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Amber Freeman and Tara Carpenter were a force to be reckoned with on the soccer field. The duo just clicked together so well that not even the best defensive players could stop those two from scoring.
The two girls quickly realized their unreal talent after joining Woodsboro’s Girls’ Soccer team their freshman year and before they knew it they had quickly been moved to the varsity team with the upperclassmen. Their chemistry on the field was electric, the way they so easily played off each was like watching a famous artist paint a masterpiece.
Their friends were always their biggest cheerleaders, literally and figuratively. Chad, Mindy, and Wes were always in the stands with cringy signs and face paint. Eager to cheer on the young team members. The entire first season the crew did not miss a game, the tradition followed into Chad’s football season (even if he spent 90% of it on the bench). They quickly added Liv, a cheerleader to their friend group after she recognized Tara at their summer job and complemented their supportiveness for the not-so-football player.
But now they were sophomores heading into their second season on the varsity soccer team. It was a very important game for the duo and well the whole school. They were of course playing their rivals in the name of school spirit.
Tara and Amber were superstitious when they had big games coming up. It started with a sleepover that Mindy always crashed of course followed by Chad and Liv and eventually Wes. They’d get ready for school together and Amber always ensured that Tara took her medication for her Asthma as she didn’t want the younger girl to literally kill herself on the field. They always had pepperoni pizza for lunch and drank yellow Gatorade before heading to practice.
“So ladies, are we gonna rock it tonight?” Mindy asked as they prepared their backpacks. Each girl wore their royal blue jerseys and Mindy of course wore Tara’s gold away jersey that she had proudly stolen from the girl’s closet Carpenter 03 across her back. Amber would describe it as a serious case of FOMO but Tara loved it.
“That's always the plan Ms. Carpenter.” Tara teased the girl. Eying her own jersey on her best friend’s back and chuckling.
“You don’t wear my jerseys” Chad whined from the other side of the table.
“You’re lucky they even let you wear a jersey.” Mindy snapped back. “Plus you gave Liv your jersey remember.” Chad stood up a little stung from his sister’s comment.
“At least he gave it to someone, you had to steal yours” Amber rolled her eyes.
Mindy loved when the little green monster jumped out of Amber it was almost always directed towards Wes but sometimes she could summon it, like when Tara would allow Mindy to rest her head on her shoulder during movie nights or when she would like in this instance steal some of Tara’s clothes. Mindy liked that side of Amber- she was more relatable when she was snarky. Plus she knew that she had secretly wanted to have been the one who was wearing the extra Carpenter jersey, but how could she when she was wearing her own? Why let the opportunity go to waste?
Mindy was hyper-aware of everyone’s dynamics, she loved to use it to her advantage. She knew Amber has had a crush on Tara since last year. The little green monster first appeared when Wes shared the news of him and Tara beginning a relationship last summer. Amber was less than ecstatic, often making the boy’s life as close to a living hell as possible. So when word that they had broken up earlier this summer got out Mindy knew Amber would waste no time schmoozing her way close to Tara. Now the two were inseparable. Mindy was just waiting for indisputable evidence to bring to her best friend’s attention so that the two can live happily ever after.
…
“9 and 14 switch!” Coach Fox called out to Amber on the field. She threw her hands up rushing over to the bench. The game was going great, they were winning 3-1. She didn’t understand why she had been benched or why she would separate her from Tara, but with a stern look from her coach, she just sat down, saving her energy for the later part of the game. She sent a daggering look to Liv across the field in her cheerleading uniform just for the heck of it, she needed someone to feel her wrath and clearly, it was not the field nor her coach.
The rest of the group was in the audience cheering the girls on and absolutely being enamored in the sea of blue. Once again they broke into the face paint. Mindy had each girls’ number painted on either cheek and Chad had alternating eye black in the school’s colors. Wes of course opted out but was wearing a homemade shirt that read I’m with #3 that he had made last season but never stopped wearing it when he and the player broke up.
Tara broke through the neutral zone. The small girl took the ball and dribbled her way past a crowd of orange jerseys. The crowd was on their feet. Tara was about to seal the deal of the game and give her team a 3-point lead and a nearly deadly choke hold. The crowd was roaring. She wound up her leg for a kick and just as her foot was about to make contact with the ball she felt forceful hands meet her chest knocking the air out of her. The crowd fell silent as Tara hit the ground backward, her head bouncing upon contact with the ground, and the opposing teammate landed on top of her.
It felt like she was watching it in slow motion Mindy took off out of the stands trying to get to her friend running faster than she ever had before in her life and the rest followed her.
Amber was on her feet the second she saw the orange jersey zone in on Tara and rushed off the bench the second she had made contact with the smaller girl and to the scene the similar slow-motion effect taking over her vision, She grabbed the player who was on off of Tara by the collar of their jersey ripping them to her feet and pushing her back causing the player to stumble. She was seeing red, a rage fired within her and then before she could even register what was happening Amber delivered a punch square in the face that didn’t go unanswered by a teammate. Eventually, a brawl between both teams broke out before any ref or coach could intervene. Amber at the heart of it threw punches at anyone who tried to get between her and the dick who hit Tara.
Mindy was the first one to Tara’s side; she ran straight through the field and to her motionless friend.
“Tar” She huffed gently, placing her hands on the girl’s shoulder, scared she would hurt her more. She had her back to the brawl trying to protect Tara from the fights behind them.
Whistles were blowing, the crowd was yelling for the refs to make a call on the play, and Chad tried to navigate through the yelling teams to find the one who had thrown the first punch. Removing her from the situation before she got herself into any more trouble, he grabbed Amber holding her arms as she tried to break free from him.
“You want to make a cheap shot then you better be prepared to take one!” Amber yelled at the girl who had tackled Tara. She flailed in the large boy's arms until he basically threw her to the side placing himself in between her and the fight.
“Stop Amber!” He grabbed her shoulders forcing her to plant her feet. “Tara is hurt, you need to stop” He bargained with her and the anger in her eyes faded into a soft one he was unfamiliar with. She stopped fighting against him and dropped her arms. The severity of what happened drew her back to reality. Tara was hurt.
She rushed back towards Tara who was still lying motionless on the field. Wes held her head still as Mindy tried to wake the girl up.
“Tara!” Amber cried falling to her knees next to her. She brushed the loose strands of hair away from the girl's face.
“Come on T, please wake up.” She smoothed the girl's hair. Mindy noticed the tears in the girl’s eyes that threatened to fall, the way it looked like her world was crumbling around her this was definitely indisputable evidence she thought to herself.
“Tara baby please.” Amber whispered. “Please” Amber wiped a small train of blood from Tara’s nose, clearly from impact with the other girl's elbow when they fell. She was disturbingly still. It was honestly terrifying. Moments later the girl's eyes scrunched and she shifted slowly. Amber and Mindy looked at each other as Mindy moved Wes’ hand from the girl. He mumbled something about head injuries in his “mall cop know it all” fashion and Amber pushed him back further making him lose balance and fall on his ass.
Tara’s eyes shot open and quickly closed just as quickly with a groan. She tried opening them again as she tried to sit up. Amber and Mindy quickly pushed her back down, placing a gentle hand on either side of the girl.
“No Tar you need to lie down” Mindy said.
“What happened?’ Tara groaned as she rubbed her temples and kept her eyes shut, the stadium lights burning them.
“Tara, you took a pretty bad hit during the game, we’re waiting for the ambulance.” Liv spoke up, putting her phone back in her pocket. Amber gave the girl a soft thankful look, one that Liv had never even imagined receiving from her.
“No no, the game. I’ve gotta get to the game.'' Tara shook her head sitting up again, a wave of dizziness taking over. This time Amber grabbed her, pulling her into her lap.
“Tara, you're at the game, you got hurt, everything is going to be okay.” She tried to soothe the girl. Mindy gave her a concerned glance.
Tara didn’t remember. Not even something they said a few moments ago.
Tara couldn’t understand what Amver was saying. All she could hear was static ringing and muffled voices. She heard high-pitched whistles that made her head hurt more, oh yeah- her head hurt, how did that happen? Tara didn’t know what was going on. She could barely see anything with these blinding lights and all she knew was she needed to get to the game. She began to panic.
Amber noticed the unevenness of her chest rising and falling as her breathing became labored and hoarse.
“She’s having an asthma attack.” She met Mindy’s eyes, praying she had the girl’s inhaler as she usually would during a game being neither of the girls could keep it and play. Mindy nodded frantically, patting her pockets.
“MINDY NOW.” She yelled startling everyone around her including Tara. Mindy found the inhaler in her hoodie pocket under her jacket and fumbled trying to hand it to Amber.
“Okay baby girl, let’s breathe.” She said Bringing the inhaler to the girl’s lips, Tara’s hands shakily meeting Amber’s.
“Deep breaths, you’re okay.” Amber rubbed her back trying to relax the girl.
“What do we have?” Was the last thing Tara heard before being ushered to the paramedics and into the back of an ambulance.
…
The next time Tara remembered waking up she was home. In the comfort of her own bed. She sat up to look around, instantly regretting it with the dizziness that consumed her. Once she was able to focus she found she had collected quite the crowd in her room. Mandy, Chad, Liv, and Wes all asleep scattered around the floor of her room.
Her heart sank when she didn’t immediately see Amber. She couldn’t remember exactly what happened but she was sure Amber would’ve been here if everyone else was. She went to get out of bed swinging her legs to the edge of her bed.
“Absolutely not.” She heard that voice. The voice she melted to. To be honest it startled her but she automatically relaxed as she heard it again. “You’re staying in bed.”
Amber sat up in the chair that had been moved from her desk to the side of her bed. Tara turned to her. She could see she had been crying tears trails down her cheeks, and she noticed a bruise forming under her eye.
“Amber what happened.” She harshly whispered trying to get to the taller girl who was on the opposite side of the bed. She slowly reached out to examine the injury before her hand was caught by a bruised one.
“Amber.” Tara whispered softly this time.
“What happened?” She took her hand into her own.
Amber got up from the chair and sat on the bed next to Tara. She thought about her words carefully. She laid back gently pulling Tara into her side and stroking a loose piece of hair behind her ear. Honestly Amber couldn’t even remember what happened. It was like she blacked out on all the details but she knew one thing: “Let’s just say we’re both benched for a month.”