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ONE MORE FOR THE BOOKS

"OKAY LADIES, THIS IS IT! REMEMBER; WE'RE OUT FOR BLOOD!"

Three weeks had passed since that fateful evening, and presently, Emerson had corralled her team of starting players into a circle for their pre-game pep talk.

They'd made it to the state finals, up against a team from a private school in Mendocino. Vaguely, Emerson remembered this had been their opponents first year back after a large doping scandal hit media outlets, resulting in a temporary ban. These were known cheaters that they were up against, and it was a mighty good thing that Emerson didn't like to lose.

Plus, they were playing on Beacon County turf thanks to Coach Brinley winning the heads-or-tails toss up. Instantly, they had a leg up against their opponents who were coming from out of the area.

The residents of Beacon Hills and other towns within the county showed up, clad in various shades of maroon and white that mimicked the girl's uniform colours. Emerson had a lime green captaincy band around her left bicep, her hair pulled back and secured with a thin headband.

"We're running a false nine, yeah?" Keeley Jeffries, their right winger, asked from her place next to Emerson.

"If Adriana's ready, we will," Emerson nodded, looking to the girl fastening her cleats in front of her. "Otherwise we do the standard 4–3–3; s'what we're good at, and it gives us pace."

"Nah, let's false nine these bitches," Adriana huffed, tightening her own ponytail. She was normally their striker, a solid kick too, but this strategy would optimize the scoring even more. "I'm in it if you are."

Emerson smiled. "It's settled then," she said, earning a chorus of hollers from the girls around her. For most of them, this was their final game before moving to the college league— the excitement and sheer desperation was clear. 

The Avery girl was soon called up by the referee for the coin toss, to decide which team would have the starting pass. It was against the captains, and the Mendocino girl looked like she wanted to skin Emerson alive.

Luckily, Emerson practically fed off that type of violence on the pitch.

She won the coin toss by choosing heads, because wasn't it always the right answer, and began her march toward her rightful spot in the centre of the field. With a minute to spare, she took the time to easily spot Elizabeth and Hannah in the stands, directly behind the Beacon Hills bench.

Emerson gave them a wave, Elizabeth all but jumping out of her seat to reciprocate. The Prescott woman was clad in her deputy attire, having just gotten off work early enough to speed to the location of the match. But when her guardian used her finger to gesture down the rows of bleachers, she followed with curiosity.

"You got this Emerson! Show 'em who's boss around here!"

Her jaw physically dropped at the sight of Isaac in the stands, sporting maroon face paint on his cheek that depicted the number ten. Her mouth opened and closed, words momentarily failing her. Especially when her gaze drifted to the imposing figure, clad in a leather jacket, seated right next to the Lahey boy.

Isaac showing up to her game was one thing, because yeah, she'd offhandedly mentioned it during their tutoring session two weeks ago when they'd just qualified for it.

But Derek?

Emerson never thought she'd see Derek at a school soccer game, much less the soccer game that was for her team. She hadn't seen him since that night in Deaton's office, and yet there he was, with Isaac and looking like it was no big deal for him to be there.

He must have been looking her way and caught the way her face was pulled into utter disbelief, based on the smirk that flashed onto his face while Isaac continued with his cheers. But then again, his eyes were blocked beneath the sunglasses he was wearing, so she really couldn't tell.

Mind you, it was a night match.

Emerson rolled her eyes before she settled her gaze back on the ball, the referee blowing his whistle.

And then it started, and thoughts of everything but the game left her mind entirely.

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When the final whistle was blown, the full ninety plus three minutes of additional time coming to an end, they had fucking done it.

The substitutes on the bench flooded the field, Coach Brinley screaming by the sidelines as he broke his clipboard in half, and Emerson was swarmed by her teammates.

The revelation she had felt was like nothing she'd ever felt before, not even during the other two times she had helped bring the team to victory. Maybe it was because it was the final hurray, and that alone made it all so much more special.

The celebrations dwindled, they'd gotten their gold state medals and Adriana O'Shea had rightfully earned her MVP plaque once all was said and done. The false nine worked flawlessly, the final score a dizzying 3–2 after Emerson assisted the O'Shea girl's goal in the eightieth minute.

Once the stands descended onto the pitch, Emerson soon found herself in the grasp of Elizabeth Miller. The squeaks she was letting out were a testament of how she felt for her friend's victory, all but jostling the blonde around.

Hannah comfortingly rubbed a hand against her back, a congratulations leaving her lips as her eyes welled, only slightly. They both knew just how important this was, what this signified for Emerson.

She still needed to get her belongings, so with a promise of meeting the pair of girls by Hannah's car, Emerson made her way over to her black soccer bag that was beneath the bench.

But, as if she hadn't been tackled enough, a lanky body flung itself right at her before she even made it close to the bench. She wheezed out a breath of shock, steadying herself as said lanky body almost threw her over his shoulder.

"My Chem tutor's a winner!" Isaac yelled, and Emerson fucking giggled as he swung her around before setting her back on her feet. "I don't have many doubts, but—"

"But you had at least one doubt?" she asked teasingly, only for him to try and sputter out a response of denial.

"No sane person had any doubts," an approaching voice said, their hands in their pockets as they approached. His sunglasses were gone, she noted. "You guys played great."

Emerson blinked up at him, a small smile on her lips. "A compliment from Derek Hale," she replied with her voice pitched to convey amazement. "Two wins in one day, wouldn't you say so, Isaac?"

Isaac played along, dutifully nodding. "Oh, I'd definitely say so."

Derek rolled his eyes. "That was the first and last compliment you'll get," he grumbled out, before he was looking to Isaac. "We better get going."

The dirty blond pulled Emerson into yet another unsuspecting hug, though this time, the girl could hug him back. "Thanks for coming," she told him, before her eyes locked with Derek's as she peered over Isaac's shoulder. "Thank you both. Really."

Derek simply nodded, before he began walking away without Isaac. Before he followed after the man, he lingered for just a moment.

"He asked me about the game," Isaac whispered out, so lowly that Emerson had to strain to hear it. "But I couldn't convince him to wear any school spirit— sorry, Em."

And with that, with that minor detail and with that nickname leaving his lips, Isaac followed after Derek. In turn, he left Emerson standing beneath the field lights with a confused look on her face.

Derek had asked Isaac about the game? How has he even know about it in the first place?

Regardless, Emerson went back to the bench with a giddy feeling in her chest— something she hadn't let herself feel in a long time.

Despite the confusion, she knew she could naively get used to it.

⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆

[ wyn's note ]

ive been wanting to write this scene since I first thought of this book / how emmy is a soccer girl. ya, there was no way dere bear and isaac were gonna miss it.

derek's type is ppl who will sacrifice themselves for him ig... hehehehehe FEEL YOUR FEELINGS MY GUY!!