Chapter 5: Soccer Captain

After soccer tryouts were over, Coach Pacette would have all the girls sit on the bleachers. In his hand was everyone's fate. The clipboard listed the girls who made the team, the position and who was going to be captain. Judy sat on the cold hard bench with her fingers crossed. Coach Pacette took his time flipping through the papers on his clipboard.

"Oh, you must want to know some things," he said in fake surprise. Most people were too nervous to even respond.

"Well let's get started," Coach said.

He cleared his throat and began calling all the girls who made the team. When Judy heard her name called, she simply got up and went to stand with the other players. She knew she was going to make the team but she was unsure of the captain position. She really wanted to be captain.

"Congrats to the girls who made the team and for those who didn't, I'm sorry and I hope you find other activities to participate in," Coach said, dismissing the girls whose names weren't called.

Some girls burst out into tears and ran away while others silently and slowly got up from the bench and left. After the girls who didn't make the team left, the new varsity girls gave each other a quick hug. The pressure was still on.

The girls sat back down on the bench and Coach told each girl what position they were going to be playing. Judy and Alison were starting forwards. Judy rubbed her sweaty palms on her shorts. She already knew she was going to make the team and be starting forward. What she craved to know was who got the captain position.

"I bet this is what you all are really waiting for..." Coach said as he pulled out two bands.

The bands were worn under the knee during games and practices. The captain band was 4 inches wide, white with bright yellow stripes and had the word Captain was written proudly on it. The co captain was a boring white band with the word "Captain" on it.

"I will announce the co-captain first and then your 2013 girls varsity soccer captain," he said.

The girls were dead silent. All you could hear was the other sport teams off in the distance. Judy had her fingers and toes crossed.

"Your 2013 co-captain is..." he paused to let it sink in. "Judy Moody!"

Judy was frozen and shocked. Her legs mechanically got up and walked up in front of everyone but she couldn't hear the applause. The only thing she heard was her heartbeat slowing down in disappointment. She accepted the boring white band and shook Coach's hand. She couldn't even face anyone. She stared down at her cleats.

"Your Captain is...Alison Smith! Congrats!" Coach announced.

There were whoops and whistles as Alison proudly accepted her badge of honor. Judy forced her hands to go through the motions of clapping.

"Congrats to our leaders," Coach said. "You can go change now."

Some girls were very disappointed about not being captain but Judy was crushed. As she walked into the locker room she had to keep blinking so that she wouldn't cry. She rushed into the locker room, grabbed her bags and ran out. She didn't want to talk to anyone...especially not Captain Rocky. She changed into her sneakers and decided to walk home. As Virginia Dare High became smaller as Judy walked away, a tear rolled down Judy's cheek. She wiped it away quickly.

"You are not going to cry!" she said through her teeth.

Her hands were clenched tightly on her bags and her legs felt sore from practice. She trudged toward home. After drowning herself in thoughts of what she could and should have done better, she couldn't even go home. She couldn't face anyone. Her arms and shoulders now burned from carrying all her books and clothes for two miles but she didn't care.

Judy took a detour and headed to the park. She dropped her stuff by the swings and laid down on the dirt, not caring if she got muddy. Her muscles were sore and needed a good stretching. After stretching, she sat in a swing and rocked back and forth. She was finally alone and gave herself time for a small cry. After some tears had been shed and then wiped away, she got up and went home.

She quietly opened the door and headed upstairs.

"Judy, is that you?!" Mom called, running out of the kitchen. "Where have you been, honey?" she asked.

Judy could see the lines of worry on her face.

"I walked home," she said with a shrug. "I'm going to go take a shower and start my homework." Judy quickly walked up the stairs. "I'll pass on dinner too..." she said, softly and left.

After a long hot shower she crawled into bed. She had on her favorite cupcake pajamas and actually brushed her hair.

The more she thought about that captain position, she got angry. She crawled out of bed and dumped her soccer bag out. The white band fell on the floor.

"I hate you!" she yelled at the leg band. "I hate you! I hate you!"

She picked it up and threw it with all her might at the wall. She angrily flung open her closet and threw all her old jerseys on the floor. She toppled over her desk chair and threw some pillows.

She then calmly collected herself and crawled into her pillowless bed and pulled the covers over her head.

"Judy, do you want to talk?" Mom asked outside Judy's door.

"No," Judy replied.

There was a pause before Judy heard her mother go downstairs. Judy didn't know how long she stayed under the covers. She dozed a little bit but was woken up again by a knock on her door.

"Honey, Rocky is here to see you," Mom called from the door.

"I don't want to see him," Judy yelled back.

She pulled the covers back over her head. There was a pause and the door opened.

"Hey Sport," a voice that wasn't Mom's said.

Judy groaned. "Go away, Rocky," she muttered.

"Did you have to tear your room apart?" Rocky asked, staring at the even messier room.

Judy remained silent.

"I saw Alison waving her band around and I knew you'd be upset so I came to check on you," Rocky explained.

"I'm fine," came Judy's muffled voice from under her blanket. "Now, go away."

"Come on, Judy," Rocky said. "There's always next year," he reminded her.

Judy jerked up in her bed. "Are you captain?!" she demanded.

"That has nothing to do with this," Rocky said calmly.

"Answer me, Rocky Zang! Are. You. Captain."

"So what if I am!" Rocky said, throwing up his hands.

"Get out!" Judy screamed. "I don't want to see or talk to you!" She angrily yanked her blanket over herself. "I never want to speak to you again!"

"Judy, stop sulking and get up."

"I don't take orders from you, Rocky!"

Judy heard Rocky walk over to her bed and the next thing she knew, she was deposited on the floor still swathed in her blankets. Rocky had pushed up one side of the mattress and dumped Judy out of bed.

"Hey!" Judy yelled, crawling out. "Why are you doing this to me? You get to be captain and I get a stupid white band!"

"I worked hard for my role and even if I wasn't captain, I would not be hiding in my room!" Rocky yelled back.

Judy swung at Rocky, thinking he would dodge her as usual but today Rocky made no attempt to dodge it. Judy's fist made direct contact with his face.

"Ow!" Rocky yelled.

"Oh my gosh. Are you okay? I'm so sorry!" Judy exclaimed, realizing what she had done. "I didn't mean to hit you...I thought you'd move out the way. Does it hurt?" Judy talked a million words per minute.

"I'm fine," Rocky said, rubbing his face. "You punch like a girl anyways," he teased.

Judy glared at him.

"Truce?" Rocky suggested sticking out his hand.

Judy reluctantly put her hand in his and they shook.

"I brought peace offerings but it might have melted during your tantrum..." he said, setting a bag in Judy's desk. He pulled out two pints of Screamin Mimi's ice cream and two spoons.

"You can pick first," Rocky said, handing Judy a spoon. The choices were Peanut Butter Cup or Strawberry Chocolate. Judy chose the peanut butter one. Judy sat on her bed and Rocky leaned back in her chair.

"Cheers," he said.

Judy took a bite of her ice cream. "Thanks," she said.

"Anytime," Rocky said.

"Tomorrow?" Judy asked.

Rocky laughed. "You still have practice even if you aren't captain."

Judy sighed. "Fine..." Judy gobbled her ice cream down and scraped the container clean.

"That was so good," she said, setting the empty container on her desk.

"I knew Screamin Mimi's was the way to go," Rocky said as he finished his last spoonful.

"Thanks," Judy finally admitted. "I'll be the best co captain you've ever seen."