Rock Bottom Girl(19)

“I’d like to see you all play your assigned positions and be open to moving around the field a bit to see what you can do. Oh, and I brought some music.” Fishing the phone out of my pocket, I queued up the playlist, and the Spice Girls warbled to life through my Bluetooth speaker.

Those were full-fledged grins now, and I patted myself on my already sweaty back.

“Line up and count off,” I instructed. I thought I was being smart not letting them choose their own teams. However, Sophie S. ducked behind one of the Morgans and made herself a 2 instead of a 1. Putting her on the team opposite Ruby.

So they didn’t like each other. They didn’t have to. They just had to play together. I’d let it go for now, I decided.

Ruby and Sophie S. were immediately nominated team captains, making me swear under my breath.

I started play with a clap of my hands since I was still a coach without a whistle.

The Spice Girls gave way to Pitbull and then Macklemore as the JV and varsity girls soccer teams danced, skipped, and jogged their way down the field. They weren’t taking it seriously, but at least they were playing. I could determine who had footwork, who had speed, and who was a brick wall to get around. Who just wasn’t very good.

And who was the Marley of the team. It seemed to be the small-statured, quiet sophomore named Rachel. She hunched her shoulders when she ran as if she were warding off the spiritual blows of unpopularity. I watched that damn Lisabeth with her curly ponytail hip check Rachel after the play, sending the much smaller girl to the ground.

“You!” I shouted.

“Me?” Lisabeth pointed to herself innocently.

“Laps.” I hooked my thumb over my shoulder, mentally switching her from first string to bench warmer for the first game.

“For what?” She crossed her arms over her chest, challenging me.

“For being a shitty team player and having a craptastic attitude. Newsflash, you want to act like a jerk, do it at home to your parents who made you this way. Now, run.”

The rest of the team was staring at me openmouthed as Lisabeth lumbered off under a cloud of rage. Damn. That felt good. Really good. I felt like I’d finally stood up to my own bullies.

“What are you waiting for?” I asked the rest of the team. “Play!”

I took notes on my clipboard and swiped at the sweat as it beaded my forehead. I’d spent the last few years in Illinois and Colorado and had forgotten how oppressive Pennsylvania summers could be.

There were some hoots and cheers from each team as two of the girls tangled for the ball. They laughed it off and high-fived. Nice sportsmanship, I noted. But there was no communication. No camaraderie. It was like the teams were made up of two-and three-person cliques. Ruled from a distance by dictators including Ruby, Sophie S., and Lisabeth. I wasn’t sure what to do about it.

I let them play another ten minutes before calling them back over. I really needed to get a whistle. The yelling was hell on my throat. We took a drink break, and I shuffled around a couple of players on the field. Sophie S. had the fast footwork to strip the ball from the defense, but her shots on goal were weak. Juggling her to fullback, I realized my mistake five minutes into the game.

Ruby’s long legs were eating up the field as she dribbled toward the goal. She’d shown signs of deadly accuracy straight on in the penalty area. Sophie S. was aware of this and hunkered down and charged. She took the ball and Ruby in a slick sliding tackle that had her team whooping it up.

The tangle of limbs started to flail as Ruby rolled and mounted Sophie. They grappled and clamored, and I was in a dead run. By the time I crossed the fifty yards, I had to push my way through the team of girls encircling the fight. Sophie S. had Ruby by the hair while Ruby worked some weird WWF wrestling move on her.

“I hate you!”

“I hate you more, you pathetic, extra bitch!”

The rest of the team watched horrified and enthralled at the violence. Wading in, I grabbed Sophie first since she’d worked her way back on top. I shoved her in the direction of Team Sophie and pulled Ruby to her feet. Ruby tried to get around me, and I saw stars when her bony elbow connected with my cheek.

“Knock it off, or you’re both benched,” I yelled. Sophie broke free of her friends and tried to climb over my back to get at Ruby. It was my turn to throw an elbow, right into her stomach. She deflated like a popped beach ball. Ruby laughed with a taunting grin.

“Both of you to the damn bench!”

“But coach, she started—” Sophie wheezed from the ground

“Do I look like I give a rat’s ass who started it? You’re both acting like…” Teenage girls who haven’t yet learned women are on the same team. “Idiots.”

“Why don’t you do us all a favor and quit?” Ruby said to Sophie.

“Why don’t you quit? Then you’ll have more time to chase after Milton like the pathetic loser you are,” Sophie shot back.

“Do not even tell me this is over a guy named Milton,” I said. “Both of you. Bench. Now. The rest of you, let’s finish this game without the drama queens.”

The rest of the team seemed relieved to get back to the scrimmage and jumped back into play. I kept a wary eye on the two girls pouting on the bench. I couldn’t believe they stayed. Didn’t they know there was nothing stopping them from getting in their cars and driving off? Was this the perceived authority Jake told me about?