Tryst Six Venom by Penelope Douglas

on.”
Coomer always takes us out to dinner when we win, but I never go. I go
home.
But I’m going tonight, and I don’t give a shit who doesn’t want me there.
We’re going to win, because of me.
Getting my shit on, I dart onto the field, Krisjen joining and taking up her
position, protecting our goal. I look left and right, between the other two
midfielders. “Stay sharp,” I tell them. “Watch for me!”
They nod, sticks up, and I press mine to the grass, eye to eye with the
other team.
“Oh, yay,” Elle Costa from the other team snickers. “I was almost
disappointed this was going to be too easy.”
“I couldn’t let you down, baby.”
“No Clay today?” she cracks, her eyes flashing to the bench.
“Don’t worry.” I smile. “You’ll still have your hands full.”
The ref drops the ball, and I slam into her, my legs charged with some
kind of juice, and I don’t know where it comes from, but I have to admit I’ve
missed this.
Completing school work at home is lonely, and the last thing I needed
this week is more quality time with Macon, but I’ve kept busy even though
Macon was right. In some ways, my decision to withdraw and retreat had
made perfect sense, but I also felt like I’d missed an opportunity.
Marymount isn’t the only challenge I’ll have in life. What happens next
time? Most people, he’d once told me, don’t do great things, because great
things don’t feel great when you’re doing them. I shouldn’t have run from
them. I should’ve learned from them.
I snap the ball to Rodriguez who passes it to Sinclair, and I race ahead,
covering her as she passes it to Amy. Amy leaps, catches the ball and swings,
hitting the post, and the ball bounces out.
“It’s okay!” I shout, taking the lead, since our captain is busy warming
her ass.
Play continues, Clay’s presence heavy on my right, but I refuse to look.
I’m surprised she even showed up, but I suppose she had to in case someone
gets injured. What the hell got her benched?
Dinah Leister from Gibbon’s Cross catches the ball and races toward our
goal, but I dive in and snatch it, firing it over to Amy, running ahead just in
time for her to shoot it back, and I snap it, holding my breath and watching as