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Chapter seventeen

Gianni

Tuesday, March 4, 2025

T he sun is high in the sky, and it feels like it’s blazing hot out here, and for no good fucking reason. It’s almost never this hot this time of year.

My shirt sticks to my sweaty chest, and I can’t take it anymore. The friction is practically rubbing my nipples raw.

I clutch the soaked fabric behind my neck and yank it over my head, tossing it to the side of the field, just out of bounds.

A breeze whips past me, drying some of the salty sweat that feels heavy on my skin.

I hear Damien shouting at someone from his goalpost, and it riles me up even further. He just got here, and he’s already starting shit with every player on the team.

It’s almost as if he doesn’t realize we’re not excited to have him here, and frankly, fuck him. He’s taking over a position he hasn’t played in two years, which means he sure as shit doesn’t have the right to correct any of us.

I turn on my heel, ready to run toward the sound of Gutierrez arguing with him, but Coach’s death glare from across the field snags my attention, and I find myself running back to my position with my tail tucked between my legs.

Seriously, fuck this guy. Shouldn’t we have a say in who replaces our fucking dead goalie? Wouldn’t that make more sense than selecting someone our coach already knows most of us have a problem with?

Apparently not though.

I make my way back to the center of the field, waiting for the next practice round to start, and when Gutierrez finally flips Damien off and rushes back onto the field, it’s go time.

We each punt the ball away from the players wearing green vests, indicating them as our practice opponents.

I run full speed ahead at my teammate, knowing he’s about to miss his shot. I save it by kicking it out from under him and take it as quickly as my legs will carry me to the goal. I pass it to one of the newer guys on the team, and he successfully makes it past Damien, further pissing him off. It’s the first thing to bring a smile to my face all day. 1

1. One Step Closer – Linkin Park