C R E A T I V E S T O R Y. ll TO NIGHT.

I volunteered to go to a JV tournament for high school soccer, even though I was playing on Varsity. Mistake. I volunteered because I honestly had nothing better to do that weekend.

It's Saturday morning. We get down there to where the tournament was being held. Freezing cold weather. Rain droplets and mud puddles surround us everywhere we go. We play our first game at 8 o'clock. We win. Final score 3-0.

We go get a bite to eat. We consider that "team bonding". Our next game is at 12 o'clock. Once again, we win. Final score 4-1.

Were pumped up for our next game on Sunday. Everyone gets home and rests and mentally prepares themselves for the games the next day. Routine.

It's the next morning and were all at the field getting ready. It's the semi-finals. Were playing Royal High School. They're ranked number 8 in California. We played phenominal and won 2-1. Either I never realized how good we are, or we just got lucky that day. Finals, here we come!

Were at the big turf field, that's where all the finals are held. It's a privelage to play there. We play Harvard Westlake High School. Ranked number one in California! But were not nervous. Just excited to see the result. The whistle blows to start off the game and I'm playing center mid-field. New position for me. It's the first half and were playing a little shaky. We had the confdence, but it wasn't showing. "Come on ladies! We got this!". That came out of almost every girls mouth for about 5 minutes straight. Only 3 minutes left to go in the first half and the score is still 0-0. Leilani played a beautiful pass right in my path. All I needed to do is contribute, shoot, and score. And get by 1 defender.

I pass by her but she's really speedy. Almost as if she was shot out of a cannon. She catches up to me. Were hand and hand, foot and foot, neck and neck. Were so equally positioned like it was fate. Only one of us will have that desire and energy to that ball. It was a 50/50 chance. Who is going to push themselves to the limit? I decide to push through my tiredness and exhaustian. And i get to the ball. And then there it was. My soccer season flashing before my eyes. I mis-step in a pothole.