Luke did one last stretch before heading out onto the pitch. He hadn't felt this nervous since his first ever football game back when he was 8. Now he was like a bundle of nerves, cold sweat inching its way down his neck.
He had managed to sneak in some extra time to train his new…abilities? But honestly he didn't know how much progress he'd made. He seemed to be able to control it. It really came easily to him. Telekinesis, it seemed. He could just see what he wanted to move and it did, like his mind was just reaching outside his body to lift it up.
But this morning, he'd sent a whole swarm of balls on top of him, one of them giving him a pretty bad bruise. He was lucky Kim had been able to give him some make-up to cover it up. But what if that happened again? What would happen if he lost control? He didn't even want to think about it.
But…he couldn't not go. This was his chance. If he blew this, he wouldn't just let his dad or his teammates down, he'd let his dream down. Everything he'd built towards. And that couldn't happen.
So, he'd just have to stay focused throughout the entire tryouts. Not let anything distract him.
"Ready man?" Roderick asked.
"Yeah, I'm good," he said, trying to convince himself as much as them. They were in the locker rooms, getting changed. He hadn't spotted Franklin yet and hoped the guy wouldn't be a no-show. He certainly looked like he'd make a great teammate.
He smiled as he lifted up the jersey, the number 12 written on it along with the team name: The Jets. After today, this jersey would be his. Well, maybe not this specific one, but a jersey.
"Ok, let's roll out," Luke said and walked towards the door, stepping through and out next to the field. He instantly spotted some of the former teammates passing the ball back and forth. The leader of them hurled the ball so hard that the catcher actually fell, fumbling the ball as he did.
Andrew Stroneman. Former quarterback and frontrunner to be it again.
Not if I have anything to say about it, Luke thought. If he was able to make it to quarterback after today, well…the opportunities in front of him would be like a gold mine.
Unfortunately, Andrew was the best quarterback the team had had in years. The chances of Coach Beatriz choosing someone else were almost nil. But Luke wasn't giving up yet. And with his powers, maybe he would get the boost he needed.
As long as he didn't horribly screw up.
They found Sally waiting for them outside the girls' locker room and together all entered the field. The tryouts wouldn't officially start for another ten minutes so there were still people trickling in. And they weren't the only ones there, much to Luke's surprise and delight.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the lovely Simmons," he said, walking up to the blonde bombshell.
Emily sighed audibly before turning to look at him with a stink-eye. "Walk away Decker. I'm not in the mood."
"Oh come on, Simmons, don't be like that. It's not every day you see your favorite person in the world come out to cheer you on."
"I am not cheering you on," she said. "I decided that my squad could use the practice and Coach Beatriz gave us the ok to do some work while you guys do your tryouts."
"So…since I am trying out and since your work involves cheering, technically you will be cheering me on?" Luke grinned. "Am I wrong?"
Emily went silent for some time before she sighed again. "Just go away."
"Alright, alright." He thought about adding a line about seeing her in her cheerleading outfit, which he always admired, but decided that might be taking it too far. As much fun as it was to rile Emily up, he did know when enough was enough. Besides, fun time was over. No more distractions. He had to get his head in the game if he wanted to come out on top. And he would.
"You get rejected again?" Omar asked as he walked up.
"Don't worry about it," Luke said, his serious face on. He took a second to admire them all in their thickly padded uniforms, looking like a real team. "Now, I know you guys don't need any more pep talks so I'll make this short. Just remember to give it your all out there. Play your freaking hearts out. This is our shot and we can't blow it. So no matter what, as long as you play the game you always have, then there's no way we won't get in. I know you've got this. So let's show them all what we got." He held out his hand. "Victory on 3."
The others quickly walked over, placing their own hands on top of his.
"1…2…3…VICTORY!" they all shouted, throwing their arms up as they did.
"Great." He flashed them all his signature grin. "See you on the team."
They spent the next ten minutes running their usual drills. Luke held back with his strange powers here, worried he might overtax them somehow. Still, he could feel the power inside, like it was just beneath his skin waiting to come out.
Just before the tryouts began, he spotted Franklin emerge from the locker room as well and breathed out in relief. "Glad you could make it, man," he told him.
"Said I would, didn't I," Franklin replied, shrugging. "So let's do this."
As he talked, Luke sensed something about him, but he couldn't quite place it.
"Alright, everyone, gather up," Coach Beatriz called. As soon as they all had she officially began. "Now, I know some the former teammates are upset over my decision to try everyone out today. Well, seeing as I haven't see you all play before my eyes yet, the decision stands. If you played well under Coach Harris, you have nothing to worry about. And think of this as added pressure for all of you. The former team members have new blood to challenge them and make them work harder today. The new kids have more experienced players working against them. Should help bring out the best in everyone. So, let's get started."
Luke grinned as she was talking. He was grateful for this change in procedure as it had given all his friends the chance to tryout as well. Plus, he had seen their team play. No offense, but some of those players deserved to get knocked off. And Luke's squad would be the ones to do it.
They started with the usual warm-up routines for the Coach to get a measure on their abilities, from a 50-meter dash, repeated side-steps, and the strength tests among others.
Luke managed to get 7 seconds on the dash with his friends close behind. So far so good. But Andrew and his lackeys were still far ahead. Should he use his power now? But…how?
Once everyone completed the side steps, they moved on to the strength test of pushing the sled-style dummy.
"Stroneman, you're up," the Coach called. "You have 5 seconds."
Andrew grinned before walking over, cracking his knuckles. Luke watched as he braced himself and then charged forward, wrapping his arms around the dummy and shoving it back. It slid across the ground as he kept charging, grunting and huffing until the Coach's whistle blew.
Luke grimaced. He'd managed to slide it around 30 yards. That would be tough to beat.
One by one, everyone went. Most of Andrew's cronies either matched his or came close. Sally managed to get about 25 yards before the whistle blew and Bruce got a little further. Roderick came close but lost it the last second and none of the newcomers were getting there. So far, Andrew and his group were in the lead. And unless Luke did something fast, they would stay that way.
"Ok then," he muttered to himself. He had no choice. He had to use it.
"Decker, you're up," the Coach called.
He walked over, taking a deep breath. As he did so, he glanced to his right and spotted Emily doing a cheer with the rest of her squad, throwing her arms out wide, and he felt his heart skip a beat.
I got this.
"And…go!"
Luke slammed into the dummy and started shoving. Except, unlike the others, he didn't just use his muscles. He still had no idea how to really use it, but he brought his power out and it came roaring to life, shoving right into the dummy alongside him.
It felt like he was pushing a shopping cart. He felt like he could do it all day without fail.
Then the whistle blew and he came to a halt. Once he did, he looked back and his eyes widened. The other dummies were way behind him. He'd gone further than he'd thought. He did a quick calculation and, if he was right, he did maybe 40 yards.
Everyone was gaping at him and Luke had to hold back a laugh at Andrew's expression of utter shock.
"Well done, Decker," the Coach smiled. "Very impressive."
Luke grinned. "Thanks Coach."
"Alright, Carson, you're up."
Luke walked back as Franklin took his place. As soon as he did, Omar leaned in. "Dude, how'd you do that?"
Luke shrugged. "Guess all that extra training with my dad paid off."
But they didn't have any more time to talk as Franklin started running. And then Luke was gaping as the guy took hold of the dummy and carried it forward like it was nothing. He breezed across the track, showing no sign of strain or real effort. He passed more than 50 yards before the whistle blew to which he just put the dummy back down gently.
"Holy shit," Luke muttered.
"Now that's power," Omar whistled.
"Very well done, Carson," the Coach said. "That's what I'm talking about."
"Thanks," Franklin replied evenly, returning to the line-up. Luke couldn't help but stare as he did. He had thought the guy was powerful just based on his size and muscles, but he wouldn't have been able to guess he was that powerful. How had he done that?
They moved on to kicking the ball. Again, Luke used his new powers just a little bit just to give the ball more thrust so that it soared beyond the end zone, just a little past Andrew's ball. He could see the angry expression on the previous quarterback's face growing more and more and he couldn't help but smirk. So far, things were going well.
Of course, Franklin overshot both of them, his ball going out of bounds. Luke was beginning to wonder if asking him to join the team was a good idea seeing as he was now looking like the prime candidate for quarterback.
No, he thought firmly to himself. He couldn't think like that. This wasn't about him but the team. He may not want Andrew to get it again since he was a jackass who hogged all the glory, but Franklin didn't seem like that kind of guy. At least, Luke hoped not. Besides, if he was that good, then he would lead their teams to more victories. That's what mattered.
"Keep your head in the game, man," he said to himself.
Coach Beatriz moved them onto laps around the field and this was where Luke began to shine. He didn't even need to use his powers here as he managed to stay ahead of everyone else, even Stroneman and Franklin. Turns out, all that extra training with his dad really had paid off.
"Man, you are killing it out there," Bruce said, panting a little as they walked off the track. "And you're not even sweating."
Luke raised an eyebrow. "Then what's this stuff coming out of me?"
"Fine, you're hardly raising a sweat. How do you do it?"
Luke shrugged. "Same way I have an 8-pack. Hard work."
"Huh, maybe I should…ah, not worth it," Bruce said. "Still, I think your spot is secured."
Luke nodded. Unless something catastrophic happened in the next few exercises, there was no way he'd be rejected. The others were keeping good pace too, doing better than some of the former teammates even by his calculations. They just had to keep it up.
He suddenly lurched forward as something shoved him from behind.
"Hey, what the hell?" Bruce asked as Luke caught himself in time. He turned and frowned as he saw Norm, Andrew's largest goon and former linebacker, standing there.
"Oops," he said. "Should watch your step next time."
"Hey, wait a sec. You're the one who…"
"Let it go," Luke said, stopping Bruce. "Not worth it."
"He's right." They both turned, Luke feeling a sinking feeling inside as he did, to see Andrew himself walk up. "It's not worth it for you guys. You should just quit while you're ahead. You're just crummy little freshmen. You don't have what it takes to be in the big leagues."
"Shows what you know," Omar said, walking up as well with Sally in tow. "We're outmatching your guys at every turn. And Luke's here wiping the floor with your scores. So I think you're the one who can't cut it."
"Guys…" Luke tried.
"Well, well, someone put on their big boy pants today," Andrew drawled. "Whatever kid, we're still going to come out on top. And as for Lukey boy here," he stepped in closer, "I don't know where you or your big Black pal over there got your juice from, but I'm going to make sure you pay. I know you're gunning for the quarterback, but that's my spot tough guy. And I don't care how boosted you are right now, no one's taking it away from me. Least of all, a little shrimp like you."
Luke grinned. "Why don't you try and make me, big boy?"
Andrew glowered at him, his fists clenched. For a second there, Luke thought he was actually going to throw a punch. But apparently, he was smarter than he looked. Instead, he just placed his hand on Luke's shoulder and squeezed it a little.
"You want a war, chump? Alright. You got one."
"Bring it on, asshole."
"Hey!" There was a whistle and they instantly broke apart. "What's going on here?" Coach Beatriz asked sharply.
"Nothing," Andrew replied smoothly. "Nothing at all."
"Yeah, everything's good," Luke agreed in the same tone.
Coach Beatriz eyed them suspiciously for a moment before jerking her head. "Then stop standing around and get back to work. Let's see you all do some reps."
Luke grinned. Now this was what he had been waiting for.
They quickly formed up into positions. Andrew and the previous team members grouped together, getting the ball this round, while Luke and his friends took up their usual places with Luke as the middle linebacker and Omar, Roderick, Bruce, and Sally facing off against the guards and tackles. Franklin stood with them while several other prospective tryouts filled out the other roles.
They couldn't mess this up. If they did, then Coach Beatriz would know to stick with the old team and anyone else's chance of getting it would vanish. Luke readied himself for whatever came, determined to come out on top.
Then, as they were about to begin, a thought hit him. What if he tripped them up? Not a lot, but just enough for the player to fumble the ball and let one of Luke's teammates catch it.
No, he thought to himself. That was blatant cheating. He may have given himself an extra push with his powers earlier, but this would be completely different. And he didn't want to come out on top that way.
"Blue 32, set hut!"
Then the ball was thrust back and Andrew had it. Luke was immediately up on his feet, ready to block. He smashed into his opponent, Bryan he believed, and held firm. He considered using his powers here but he didn't need to for the moment, his strength overcoming Bryan's.
So far they were good. Andrew still had the ball, looking for a good way to pass it. But soon someone would slip through. Luke kept scanning, looking for who would it be.
And then something weird happened.
For a split second, he felt everyone on the field. He could feel the shapes of their bodies, the way they moved. He could feel each player, the coach, even the cheerleaders going through their routines over to the side. And he knew instantly who was about to break through.
Then, the feeling vanished as fast as it had come.
"What?" he muttered to himself, his guard slipping. Instantly, he was pushed aside, and Bryan broke through.
"Here!" Bryan yelled and a second later the ball was in his hands and he was making a run for the end zone.
"Shit!" Luke took off after him, berating himself. How could he have let that happen? What had happened anyway? It was like…no. No time to think about that. He had let his teammates down by letting Bryan through. He had to make it up to them.
The thought hit him again and this time it was more difficult to ignore. Should he use his powers? He wanted to say no again, to just brush it off, but Bryan was dodging every attempt to stop him. He'd be at the end zone pretty soon and that would look really bad on Luke and his teammates.
Ok, he thought to himself. Only once.
He reached out again and carefully grabbed hold of Bryan's leg. Not by much, not to make him or anyone else suspicious, but enough to cause him to stumble. Then, Luke shoved the ball a little and Bryan fumbled it, letting it fall to the ground.
The whistle blew. "Dead ball!" she called out. "Reset!"
"Damn it!" Bryan grunted, picking the ball back up. He glared at Luke as he walked past. "You got lucky, chump." But as he passed by, Luke noticed the confusion on his face as well.
Let's hope he doesn't think too hard about it.
Luke jogged back into position. "Dude," Omar hissed at him. "What happened back there?"
For a second, Luke thought he meant about Bryan's stumble and his blood went cold. Had Omar figured it out? Had something given him away? But then he realized he was talking about him letting Bryan through in the first place.
"Sorry," he said. "I got distracted. It was…I'll explain later. But I promise it won't happen again."
"It better not," Omar warned. "That didn't look good for you, man."
Luke nodded, already knowing that. He would have to redouble his efforts now, make sure Coach Beatriz knew that was just a fluke.
But had it been? And as much as he wanted, he couldn't shake that thought away.
Then they were off again, Andrew's team shoving against his. But this time, Andrew didn't throw the ball to another teammate. Instead, he feinted and then ran off himself. And despite Luke's efforts, he couldn't stop him. Franklin came close but Andrew was just slightly faster than him, reaching the end zone and scoring a point.
"Yeah, that's right!" he roared. "That's how it's done."
"Reset," Coach Beatriz said in a monotone voice.
"Damn it," Luke hissed. They weren't doing good. They'd only gotten the best of Andrew's team last time because of his powers but he wouldn't do that again. This was there last chance to show their defense before the teams switched. He couldn't mess up.
"Set hut!"
They were off again and Luke once again clashed with Bryan, their bodies straining against each other. He grunted from the effort while keeping an eye out for the ball.
"Give it up now, Decker," Bryan grinned at him. "You won't last long in the big leagues."
"Dude, shut up," Luke replied. "Your breath is horrible."
For a slight millisecond, he froze. He felt it again. That weird sensation where he could feel everything and everyone around him, except not as strong. And he could feel the ball in the air coming down right at…
"Franklin, right flank, now!" he yelled.
He didn't see it but he still sensed it. His new teammate broke off and ran out, intercepting the ball before it could reach Andrew's teammate Jordan. The whistle blew and the rep was over. Bryan glared furiously at Luke who just grinned back.
"I think I'm doing just fine," he told him.
"Whoa, dude," Bruce said, walking up. "How'd you know where the ball was?"
Luke shrugged. "Saw it out of the corner of my eye. Some good intuition pointed me in the right spot."
"Well, keep it up. We're almost there."
The teams switched positions, with Luke's side now having the ball and Andrew's side defending. Luke was in the quarterback position and as he knelt in the grass, a feeling of belonging washed over him, like this was where he was meant to be. This was his place.
He smiled, letting that feeling fuel him up, before they began.
"Set hut!"
The ball was thrust backwards into his hands and he was upright, scanning fast. His players had dashed forwards, the tacklers rushing to block as many opponents as possible while others broke through, looking to take the ball to the end zone.
"Luke!"
He glanced to his right and saw Roderick open but he also saw previous player Salim moving to intercept. And Salim was one of the best interceptors on the team. He wouldn't make it.
Then Bruce broke free and Luke felt a clench in his gut and he followed his instincts, throwing the ball to his friend. For a half second there, he thought Bruce would fumble it or drop it or just miss it altogether. But no, he caught it and started running.
Luke smiled, watching. Bruce dodged past one, two, three players trying to tackle him, getting to the 20 yard stretch.
And then Andrew appeared out of nowhere.
In a flash, it was over. Andrew tackled Bruce, bringing him heavily to the ground and causing the ball to drop.
"Damn it!" Luke cursed, scratching his head. Where had Andrew come from? It was one of the guy's best skills, to suddenly appear out of nowhere in a game. It was why he was their best player. And if Luke didn't do something about it soon, he would stay that way and Luke's opportunity would slip away.
"Sorry man," Bruce said as he walked up.
"Not your fault," Luke assured him. "Don't worry, we'll get them this time."
I hope, he added silently.
They reset the line and Luke got into position again. As he did, he noticed Andrew smirk at him and he felt his blood boil. If they didn't do well here, it wasn't just him who would fail, but his friends. His team. He couldn't let that happen to them.
"Ok guys, quick huddle," he said, drawing his team together. "We're going to do a feint. Omar, Bruce, Sally, you all try to get open and they'll all go after you. Then, Franklin, you make a break for it. Get open and I'll pass to you. Got it?"
"Me?" Franklin blinked.
"Yeah. You may not be the fastest but you're clearly the strongest. You were like a truck with that dummy back there. You can drive through them all, right?"
Franklin paused for a second before nodding. "Yes, I can do it."
"Great. Everyone set?" They all nodded and he clapped his hands. "Then let's go."
They reset their positions and Luke took a deep breath. He hoped this would work. Even if it wasn't a real game, his nerves were on fire.
Focus.
"Set hut!"
They were off in an instant. Franklin didn't push too hard, simply holding one of the other players firm, while Omar, Roderick, Bruce, and Sally all shoved hard. Omar and Sally managed to break through for a brief instant, running fast across the field to make themselves look open. So far so good.
But Andrew wasn't moving.
He must have known was something was up. Luke grimaced. Well, they couldn't change the plan now so he just hoped that no matter what Andrew pulled, Franklin could stop it.
Just then, Sally managed to reach an open field and made a motion to pass to her. She would be the obvious choice so Luke took a few steps forward and made a show of throwing the ball. As he did, he saw several players rush towards her to intercept only to watch him suddenly twist and throw the ball hard right for Franklin.
And Andrew took off.
Luke had been right about one thing. Franklin was the strongest, but definitely not the fastest. That title belonged to Andrew as he raced across the field. He had clearly been waiting for this moment as within a second he was ready to intercept the ball before Franklin could even catch it.
And they would lose their shot again.
No. Luke couldn't let that happen. Not to himself or his teammates.
Should he do it? He knew he had said he wouldn't, but if it was to help his teammates…then, maybe? He clenched his teeth, his mind divided. It went against everything he'd been taught, but this was his big chance right now. Sure there might be others, but his father had told him never to bet on a might but only on the here and now. And right now, this was his chance. He couldn't blow it. Not for himself or any of his friends.
Alright, he thought. Here we go again.
Andrew leapt up, his hands inches away from the ball, when Luke got to it first. He strained, pushing the ball just a little bit further with his mind, causing it to slip right out of Andrew's fingers and directly into Franklin's. The big guy paused for a second in surprise before he took off.
And like he said, he was a truck.
He plowed through all opposition, knocking them aside like they were nothing. He was the bowling ball to their pins and Luke couldn't help but laugh as he watched him reach the end zone with ease. But that feeling quickly soured. He had used it again to cheat. Only a tiny bit, but still.
He couldn't keep doing that.
For their final round, Coach Beatriz had them reset the line. Luke had already gone over the plan with the others. Now that they knew what Franklin was capable of, they would swarm him instantly. And that's exactly what Luke was counting on.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Sure," Franklin replied next to him. "But you know even if they do swarm me, it won't matter. I'll just push past them and get to the end zone anyway."
Luke shook his head. "Too risky. They could overwhelm you or knock the ball out of your hands or something else. This way is better."
"Better for us? Or for you?"
Luke frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Whatever. Let's just do this."
Luke looked at him before shaking his head. He got into position, his hands outstretched for the ball. "Set hut!" he cried out and the second the ball was handed to him, he tossed it to Franklin who took off like a rocket down the field.
Just like he thought, everyone was instantly all over him, trying in vain to slow him down. But he was like a freight train, bulldozing his way through them all. Still, Luke did notice a few make attempts at knocking the ball from his arms and several got close.
Which meant it was his turn to step up.
He took a deep breath and then took off as well, running hard on the other side of the field. Most of the other players were with Franklin with only a handful covering Luke's team, and no one's eyes were on him as he ran. Big mistake.
Now was his moment to shine and show Coach Beatriz exactly what he was made of.
Better for us, or for you?
Luke grimaced. Ok, so technically, he was trying to make himself look good. But it wasn't just about that. He knew this play would work for all of them. The fact that it also worked well for him was just an added bonus.
Forget it, he thought. He needed to focus on the game.
He ran past where Franklin was and waved his hands. Franklin spotted him and dodged to the right, throwing his pursuers off course for a second and giving him all the time he needed to throw the ball across the field. Luke was tempted to use his powers again but he really had no need now. He'd been practicing throwing and catching with his dad that he was pretty sure he could actually do it in his sleep at this point.
He reached out and snagged the ball from the air, moving fast across the field.
And then Andrew was beside him.
Luke almost froze in his step. How the hell was Andrew on him already? Had he missed him somehow? Had he become distracted when catching the ball?
It didn't matter now. What mattered was that he was here and moving to intercept Luke. And Luke, having seen all his games, knew how dangerous Andrew was.
"You're finished, Decker!" Andrew called. "You don't belong on this field."
"Man, just shut up already," Luke replied.
Andrew apparently didn't like that and made a sudden pass so quick that Luke barely managed to throw himself back in time to miss. He slid on the ground and then fell, his butt hitting the ground. But before he could even register that, he was back on his feet and moving.
But he had lost a lot of momentum there and the other players were catching up. And Andrew was now ahead of him.
He looked back, wondering if he could toss the ball over to Franklin again but that possibility died fast as he saw the number of players covering him. There was nowhere to go but forward. He had to see this through.
He could practically feel Andrew's grin as he came at him. "You can't beat me, kid! I'm the star around here and you're just a worthless extra. Now give it up or I'll grind your ass into the ground."
"Where the hell does he find lines like that?" Luke wondered aloud. But Andrew wasn't totally wrong. Luke didn't really see a way out of this.
Unless…
He couldn't. He shouldn't. He said he wouldn't do it again.
But…his team. His dream.
One last time, he thought to himself. It barely counted anyway, since this was just tryouts.
At least, that's what he told himself.
He ran hard, his feet pounding into the ground as he made right for Andrew who seemed surprised but not uneager.
Good, keep thinking that.
Luke reached out again, the power coming to him easier each time he used it. And as, Andrew ran at him as well, he shoved right up against the arrogant bastard's leg.
It was like Andrew hit a wall as his leg flew out from under him and he toppled over onto the ground. To anyone else, it would just look like he slipped. But Luke knew better. He smiled at the 'former' quarterback sprawled on the field, but still felt a twinge of guilt.
It all faded though the second he crossed the line, throwing the ball down hard and whooping loudly. He had done it. His plan worked. He saw all his teammates cheering too and let out a wild grin.
"Get off me!"
Luke turned and saw Andrew stumble to his feet, angrily pushing his teammates aside. He ripped off his helmet and threw it onto the ground in rage before looking up and glaring heatedly at Luke. "I don't know what happened," he said, seething. "But this isn't over, pretty boy. Not by a long shot." With that said, he stomped off the field.
Luke shook his head and walked away as well. He was glad he knocked the guy on his ass, but the way he did it didn't sit well with him. He made a promise not to use his power again like that. Especially not in a real game.
"Luke!"
He turned at his name and grinned as his friends rushed him. "That was amazing!" Omar gushed. "Dude, you totally killed it out there!"
"Yeah, you were on fire!" Sally agreed.
"There's no way you won't make the team," Bruce said.
"Yeah, but you guys were great too," Luke pointed out. "We were a team out there and we showed Coach that. So she'll pick all of us. I'm sure of it."
I hope so, anyway.
After that, they went through a few more exercises before Coach Beatriz had them all gathered up again. "Great work out there, all of you," she said, looking at the former teammates and the new prospects equally. "I'll be going over everything and will post my decision Friday. Til then, take a breather and relax."
Luke sighed. He had been hoping for tomorrow to be the announcement but it made sense that she would need more time considering how many people there were. At least he didn't need to worry about it for a few days. Though, his dad wouldn't let him take a day off training.
"You guys were great out there," Ralph said, walking up from where he, Kim, and Wayne had been sitting on the bleachers, watching the practice.
"Thanks," Sally said. "Let's just hope the Coach sees it that way."
"Oh don't worry babe," Kim told her. "The way you play, there's no way you won't get in."
"Yeah, we all did amazing," Roderick said. "Though Luke was MVP."
"With that 8-pack of his, I don't doubt it," Wayne said.
"OH!" they all cried out, laughing. Luke chuckled as well, letting all the stress from the day wash away for a little while. But as it went away, something else came in.
"Don't worry pal," Omar told him, misinterpreting his expression. "There's no way you won't make the team."
"Thanks, man. Neither will you, any of you," Luke promised them, forcing a smile back on his face and hoping they wouldn't see through it to the guilt inside him. The guilt that whispered you don't deserve this.
"Well done today, everyone," Emily told them. "I'll have a few notes to go over for the next practice, so just keeping working until then when you can. Alright, you can go now."
"Wow," Britta said. "If I'd known getting super weird powers would mellow you out so much, I would have gotten them for you years ago."
"Shut up," Emily growled. True, she had been more lenient today considering he powers. She didn't have a lot of energy in her to berate the others for their mistakes when she was doing everything she could to make sure she didn't slip up and accidentally stretch her arm out or something else weird.
Besides, this would actually help her. During actual games and competitions, she wouldn't be able to help her teammates out or tell them what they were doing wrong. They would have to figure out. So, she was able to gauge how well they did now and how far they still had to go.
All the people who were on the team last year were still good but could also improve. The newcomers all needed work, that was obvious, but they showed potential. The major flaw was Camilla Cicchino. She was the weakest by far, but that girl also had no quit in her. Reminded Emily of herself in some ways. She may have gotten every maneuver wrong, but she quickly watcher everyone else to learn how to get it right.
"Speaking of, if you're not doing anything this afternoon, maybe we should find someplace to practice?" Britta suggested. "Get you used to your powers."
Emily nodded. "My mom probably has something for me but as long as I keep my phone on silent and don't go home, I should be fine." Besides, she was tired of holding it in. It was like her power wanted to be used. And honestly, she kind of wanted to see what she could do too.
"Hey there, Simmons."
Emily groaned loudly while Britta just chuckled. Not this again. Truly the last thing she needed right now. "Go away Decker."
"I know, I know, you can't stand my presence. I'm leaving," he said, holding his hands up in surrender. "Just wanted to say thanks for cheering me on today."
Emily glowered at him. "What on earth gave you the impression that I was cheering you on today? We were all just practicing our chants."
Luke pondered this for a few seconds. "Wishful thinking," he offered.
"That…actually may be the smartest thing you've ever said."
"Aw…and hey, I think that may be the nicest thing you've ever said to me. See, we're making progress. Anyway, gotta go now. Always a pleasure to see you Simmons. You too Britta."
Britta laughed. "See you round Luke," she told him as he walked off.
"Gah, that guy really pisses me off," Emily grumbled.
"I know, I know. Now, shall we get going too?"
"Sure," Emily replied. "Just need to change back and then grab something from my locker."
A few minutes later, she left the locker room and headed towards her actual locker where she'd left her textbooks. She didn't know how much time she'd have to study tonight but she would take as much as she could since she had several tests coming up.
She always found it strange walking the school hallways after classes ended, everything so empty and deserted rather than noisy hustle and bustle that it usually was. It was almost creepy.
As she walked, she felt the temptation again. She resisted it for a second but then, again realizing that there was no one around, gave in. She held up her hand and slowly, carefully, began pulling on her index finger.
Then she kept pulling as it just stretched out. It boggled her mind. She could hardly believe what she was seeing and yet it was happening. And she was sure she wasn't crazy cause Britta had seen it too. So what the hell was it? How was she doing this?
"Will you hurry it up?"
Emily squeaked in alarm and dove behind the corner, stuffing her hand and elongated finger into her pocket, though her finger did get a little jumbled.
"What was that?" another voice asked.
"What was what?" the first one said in annoyance.
"That noise?"
"Probably nothing. Now, can we get a move on?"
At first Emily had thought someone had spotted her but clearly that wasn't the case. She started to walk away when something stopped her. She didn't know what. Just some…feeling. So she pressed herself against the wall and listened.
"Gah, why is this thing so heavy?"
"Because it has all my equipment in it!" the first voice hissed. Emily frowned. For some reason, that voice was familiar but she couldn't place it. It sounded…angrier than it should have been.
"You know, if you wanted to steal this stuff, doing it at night would have been way easier."
Emily's eyes widened and she almost gasped. They were stealing stuff?
"You idiot! I just told you this is my stuff! Why would I steal that? We're just moving it now since it's getting to be too much to work on here. And I don't want the school to catch on to what I'm doing. Not yet anyway."
So it wasn't a theft. Still, it didn't sound like it was legal. Emily wondered if she should go find some teacher or other faculty member right now.
"Alright, whatever, you're paying me for this. Now let's get in on the truck and get out of here."
"There are still 3 boxes."
"What the hell man? How much equipment do you have?"
"4 boxes. It's simple math. Now, you want to talk or you want to walk."
The voice faded away, mostly turning into grunts as the two men carried the apparent box. Emily wasn't quite sure what to make of all that. It didn't seem like something illegal, and there were cameras working. Still, there was something a little suspicious about it all. Maybe she should…
Stop it Emily, she chastised herself. The second you get weird powers and suddenly you get thrown into a mystery? Fat chance. This isn't some superhero story. They're just moving some boxes, nothing weird or suspicious about that.
She crushed her doubts and moved on to her locker before going to meet Britta to focus on what truly mattered. Getting to understand her powers.