"Let's go! Go! Go!" Coach Newman leaned against one of the soccer nets.

I sighed and headed around the track, longing to kick one of those balls straight into her long face with her olive skin, light brown eyes, and full lips.

"C'mon, girlie!" Amina—my best friend—said. "Pick up the pace!"

I rolled my eyes but smiled. Amina's cheerfulness was so contagious, and I loved her for it. Amina flipped her headscarf—another habit of hers. Even though she was bullied because of her hijab, she learned to stick her chin up high and pay no mind to those that wanted to feel good about themselves by bullying her.

"Kind of trying," I said, and adding an extra kick to my jog, and my electric blue hair flew into my sapphire eyes.

"One more lap!" Coach Newman said.

"Wouldn't hurt for her to get her butt out here," Amina whispered, as though reading my mind. We both laughed, and as we passed the boy's track we waved at Lucas, the last piece to our trio.

"The boys are so lucky," I said. "Coach Eire is the best!" Unlike Coach Newman, Coach Eire jogged with the boys. Not to mention he was famous for Friday bonfires at the beach.

As Amina and I returned to the girl's field, Heather, the head-cheerleader and It-Girl kicked up a sandstorm right by my brand-new Nike Airs. I grunted and kicked some dirt back at her.

"Oops!" she said. "Sorry. Didn't really see you there."

As we walked past them I heard he whisper, "She should go kill herself."

I groaned, and my shoulders sagged. "What did I do to her?"

Amina bit her lip. "You kind of made a fool out of her last year when you beat her at the art competition." She picked up a soccer ball right as Coach Newman ordered us about with another soccer drill.

"Guys, we'll do a quick practice game," the coach said. "Make it...interesting. Remember, girls, only the best of you can make it into the Rogue Wild High Soccer Army for not girls, but for women." She grinned, flashing us two even rows of pearly whites. "'Cuz that's what you guys are. Women. Now let's get this party started! Line up for me to team you guys up! Go!"

Amina shot me a "Make sure you find a spot that will guarantee us we'd be on the same team" look.

I nodded, and we joined the rest of the girls standing in a straight line. I scanned the perfect row. Coach Newman would start counting off from the front of the line. While mentally counting in my head, I spotted Amina, squeezing herself in between two girls; one is Clarissa.

I stepped into line, watching as Coach Newman examined the girls. Her gaze stopped at me, then flickered to Amina.

"Get to the end of the line," she said to me in a deadly whisper. "Now."

⚡⚡⚡

A few minutes later, we were all running across the field, with me yelling for people to pass the ball to me. Heather scanned the crowd. Instead of giving it to me, she does so to someone who was not open.

"Go, go, go!" Coach Newman yelled from the sidelines. I watched Amina snatch the ball from the Brazilian exchange student.

"GO, MEENIE!" I shouted until I reminded myself that she was on the opposing team.

As I sprinted forward, waving my arms and declaring, "I'm open! I'm open!"

Heather came charging at me, sticking her foot out in front of me. I tripped and fell, just as the ball came tumbling down the field, slamming into my face.

I groaned, pulling myself up as soon as Coach Newman blew her whistle. Soon enough, the girls huddled around me, asking me if I was okay and if I needed a bottle of water. Heather hid her smug under her fake frown.

"C'mon, women! Resume! Nothing to see here! Go, go, go!" Coach Newman said.

The game resumed, and I kept going, despite my throbbing head and bruised legs from the fall.

"OPEN!" I said. Finally, the ball came my way. I stopped it with my foot, rolling it up to the tips of my toes. I kicked it slightly, just enough to let me run with it.

"OPEN! Pass here! Eve! Eve Hall!" Breann, a girl with dark brown hair and caramel skin, said.

My eyes skitted to Breann, and unlike Heather, I obliged. Breann caught it with her foot, giving it a hard kick that sent it to another girl guarding the end of the field. By the end of the game, my team won with Heather making three goals and me making one.

As the bell rang, Coach Newman announced, "CHECK THE BOARD TOMORROW FOR YOUR RESULTS!"

Amina and I exchanged glances and gathered our gym bags to head to calculus, my favorite class.

"How'd tryouts go?" Lucas asked. He met Amina and me by our lockers.

"Meh, I tripped and fell on my face, but other than that, it was fine," I said.

Lucas patted my arm. "Sorry, bud."

Amina waved at us as she headed to the opposite hall.

"See you at lunch!" I called as we parted ways.

Lucas groaned. "If we survive calculus first."