A Game Worth Watching by Samantha Gudger

same team and enduring daily practices with her would
take every scrap of control she could muster.
    “You’ll
never be a part of this team.” Lauren’s voice dropped to a whisper, but it
managed to hold onto its cold edge. “I don’t care if you’re Coach’s pet and
have all the right moves. This is my team, not yours.”
    “That’s
evident.” Emma took a step forward, closing the distance between them. Just
because she wasn’t looking for trouble didn’t mean she would remain silent
forever. “Because if it was my team, we’d actually win a game once in a while.”
    Lauren’s
scowl deepened. Did she really think the team was worth staking a claim on?
    “If
you want to kick the freshman off the team, I go too.”
    Lauren’s
shock melted into an evil grin. “Even better.”
    “Which
would leave you with a total of six players, and based on what I’ve seen in
practice, none of you would last through the first quarter of a game without
substitutes.” She shrugged like she didn’t have a care in the world. “But who
am I to point out the obvious?”
    Despite
Lauren’s attempt at authority, fear flickered in her eyes. “Sometimes you need
to cut the deadweight loose to start fresh.”
    Emma
laughed. “The team’s been overloaded with deadweight since you were a freshman,
but if that’s the approach you want to take, good luck losing every game.
Again. I look forward to watching you uphold tradition.” For someone who wanted
nothing more than to walk away from the girls’ team and never look back, Emma
sure swayed the conversation in an undesirable direction. Not even Lauren
wanted to spend another season as the worst team in the league. Whether she
would admit it or not, Lauren needed Emma and the kid if she wanted any chance
at winning a game or two this year.
    Lauren
didn’t answer at first. She just glared at Emma, probably trying to decide how
big of a hit her reputation would take if she admitted defeat in a hallway full
of eager listeners. “Fine, have it your way. But don’t think for a second
anyone wants you or the disaster on the team.”
    Like
that wasn’t obvious enough already. “One more thing.” Emma nodded toward the
freshman. “Leave the kid alone. If you touch her again, you’ll regret it.” She
really didn’t care what happened to the kid with the mammoth feet, but she did
care when people like Lauren bullied weaker kids.
    Pushing
Emma out of the way, Lauren stomped down the hall, her blonde hair swishing in
her wake.
    “Thanks,”
the kid said, appearing beside Emma.
    Emma
watched Lauren retreat down the hall, making sure she wasn’t preparing for
round two. “Don’t mention it.” The rest of the students in the hall dispersed,
casting backward glances at her like she was the new kid overstepping her
bounds.
    “I’m
not usually so clumsy.” Ashley, unable to look Emma in the eye, wrung her hands
and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “I’m just nervous.”
    “Save
it for someone who cares.” Emma didn’t want to hear excuses or give the kid a
reason to continue talking. “Get to class.”
    Ashley
scampered down the hallway, twisting around for one last look at Emma before
she turned the corner and disappeared.
    Emma
spun in the opposite direction to get to her own class before the bell rang,
and she collided with a body blocking her path. Strong hands caught and
steadied her as she stumbled backward. She looked into a pair of blue eyes
she’d know anywhere.
    “What
was that about?” Riley asked, nodding in the direction of the freshman.
    “Nothing,”
she said, regaining her balance. “Just a little team disgruntlement.”
    “Who
was the kid?”
    “No
one.” It wasn’t a complete lie. Ashley didn’t register on Emma’s radar of
importance so she really was no one. No one she needed to be concerned about.
    Or
so she thought.
    ***
    After
three days of practice, Emma continued to search in vain for any shred of progress
among her