team.
“Girls, I know we’re tired and it’s getting late. Let’s head over to Waffle House, chug some maple syrup, and then finish strong and come up with something great for the final verse of the fight song.”
“Wait. So we’re still doing this?” Ali’s surprised, and also not.
“Absolutely. Phoebe would want us to.”
Maybe so. But what’s clear is that, when Phoebe feels desperate, she doesn’t make the best decisions. And maybe the same thing goes for Mel, too.
Still, the girls squeeze into the five remaining cars.
Mel, sitting shotgun in Ali’s Jeep, keeps checking her phone.
Ali sees a head tipped back and bobbing asleep, a pale exposed neck. One of the sophomores.
Kearson is chewing the shit out of her finger. Nervous, obviously.
Grace is pinching herself to stay awake.
“We’ll be there in ten minutes but you can sleep. I don’t mind,” Ali tells her.
“Nah. I’m good.”
That’s what makes them Wildcats. Team first, always. Isn’t that what Coach always asks of them? But what does it mean?
Putting the team before yourself?
Or protecting your teammates at all costs?
Ali isn’t sure. She’s too tired to think.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 27
3:27 A.M.
PHOEBE
Phoebe pulls over to the side of a quiet road and parks Mel’s car in the dark seam between two streetlights. It was dangerous the way she sped off from the high school, all gas, no brakes, through one stop sign and another, the Wildcats getting smaller and smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror. Except it’s Phoebe who feels like she’s disappearing, everything but the throbbing in her knee. A broken heart inside a wound.
How broken?
After everything, she still wants to play.
This humiliating deficiency of common sense leads Phoebe to reach for Coach’s laptop on the seat next to her. She lifts the screen and it brightens the car like an oncoming headlight. His school email program is already up and loaded from when she opened it in his office so she doesn’t need to be connected to the internet. Phoebe types her name into a search bar and a bunch of emails pop up. At the top is a thread exchanged with Jon Dockey, the Trident recruiter, subject line “PHOEBE HOLT UPDATE.”
She’d brought up Trident to Coach hours ago at Mel’s party. Told him their recruiter never responded to the email she had sent on Wednesday. Why didn’t Coach mention that they’d been talking about her, apparently as recently as this week?
Instead Coach told her not to even bother with them. He told Phoebe she was too good for Trident.
She clicks on the thread and scrolls down to the first message.
Monday, August 22
Coach,
I’m seeking some information regarding Phoebe Holt.
As you know, we were initially very excited about her, but I’m aware that she sustained an ACL tear last season that required surgery. While I did not expect to see Ms. Holt during spring club, I was surprised that she missed summer showcases and Kissawa.
You and I have always had a good, straightforward relationship regarding recruitment. I’m wondering if you can shed any light on her current status as we finalize our offers for the following academic year.
Thanks,
Jon
Phoebe pauses to take a breath, hoping it will slow her racing heart, only she forgets to exhale.
Tuesday, August 23
Jon,
Phoebe underwent two surgeries in the off-season—one for the ACL tear and one for an infection developed from rehabbing too aggressively—which is why she was sidelined longer than anticipated. Today was our second day of tryouts. I’d say she’s at maybe 75%, and might very well get to 85%, but I don’t believe she’ll ever fully regain her edge.
It’s disappointing because her initial injury was a minor ACL sprain. Unfortunately, Phoebe disregarded the advice of her doctor and misled me that she’d been cleared to play, when in fact she had not. I’ve always admired Phoebe’s heart but I would hate to see Trident invest time and resources into a player whose recklessness has proven more of a liability than an asset.
So yes, I would advise you to seek another midfielder. Oak Knolls had a surprisingly decent one. I don’t remember her name or if she’s already committed elsewhere, but you might throw a call over that way.
That said, I do have an incoming freshman that will be making some serious waves. I watched her play today and will pull her up tomorrow. If you get in early this season with an offer, you can scoop her up before she’s on anyone else’s radar. I’d be happy to make an introduction.
And now I have a favor to ask. Any news on