CH 43
Mrs. Hughes had the girl's team report to the gym during homeroom. From Driftwood, there were only 3 of them. "OK, ladies," she announced. "The girls at the other schools are getting this information also. Regional teams for each match will be the same as the District matches, elimination by tiers. Twelve teams, the first tier matches are Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Our first match will be Thursday, if we will, the next one will be on Sunday for second tier match, then on Wednesday, we stay until the Regional match is won. Right now, look at being absent from School Thursday, and possibly next Wednesday and Thursday. Teachers have been notified. If e have to stay over night, all your parents will also be notified. Be here six AM for departure. The matches are in Austin for tiers one and two, then the semi-final and the match for the State Cup will be in Houston. And remember, these teams are going to be tougher to beat than any Regional teams. Your uniforms will be the same. If we win the state championships, DO NOT change out on the field!"
Allison giggled. Joan only smirked.
Getting home for the day, Joan made sure her parents and Peggy knew they days she'd be gone.
Thursday came fast, Delilah drove them down to the bus, ensuring they had drinks and snacks for the trip. Again, the family would be coming once the games started.
Joan liked playing in a stadium. Their first game was against Region 4 team. Looking at the lineup, they had 2-5-3., which was unusual. Joan figured it was because of her. As they assembled, Joan ran over to Maria. "If they do block, me, I'll kick it back to you, get it over that main line. Jasmine, guard the ball."
"Right," they nodded.
They had first try. Joan plotted her were senior girls, she was sure she could get over them. Jasmine tapped her the ball, Joan took off charging. A player was coming from the side, two in front of her and another ran to block he from the left. Timing her steps Joan jumped on the ball with both feet and jumped up in a flip. The girl trying to slide into her missed. She flipped between the astonished girls directly in front of her and let the ball bounce away briefly before she caught up. All three fullbacks came running at her. She kicked the ball to Monica and raced behind the fullbacks. Monica kicked it back, Without stopping it, Joan kicked it hard at the far corner. The goalie was to slow for the ball whizzing past her. First goal.
The ball was taken out to put it back into play. The Region 4 girl passed it low and fast, Maria got a foot on it and kicked it high in the air. Joan raced for it as did another girl. Joan head butted it at the goal, recoiling her body looking like a snake striking. coming down, she ran into the girl, knocking her back on the was about to go for it, the goalie ready for it. Monica raced up and head butted it to the side, catching net.
2-0.
"Sorry, you OK?" Joan asked. The girl just glowered at her.
The ball went out of bounds again, the Region 4 Coach made some hand signals at his ran to mid field thirty yards back.
A fake throw, then the girl threw it to a receiver. The receiver took off around Monica, pushing hard. Joan raced over and when the ball was away from the girl kicking it, she tapped it to the side and stopped it. The girl ran past. Joan then kicked the ball and chased after it. She stopped and kicked to Maria, who was wide open. Maria raced for the goal, the fullbacks raced to intercept. Maria kicked it to Monica, Monica kicked it to Joan. Joan kicked it hard a the goal. In trying to stop the ball,it hit the goalie in the face and bounced straight up. maria ran up as the ball came down, she kicked it into the goal.
A whistle blew, the goalie was on the ground screaming as blood ran out of her nose.
Injured player, no goal. Restart, District 5. Monica took the ball out, only ten yards from the goal. Joan pointed in the air. Monica nodded. Monica threw th ball high, Joan got the trajectory and jumped up to kick it hard at the goal. It whizzed by the new goalie.
3-0
This team didn't quit. The half was longer, and Region 4 tried to delay some so they could rest. Joan didn't let it happen. She kept pressing them hard. A mis-kick, letting the ball get too far ahead, she punished them for every miscalculation. By time they focused on her and Monica or Maria would do the ball steal.
11-0, and the whole first half, Region 4 never got out of their end of the field.
"Joan, can you do the second half?" Coach Hughes asked.
"I can, put Allie up with me," Joan assured her.
Coach Hughes put Jasmine in fullback and Allison up front center with Joan. Region 4 got the kickoff this time. They kicked it away from Joan, Allison chased it down and kicked it over to Joan. Joan kicked it back. Watching the fast movements, the heavy mid-back line was split. Allison lofted it over them, Joan ran through and got it. She ran to the side, then cut back hard at Allison who was right in front of the goal. Joan kicked it fast to her. The ball made a BOOM when Allison kicked it in. The goalie was just reaching for it when it blasted past her and into the goal.
12-0
For all their desperate trying, and one girl passing out from the effort, the score ended 18-0
Many Region 4 girls dropped to their knees and wept.
.
"This is like watching pros beating up preschoolers," one woman in the stands said with a snort.
"Number one and number three. Joan Connor and Allison Young." the other woman said. "Their speed is incredible. Did you see that flip Number One did over the line with the ball?"
"Fifteen and Sixteen, they are old enough for the team. I haven't seen anything yet capable of even slowing them down."
.
Returning to the locker rooms to get their things so the next teams could play, The girls high-fived and hugged all the way in.
Coming back out a man in a gray suit stopped them. "Coach, you don't want to win another game. It would be bad for your health." he stated firmly.
Joan jogged up in front of her. She grabbed the man by his shirt and planted him into the wall. "Who says?" she asked in a demand.
The man took a swing, Joan caught his wrist and threw him into the other wall and pushed his arm up his back to make him cry out."Who says?" she asked again. He only gritted his teeth. She grabbed the back of his head and rammed his face into the wall. "WHO SAYS?" he barked.
"Fuck you!" he spat.
Joan slammed his head into the wall twice more, then threw him into the other wall.
"Joan, that' enough!" Mrs Hughes said in shock.
Joan eyed her. "No it's not. This scum bag can tell me who that message is from, or I will make sure he never walks again."
"I will kill you!" the man spat.
Joan kicked his knee full force, driving it into the wall. The crack of broken bones sounded. He wailed out in pain and collapsed.
"Who says?" Joan asked again.
"You're dead!" he wailed.
Joan stomped on his other knee. "WHO SAYS!" she barked. "Do you really want your arms pulled out of the sockets next?"
"You ... You ..."
Joan grabbed his ankle and lifted. "Maybe I should just tear this off!"
"STOP!" he wailed. "Mr. Barlow only send me to deliver a message!"
Joan leaned down, grabbed his chin and made him look at her. "YOU tell Mr. Barlow, if ANYTHING happens to anyone on my team, I will hunt him down day and night, until he is dead. It won't be fast land I will have no mercy. Got that?"
"Yes!" he cried in pain, and fear at seeing her red eyes up close.
Joan left him lay in place to groan in agony as Mrs. Hughes looked on in shock. She said, "We should go."
Mrs. Hughes had everyone go back in the locker room and called the police. Security and Police arrived and got a stretcher to take the man out on. Hearing the man had threatened them, and threatened to kill Joan. With a hallway full of witnesses, they arrested him and started looking for this Mr. Barlow.
For the damage done to this guy, it was hard to believe a kid did it.
A detective came looking into the incident. Lucky for Joan, there were 20 witnesses that all said the same thing. The man threatened the team, tried to hit Joan and threatened to kill her. Joan was just much faster the he was.
Joan's actions were determined to be self defense.
.
Mr. Barlow had a lot of money riding on this high school game in Vegas. at 10-1 odds, he thought it was a good investment. Upon hearing his messenger was in a prison hospital charged with threats and death threats to minors, his first impulse was to find and punish whoever it was. He then got the info of who had trashed his messenger boy. Joan Connor. Daughter of Cameron Connor.
Shit. He didn't want to get in a tussle with them. He decided it was time to cut his losses and begin covering up as fast as possible. Those people were bullet proof and made others disappear.
.
Going to a game on Sunday sucked. No fun swim in the lake, cookout or having fun with the family. At least Allie was her with her. Getting on the bus, all the girls were proud of her for beating that 'mob' guy down. They got to the stadium to find extra security. At each intersection, in front of the locker rooms and in the crowd, police and security men were looking for trouble.
The team they were playing today Region 7, had won 5-2. As with their last game, the whole team was seniors. Allison noted as they assembled, the coach on the other team was pointing out Joan. Mrs. Hughes also told them, "Watch yourselves, they do try dirty tricks."
Joan grinned. This might be fun.
The game started off as normal, Joan raced past the defenders and got a goal. Taking the ball out for the return, Jan noted there were five players around her. Watching them in her peripheral vision, as soon as the ball was thrown at her two closed in from either side. The one in front of the backed up. Joan jumped to head butt the ball and was rammed into by elbows. She hit the ball but off balance, she fell down.
A whistle blew. player interference. Joan got up and eyed the girl who elbowed her in the side. She took a step towards her. Allie ran over to hold her back. "Joan, no!Kill the goalie. Not her, not yet."
Joan got a free kick. She lined up eyeing the goalie with a sadistic grin. She had to angle this just right. The goalie was tensed, watching her, set to jump to either side. Joan raced at the ball and gave it the hardest kick she could.
BOOM
The ball few fast at the goalie, By the time the goalie went to grab it, the ball sailed past her hands and hit the right side of her face to deflect into the goal. The goalie recoiled and dropped flat. Goal. Yer out!
Joan turned to the girl who'd elbowed her and smiled.
2-0
The game from that point on was to do damage to the goalie. The first goalie had been taken inside for medical treatment. On a run for the goal, Joan was kneed, the girl who did it spun before landing and crying out on pain. A zig zag with Allie and Joan kicked the ball hard again from only twelve feet away, right into the Goalie's nose. Broken nose, wails of pain.
The game was stopped.
The coaches were called out on the field by the refs. The chunky ref sternly told them, "Any more direct assaults on players, and this game will be forfeited!"
Coach Hughes asked, you mean like deliberate elbows and KNEES hitting our girls? If the goalie can't stop the ball, that's not our fault! THEY are doing their best to play dirty! If they get hurt in the process, it's not our fault."
"The next deliberate foul by a team and that team forfeits the game!" the ref announced. He then pointed to Joan, "She needs to be medically checked out. She took a hard shot to the ribs."
"I'm fine!" Joan announced.
Two medics came out to escort Joan off the field.
"No, I'm fine! I can play!" Joan protested.
"Joan, you have to go get looked at," Coach Hughes said.
"But, I'm FINE!"
"Go!"
"GOD DAMMIT!" Joan wailed and stomped off in between the medics.
One of the recruiters for the Olympic team followed them into the medical room. The ponytailed woman with light brown hair explained she was here for the Olympic team. She got to see Joan go in and take her shirt off and laid down on the gurney. "I'm fine," Joan grumbled.
The medics looked at the nearly soccer ball sized bruise on her ribs. They tenderly prodded her. Take a deep breath," one coaxed.
Joan did and let it out. "I'm fine," Joan grumbled.
"Nothing broken," a nurse said.
"I'm fine, can I go now?" Joan asked.
They sat Joan up and bandaged her around the lower part of her ribs.
"Sorry, dear, you have to sit the rest of this game out."
Joan gaped at the nurse. "That bruise is nothing! It'll be gone before the game's over!"
"You're still sitting this one out."
"Can I go now?" Joan pleaded.
"I'll take her out," the ponytailed woman said. She motioned for Joan to come. Joan jumped off the gurney, spitting curses and shrugged her shirt back on.
Walking back to the field, The woman asked, "You took a hard hit out there."
Joan glanced at her. "Wasn't as hard as they thought. I'm going to miss the game now. It's not fair."
"Did you mean to KO both those goalies?"
Joan let out a snort. "Why not? They tried their weak, feeble attempts on me."
"You are one tough girl. Ever think about going to the Olympics?"
Joan paused. "Never thought about it. I just want to get back out there and do some damage. They want to play dirty? I can SHOW them dirty!"
The woman chuckled. "The best way to fight them is to keep playing clean, let them be the bad guys."
Overhead, the announcer said, "Game forfeit! Region 7 forfeits the game due to bad conduct. Region 4 retains their points at 9-0."
Coming down in the field, they met Allison coming bracketed by a pair of medics. There was a big bruise on her cheek.
"What happened?" Joan asked.
Allison frowned. "Instead of kicking the ball, she kicked my head. Cops took her away, she's charged with assault. So is the one who kneed you. The good news is, we're playing Wednesday. "
Joan frowned. "That's something I guess."
Getting back on the bus, a reporter was talking to Mrs. Hughes about the game. By the time they were leaving, Joan and thankfully Allison's bruises were gone. Allie didn't look good with a bruise on her face.
.
Sunday night, there was a spot on the news about District 7's bad conduct. It showed the girl racing at Joan and driving her knee into her, then spinning to fall holding her leg. Another scene of the ball coming down, Allison read to intercept and a girl kicking her in the head, nowhere near where the ball was. The reported told of school officials being questioned why they allowed such bad behavior. The investigation by Police told the girls were paid to 'take' out District 4 players, and arrests had been made on the men who paid them. The reporter wondered what was happening to our school kids who were acting like criminals.
Monday morning, Joan and Allison got called to the office to speak to a guidance counselor about their traumatic experiences. After a lecture on they could not dwell on these unfortunate events and she was here to help. Joan chuckled at her. "First, they hurt much more than I do. Second, I got two goalies by fair play and sent them off the field on stretchers."
Allison grinned and said, "They just assured us a win. And it's them who are under scrutiny, not us. I am a bit jealous, Joan got to beat the crap out of that guy who threatened us."
The woman asked, "Someone threatened you?"
"Yeah, but he came clean and told me who was responsible after I twisted his arm, broke both his knees and threatened to rip his leg the rest of the way off," Joan said flatly. "We don't take well to threats."
The woman swallowed. "Well, if you have any difficulties, don't be afraid to come see me."
"We're fine, really," Allison assured her.
.
Joan and Allison got their homework for Wednesday and Thursday before they left. Doing as much as they could on the bus, they nearly had it finished before they got back to Austin.
This time it was waiting for Region 2 and 9 to play their game before they could take the field. Joan and Allison finished their homework, ignoring the shouts and cheers from the bleachers. Her family was there, so she had Mommy One hold their back for the while they went in to get ready for the game.
Their game against Region 11 was a good game with no attempts at dirty tricks. Region 11 replaced exhausted players, and it ended up 9-1, Region 11 played hard to try and win.
The hotel they stayed over night in was decent, two girls per room. Joan wanted a room with Allison, but Allison got paired with Sally, and she got up to their rooms, Maria led Joan in. "Did you see, they got a pool," Maria said happily.
"Didn't being my bathing suit or my tail," Joan replied and dropped her clothes bag on the dresser. She pulled her uniform off so she could wash it.
Maria eyed her side. "I hear you got a big bruise on your side. It's gone."
"I heal quick. So does Allie," Joan replied.
Maria shook her head. "You are amazing, I watched you beat the crap out of that full grown man. You're not scared of anything, are you?"
"Not really," Joan said and grabbed a shirt and shorts to put on. "I was going to go do some laundry. Want me to do yours while I'm at it?"
"Thanks. You know, we can sneak down to the pool later tonight and just skinny-dip," Marie said with a grin.
Joan chuckled. "That would be fun, but I sink."
"You sink?"
"Straight to the bottom. I need my mermaid tail to swim," Joan told her.
"No! you can't swim?"
Joan cast her a brief grin. "I'm too heavy. I need the extra push to stay up."
"That's hard to believe. Just come in your shirt and shorts. That's what I'm going to do."
"OK," Joan relented. She figured she'd have to show them.
Joan got their laundry done. By that time, Maria had convinced the others to do a swim before dinner. Allison came up to Joan as they went out to the pool area.
"We sink like rocks," Allison reminded her.
"Yeah, we'll jump in the deep end with the rest, then just walk to the shallow end. See it anyone notices," Joan replied.
"Oh! I got a better idea," Allison said with a grin.
All the girls lined up across the end of the pool. Mrs. Hughes had a video camera to record their jump in the pool. She recorded their jump. They all splashed down. Popping up they laughed and climbed out to do it again.
"LOOK!" Nancy Santos cried, pointing down.
Lying on the bottom, face down was Joan and Allison. They weren't moving.
A few girls dove in to go rescue them. When Joan felt her arm being pulled on, she stood up on the bottom. Allie got up and pointed to the shallow end. Desperate for breath, girls that dove into safe them had to swim back to the surface. Joan and Allison walked up to break the surface with the team watching.
Joan looked at the staring faces and said, "Jeez! Go to take a nap, and we get manhandled!"
"Yeah, let's get towels to lay on," Allison agreed.
"How's this? a race to the other end, touch the wall and first one back to this end wins?" Joan asked.
"Yeah, OK!"
They moved up to the shallow end wall and poised to run. "Someone start us!" Allison called.
Blankly, Ellen said, "Go."
Joan and Alison took off in a splashing, paddling run. The water got deeper, they went under and kept moving and making swimming motions to go faster. Neither left the bottom. At the deep end, they crouched down and kicked off, shooting partway back, then kept up with their clumsy motions as they came up half walking/crawling and in the shallow water, windmilling in paddles to get to the edge. They grabbed the edge giggling their heads off.
"Who won?" Joan asked, looking up at Mrs. Hughes.
Their coach's mouth worked a couple times she then said, "It was a tie."
"We'll nave to do it again," Allison concluded. "Anyone else want to try?"
Monica got on the end with them. "I'll give it a try."
"You have to stay on the bottom," Joan told her.
"I'm game," Maria said and got in with them.
Sally, Nancy and Tamarra also got in. The rest watched.
Ellen called out, "Ready, set, go!"
They all started out fairly even, then the bottom dropped down. Buoyancy was not a friend in this game. Joan and Allison ran/paddled down the incline. The other girls were floating, trying to get to the bottom. Nancy was swimming under water close to the bottom now, putting her hands on the bottom as much as possible. Maria made it half way then had to go up for air. So did Tammara. Nancy made it to the deep end wall and had to go up and get a breath. Coming back up the incline, Joan slipped and fell. She scrambled up and kept going. Allison grabbed the edge first.
"Allison wins!"
"Yay!" Allison cried, fist in the air.
"You really don't float at all," Maria said, looking at Joan.
"Nope. If we had our tails we could give you a show."
It was then Mrs. Hughes noticed something. "Joan. Maria, and Allison, where are your bras?"
Oops. In light shirts, they were kinda see-thought now. "Wow, Maria's got big nips," Joan noticed aloud. Maybe it was her medium brown skin, but those things really showed up.
.
After returning to their rooms to get dry clothes on - and bras, they went back down to the cafeteria for dinner. It was embarrassing for Joan to walk though the hotel holding her chest.
The whole team got the same dinner. It wasn't bad, but Joan wished they were able to buy their own. She also had no metal salt, either. That made to food rather bland. At least it was kinda filling.
Allison and Sally came by Joan's room. After showers in their hotel robes they had a mini-sleepover party.
.
The good thing about staying overnight in the hotel was they didn't have to get up at O-dark thirty. By the time Mrs. Hughes came to knock on doors, they were already dressed in their uniforms, bags packed to go. They congregated down in the lobby until everyone assembled. The bus showed up outside and they loaded on.
Going out to the field, the announcer said, "This is the semi-final playoff game. Region Four versus Region 8. The winner of this game meets the winning team from Huston for battle for the State Championship! While Region 8 has won every game they played, Region 4 had rolled over their opposition, leaving all but one team scoreless. It will be interesting to see how this match turns out. The injuries Region 4 has suffered, they have recovered from, so Region 8 will be facing their full front line."
After preliminaries, both teams took the field. Region 8 got the coin toss, they had the ball first. Joan was poised to rush whichever way they kicked it. They kicked it strait back and ran to the sides. The midback kicked, lofting the ball away from Joan. Allison jumped up and deflected it with her head. Joan scrambled. it went back to Erica, who trapped it and kicked it to Joan. Joan grabbed it and raced downfield. A kick to Allison who kicked it over to Maria, Maria ran down field and kicked it back just before she got to the fullbacks. A fullback deflected it Allison stopped and changed directions to recover it and flipped it to Joan, who took off down field to pass the fullbacks, then fake a kick and jog hard right. The goalie moved to intercept the fake kick. Joan belted it into the right corner. It hit the inside netting just past the goal post.
Coming back onto play, Region 8 fought hard to kept the ball. One of their own players kicked the ball to the goalie as their team spread back out. Allison changed hard and got a foot on the ball to kick it into the net only a few feet before the goalie had it.
It was another hard fought game. Region 8 got the ball and held onto it most of the way downfield. A slide by Erica knocked the ball away, and the player down. Sally kicked the ball hard, aiming for where Joan was. A Region 8 player jumped up to head butt it, then Ellen body-stopped it and saw Maria in the clear, she kicked it to her. Another Region 8 played stopped it and kicked it at one of their forwards, then Joan appeared to stop the ball and race away with it.
In a tight turn, Joan tried to turn too tight and grass flew as she slipped. She bounced back up, but A region 8 player belted the ball back upfield. She turned and chased it.
For a while the ball skittered around mid field, Then Joan got it again. She raced through the clearest spots, then saw to the side to girls coming at her. She belted it it to Monica. Monica belted it out on front of Allison. Allison raced at the goal, then spun and kicked it into the left side for a goal.
Halftime ended 4-0 and both teams were panting and sweating from their efforts.
The second half was when exhaustion showed. Not suffered from fatigue, Joan and Allison ruled the field. They got six more goals in. Region 8 tried their hardest , but had a hard time trying to keep up with their fast moves.
Final score, 10-0. Region 4 was going to the finals.
They got time to get showers, and then a five hour break before the other winning team was due to arrive.
Coach Hughes gather them into the locker room and said, "Listen up! The plan change is the team from Houston will be coming here, not us going to them. At this point, right here, you have an excellent chance at taking that cup! This game is for you, especially you seniors. College and Olympic recruiters will be watching this game. I know some of you have already been approached. Before you agree to anything look closely at what they have to offer. Colleges offer scholarships which will help pay for, or pay for in an Olympic team can also get you into a good college, as well as prestige and a path on to professional sports. think over ever offer carefully. This game, everyone needs to play their very best for yourselves. We meet here again at four thirty, don't wander off too far. "
There was a player's lounge with wide screen views of the field, and a couple of sportscasters being shown. Joan, Allison and Maria went down to get drinks and see if they had any games down here. They looked but there was nothing.
"This is going to be long," Joan said and sat down in an easy chair.
"At least they got good chairs," Allison said and took one on the side. Maria sat down across the table from Joan. "Is there something we could go see?" she asked.
Joan brightened up "Yeah! There should be."
"Guys, we're still in our uniforms and cleats," Allison reminded them.
"So? We just won't go far." Joan replied in a shrug. "Beats sitting and doing nothing."
"Let's go look," Maria said. They all got up and went over to a counter that had pamphlets.
"Here's a city map," Allison said.
They crowded around it.
Maria frowned. "For a State Capitol, there's not much here. close by."
"Run there and back?" Joan asked.
Maria frowned at her. "If we're tired before the game starts the coach will have our asses."
Joan innocently asked, "What will she do with our asses?"
That gave them a fit of giggles.
"I know you had your ass, Joan," Allison told her.
"And who had yours when we played the touchy-feely game?" Joan asked in retort.
"What's this?" Maria asked.
Joan said, "Miss horny there jumped on my boyfriend and rode him like a bronco."
"So did you," Allison reminded her.
Maria looked at Allison, then back to Joan. "Both of you?"
"Not a the same time. Allie was in my way," Joan explained.
Maria raised an eyebrow. "You must be very good friends."
"Always have been," Allison beamed.
"We're sisters, more or less."
"Actually," Allison said, pointing finger at Joan, "In a time-dimension way, I'm your mother."
Joan snorted out a chuckle, "Think you could fool Dad pretending to be Mom?"
Allison laughed.
"Now that's plain gross," Maria stated.
"I can see the look on John's face now," Allison said in a giggle. "Under the covers, snuggled up then, "But I'm Allison!"
Joan and Allison laughed. Maria eyed them. These two had a strange sense of humor.
"Joan, Allie, you guys want to go to lunch?" Cameron called.
Maria turned with them. Seeing Cameron she stared at her then Allison.
"Sure Mom! can Maria come too?" Joan asked.
Maria looked closely at Allison, then Cameron. "You two are twins!"
"That's Big me, Cameron," Allison explained.
"Come if you're coming, Your father's waiting." Cameron told them.
"Come on," Joan said and clasped Maria's hand to tow her along.
In their uniforms at the side entrance, the guards there gave Joan, Maria and Allison passes so they could get back in. At least they would be busy for a while.
Piling in the black Excursion, they went out and had a nice sit-down lunch, then found a zoo to go visit. A drive past the Statehouse, so they could at least say they saw it, then it was close to time they had to get back. Arriving twenty minutes early, Maria was still stunned and talk about Cameron, the older twin and Allison, the younger twin.
Facing some amusement, Maria said, "I'm telling you, they look identical!"
Mrs. Hughes came in and gave them their pep talk, and they went out for the Championship game.
.
As soon as they went out, Joan didn't have to be an empath to see there were two girls glaring at her. They had the ball first. "Same?" Allison asked softly
"Same."
Allison tapped the ball, Joan shot off to the right with it. The player she passed tried to slide a leg out and trip her and slid behind her. The mid-backs converged on her. Joan glanced at Allison the wrong time and got bumped into and pushed. The ball was forgotten as it rolled on and another mid-back kicked her in the face hard, tearing her cheek and knocking her down. Another foot hit her chest. Joan's anger flared. She grabbed the ankle to her and got up enough to push hard on the knee.
SNAP
The one went down screaming in pain. Joan shot up to glare at the face-kicker.
Shocked Joan was up, the girl backed up and held her hands up "I'm sorry!"
"No, you're dead!" Joan spat.