Page 148 of Goalkeeper
“Yeah, but we’re faster,” Vonne assures us.
“When we’re at our best, yeah. But we’re tired as fuck, every last one of us, and we need this break,” Myesy chimes in, and I silently agree. We definitely need the upcoming holiday break to recharge.
“Dude. Are you forgetting who we’ve got in net?” Herrera asks and nods my way. “Nothing’s getting past us, but if it does, it sure as hell ain’t gettin past Briggsy.”
The vote of confidence is nice, I’m not gonna lie, but the truth is, I’m as nervous as Meysy.
“Yeah, but what about Zac? He’s solid in practice, but he’s not making the saves when it counts.” We all nod, because JD’s right.
“Briggsy, maybe you could work with him over break? Come back a week or two early? Build his confidence a little? Let’s face it, when you’re gone, this team is going to need a strong goalie in net. Zac could be that guy.”
“Yeah, definitely,” I say. Shit. That’s a tall ask from my captain, but I can’t say no. My dad’s head would explode if he knew. I’ve been avoiding his calls lately, which is bad, I know. But every conversation is the same: he keeps hearing rumors that I’ll get called up for next season and he wants me to be ready. That’s awesome. I do, too. But I also need to be ready for finals, and now I need to help Zac, and damn. There’s a shit-ton to do, and not enough of me to get it done.
Not only do we have two back-to-back games against Dartmouth this weekend, but I’ve got my speech final tomorrow. Paige and I have worked hard, and I’m not as nervous about public speaking as I was in September, but I’ll feel a whole lot better when this final is over. In fact, when I can make it to Sunday and have this speech and these two games behind me, I’ll breathe a little easier. I feel like my chest is going to explode from all the pressure.
One step at a time, I tell myself. If I just focus on each task as it comes, I’ll be fine. There’s no room for distraction, so I need to focus. I need to make it through the next seventy-two hours without any fuckups.
Paige
I squeeze Spencer’s hand just like I did all those weeks ago before our first speech. “We’re going to kick this presentation’s ass, just you wait,” I tell him.
His knee is bouncing up and down a little, but he doesn’t look like he’s about to bolt, so we’ve definitely made some progress.
Chase and his partner just finished up a presentation on climate change, and we’re up next. “C’mon,” I say, standing. “We’ve got this.”
“If you say so…”
We take our places on the platform next to the screen that displays our presentation. I give him a thumbs up, just as the TA fires up our presentation, and Spence begins. “Unequal distribution of salary scales, corporate support, and media coverage negatively affects female athletes and overshadows their stellar performance and athletic prowess.”
He goes on to talk about the research we conducted, and how, despite their popularity, women’s sports are repeatedly denied the funding and attention they deserve. We’ve rehearsed this so many times that I know all my cues, so I take a minute to appreciate Spencer. He may not love being up here, but no one in the audience can tell. His voice is steady and clear, and he’s maintaining eye-contact like a pro.
Is it just me, or is it hot as fuck when a guy works his ass off and conquers his fear?
I present the visual aids and discuss the ways in which we proposed changing both the salary discrepancies and the media coverage inequities. Before too long, we conclude and our time is up. Part of me wants to take Spence out in the hall and kiss him, like I did back in September, but I have a much better plan for celebrating our victory this time.
Spencer
We walk out of the lecture hall and Paige turns toward me. “Hand over your keys, please.” She’s smiling triumphantly. And I gotta admit, I’m probably smiling like a dork, too. Not only did I not embarrass myself, we earned an A. I still can’t believe it. Dr. Winslow posted grades right after class, and I lost my shit when I saw our score.
“Are you so desperate to drive that you’re commandeering the keys to this beast?” I joke, knowing my 2009 Subaru mom-mobile is a far cry from the car she used to share with her brother.
“Something like that.” She smiles and catches them in one hand.
We get in my car and head toward the center of town. “You feel like hitting the Biscuit for a celebratory meal? I might even treat myself to croutons.”
“Spencer, let’s not go crazy,” she jokes. “But nope. No Biscuit for us. If you’re hungry, I packed a couple of your protein bars in the back seat. They’re in your duffle.
What the?
“Uh, did I pack myself an overnight bag but then totally forget about it?”
“Nope. I packed it for you, and Herrera stowed it in your car this morning. Luckily, we won’t need much, and my purse could carry a small child, so I’m all set.”
“Need much for what? Where the hell are you taking me?”
“Killington,” she says matter-of-factly, like she might say we’re going to the grocery store or library. “My parents have a timeshare there and we are using it tonight to de-stress and relax and reward ourselves for the freaking A we got on our presentation.
It’s true. We got an actual A. I had no doubt Paige would be awesome, but I did way better than I expected. I’m not saying I ever want to speak publicly again in my life, but it’s over, we aced it, and we can relax a little.
