Penalty Shot: A Soccer Story
Chapter 1:
"clack clack clack"
Kagome's keyboard was being put to us today it seemed. She sat at her desk in a cubicle, one out of many and typed away. She glanced at the clock every few minutes, 10, 5, 3, 2, 1. When she had one minute left, Kagome saved her work, turned off her computer, locked her desk drawers, grabbed her coat and bag (which contained her soccer ball), and took off. Kagome has been hard at work gaining money to support the family. She was just leaving her 9-5 weekend job as a typist at a firm that translates manuals into six different languages. So Kagome knows Japanese, English, French, Spanish, Chinese, and German, accomplished, huh? Well Kagome has two other jobs as well, she works at a pizza place and at a roller-skate rink, so she can cook as well as skate. She walked to the bus stop a little ways down the street from the Building and looked at her watch.
"Oh, never mind. I'll just walk." She told her bag.
Kagome walked in her front door and called out that she was home. She took her high heel shoes off and left them on the shoe mat. She went into the living room and greeted her brother and grandpa.
"Hi guys!" Kagome said.
"Oh, Kagome. You're home." Said Gramps.
"Yep." Replied Kagome.
Souta came up to Kagome and hugged her.
"Hi Souta."
Souta held up a pad of paper.
'HOW WAS WORK'
"Work was fine, thanks. Ugh, now I've gotta go get ready for work again."
Kagome ruffled Souta's hair and went upstairs to her room; she changed into her pizza place uniform. A red shirt and dark blue pants. Kagome put her bag on one shoulder and went back downstairs and into the living room.
"All right you two I'm off to work, be good." Kagome told her tow family members.
Souta held up the pad again.
'BYE KAGOME'
"Bye Kagome." Replied her Grandpa.
Kagome put on her converse shoes, left the house, and walked to the restaurant down the street. She entered the place and went to the back room to drop off her bag.
"Kagome! How are you today?" Greeted her boss, Miroku.
"I'm okay, and you?" Replied Kagome.
"I'm good. So today you're on your own, ok?" Reported Miroku.
"That's fine boss." Replied Kagome.
"Good, I'm going to leave now." Said Miroku.
"Ok. See ya later." Kagome told him.
Miroku left and Kagome put on an apron, and went around to each table, washing it and making sure there were napkins, cheese, salt, ketchup, etc. on each table.
'ring ring'
Kagome went to the counter and answered the phone.
"Hello, Pizza Place, Kagome speaking, what can I do for you?"
"Yes, hello. I would like to reserve a table for seven." Said a man's voice.
"Ok, do you have a time or just all day?" Questioned Kagome.
"Hmm. I think all day would be fine, if that's ok with you." Said the voice.
"Yes sir that would be fine, today is usually a slow day anyhow." Replied Kagome.
"Ok, then I guess that's all, we can order when we get there." Said the voice.
"Ok, and I'll reserve that table for you." Kagome said.
They both hung up and Kagome set around to pushing tables together to seat seven. She set them up in the best spot in the restaurant, she set a table cloth and got out all the plates and silverware and cups and put them in easy reach. She then went around and mopped the floor. After two hours of cleaning up and tinkering around, she finally got her bag from the back and pulled out a soccer ball.
"Hello Julien." She told the ball.
Kagome passed time by tossing the ball at the wall and catching it as it bounced back. She didn't realize that a group of people were approaching the place, she just went ok catching the ball. As the group entered the place a little bell rang, distracting Kagome just as the ball was coming back at her.
'THWACK'
The ball hit Kagome in the head and went bouncing around. The group of seven paused in the doorway and watched as Kagome's face got a dismayed look on it.
"Julien!!" Kagome yelped.
The ball was heading straight for the wall of pictures. Kagome ran forward and jumped in the air, catching Julien in the stomach and hitting the floor with a crash, while the soccer ball went careening off to the opposite end of the restaurant. Kagome sprang back up and went speeding after the ball.
"Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap. Knock it off Julien." Kagome chanted as she went after it.
The soccer ball hit the wall and bounced back straight at Kagome. The seven expected her to duck but were surprised when she set her feet, squared her shoulders, and caught the ball as it sped at her. She summer salted over it and sat on the floor catching her breath. Kagome looked at the ball.
"You know Julien. You suck." Kagome groaned.
She got up and then looked back at the forgotten customers. They were staring at her with open mouths.
"Um...Sorry about that." Kagome apologized.
Kagome looked at them.
"You wouldn't happen to be the seven that reserved the table earlier?" She asked.
"Yes as a matter of fact we would be." Replied the man from the phone.
"Oh, ok. Um give me one second to put him away." Kagome said gesturing to the ball.
The seven nodded and looked at each other. Kagome came back a second later.
"All right follow me."
Kagome led them to the tables she had set up earlier.
"Here you are." Kagome said.
Kagome pulled out some menus and waited for the seven to be seated before she gave them the menus.
"All right my name is Kagome, and I'll be your waitress today. What can I get you to drink?" Kagome said.
"They will all have ice water, and I'll have a coke." The man from the phone told her, cutting off the rest of them.
"Ok. I'll be right back with your drinks, let me know when you're ready to order." Kagome said.
Kagome went to the kitchen and got six ice waters and one coke with ice. She put them on a catering plate and took it over to the group. She gave them their drinks and took the plate back into the kitchen.
"All right Kagome. We are ready to order." Called the man from earlier.
Kagome walked over with her pad out.
"All right, what can I get you?" Asked Kagome.
"We'll get a sheet pizza, regular sauce. Half pepperoni and cheese, half with banana and pineapple on it." The same man order again.
Kagome nodded.
"Would you like the banana and pineapple on while it gets cooked or after." Asked Kagome.
"Hmm. After, thank you." The man said.
"Ok, it'll be about half an hour." Kagome informed them.
They nodded and Kagome went to the kitchen. She put her hair into a pony and washed her hands. Kagome got some pre made dough out of the fridge and threw it up in the air and caught it. She then put it in the pizza pan and added the sauce. She put cheese on it. Kagome then got a big wooden spatula and put the pizza on the spatula. She opened the oven and stoked it some then put the pizza in the oven in the wall and closed the door. Kagome then set the timer for twenty minutes. Kagome nodded, satisfied and wiped her hands on her apron. She walked back out into the main area and grabbed the plates and things off the counter. She carried them over to the table and set up the seven people's places.
"Refills, anyone?" Kagome asked.
"No thank you Kagome." The man said.
"All right, I'm going to go take out the trash so I'll be gone for a few minutes." Kagome told them.
The seven nodded and Kagome walked to the back room and grabbed the trash and took it out the back door. As Kagome opened the door she shivered. She hated the back alley, it scared her. She quickly made her way to the dumpster and put the garbage in it, she let the top slam as she sprinted for the door, she was really creeped out. Kagome shut the door and leaned on it, catching her breath. She heard the timer go off and went to the kitchen, she washed her hands and got out some bananas and a pineapple. Kagome peeled both and then got a knife and began to cut up the food. When she deemed the piles to be big enough she stopped and went over to the oven. Kagome grabbed the big wooden spatula and opened the door, a rush of hot air came pouring out onto her as she put the spatula in and got the pizza on it. She pulled the pizza out and put it back on the pizza pan. Kagome put the bananas and pineapples on half the pizza and then got potholders and carried the pizza to the table next to theirs. She went back and got the stand and then set it up on their table and set the pizza on top of it.
"Here you are one sheet pizza." Kagome said. "Anything else?"
"Could we have those refills now Kagome?" Asked the man.
"Sure thing, sir." Kagome went and refilled their drinks.
Kagome replaced the drinks and then her cell phone went off. Kagome paled and looked down at her pocket. She wiped it out and answered it.
"Grandpa? What's wrong?" Questioned Kagome.
'...'
"What? Where?" Kagome was suddenly angry.
The others looked on silently. Kagome had a very determined look on her face.
"If you'll excuse me for a bit, my little brother needs help." Kagome told them.
"Of course." Replied the man.
Kagome nodded then rushed into the back. She came out a minute later with black fingerless gloves on, a black shirt, black pants with lime green stripes down the sides, tennis shoes on, and she was putting her hair in a pony.
"All right Julien, stay here ok? I'll be back soon, tell Miroku where I am if he gets back." Kagome told the soccer ball.
Kagome then left the shop; she paused outside and took a deep breath. She then began to run. Back in the shop the others nodded to each other and the man from the phone got up and followed her. He had been following Kagome for a few blocks when he noticed that she was slowing down. He pulled out his cell phone and began to record with it.
Kagome jogged down one more street and then walked into a schoolyard. She looked around and saw a big group of kids. She marched over to them and pushed a bunch of them out of the way. She got to the center of the circle and stalked forward. Two kids were holding a third one by the arms while a fourth boy punched and kicked the third boy.
"Hey!" Kagome yelled.
It got quiet and the three boys stopped beating the third boy.
"What in the seven hells do you think you're doing?" Kagome shouted.
"Delivering punishment" one of the boys said.
"On my little brother, who happens to be mute?" Kagome asked.
"Yea and?" The boy who had been kicking Souta asked.
"Hn. Try me instead." Kagome said.
"Psh. I don't hit girls." The first boy said.
"Who said anything about fighting? Soccer. Name a time and place." Said Kagome.
"Who are you kidding, girl? Women can't play soccer." Said boy one.
"We'll see, eleven on eleven. Co-ed. You pick the time and place." Kagome said.
"Fine, eleven on eleven. Two forty minute halves. No subs. One ref, someone neutral's pick. Next Saturday. Noon. Giovanni's field, best one around." Said the first boy.
"Fine with me. It's on." Kagome said.
Kagome waited until the other kids were gone until helping Souta. She kneeled next to him and he clung to her. Crying silently into her shirt, she rubbed soothing circles into his back. He fell asleep and she picked him up and carried him into the school. She set him down on the floor outside the office and went into the office. Half an hour later she came back out with some paper work in her hands. She shook Souta awake enough to tell him she was gonna carry him. He climbed on her back and held on. Kagome grabbed his legs and began the trek back to the pizza place. Unknown to her, the man from the phone had seen the whole thing and was already on his way back to the restaurant.
Kagome entered the shop and went into the back. She sat Souta down on the bench and propped him up against the wall. She put the papers in her bag and then changed back into her uniform. She put the apron on and then walked out to the main room.
"How did you guys like the pizza?" Kagome asked as she approached the table.
"It was excellent, thank you Kagome." Said phone man.
"I'm glad you liked it." Kagome said.
"Are you ready for the check?" Asked Kagome.
"I suppose we are." Agreed phone man.
"Ok, one sec." Kagome said.
Kagome gave them the check and receipt and began to collect the dirty dishes.
"Aren't there other employees that work here?" One of the guys talked for the first time.
"Not today. Boss figures that since today's so slow, there's no since in making all of us show up for work." Replied Kagome.
"That makes sense." The man said back.
Kagome finished collecting the dirty dishes then took them to the kitchen. She dumped them in the dishwasher and turned it on.
"KAGOME!!!! DARLING!!!! WHERE ARE YOU?????" Called a falsetto voice.
Kagome smiled and shook her head.
"In the back." Called Kagome.
"WELL COME OUT HERE!!!" Yelled the voice.
"Okay, I'm coming." Kagome replied.
Kagome double over in laughter at the scene in front of her when she opened the door.
"J-j-j-jakotsu. HAHAHA. What are you doing?" Kagome asked.
"What? I'm not doing anything." Jakotsu replied innocently.
Kagome began laughing anew when Jakotsu jumped and tried to look innocent by quickly putting his hands behind his back. They only problem with that was that he had a hold of someone's hair, and their faces smashed into the doorframe when Jakotsu jumped. Kagome's out burst caused Jakotsu to look behind him and saw Bankotsu on the ground holding his face.
"Oh, dear Bankotsu, you really should be more careful." Jakotsu said.
"Gee, thanks Jak." Bankotsu growled out.
"Hang on Bank. I'll get you some ice." Kagome said as she walked to the kitchen.
Kagome came back a minute later to find Jakotsu glaring at something and standing in front of Bankotsu protectively as he lay on the ground. Kagome walked over to Bankotsu and put the ice on his face.
"What's wrong Jak?" Kagome asked.
Jakotsu ignored her and continued to glare. Kagome followed his gaze and found he was glaring at the customers. Kagome rolled her eyes.
"Come on Jak. Help me with Bank." Kagome said.
Jakotsu helped her move Bankotsu to a booth and held the ice on his face. Kagome walked over to the customers and gave them their check. They nodded to Kagome.
"Is it all right if we remained here for a while?" Asked phone man.
"Sure, you can stay until it's closing time if you want." Replied Kagome.
"Thank you." Replied phone man.
Kagome nodded and then went to the kitchen and cleaned up. She then went back out and talked with Jakotsu and Bankotsu for a while.
"So what made you guys show up today?" Asked Kagome.
"Souta." Was Bankotsu's short reply.
Kagome's eyes steeled over and she nodded.
"So you guys wanna play?" asked Kagome.
"Of course we do Kagome. Why wouldn't we?" Asked Jakotsu.
Kagome shrugged.
"You know how much we love a good rousing game of soccer." Bankotsu said in a really bad English accent.
Kagome raised an eyebrow while Jakotsu hit him on the back of the head.
"Uh-huh. Ok then, can I get some of what he's getting?" Kagome called out while looking around and pointing at Bankotsu.
Jakotsu dissolved into a fit of laughter and Kagome grinned cheekily at Bankotsu.
"Hardy Har Har." Bankotsu deadpanned.
"Hey. He thought it was funny." Kagome shrugged.
"Of course he does." Muttered Bankotsu.
Kagome merely laughed at him.
"But seriously Kags. That makes three. You, Jak, and me. So who else are you gonna 7sk?" Questioned Bankotsu.
"I don't know. I can't ask Fisherman, he's a goalie, I can't ask Theresa, she'd probably get hurt. I'd ask Tino and Victor but I think they're still mad at me..." Kagome trailed off.
"Hey. It wasn't your fault. You didn't kill him. Erick and Arthur did." Said Jakotsu.
"I know, but still, it hurts. Knowing that he's gone." Kagome said quietly.
Jakotsu hugged Kagome.
"I know. And until you let all those emotions out you're gonna keep feeling this way." Jakotsu said.
"Oh, shut up what do you know. Anyway, back to business." Kagome pulled out her pad and pen.
'JAKOTSU
BANKOTSU
KAGOME'
"Who else do we know?" Asked Kagome.
"Let's see. Theresa's a no. Henry?" J
"No" K
"Paul's a no. Maya, Nita?" B
"Maya's sick and Nita's in Texas." K
"All right. Dolly, Manp, Cesar?" J
"No, No, No." K
"Hmm...We really don't know anyone else who plays soccer." B
"So basically, we screwed." K
"I guess so." J
"Um. Excuse me. Kagome?" Phone man
"Yes what can I do for you?" Asked Kagome.
"We couldn't help but overhear your dilemma, and well. We'd like to help." Phone man.
"Why?" Asked Kagome.
"We play soccer." Said phone man
"So do we, what of it?" Asked Bankotsu.
"Bank, shut up. We need help. What can you do?" Asked Kagome.
"Meet us here tomorrow around three." Said phone man.
"All right." Agreed Kagome.
The seven of them left, soon afterwards Jakotsu and Bankotsu also said goodbye and left Kagome, with promises to meet around noon the next day. Kagome cleaned the restaurant and then she locked up and walked home with Souta on her back once again.