“I beat him in a shootout,” I respond.

Emma laughs. “Only you. Was the consolation prize your—”

“Ladies! If you have spare air to chat, you’re not running fast enough!” Coach calls out.

Groans fill the air, but I welcome the challenge, flexing my calves with every stride to give my movements an extra boost. Ten laps fly by at the accelerated pace. Next are push-ups. Then sit-ups. Followed by burpees. One girl throws up before we even hit sprints. Clearly her usual coach doesn’t believe in conditioning the way Coach Taylor does.

Every muscle in my body is burning by the time we get a water break.

“I should have pretended to be sick this morning,” Emma grouses. I roll my eyes as I stretch my calf and watch Coach Taylor talk to Beck. “Wonder what Coach is cooking up with your lov-ah?” She croons the last word like she’s Taylor Swift.

I shoot her a glare for that comment.

“Back on the center line, please,” Coach barks. “One line of defenders. One line of strikers.”

We all take our time walking back to the center of the field in a blatant attempt to prolong the short break. I end up at the front of the strikers’ line.

“Scott, Morgan, you’re up.”

I dribble over to the cone that marks the start of the drill. Coach Taylor blows her whistle, and I easily spin and sprint around my assigned defender before sending the ball to the back of the net.

“Morgan! What the hell was that? Make Scott work for it! Scott, again! This time with Adams.” I line back up at the cone, and once again I easily skirt around my teammate and score. Coach Taylor sighs. “Henderson! You’re up with Scott. Stick to her like glue.”

I line up for a third time. Janie Henderson stays with me for about twenty feet, but then I feint right, and dart left, easily outrunning her. I score for a third time and expect that to be the end of it.

“Adler, can you please demonstrate how to properly mark a striker, since my defenders seem to have forgotten?” Fuckkk. I keep my gaze on the grass as I jog back to the starting cone.

I can physically feel the excitement thrumming through the assembled players as I hear footfalls approach me that must belong to Beck. Like me, they thought he was here in an observational role. Had I known that wasn’t the case, I would have let Janie keep me from scoring just now.