"I think it's really brave what that Colin Kaepernick is doing," Connie remarked as she walked into the family room off the kitchen. "He's got so many people complaining about it, but its bringing attention to such an important issue."

"I don't even understand why people are getting upset about him kneeling," Kate replied.

"Do you want the simple answer or the complex one?" her grandmother asked.

"Both."

"Simple answer is that he's protesting during the National Anthem, which some people think is disrespectful," Connie explained. "Complicated answer is that he's a black man protesting. That's really the bigger issue here."

"I thought race wasn't an issue anymore?" Kate asked.

"It isn't - so long as you're a white man," Connie sighed. She busied herself with folding one of the blankets and draping it across the back of an armchair. "Anyways, don't you have practice this afternoon?"

"Yeah. I was actually about to go get ready," Kate said standing. She went to her room to grab her practice bag. On the way out to the parking lot, she paused in the kitchen. "I'll be back late for dinner," she said.

"That's fine. I wasn't planning anything," Connie answered. "Have a good practice."

Kate drove through the Hills to Winterlake and parked in the lot behind the soccer stadium. Several other girls from her team were standing outside the field house talking. She caught the gist of their conversation as she walked up.

"...I just don't understand why everyone is so pissed about it. I mean, he's allowed to have his own opinion," Willow Harkin said. "And it's free speech, right?"

Courtenay Davis had other ideas. "He's on the NFL's clock. He should abide by their rules. I can totally see how its disrespectful."

"Ladies! We won't get to State if you spend all of your time chatting it up out here," the coach said, appearing from under the bleachers. "Let's go! Inside, get changed!"

Kate hustled past him and went into the Girls' Varsity locker room.

"When you're done, grab a seat," the coach called. "I've got something to talk to you guys about."

Kate changed quickly and sat on a bench in the center of the locker room. The sound of lockers slamming and girls chatting died down as the rest of the team joined them.

"Okay ladies," the coach began. "I'm sure most of you have heard about the Colin Kaepernick situation by now." A ripple of whispers went through the room. "It has expanded to students now. I wanted to remind all of you that when you are on that field, you are a representation of this school. You are to conduct yourselves accordingly. That means you are to stand respectfully during the National Anthem."

"Why?" Celeste Morrow asked from across the room. Her black dreads stuck up from her ponytail.

"Because the school's governors don't feel that it is an appropriate statement for the school - or its athletes - to be making," Coach replied.

"That's stupid!" Celeste exclaimed. "It's not hurting anyone."

"Regardless of Ms. Morrow's opinion, the school governors have decided that any athlete that kneels during the anthem will be cut from their team immediately," the coach continued. "And the first person I hear talking about it will be doing laps until their ankles fall off. Have I made myself clear?" he asked.

"Yes, Coach," the group chorused.

"Excellent. Let's get out there and get some work done!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands.

The team filed out and headed for the field. Kate noticed how Celeste was hanging back. She walked over to the younger girl.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Its so easy for him to say that," Celeste scoffed, tying her laces aggressively. "He doesn't know what its like to be stopped, while driving your own car because cops think you've stolen it."

"Why would they stop you just for that?" Kate asked.

Celeste gave her a patronizing look. "You wouldn't understand. You're stark white and look like you belong here. I don't."

Kate took in Celeste's deep ebony skin and dreadlocks. Compared to the other girls on the team - and at Winterlake - it was easy to see how she'd stand out. Winterlake was diverse, but not to the extent that would hide Celeste's obvious differences from everyone else.

"A black woman was strip searched on the side of highway not a week ago," Celeste said. "Its disgusting. Black people are getting shot just for reaching for their driver's licenses. Something needs to be done."

"Is that why Kaepernick is protesting? I don't see how kneeling during the National Anthem is raising awareness for police brutality," Kate said. "Seems like you'd get more use from actively protesting."

"Oh I am," the other girl replied. "There's a Black Lives Matter protest this weekend. I'm going."

Kate's interest was piqued. "When is it?"

"Saturday. We're meeting on Melrose at that coffee shop with the weird ceramic chicken on the sidewalk. I think it's called Pollo Loco Coffee?" Celeste offered. "You should come."

Kate was about to respond when the coach reappeared in the locker room.

"Wexler! Morrow! What is taking you so long?" he snapped. "Get your asses in gear and get out on the pitch!" The two girls exchanged glances and hurried past him down the hallway. "And for your tardiness, you get to run twenty laps today after practice!" he added, loudly enough for everyone to hear.

Kate's cheeks flamed with embarrassment as she rushed to join the warm up. Two-and-a-half-hours later, when she was wrapping up her laps, Celeste met her at the edge of the pitch, breathing heavily.

"I don't care what happens. I'm not going to stand by and do nothing," she panted.

"But you heard Coach," Kate replied. "You'll get thrown off the team. You'll lose your scholarship to Stanford."

Celeste shrugged. "I can go anywhere. I don't care about Stanford."

"You don't have a scholarship anywhere else, though."

"I can get one," she replied. "You're lucky that you could go anywhere. Your dad can just pay for whatever you want." Kate blinked, trying to decide if that was an insult or not. "I don't mean it like that," Celeste clarified. "I just mean that you have lots of other options to fall back on."

"If you don't have any other options, why are you taking the risk?" Kate asked.

"Because you have to risk a lot sometimes to do what's right," Celeste said.

Kate watched her teammate disappear into the field house and considered her words for a second before she followed.

***

The weekend came and with it, another Winterlake soccer match. Connie was in the stands, cheering her on and Kate stood by the field house door, waiting to follow the coach onto the pitch. Her nerves were buzzing like they always did before a game and she could feel adrenaline making its way through her body.

"Okay team!" the coach clapped, getting their attention. "We've practiced all week. We can beat them. Let's get out there and do what we trained to do."

The group of girls cheered loudly and followed him onto the field. Kate walked behind Celeste and her heart beat faster with each step she took. Celeste had a determined look on her face and Kate knew exactly what her friend was planning to do. The two had discussed it after the protest the day beforehand.

Celeste had decided to kneel during today's game and had invited Kate to do the same. Her hope was that, as team captain, Kate might be able to get some of the other girls to participate as well. Kate, on the other hand, was nervous about making waves. She had just started to fit in at Winterlake. If she got removed from the soccer team, they'd probably suffer for the rest of the season.

Not to mention, she'd have to find another sport to play to meet her requirement. And since almost all the teams were full, her options were limited. But she also hated the idea of leaving Celeste out on her own. She was a scholarship student at Winterlake to begin with and she only had a nicer car because her parents gave it to her after she got into Stanford on early acceptance. they were certainly not well-off.

If she's willing to risk all of that even though she has nothing to fall back on, what's your excuse? Kate thought. Her mother had always taught her to stand up for others and to fight for what was right. Not standing (or kneeling in this case) next to Celeste felt like ignoring everything her mother had ingrained in her.

As she passed the stands, Kate caught a glimpse of Connie, smiling and cheering. Emma was next to her, talking on the phone. The other team was approaching the center of the field, their yellow and green uniforms shone brightly under the stadium lights. The Los Angeles sky was darkening as the sun started to set.

"And now please join both teams in the singing of our National Anthem," a voice said over the speakers.

Kate knew what she had to do. She took Celeste's hand and they both dropped to one knee together, staring straight ahead as one of the seniors from the Vocal Music department started singing. The entire time, she could feel her coach's eyes on her, glaring. His eyes were still boring into the back of her head when the song was over four minutes later.

Both girls stood as the coach stomped over to them. "You're both off the team. Go clean out your lockers. Leave your uniforms on my desk," he fumed quietly. "I want you gone by the half time."

Kate stared at him defiantly and looked over at Celeste, shaking her head. "I'll do you one better," she said.

She peeled her jersey over her head, revealing a black sports bra underneath. She dropped it on the ground and turned on her heel to head out of the stadium.

"There seems to be an issue on the Winterlake side," the announcer said. "It looks like team captain Kate Wexler has removed her jersey and is exiting the pitch. Defender Celeste Morrow is right on her heels. That means that Winterlake will need to start the game by using two of their substitutions and will be down two of their strongest players."

The noise from the stadium dissipated as Kate walked back toward the field house. She stopped in the doorway and sighed sharply, feeling like she had been holding it in for minutes.

"I can't believe you just did that," Celeste said in amazement. "You love soccer."

"Not if the school is going to have ridiculous rules for things like that," Kate answered. "I don't want to be the 'star representative' of anything that would punish me for exercising my right to free speech."

"You are so much cooler than I thought you were, Wexler," Celeste said in awe.

***GOSSIP BOARD***

MARSB4BY POSTED: Have you guys seen Connie's latest post on Instagram?! She was at one of Kate's soccer games and I guess Kate got kicked off the team?

GUITARWIZARD POSTED: That's kind of bad ass. I mean, you can clearly tell that Connie's proud of her. That's such a proud grandma post.

MINAPOLINA POSTED: I think its really cool of Kate to join her friend in something like this. And really shitty of the school to have that policy. I thought Winterlake was supposed to be this big progressive school. I never thought they'd kick one of their students off of a team just because they express their first amendment rights. I wonder what Jared thinks of it.