Mel, hang back, will you?”
“Sure.”
There was an awkward pause. “Damon mentioned an incident in the yoga studio yesterday. He didn’t feel you were taking it seriously.”
Mel felt her cheeks heat up. “I didn’t mean any disrespect. I’ve never done yoga before.”
“I take a holistic approach to training. Breathing, flexibility, balance, and concentration are the foundations of yoga but they apply to field hockey, too.”
“I guess I’m just eager to show you what I can do on the field.”
“I’ve seen your video. I’ve read up on your stats, talked to my scout. He had a lot of good things to say about you. I understand that your coach used to play for Truman. He’s definitely kept me abreast of all your accomplishments.”
“Yes.”
“The thing is, every single one of the girls here with you is a talented player. A big part of this experience is to assess our chemistry. Make sure you are a good fit for the culture I’m trying to create here. If yoga isn’t your thing, I want to know what is. What kinds of interests do you have outside of field hockey?”
The urge to weep hit Mel hard. She pulled from every resource not to cry, not to make a fool of herself. And when she couldn’t stop the tears, she hated herself for it.
“It’s okay. I know this is a lot of pressure. And …” She paused to choose her words. “I’m aware that West Essex is an intense place to play. Take whatever time you need and come out to the field when you’re ready.”
“I love to hike. My boyfriend and I have hiked almost every trail in a fifty-mile radius of my hometown.”
Coach Karen paused at the locker room door to give her a quick nod. Nothing more than an indication that Mel’s words had reached her ears.
After several minutes of sobbing, Mel splashed some water on her face and headed out to the field, with the sense that she was starting the day at a huge disadvantage. Like she’d done something irreparable to Coach Karen’s opinion of her. Which, maybe she had. Maybe they wouldn’t offer her a spot.
She played hard. Harder than hard. She didn’t take her foot off the gas, not once. Stealing passes and outrunning her competition, be it onto the field, from drill to drill, to the locker room. She was hoping to undo the damage she’d done, prove to Coach Karen that she was someone they needed on the team. But every time Mel managed to catch her eye, she felt as if she were doing something disappointing. The harder she worked, the more it seemed like she was failing.
It feels almost embarrassing to her now, on the other side of it, how quickly Mel had given up on herself. She was so sure that none of her dreams would come true. To have wrecked things so disastrously actually brought Mel a strange comfort in those final weeks of July. With nothing left to salvage, the only thing she could do was try to move on.
But everything worked out just as she’d hoped. First with her Truman acceptance, then Coach coming back to West Essex, then finally getting the captain’s C.
And the buzz Mel suddenly feels from the phone in her back pocket? The cherry on top.
She hears Phoebe and Ali laughing in a nearby room. Mel pivots and heads in the opposite direction, through the kitchen and into a little laundry nook. The lights are off, and though Mel finds the switch, she ultimately chooses not to turn them on. Instead, she hops up on the washing machine and pulls out her phone.
COACH: Holy shit. I didn’t think you had it in you, Mel.
COACH: I mean, I’m legit impressed.
Mel extends her legs straight out and flutter kicks the air.
MEL: YAY!
MEL: I’m so glad!
MEL: That was definitely the point!
MEL:
COACH: Want to hear something funny?
COACH: It took me a couple of seconds before I even noticed the bulldog.
COACH: I was too distracted by that weird girl with the blue hair.
MEL: Grace?
Mel types, She’s really great, and deletes it.
Then, She’s got so much heart, and deletes it.
COACH: Does she honestly think that looks good?
Mel’s stomach clenches. It had surprised Mel when Grace walked in tonight. Mel made eyes at Phoebe, who was across the room, and they both mouthed “Holy shit” at each other. But they meant it in a positive way.
COACH: Why couldn’t she have done that before tryouts ended?
COACH: Then I would have known not to pick her.
COACH:
MEL: I