides up and intercepts, Andre takes it back and shoots it, Khovansky knocks it with her head, Beckett picks up the slack...another shot, but it's lacking power. Wilson throws to Hughes, she takes it to Vallan and they ride past...no, Velur's got it and...wow, there she goes, folks! Felicity Velur's a regular Supergirl down there! I don't know where she's getting these bursts of energy, folks, but they've worked for her before- OH, no, another save by Wilson! Carnegie's like a machine gun out here today, folks, and Wilson's not even fazed! You've gotta wonder whether it's all sinking in or not: nothing gets past Shannon Wilson. "Now St. Thekla's on the offensive, and they're really running Carnegie ragged! They run past the offensive line just as Tu and Bguyen come up to intercept. Tu strikes...wow, she's got it! Cocza comes in and takes it like Tu was giving it away- no surprise from one of St. Thekla's best- down the line to Nazario and Threal...Cocza hesitates, gives it to Zweivalt, Zweivalt makes a shot...wait, here comes Ramirez again! A quick volley to Ramirez, right to Durante...it's no good! Not a particularly good offensive play, folks, but the first serious attempt at a goal by St. Thekla's today. You have to wonder if they're feeling bolder now with Wilson in top form. Now Carnegie has it again, Tu trying to take the lead after her last attempt. She's got everything under control so far- nope, there goes Zweivalt, and a quick pass to Figeroa- whoa, Tu strikes back! What a jump, folks! Isaac Newton himself would've been surprised! That little firecracker almost jumped over the ball while it was in midair- now it's heading back to Khovansky, she knocks it to Howlet- whoops, Howlet's surrounded, she tries to fake right- OHH, Omnerson gave her a rough shove there, folks! The ref doesn't call it, though, and that's not making anyone out here pleased. "Omnerson relinquishes it to Vallan, Vallan shoots hard...here comes Tu again! Young Terra just won't give up, people! It's like she's taking this personally- no, Cocza got the ball again. That's the second time those two have clashed. Now she's taking it down to the goal line, Threal and Nazario come out- whoa, wait, where did Andre come from? I'm serious, folks, even I didn't see her coming! She wrestles for control of the ball, takes it- now Vallan's got it- no, Andre took it back! Half of St. Thekla's team's on the wrong side of the field as Jennifer Andre goes for broke! Wilson looks ready...Andre gives it to Khovansky, Khovansky runs deep...look at that woman go! Khovansky shoots- no, wait, Ramirez took it back! Now Beckett and Velur are coming in to finish the job! Beckett takes it- ohh, not good! Kasumi Beckett misses by a mile and falls on the ground! What's happening down there? Is this the same girl people were calling 'the secret weapon of Washington, DC'? "Velur picks up the slack and shoots. Wilson again. St. Thekla's regroups and Omnerson hit's the ball right over Beckett's head. Beckett doesn't look very well down there...there's just five minutes left, so the Coach might wait until halftime to trade her out. Figeroa has it now- wait, Nazario and Nguyen come out and take the offensive! They're running down the line, nobody's stopping them... Andre keeps watch over their flank...boy, they're going fast! Nguyen takes the ball now, Nazario keeps Cocza busy...Tu's returning to handle her old friend...Nguyen shoots...another miss! This might be the very first time that Amy Nguyen's tried to shoot, and despite Wilson's save, that was a pretty darn good shot if you ask me. Well, there's the bell: one down and one to go, Carnegie and St. Thekla still glaring at each other with zero-nothing. If one of them doesn't blink first, they'll have to go into penalty shots. We've seen this happen a dozen times before, folks, and we all know where it goes. Let's just hope that Carnegie and Wilson can hang in there!" - Fausta Nazario, family: Alonza & Maria; Piero & Raul Nazario; sweeper- Kasumi felt low as she entered the locker room, low enough to sit down on a bench and sulk. She knew what was at fault: she was still thinking about her parents, and her mother, and her sexuality, and the strangeness surrounding it all. She had wanted to think she was over this nonsense- that she could learn to accept it all, especially her sexuality, in time, and even be proud of it- but apparently not: it was affecting the way she played. Fausta gave her an angry look but nobody else seemed to notice. "Damn, she's good!" Rain exclaimed. "Every time, man! Every time! Not only does she catch it, but she moves to the exact spot the ball's heading! Every time!" "We all saw it, Rain," Elisa said gently. "I'm just saying that I'm impressed, okay?" "It does seem a little odd," Jennifer mused. "Like, when Fleur tried to surprise her? I don't think either Lauren or Valencia could've caught that, but she looked like she knew about it beforehand. Maybe even before Fleur did." "Oh, don't say something so ridiculous!" Fleur snapped. "You make it sound as if she's clairvoyant." "Maybe she just got lucky," Alice offered. Fleur turned her nose up at the taller woman. "I don't believe in luck. Besides, she was in position before I kicked the ball." "Then how do you explain how she knew?" "Ladies!" Leena exclaimed loudly. "A moment, please? Gather around." It didn't occur to the group how tired they were until they settled down and surrounded their coach. Although the beginners were starting to catch up in terms of skill and strength, everybody felt a little fatigued- psychologically if not physically. "I don't know how to explain what Miss Wilson does," Leena said calmly, "nor would I be able to venture a guess. All we know is that she's a good goalie, and we should step up our game to match hers. The rest of St. Thekla's team is giving us a healthy challenge, but it's nothing we can't handle so long as we keep our defenses tight. Beckett, are you going to be all right?" "I don't think so, Coach. I've been sloppy all day. I'm kind of stressed." "You worked hard, Kasumi, and I'm proud of what you've done. You've helped carry this team, and I'm sorry if you feel burdened. I'm going to put Khovansky in your place and Hawthorne in hers." Nadia paled and started waving her hands frantically. "Oh no, pleaze, you must not be doing that, I will not have better performance! I am not in working fair when put in important position! I will become breaking like tree branch!" "If you can't handle that kind of pressure, Khovansky, then what are you doing here?" Leena stared at her firmly, almost overbearing. Nadia turned red in humiliation and sunk her head. Felicity wanted to say something in her defense, but she and everyone there knew the coach was right. Nadia would have to get over her fears if she wanted to prove herself worthy of the team. "Get some rest," Leena sighed, putting her hand on Nadia's shoulder. "Take a few deep breaths and get some water. Everyone loses it from time to time. It's the only way we're tested. Now- before we head on back there, I'd like to discuss possible strategies concerning the Wilson issue. I know from experience that there's no way she could be perfect; she has to have a weakness. What about wearing her out? Wilson's in decent shape, but she's no athlete. More like a dancer. I'd recognize that type anywhere." "Yes, moved like ballerina," Nadia said. "We've already tried pelting her with shot after shot," Rain said. "She doesn't look like she's wearing out." "We can't really take her by surprise, either," Fleur added. "Hitting her with power shots doesn't do any good," Felicity noted. "Maybe if we tried confusing her," Terra said. "Like, have two of us go up there, and one of us can hold the ball until the very end, then pass it to someone else. Like, I dunno, a lightning rebound." "Okay, good. Anything else?" Rain raised her hand. "I could try angling it off the goalpost, then someone could run in and hit the ball when it's bounced off." "You sure you're focused enough for that?" Fleur snorted. "What about you, Banjo Brown? Any thoughts? You do seem to be skeptical about her abilities." Fleur gave her a sour look before speaking. "I'm just trying to be realistic here. You all have your heads in the clouds so much that it's a wonder they don't float off into space." "Don't speak for all of us," Fausta growled. "Ladies," Leena said coldly. She gestured for Fleur to continue. "I actually think we should try and wear her out. As Leena observed, she is not the athlete we are. She has more in common with Arina or Elisa: talented, sure, but no real skill. No offense, you two," she sang condescendingly. "Coach," said Arina, ignoring Fleur's slur, "instead of putting Alice into the game, may I request you transfer me instead?" "Any particular reason?" "We're going about this the wrong way," she said quietly. "We're of the mind that physicality will defeat her, when all it takes is a little psychological advantage. For example, when we hear that there's a goalie who can't be beaten, perhaps there's a subconscious part of our minds that believes this." "Bullshit!" Lauren exclaimed. "Arina, that's low, even for you!" "It's called the placebo effect," she answered calmly. "If I gave you a sugar pill and told you it will cure your cold, would you get better? It's the exact same situation." "I still think that's a load of bull, Essylt. I don't care if someone thinks they're perfect, I'm gonna beat their head in until I prove them wrong." "Barbaric, but you're on the right track. If we all believe that we can get just one ball through her, just one, it will happen. If we make certain victory the entirety of our actions- in short, if we will our futures according to what we want- then it will come to pass. Miss Wilson has been winning because she believes she can win. Now it's our turn." "What an asinine theory of yours," Fleur sighed. "Honestly, Arina, I really thought you were better than this. Do you know what you just sounded like? One of these girls that watch those silly Japanese cartoons all day, then thinks they're living out those fantasies. Right- we'll really beat them with our thoughts and feelings." "You have nothing to lose," she answered with a wry smirk. "If I'm wrong, we'll try your plan. In any case, Miss Leena, please put me in Kasumi's position. I feel like I'm finally ready to start contributing." - Felicity Velur, family: Samuel Velur & Katherine Brooks; forward- "This is a fine dilemma," Fleur pouted as the team returned to their positions. "If we follow Arina's foolish idea, my pride as I know it will die. And if we lose...oh, god!" she yelled, covering her face. "Who cares about your stupid pride?" Jennifer snapped as she stretched. "I just want to win. I don't care how we do it! Besides, if you're going to complain, you can switch places with Elisa or Alice." "That would also damage my pride," she retorted snobbishly. "Pride only hurts, it never helps. Ving Rhames, Pulp Fiction." "Ugh, get a life." Fleur rubbed her face and tried to brace herself. It was insulting, the way she lowered herself like this. Then again, she reasoned that she would lose face no matter which scenario she took, so the utilitarian in her chose to wish for victory, if only to have it- or to prove Arina wrong. St. Thekla's had the ball first and was heading for Jen. Arina chased after them, but was hopelessly outmatched, even by these mediocre performers; Nadia took the ball and sent it flying to Rain. She flew as far as the defensive midfield, then gave it to Felicity, who resumed command up to the goal. Arina closed her eyes and quickly wished for a score, but Wilson caught again, despite Velur's efforts. "What is she doing down there?" Samuel Velur growled as he stared coldly at his daughter. "She had every opportunity to score, and instead she practically let that goalie have the ball. I'm going to have a few words to exchange with her once this is over." "What happened to Kasumi?" said her mother. "Why did the coach take her out all of a sudden?" "She wasn't doing so well," Randy Beckett said flatly. "I don't know what got into her, but she hasn't been playing like she usually does." "Do you think it's something we might've said?" Diana wondered. Randy shrugged; Sasha and Valerie Khovansky screamed. "[Take it home, Nadia! Drive it deep! Wait, pass! No- stop- wait- aha, there! That's it, go-go-go! Hit it hard! Make St. Thekla proud!]" "Ay-yai, she's violent!" Marina Durante gawked. "Whatever happened to the sweet older sister I knew? What kind of person is this? She just jumped right out and landed on her face! Madre...at least she caught it, though." "Shannon the cannon! Shannon the cannon!" "[I don't know where she gets it! I never experimented when I was her age! It's probably because of you and your sons! She only grew up with one woman in the house and she's overcompensating!]" "[They're half your children too, Maria! Fausta has had plenty of chances to find role models. You made her too aggressive and independent; now she thinks she doesn't need a husband!]" "[How else was she going to grow up in this world? I'm sure that once she graduates, she'll quit this phase of hers and marry someone we can be proud of. It won't be forever!]" "So Elisa just sits there and watches while all this is going on? I thought she joined this team to play." "You know her. She has so little confidence in herself that she'd probably be too afraid to play. Oh- she's looking this way. Hello, Elisa, little bump on a log. I do wish she could go out for a few minutes, at least." "Those two are the forward and the striker, respectively. They're responsible for making most of the goals that win the games. Now the four in the middle are midfielders, the first line of defense. Their main job is to send the ball back to the forward and the striker, but they can also score." "Ohhh," said Ida von Hohenheim. "I know the one in the net is the goalie, but which ones are those four?" "No, Ida: say, 'what position do those four play'." She repeated it and Alita cleared her throat. "They are left and right back, stopper, and sweeper, the secondary line of defense. Their goal is to stop the ball before it can reach the net, and send it back to midfield. Usually they don't score." "Why not?" "Well, if too many of them run out for offense, there won't be anybody left to defend the goal." "Oh. So if there are...two, four, six...eight people keeping the ball away from the goal, how do those two in front score?" "They cooperate with the players closest to them and run into the opponent's side. Most of the game is back-and-forth between both sides, as you can see, but sometimes they'll get aggressive and make a charge, usually accompanied by a few of their teammates. It's not hard to follow." "Oh. So why don't they try their hardest more often?" "I think you're smart enough to figure that on your own." Alita rubbed her young cousin's head and bit down on her lip, studying her younger sister. Freya wasn't having such a good day and could barely clap her hands. She decided to yell all the louder in her place, even though she didn't know anybody's names. "All right, Carnegie, let's have some action! Keep that goalie guessing!" Below on the field, the wearying players could not hear their families calling out to them, but many of them knew they were there, and sometimes that was good enough. Amy looked up into the sky, wondering if her mother, father, older brother, older sister, and younger sister were watching her. She swiftly took the ball away from Cocza and shot it far down the field, right into Arina's path. Every game she played was in dedication to their memory; she hoped they were proud of her. Arina didn't have nearly the experience or the skill of her teammates, and it showed in the way she handled the ball. She managed to kick it wildly, and chased after it rather than swerving around with it nestled safe in her clutches. Hughes took it away from her but Felicity got it back; she raced down to the goal and stopped as three women blocked her path. Arina saw an opening and ran for it. "Felicity, over here!" Velur looked her way and hesitated. Oh, why in the world did the coach allow this? It was one thing to give Arina a position, but making her a temporary striker threw everything off balance. Kasumi and Felicity could harmonize their approach and work together almost flawlessly, like a bow and arrow; this was more like a bow and nail file. Good thing Fleur showed up when she did, or Felicity might've taken a big risk. "At least someone on the team has some sense!" Lacroix muttered as she flew in from a vulnerable side. She thought she had a good shot, but Shannon Wilson proved her wrong once again. To make matters worse, she threw the ball farther than normal, and St. Thekla's turned aggressive and pounded Carnegie's defense. Nadia chased them but she was too late; Terra and Amy couldn't handle them; Valencia barely saved the day as another shot missed its mark. She tried not to look too pale as she threw the ball to Threal. Carnegie was still better all around, but St. Thekla's was improving quickly. "Next time, please give the ball to me," Arina said as she and Felicity returned to their positions. "And trust me. Believe that we can win." "It's not that easy," Felicity sighed. Arina made a face. The game rolled on for twenty more minutes, both sides staring at each other, ready to jump should the other one blink. Carnegie continued to pummel St. Thekla's defense but couldn't get past the Wilson barrier; St. Thekla's was a continuous thorn in their side that grew sharper and longer with each passing moment. Valencia looked a little winded. Arina was losing her patience. And the crowd was restless. They began to chant: "Wil-son! Wil-son! Wil-son! Wil-son!" Helmuth Fitzgerald glanced at Stacie Rosewood coldly, wonder what she would do under this sort of pressure. The school's Dean looked on with an unyielding stare. Arthur Warren leaned forward in anticipation. Leena pursed her lips and clasped her hands together tightly. "Come on," she whispered, "you can do it. I know you can." St. Thekla's was beginning to seriously harass Carnegie now. Amy was sideswiped and Terra was overrun. Fausta cursed violently as she missed catching a rogue shot, and Valencia got the wind knocked out of her as she saved the day again. Threal took the ball far but lost it as Cocza attacked again. Kasumi Beckett gnashed her teeth together and dried the angry tears from her eyes before they had a chance to fall. And Fleur Lacroix's day was just plain awful. "Give it here!" she shouted as Jennifer ran towards her with a stolen prize. "Let's see what Khovansky can do. I'm not too proud to let others score! Don't choke, Bolshevik!" "Am not communist!" she spat as she took the ball away. Nadia kicked fiercely, forcing everyone to duck or else risk injury. Shannon saw it coming and jumped high in the air, catching something most professional goalies would've missed. Nadia swore violently in two languages and was nearly flagged for it. "Don't let it get to you, Nadia!" Shannon yelled. "Yeah, and at least your family came out to support you!" Terra added. Nadia didn't feel much better but she tried to shake it off. Arina waved to get her attention. "Nadia, please give the ball to me. And wish with all your heart for our victory to come true. We have to be absolutely certain we're going to win." "I am sorry," she sighed glumly. Nadia pounded her palm with her fist, waved to the crowd, and blew a kiss to Elisa. "Okay, I will be hoping for best result! Kitty and Jen hope too! Rain as well!" "All right, we're gonna kick ass no matter what!" Howlet yelled. "And why stop at just one goal?!" Jennifer grinned. "What next?" Fausta groaned, covering her face in humiliation. She suddenly spotted Ramirez coming straight for her, and resigned herself to this ludicrous task. "Oh, fine, to hell with it! I'll try anything now!" "Nazario captures the ball from Ramirez, drives it down the field. She swerves around Figeroa...passes to Andre...Andre fakes a right and sends it flying to Khovansky...here comes Hughes and Vallan. Khovansky makes for the goal...maybe she's going to try another shot. You have to wonder how many times Carnegie's going to try this. They get points for persistence in my book! Zweivalt joins her teammates in an assault on Khovansky- wait, she's sending the ball to Essylt! We haven't seen anything special from this one, folks, so I'm wondering if maybe they have something up their sleeves. Essylt doesn't stack up to the other players, and trading her in for Beckett might've been a poor choice. Velur's got her back...now here comes Howlet...there's only two minutes left in the game, and it looks like Carnegie's going for one last offensive. We've seen this before, folks, and so has Wilson! Just look at that smile on her face! You know she can see this one coming, too." "No she can't," Arina murmured, as she closed her eyes and relied on blind faith to carry her. She envisioned herself approaching Wilson, that smug expression still on her face, crouched and ready to preserve her legend. Arina's self-loathing turned into pure optimism, and she imagined herself as an unstoppable force of nature- more like a presence than a being- something that had the audacity to run up against what seemed to be a certain future, and defy it. I don't believe in predetermined destinies. We make our own through our will and our actions. If I want to win this game, then I'm going to DO IT! Whether you can really see the future or not is no longer relevant. I have the future with me right now, and I'm the one who'll decide what it is!! Arina imagined that Wilson wouldn't even be able to move, and that the ball would sail undeterred into the net. All of Carnegie was with her as she made her dream come true. The entire stadium was dead silent for a moment as they sat in awe at what had just happened. None more so than Shannon Wilson. "Ah...ah...I...I don't buh...believe it," the announcer stuttered. "It...doesn't seem possible, but...OH MY GOD!!! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, DO YOU SEE THAT?! SHANNON WILSON MISSED THE BALL!! SHANNON WILSON MISSED! CARNEGIE HAS DONE THE IMPOSSIBLE! All of St. Thekla's- the entire stadium- they're so stunned that they can't even move! The game ends and Carnegie...Carnegie wins over St. Thekla's, one to nothing!! I don't mean to use a cliché, but...do you believe in miracles!?" The crowd was either on their feet roaring or blanched and gawking in disbelief. The girls of Carnegie rushed around Arina, hugging her and throwing her on their shoulders. Fleur flopped onto the ground shakily. Leena burst into tears. Amy raised her fists to the sky. The announcer was laughing. Even Fitzgerald smirked. There was no doubt in anybody's minds that they had witnessed something spectacular. As for Shannon Wilson... She stood petrified and dumb at her post, the wind gently tickling her yellow hair and the sinking feeling of defeat and despair pulling down on her. Her friends and teammates were stricken as well, but recovered once Carnegie came over and congratulated them on a wonderful game. She was left by herself, saturating in what had transpired, lost and alone. (Princess Nine song) "I failed," Shannon whispered, grasping her forehead. Suddenly, a voice called out to her from behind, like a robin's song amidst winter, or the gush of water in the desert, or the chime of love amidst gloom. It was a sound she had heard before, once, long ago, in a time and place she thought had been naught but a dream. "Shannon?" She was already crying but now the tears turned into awe, and hope. She turned around shakily, and saw the very last person she ever hoped to see again, her guiding light and strength, her dearest friend and confidante, her one true love, lost to her and now found. She saw Xing-En Lee. The two star-crossed souls didn't say a word as they stared at each other across that small distance, one weeping and the other glowing with love. That moment in time seemed so impossible and remote that even Wilson, with her abilities, never thought it would happen; she wondered if she could dare to dream even now. (finish) They ran into each other's arms and embraced passionately, reunited once more, silent and overflowing with joy. Upon that day, Carnegie may have won the game, but Shannon Wilson had the ultimate victory in the end.
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