Cordelia is on the left and I need to centre myself so I can fake to Cecilia and then sprint to Drusilla. If I run quick enough, maybe I can do it without Drusilla. Cor is coming up quick and I need to decide…Drusilla or myself? Nah, a job well done is a job done by myself.
Feet flying beneath her, her legs struggled to keep up with the accelerated pace of her mind. Her strategizing was playing out and she flew across the grassy green field. The grass had been neatly cut for the day’s practice and Buffy relished in the easy feel of cutting through it so fast.
The wind whipped at her face and she closed her eyes momentarily, the breeze cooling the perspiration trickling down her forehead and neck. Her back was soaked with sweat and as she ran, she reached up to shake her jersey a bit. A breeze moved through her body and she grinned as she deked wittily past Cordelia.
Winking, she changed her plans and instead of moving right, she looped around Cordelia and easily tripped her.
She glanced sparingly over her shoulder to ensure that the fall had been light and sure enough, Cordelia was back on her feet with narrowed eyes but a playful grin on her face.
She managed to course through the entire field with no problem, the ball dribbling dangerously fast between her practiced feet. Suddenly, Fred blocked her with quiet precision and she wiped out, sliding roughly onto her back. She did manage to keep the ball tangled within her ankles as she hit the ground hard. Fred struggled to kick the ball out of her firmly locked ankles and ultimately won the battle. She began to travel back down the field. But while they had been battling, Buffy had regained her adrenaline and jumped back up easily and chased Fred easily back onto her own side of the playing field. Buffy wondered momentarily where her team was but Fred took note of her distraction and began to move around Buffy. Buffy cursed herself.
Never get distracted, B. Never. It’s not worth losing a game over. It never is.
Buffy then gained the momentum to win the game again and was determined to get her game back. She jogged back to follow Fred but then she saw Willow on the other end and sighed in relief at the defence. She stood idly, knowing she would never have made it there in time and waited for Willow to intercept and pass the ball back. She did, diverting Fred’s attention with another deke and stole the ball deftly. She pulled her leg back in one swift motion and thrust it forward, allowing all of her strength to move the ball forward. Buffy nodded slightly in her direction, a gesture of thanks. She caught the ball with her cocked foot and quickly turned, running up with the ball and out of corner of her eye, she saw Harmony waving frantically for Buffy to pass.
Buffy rolled her eyes and couldn’t resist. “You’re not on my team, Harmony!”
Harmony’s eyes widened with the realization and she sheepishly waved her away as if to say “never mind”. Buffy couldn’t help chuckling at the blue eyed blonde as she plopped down wearily on the grass, examining her nails carefully. Then Buffy’s thoughts returned to the game once more. No distractions.
Deke Loretta and take for granted that Drusilla will be up ahead for offense. Maybe she can dribble forward to Lindsay and double fake a pass to Mari? No…too risky. I’ll have to take it up myself and just send it to Mari. Drusilla shouldn’t be by the goal anyways.
Buffy retained control of the ball and swiftly maneuvered her body sideways to keep the ball from Sam as she moved with it sideways. Once she was sure Sam was far behind her, she saw the goal posts and grinned. She had to make this shot. She couldn’t resist the temptation of a goal.
Now at the goal line, she saw how no one was there to defend.
They should have kept more people at the front than at offense. Then defence could pass to offense and part of defence moves up.
Smirking to herself, she shrugged mentally. Their loss was her gain.
She moved her legs with careful precision and pulled back her right leg with determination. Adrenaline pumping through her body, she swung it back and watched as it made contact with the ball. The impact caused the ball to fly forward and her foot hung forward in empty air where the ball had previously been only seconds ago. She watched with a triumphant beam on her face as the ball flew high past the goalie and into the net easily.
She could hear the victorious cheers of her teammates behind her and she grinned widely, turning around to face them with her palms up in a “what did I tell ya?” gesture. She saw Cordelia chuckle and Drusilla simply glared pointedly at her. She rolled her eyes. How was it her fault that she wasn’t in her position? Fuck her. She was going to celebrate, Drusilla present or not.
“Guys! Huddle!”
The sound of their coach’s call caused them all to quiet down and hurry toward the sidelines where she stood standing.
Mallory Walkman was a pretty little thing. With bronzed skin and one hell of a body, she was a good looking athlete. Her legs were long and though she was skinny, she had a healthy glow to her. Her eyes were the color of almonds and hazelnuts mixed together. She had beautifully slender arms and her fingers were dainty, her nails painted a pretty ruby red. Her lips were soft but thin, not quite full. The light brown lipstick she coated them with complemented her skin tone and eyes. Her nose wasn’t pointy but wasn’t softly rounded either. It was a pleasant mixture of the two. Her hair was always tied in a loose ponytail, her long hair hanging out of the tie with a tempting waviness. Her hair was a dark chocolate brown that framed her face.
Overall, Mallory was a beauty and Buffy admired her for her ability to be so formidable and seductive at the same time. Mallory could be a right bitch to the team sometimes but it was for their good and Buffy knew it.
“Okay guys,” she sighed, bringing a hand up to remove the Nike hat on her head. She ran her hand across her hair, as if wiping the sweat away from it. Replacing the cap back on her head, she looked ready to say what she wanted to say.
“That game, as fun as it may have been for some people,” she paused to look mock-pointedly at Buffy who chuckled.
“Well, it was a complete disgrace to the game of soccer. We can do better than this but I need to know something first.”
Closing her eyes, she brought her two hands up and folded them together, bringing up her index fingers to rest against each other. She raised them to her lips, as if shushing herself but Buffy knew she was looking for a way to phrase her question lightly. Finally, she rolled her eyes.
“Are you guys here to have a good time or is anyone here actually serious about soccer?”
The question hung in the air for about a split second before Cordelia raised her hand, with a perfectly shaped eyebrow cocked in mid-response.
Mallory nodded to her.
“I’m just trying to maintain my flat stomach.”
There was silence and then howls of laughter from the girls, including Buffy, filled the soccer field. Though Mallory looked slightly exasperated, she had a wry grin on her face.
Then as the laughter subsided slightly and Cordelia’s hopeless questions of “What’s so funny?” died down, Buffy raised her hand high in the air.
Mallory smiled. “Yeah Buffy?”
“I’m here to play soccer, Mallory.”
“So am I.” This was Drusilla. Her icy voice indicated her annoyance of Buffy.
Mallory nodded. “That’s where I was getting actually…” her voice trailed off uncertainly, as if afraid to say the rest of the sentence. Buffy was surprised; Mal was usually very confident and extremely scary. She was never unsure about being blunt to the girls.
Mallory squeezed her eyes shut and when she opened them, Buffy caught the slight guilt and regret flash past before placated friendliness replaced them. Buffy raised her eyebrows; what was Mal so nervous about?
Buffy glanced at her team members. They were a part of the Sunnydale’s Girl Soccer Team. Cordelia, Fred, Willow, Loretta, Lindsay, Harmony, Mari and Drusilla. They were all extremely pleasant girls, even Harmony despite her bimbo-ish blunders, with the exception of Drusilla.
Ever since Buffy joined the soccer team, challenging Drusilla as the best player on the team. Mallory had taken an instant liking to Buffy and this had only heightened the competition between the two young women. Both were the same age, eighteen years old and ripe young athletes. They were both at a time in their life when their chance at becoming big was waiting to happen. And neither was planning on letting the other have it.
Drusilla had liked the unspoken dominance she had had over the team, controlling the passes and goals. She didn’t like to pass to her fellow players for fear that they would miss and she would be embarrassed. With exceptions like today’s practice, in real games and tournaments she continually encouraged her fellow players to participate actively. She passed and didn’t care about misses. She made up for blunders by getting in another goal with the reluctant help of Drusilla and Buffy felt good that the girls were getting a chance to play while she was still getting a bit of glory. It sounded selfish but hey, she was only human.
In addition to being the most powerful component of the team, she was also the beauty of it. Although Cordelia was gorgeous and stunning, Drusilla could play well and be beautiful. Now Buffy had come and ruined that all for her. Drusilla wasn’t happy. Especially when her teammates befriended her so easily. Drusilla had never taken the time to bond with her fellow teammates because they were losers who didn’t deserve her time but seeing how Buffy was beautiful, skilled and popular made her skin crawl with rage.
“Okay.” Mallory’s voice cut through a reverie. “I have some bad news for you girls…”
Everyone straightened up from their kneed crouch on the grass and even Harmony was listening intently to Mallory.
“The Los Angeles Soccer Society has been observing our team since we’re the closest to them. They’ve been observing my coaching and they were happy with what they saw apparently,” she shrugged her shoulders in a flippant manner. “Anyhow, they asked me to choose two of my best players to join their team there.”
There was excited gasps throughout the girls and Buffy felt herself going into shock. Los Angeles could be her ticket to fame! L.A. was the it place where anyone worth knowing was discovered. But then her happy thoughts turned to dread. What if Mallory didn’t pick her?
Unlike Drusilla, she wasn’t egoistic and didn’t think hugely of herself. She was aware she was a good soccer player but she didn’t think she was the only one in the world. While Buffy’s head raced with thoughts of uncertainty, Drusilla was calm with triumph.
“I’ve decided to take Buffy and Drusilla,” Mallory waited for a second for it to sink in before Buffy’s eyes widened comically. She gasped and Drusilla simply smirked. The girls giggled and cheered loudly, hugging her and patting her shoulder in congratulations. Drusilla didn’t care about the slight jealousy that coursed through; she was going somewhere now.
“Thank you so much!” Buffy gaped at Mallory, aghast at how Drusilla ad Mallory could be so calm about everything!
Mallory smiled at her. “Just show me you deserve it.” She winked as if to say “I already know you will”.
Mallory then cleared her throat. “Anyways, there are a few things you two should know. The team is a gender-mix which they are trying for the first time. There has been complaints to the International Soccer Association that the males are being exposed much more than the women are. They wanted a mix so now girls play with guys.” Mallory grimaced as she realized the double entendre of her words and Harmony snickered.
Mallory gave a tiny smile before continuing. “So, you girls will be grouped with three other girls and six other guys. They are all the same age as you, seniors in high school. As for school, you’ll be placed temporarily at Hemery High School until tutors can be found for you. Other than that, you’ll be playing for the L.A. Slayers. When the season is over, they will decide if they want to draft you into national leagues,” Mallory let this information sink in for the girls.
She wasn’t impressed with Drusilla’s dry response to it all, as if she had expected it or something. Though she was loathe to choose her as one of two players, she had to take the best and this was her job. She anticipated that the hard challenges Drusilla would face would teach her a little bit of kindness and respect but she was unsure for now.
She clasped her hands together. “So, please speak to your parents about this and see what they say. If the answer is yes, you’ll be travelling to L.A. for eight months. We’ll place you in a hotel and from there, you’ll train and go to school. Here are permission slips and be sure to get them to call me if the answer is no!”
She passed out two slips to the two girls and they accepted them hungrily.
“So this means that I’m not going to be your coach anymore and you’ll be training amateur soccer with another person. I’ll miss you guys and I’m sorry to do this but…” her voice trailed off and she was relieved when she saw the understanding in her team’s eyes.
As the team went into the locker rooms to change and shower, Buffy stopped by Mallory and smiled gratefully.
“Mallory, I wanted to thank you so much for doing this for me,” she touched her arm lightly in a gesture of deep thanks.
Mallory smiled sideways at her, crooked and sweet all the same. “Buffy, I just want to make sure you get to where you want to be. Now go shower. You smell.” With a teasing grin, she shooed away a chuckling Buffy and returned to packing up.
Buffy entered the locker room and wrinkled her nose in disgust at the stench of sweat. She strode to her locker and quickly rolled the numbers around and loosely pulled it out. She grabbed her towel and a change of clothes and entered the shower that was already occupied by her team. Grimacing, she realized the only empty space was the last one.
Next to Drusilla.
Sighing, she undressed and left her clothes in her locker as she wandered through the stalls and awkwardly passed her naked team members as they showered. Reaching the last one, she brushed past Dru and turned on the shower.
Yanking the metal bar to the hot side she relished in the feel of the hot water washing over her exhausted body.
Feeling eyes on her, she opened her own and found Dru glaring at her. Buffy grinned back and leaned casually against the tiled wall, sticking her perky tits out slightly as she allowed the water to slide down her front, onto her taut stomach.
“See something you like, honey?” she asked, leering. She loved getting in lesbian digs, not because she was lesbian, but because Dru’s reaction was so damn funny.
Not to mention predictable.
Drusilla rolled her eyes. “I just thought you should know, Summers,” she walked up to Buffy until she was right in her face and looking into her hazel coloured eyes. “You’re not going to win here.”
Buffy snickered. “Lame, de Veer. Really. I would have expected something more slutty than that girl power bullshit.”
Dru narrowed her eyes. “Watch your back, Summers.”
Buffy smirked. “It’s hot, isn’t it?”
Dru growled and strode away from Buffy. As soon as she was out of the showers, Buffy allowed the shivers to come.
That girl seemed like a real threat to her now. Buffy would have to watch her back.
If she didn’t, who knew what Dru could be capable of?
*****
“I don’t know Buffy…eight months is awfully long.”
“Please Mom. This is my big break! I’ll be going to school still and I’ll get the chance to play for the L.A. Slayers!”
Buffy spent the evening begging to convince her mother she could go. Joyce Summers was apprehensive at the prospect of her daughter completely alone in Los Angeles. She trusted Mallory and since she was there, she knew Buffy would be relatively safe.
Relatively.
Joyce sighed and folded her hands neatly together in her lap. “You can go but there are conditions.”
Buffy squealed with joy and then calmed herself quickly to prepare herself for the prerequisites.
“You must maintain a 90 average and be with someone at all times. You must keep a curfew of ten o’clock and you are not to wander the streets alone. You’re not allowed to go out at night unless Mallory accompanies you. Understood?”
Buffy grinned. “Okay. Thank you so much Mom!”
“Give me the permission slip.”
And with that, Buffy handed over the piece of paper that would lead her to what would make her or break her.
*****
At the Giles’ residence...
“Oh do shut up and just give me the permission form, William.”
Spike grinned widely.
He was headed to L.A.
TBC
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Author's Chapter Notes:
MANY, MANY, MANY thanks go to Christine (colligate) for her AWESOME beta work! *Hugs and kisses* Love you sweetie!
Okay so this is an A/U, and it's a soccer fic. I got pretty good reception back at EF so I hope you guys enjoy too. Please leave a review, I would really appreciate it.
Also, many thanks go to nmcil (Sylvia) for her gorgeous work on the banner for this story!
Again, hope you enjoy this story guys.
IMPORTANT NOTE!!!! PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE READING THE STORY: DO *NOT* CLICK ON THE ACTUAL STORY TEXT. IT WILL DIRECT YOU TO THE PHOTOBUCKET LINK TO THE BANNER. AGAIN, DO NOT CLICK THE TEXT! LEAVE A REVIEW IF YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES READING THE ACTUAL STORY, HOWEVER! Thanks and sorry for the inconvenience.
Okay so this is an A/U, and it's a soccer fic. I got pretty good reception back at EF so I hope you guys enjoy too. Please leave a review, I would really appreciate it.
Also, many thanks go to nmcil (Sylvia) for her gorgeous work on the banner for this story!
Again, hope you enjoy this story guys.
IMPORTANT NOTE!!!! PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE READING THE STORY: DO *NOT* CLICK ON THE ACTUAL STORY TEXT. IT WILL DIRECT YOU TO THE PHOTOBUCKET LINK TO THE BANNER. AGAIN, DO NOT CLICK THE TEXT! LEAVE A REVIEW IF YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES READING THE ACTUAL STORY, HOWEVER! Thanks and sorry for the inconvenience.
Chapter End Notes:
Well? *bats eyelashes* Do I get a review?
Just to let all know: I have 7 beta-ed chapters ready to go. I will post one chapter per day and in the meanwhile, I'm writing for the My Dark Angel series (I'll be posting that here as well, but if you'd like to read that, check it out at Elysian Fields) and chapter 8 for PtF.
Just to let all know: I have 7 beta-ed chapters ready to go. I will post one chapter per day and in the meanwhile, I'm writing for the My Dark Angel series (I'll be posting that here as well, but if you'd like to read that, check it out at Elysian Fields) and chapter 8 for PtF.