Chapter 6: Saturday is a day of fun and games

I was too excited for the game so I woke up early which sucks because game time wasn’t until 1 pm and it was way too long to deal with my nerves.

Breakfast with Mom was quiet. I sat sipping my sweet coffee, poking at the scrambled eggs, and nibbling at my toast. My stomach felt tight and I didn’t have much room for food.

Mom asked, “Are you excited for the game?”

“Yeah”, I responded, not really sure what to say.

Of course, I was excited. Why could Mom see that?

It was just a stupid little soccer game that meant nothing but it didn’t feel that way. It felt very important. I wasn’t this nervous before final exams.

“I’m going shopping this morning, do you need anything?” Mom inquired as she put her keys in her purse.

“Na,” I responded, pulling out my phone to check messages.

[Let’s win it today], [we can do this] filled the team chat.

Eva - [let’s not lose too badly]

Everyone thumbs downed the post, but it was my thought exactly, with the additional ‘I hope I don’t screw up.’

I put the phone down and looked out the front window for the herd of rabbits. I wanted to see my dark-eared one. Instead, I saw the neighborhood cat stalking around the bush. Oh, shit, were our rabbits in trouble? I couldn’t see them so maybe they were safe in their hole or something.

No, there was some white moving under the bush. The cat was creeping closer, low, small movements in the grass.

I wanted to run out and scare it off but I couldn’t move. What a horrible animal to pick on such cute defenseless bunnies. Suddenly the bush exploded with all the bunnies rushing the cat, which leaped straight up in the air and took off.

Wow, that was incredible. The bunnies looked pleased with themselves, brazenly hanging out on the lawn. It is so cool to see the herd deal with that horrible animal.

I finally spotted my little black-eared one hanging out at the back of the group. I watched the bunnies play around the bush before getting bored. Sitting at the table, I started texting Charlotte and Tasha, adding to the team group chat [go team], and brooding about texting Nathan.

I wanted to text him but that would be stupid. I didn’t want to seem like a little girl gushing over the handsome older guy, I needed to stay sane and act like the mature woman that Nathan would want to date.

Before I knew it, it was noon and we needed to leave for the game. Where was Mom? Did she not care about the game? How could she do this to me? I stood staring out the front window watching the bunnies but really fuming that mom wasn’t back yet.

At 12:05, I heard the car pull up. Mom rushed out with her arms full of bags.

“Margot, we need to leave, help me with these, why aren’t you changed?” Mom exclaimed in quick succession.

Shit, my uniform.

I ran off to get changed.

“We have to leave or we will be late,” Mom yelled at me.

I threw my uniform on and sprinted out to Mom waiting in our car.

“You need to be ready.” Mom scolded me.

“I know”, I mumbled

“It’s your soccer game” Mom continued as she called up the field on her GPS while driving.

“Yes, I know,” I mumbled back again.

“It’s your responsibility, not mine,” she added while glancing at her phone and driving.

“Yes,” I felt so stupid. She’s right, I should have been ready. I guess forgot to get ready because I was just so nervous and worried.

“Margot, you need...” Mom started before I cut her off, screaming back at her, “I get it, I’m a fuck up, no need to rub it in!”

“Margot, don’t you raise your voice at me,” Mom screamed back.

Angry, I turned away from her. Why did she have to be like this? Could she not tell that I was nervous about the game? And now, a fight with Mom, great, what a way to start my first game.

Thanks, Mom!

Why couldn’t Mom just support me?

We drove the rest of the way in silence.

Arriving at the huge parking lot with artificial fields everywhere. We drove around looking for our field. Why do they make these places so big? Why don’t they put up signs or something so people can figure out where to go?

Finally, we saw the rest of the team.

Shit, they were already warming up.

We parked and I was out running towards the field.

Everything looked fake. Fake grass, fake-looking potted trees. Who puts trees in pots?

“Margot, you’re late, 20 push-ups,” Coach Jerk yelled at me.

No shit I was late, I knew that.

I threw my bag in the heap of bags and started trying to do the push-ups.

One was all I managed before collapsing. How the fuck was I going to do 20?

Two, and I collapsed again.

“Are you nervous dear?” Coach Lisa asked as she kneeled beside me.

Three, collapse.

“Yes,” I grunted.

Four, barely.

“Do not worry about the game today, just run up and down the field and do your best.” Coach Amazing said while touching my shoulder.

A jolt of desire shot through my body.

Five, fuck, this will take forever.

And it did, basically until the game started.

“Don’t screw up too badly,” Coach Wilson yelled as I joined the team before the kickoff.

Was he referring to me or the team?

“When in doubt, just copy what Fenna does”, Tess commented as we took the field.

“I planned to flash the crowd so you’d better be ready for that.” Fenna giggled on the other side of me.

Was she high?

The game was a blur. Things happened. I ran up and down the field. The ball never even came close to me.

And we lost, badly.

The other team had this amazing player that scored all their goals. We sucked but I sucked the most.

“You played great, dear,” Mom commented as I walked over to her.

“Whatever Mom, I played for shit and I don’t know why you signed me up for this,” I mumbled back.

“Language, Margot you...” Mom started.

I was just about to yell back at her when Coach Lisa called to me,” Margot.”

I turned from Mom to watch the sun framed Lisa arrive at our side, “You know that Tess only scored because of you.”

“No, she scored because she kicked the ball into the goal.” I snapped back.

I knew that I had nothing to do with that goal. I could bearly keep up with her as she dribbled the ball towards the goal.

“The defender saw you running towards the goal and she had to move off Tess to cover the possible pass to you.” Coach Lisa informed me.

“So?” I asked, then added, “I didn’t even touch the ball.”

“Right, but because the defender had to cover you, she couldn’t pressure Tess, so Tess had a free shot at the goal.” Coach Lisa explained as she put a comforting hand on my shoulder.

It took me a few moments to understand what she was even saying.

“But even if the ball had been passed to me, I wouldn’t have known what to do with it,” I mumbled, starting to understand.

“The defender didn’t know that and you don’t know that.” Coach Lisa said as she looked me in my eyes to make sure I understood.

“Soccer is a team game. The other team won because they had an amazing midfielder that did everything. It was as close as it was because we played like a team while they didn’t.”

“It was 4-1.” I countered but with no real energy.

I understood what Coach Lisa was telling me. I didn’t suck that much.

“Yes, but you can lose and play well, and you can win and play for shit.” Coach Lisa countered, then added, “We, YOU, played well.”

Well, I didn’t play well but I did try. I realized that it did feel like a team when Tess scored. We all hugged and celebrated together. The other team never did that when their star scored.

“Thank you, Deb, you have a wonderful daughter.” Coach Lisa said to Mom.

Coach Lisa was making me feel almost part of the team.

“You’re welcome and thank you for allowing my daughter onto your team, you have no idea what this means to me, to us.” Mom said gushing to Lisa.

“It’s tradition for everyone to come to our house for a pool party after the game.” Coach Lisa told my mom.

“Well if it’s tradition, can’t break tradition,” Mom said back.

If she only knew about this team’s crazy traditions.

In nervous anticipation, we drove home, gathered our gear, and then went straight to The Wilson’s place for the pool party.

I am still stunned by the size of their house. Even set back from the road it dominates the neighborhood.

Lisa, Anna, and Tess greeted us at the door and brought us back to the pool.

Lisa looked yummy in an extremely small bikini. Her large breasts and nipples were barely covered, her pussy was beautifully framed with a large cameltoe, and her ass was fully exposed. I wish I was brave enough to wear something like that.

Anna seemed even more exposed with bikini bottoms and a wet t-shirt, no bra, so her tits and nipples were slightly visible through the thin shirt.

Tess appeared normal in a sporty red bikini that showed off her athletic body.

I could tell that Mom was not comfortable with such attire. While Mom was wearing her new bikini, she put a long t-shirt over it. I felt like a little kid next to grown-ups in my old shabby one-piece suit.

The party was in full swing when we arrived. The whole team plus parents, siblings, and other friends were wandering around. I was now glad that I was as covered up as I was.

Skimpy bikinis, hunky guys, and lots of alcohol. I could barely hear the upbeat background music with all the laughing, shouting, and generally excited voices.

Mom continued to look more nervous as we moved around. She was not used to this sort of thing. I was not used to this sort of thing but at least I knew some people.

I wanted to ask Mom if she wanted to leave but I wanted to hang around Lisa, and we had just arrived. Maybe we could leave early.

I stuck to Lisa’s side. Mom stuck to my side.

We wandered about the large house being introduced to people that I promptly forgot. There were just too many and I suck at names.

We were standing near the pool when Lisa put an arm over Mom’s shoulders “Deb, I know your daughter, but I barely know you. Let’s get you some wine and you tell me about yourself.”

Watching them wander away was heartbreaking as I only stayed because of Lisa. How do I interject myself? Being abandoned with Tess, Anna, and a backyard full of people was ok though.

Huge Matt was in the pool with Rachel, wow, they moved like dolphins. Rachel was like a little spinner dolphin while Matt was like a big killer whale. I wish I could swim like that.

Abigail was hanging on Robert’s arm and sneaking puffs from her dab. Ada and James were together talking with Fenna, Julia, and Eva. They waved to invite us over.

I slipped behind Tess, who walked straight while groups of people moved to accommodate her path. No one looked annoyed like in New York, everyone just seemed to adjust and keep having fun.

The amazing smell of BBQ wafted through the air. Coach Wilson, Mark I guess I should call him in his home, was cooking on a huge grill.

“Is your dad doing hamburgers?” I asked Anna.

“Are you hungry?” Lise asked, walking up with a huge plate of salad, veggies, and a hamburger.

Before I could answer, Fenna grabbed my arm and started to pull me through the crowd, “I’m hungry also, I’ll take her.”

She was staggering so much that I guided her as we walked. Was she still high or had they topped up?

“I think Abigail is starting to get mad at Robert! He keeps staring at my tits.” She whispered to me, then giggled.

“They are amazing,” I exclaimed.

My face started to burn as I realized what I had said.

“Yeah, I’m still not used to them.” She commented back as we weaved through some parents doing shots.

“They’re fake?” I was surprised. Did girls our age get fake boobs here?

“No, they only started to grow 6 months ago.” She giggled and lifted one as if to weigh it.

“Wow,” I commented.

They were so big. I could never have tits that big. I would die with all the attention they would receive or I would die in this heat with the large sweatshirts I would have to wear to conceal them.

“Yeah, I went from being completely ignored in school to being one of the most popular girls. People are so shallow.” Fenna stated, then added as if she had read my thoughts, “I used to be so embarrassed by them. Now, I kind of like the attention.”

“When it’s the right people giving me attention.” She added and winked at me before starting to giggle which caused me to giggle at her giggling.

Fenna is so fun to be around.

We found the hamburgers and we each loaded up a plate.

“Do you want something to drink?” Fenna asked.

“Is there pop?” I asked.

“Do you want a beer or a cooler, nobody will care,” Fenna said as she grabbed a pink-colored bottle.

“No, just a pop,” I replied.

I generally didn’t like to drink. I do not like the way it makes me feel disconnected from my body.

“We are all out,” Rachel commented behind us, entering the kitchen dripping water everywhere.

“Let’s get some from the garage.” She added, shoving a handful of chips into her mouth and turning around to leave.

I ran to catch up while doing my best to not spill my plate.

Rachel weaved through people while I followed her cute little bikini-covered ass. She looked like a mini-version of Lisa. I wonder if she would taste the same? Horrified by my thoughts about this younger girl, I was glad when we arrived at the garage door.

The garage was dim with the only light coming from the door. Stupidly I closed the door behind me, and dim went to dark. Now only a bit of light came in from a mostly blocked side window.

Rachel didn’t seem bothered as bothered as I was.

“Here, take this, I am going to bring some water bottles to the pool,” Rachel said, handing me a flat of pop.

Wow, it was heavy. How could such a small person lift something so heavy? I could barely lift it and I was almost twice her size.

I started to turn around when I noticed two people in the car furthest from us.

It was Coach Lisa’s Tesla. I squinted to see two people sharing a joint in the front seat. They looked like they were laughing.

“That’s just Mom hotboxing with one of the parents,” Rachel commented without really looking.

I was now staring.

“It’s California, everyone does pot here,” Rachel explained and walked past me.

It was my Mom in the car with Lisa. Mom was smoking up with Lisa.

Holy Shit, “That’s my mom!” I said a little too loudly.

“Really? That’s cool.” Rachel commented then “Are you coming?”

I wanted to confront my Mom. Is she a pothead? What was she doing? My mind raced as I brought the pop to the kitchen.

Refilling the fridge and grabbing one, I remembered the plate of food I had put down near the garage door.

Lisa and Mom were laughing as they exited the garage. Mom looked ... relaxed, happy. She hasn’t looked relaxed and happy for months. Not since Dad got sick.

I was so confused. I wanted to be mad but I loved her and seeing her happy, really happy, and so relaxed, well, it filled me with joy.

At some point, she had taken off the overshirt. She didn’t look as obscene as Lisa but her suit didn’t hide much. I hope I look as good as her when I am her age. Hell, I wished I looked that good now. As that horrible thought entered my mind, I pushed it out and focused on the lovely Lisa walking away from me.

Mom saw me, left Lisa, and stumbled over. Wow, she was stoned.

“Lisa is so nice.” She commented as she stole a piece of cucumber from my plate.

“Mom, you...” I started to say, but her smile stopped me.

She then asked, “Where did you find the food? I missed lunch.”

I led her to the kitchen and helped her make a hamburger.

“Best daughter in the world.” She said as she left the kitchen sipping some wine and holding her plate of food at a dangerous angle.

I wanted to scream at her, Mom - you have to be the responsible one. You can’t be doing dope. You’re supposed to stop me from doing drugs. And why are you walking around in that suit? Are you trying to get laid? Oh, god, did my Mom want to have sex with someone?

These thoughts tumbled around. My world felt off-center. What the hell Mom?

But she was happy. She was just so happy and that made me happy. Mom was my Mom, but she was also a human being who needed to do human things.

I was so confused.

I went out to the pool to hang out with Tess and Anna. They were the perfect distraction from my thoughts.

The pair were so funny and complemented each other perfectly. Anna would start a story about some stupid thing they did, Tess would add to it, and then Anna would embellish it a bit more, to the point where it was hard to believe some of the things they claimed to have done.

My favorite was when eight-year-old Anna borrowed her Dad’s car so they could drive to a convenience store for candy. No one knew except Rachel. Most younger sisters I knew would rat an older sister out, however, Rachel was just jealous that Anna got candy, so she just took the car to get her own. Being younger, smaller, and not having an accomplice, she soon crashed it. Rachel was grounded for weeks but never snitched on Anna and Tess. The two then took Tess’s dad’s car to buy candy for Rachel. The parents never found out.

Eventually, after eating way too much but being responsible and waiting the thirty minutes, Tess actually timed it, the three of us went swimming.

The pair tried to include me in their strange water games but they were much better swimmers than me and I couldn’t participate.