Page 4 of Jockstraps & Newspapers
“Coach!”Elliot saluted Renner loosely.His attention dropped to Mr.Pearson and Cass second.“Greetings and salutations, peeps.”
Peeps?What was he?Twelve?Cass smiled as best she could without a grimace.“Hi.”
“Elliot, this is the journalist I told you about, Cassiopeia Darling.She’s going to be working with us for the season.”Coach Renner motioned at her, “And you know Rick Pearson.”
“Ey!Rick!”Elliot crouched to knock knuckles with Rick Pearson.“My number one fan.”
“You know it.I’ve got my season tickets already.”
Number.One.Fan?Cassiopeia knew in that moment that if she didn’t do this piece justice…she would never have a chance again.She needed to win over her soon-to-be new boss or give up on her dreams entirely.
“Well, Cassie, you ready to get on the field?Maybe toss a few people around?We’re still warming up!”Elliot jabbed a thumb over his shoulder at the field behind him.
“Oh, uh, thanks, but I’m not really dressed to wrestle.”She waved off his comment with a brilliant a smile.
He gave her a once over and she resisted the urge to brain him with her briefcase.Thankfully, he nodded after looking at her from crown to toe, “You’ve got a point there, not really a lot of wrestle material on, but that’s no worries.We’ve got spares in the locker room if you wanna change.Tens probably has some gym shorts you could tie up or something if you want.”
“That’s so sweet of you,” she laughed fakely, putting her shoes down by her toes.“But I’m good, not really a sports girl.”
“And you’re going to be writing my piece?”He cocked a fluffy brow.He raked hard, chestnut-colored fingers through his mop of sweaty hair and brushed it back between his horns.
“I’m gonna do my best.”Oh, she was gonna fucking flop and burn and never write again in this city.Bemoaning her soon to be crashing career, she looked to Mr.Pearson.“So, what’s the plan?What do you need from me?Just so I know what to start with?”
“Well, why don’t you spend the day here, get your feet wet so to speak, the team’s gonna be going over the season and all the ins, outs, and in betweens, so that’ll be good to get you adjusted.Then, tomorrow, I’ll see you in my office and we’ll go over the mediums I want you to produce for me?How’s that sound.”
“Perfect!”she chirped.Fuck.My.Life.“Can’t wait.”
“See you tomorrow then, nine am.”Mr.Pearson slapped her calf, the only part of her he could reach, and sauntered away.
Coach Renner had already wandered away to talk to some other players.It left Cassiopeia and Elliot at the edge of the field.Get it together!You can’t let Andromeda and Lyra win!Steeling her resolve, she folded her hands over the handle of her briefcase.
“So,” she glanced across the field, her face falling into a painful grimace.“What does…all of this do?”
“Do?”Elliot blinked, glancing around at the field, following her gaze’s travel.“Oh!You mean, how does it work?”
“Sure.”She rocked back on her heels.
“Oh, okay, right, so SportsBall is a summer sport.It’s a two-team game, where each game has a simple task.You gotta get the ball through the goal post.The gold ring posts, that’s the goal.At the beginning of the game, we flip a coin, and whoever wins the toss gets to pick the ball first.”
“Pick.The.Ball?”she winced, her shoulders slumping.
“Oh!Yeah, so the captain picks who on the other team is the ball.It can be anyone.”
“A person is the ball?!”she squawked.
“Yeah!It’s super rad, so you can try any strategy, but you’ve gotta think through who you think your team can conquer and get them through the post.The only rules are no magic and no pain.And then your team must defend the ball while still trying to get the other ball through the post.There’s some few this, that, and the other, but yeah, that’s it.Pretty rad.”
Pretty.Rad.Cassiopeia set her briefcase down.Hands on her hips, staring at the field.This is your life now.She could do this.You’re gonna crash and burn.Cassiopeia Darling doesn’t let things stop her.You’re gonna fucking hate this.Doing this job is going to be worth it.
Her name in lights.Awards on her shelf.She was gonna be somebody.
She could do this!
Chapter three
A fresh practice
Elliot
