Hello everyone, and welcome to the third story I'm writing on here. In not even a month, I've written two stories. And I can't get enough of writing about NRDD, so here's another story for everyone! Yaaay

This is an alternate universe story, so it could in no way actually happen during the series

"You got this Dawn!", Anne shouted over the soccer field.

It was the day of the most important game of the tournament for The Buffalows. They were up against The War Pigs, and this competition was crucial. The winner of the season would be announced. The Buffalows had to get this win, or it would be the 29th year in a row Edgewood lots a champion ship.
That was not an option.

Dawn was tired. Like, really tired. She had barely slept anything the night before. There wasn't any reason for her not to sleep. She wasn't even nervous about the game. It was just a really inconvenient time for insomnia.

Being a good goalkeeper was close to impossible when you were that tired. Dawn had already let in three goals.

"Go sweetie!" Anne waved her big foam finger around. As usual, she had dragged Tom and the boys over there to watch Dawn. She had been doing it since they were seven, and she wasn't planning to stop.

The boys sat beside her and Tom, yawning, groaning, and playing on their phones. They hated doing this every weekend.

"How much longer do we have to stay here?" Dicky looked up at Anne.

Anne looked disappointed, and sighed.

"In five minutes, when the game is over" She went back to cheering for Dawn. "You can take this one!"

Nelly kicked the ball, right at the goal Dawn was standing in. Dawn was clearly not prepared. She just flinched as the ball flew in right next to her.

Anne bit her tongue, and turned her eyebrows down.

"Next time, Dawn!"

That next time turned out to not even come. Five minutes later the judge blew his whistle, and the game ended at 4-1, to the War Pigs fortune.

All of the blue clothed girls started cheering and jumping. They bounced into a team hug, celebrating their victory. The Buffalows in red jerseys all went up to Dawn, seemingly asking her what happened to her.

The other Harper's were at a quick pace getting down from the seats, and onto the field with Dawn. Tom and Anne ran the last bit, leaving the boys behind (they didn't care enough to run). The other soccer players moved out of the way, revealing Dawn, who was pacing in a little circle, tears in her eyes.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" Anne stopped Dawn's pacing, by placing her hands on Dawn's shoulder.

"No!" Dawn pushed Anne's hands off. "I ruined the game for my whole team... I made us lose"

"How? What happened? Tom lifted Dawn's chin, which was almost touching her chest.

"Nothing. The game was so boring, I can't even remember a second" The boys had caught up, Nicky going in front.

Anne gave him a deadly look, and whispered:

"Nicky, you are not helping"

She turned back to Dawn, who was pacing again.

"It's my fault we lost!"

"No, it's not sweetie"

"Yes it is! I was so tired I couldn't do anything"

"It's not your fault that you were tired. You just got no sleep, and that doesn't make you the worst"

There was a sudden change in Dawn's emotions. She smiled, and nodded.

"Yeah... You're right. I couldn't help it"

Tom patted her on the back.

"That's my girl"

A short, sweet silence followed.

"Can we go home now?"

Anne sighed.

"Yes, Ricky"

And so the Harper's left the soccer field.

A couple of hours later, Dawn was still sad about the loss, but she wasn't blaming herself for it. At least she wasn't saying out loud it was her fault.

She sat in her bed, pen in hand, intensively pouring her thoughts into her diary. Although she had told her parents it wasn't her fault, she still believed so.

Like, if she had been peppy and lively at the game, she wouldn't have let those goals in, and their team would have won with 1-0. It was clearly her fault, and the others had just told her not to make her happy.

Dawn didn't want to talk to anyone right now. Not Anne, not Tom, not the Icky's, not anyone else. She just needed a break from them for a while, then everything would be fine.

Very short first chapter to be me, but that's because I wanted to save the real events until chapter 2.

Hope ya liked it!