‘I had no freakin’ idea.’ I stare down the chaos happening inside Chester, visible through the chainlink fences. The grass, our field, is completely full of adults and kids and families all together, and the thud of the bass shakes the ground all the way out to where we are. The whistle of water guns is loud in the air as coloured water and powder fly above the fences.

‘What’s today?’ asks Colt, squinting at the field.

‘Uh. Some context.’ Coach clears her throat awkwardly. ‘We are kind of stretched thin for money here. As you know. So we rent the field out.’

‘You do what?’ Colt’s right eye twitches in confusion. ‘For who?’

‘May’s mother has some contacts.’ Our coach winces as a bomb full of colourful powder explodes above the field. ‘In the South Asian Association of Oklahoma. Their Holi celebration is today. Which we did not realize. At all.’

‘Wait, wait. So what’s going on with practice, then?’ Maddie holds out a hand. ‘Is there another field we can use right now?’

‘I’m afraid not.’ Coach looks like she’s literally sweating bullets as the entire team glares nervously. ‘I know your game is Thursday, girls, but the soccer field is taken, and you know sure as hell we won’t be able to get into Benson.’ She’s unfortunately right. Athletics would never let women’s lacrosse onto the precious football field just to run a practice. ‘Why don’t we go see what time it ends? Maybe we can postpone? Or ask if they could wrap up early?’

‘Coach.’ I shake my head sadly. ‘They’re Desi. They probably got here two hours late. There’s no way they’ll leave a minute early.’

‘Well, negotiation is our only bet!’ Jordan calls, already jogging towards the field with waving arms beckoning the rest of us. ‘Worst case, we party!’

‘That’s easy to say,’ I grumble. ‘We have a match Saturday.’

‘I mean, it’s not all bad.’ Colt perks up. Holy golden retriever. He’s bright-eyed, gazing at the celebration going on right across from us. ‘This could be fun, right?’

‘We’re going to get eaten alive by aunties.’ I used to go to this thing with my parents every year (who, more likely than not, are already inside, getting sloshed and fighting kids for their water guns). Unfortunately, I stopped around the time I turned fifteen. It sucks to step away from that side of my culture for such a stupid reason, but I cannot stand the community judging every breath you take and every choice you make. My mom had much the same to say about the story when she married my father. It took her, quite literally, over a decade to finally re-immerse herself into South Asian culture.