Disclaimer: Randy Kirwan is Betsy Haynes' character from the former Fabulous Five series by Betsy Haynes, not this author's.



The BSC Legacy – Book 2: Student Stratifications

By: CNJ

PG-13

3: Fateful Soccor Game

Abby:

"We've only lost one game this season," I popped the tape out of the VCR in our living room and we headed up to my room. The BSC was having its monthly sleepover that early November and this month it was my turn to be the hostess. We have these slumber celebrations the first Saturday of each month, just something to keep our friendship strong. Anna was there too and we gathered in my room to pig out, played games like Charades and Uno, and most of all, yakyakyak away.
"We have JUNK FOOD GALORE!" Claudia opened her backpack and pulled out big bags of a variety of chips and cheetos.
"Awright!" We dug in.
"Does anybody feel like hot chocolate?" Anna asked. "Ever since it's turned cold, I've been craving chocolate."
"I have a HUMONGOUS idea!" Claudia jumped up.
"Uhohh...what?" Mary Anne looked worried.
"Nothing radical, silly," Claudia continued. "You know how most people top their chocolate with marshmallows?"
"Umm-hmm..." We glanced at each other.
"I think we should have MINT-topped chocolate!"
"Interesting theory," Stacey nodded.
"I tried some the other night and it was great," Claudia wheedled us back down to the kitchen. I got out two trays. "The mints melt a little after a while, but the chocolate has a minty taste." Anne pulled down a tin pan of pastel mints and once we got the chocolate made, we put in the little mints. Once we carried the chocolate back upstairs, Kristy was first to pick up a cup and take a sip.
"Not bad...not bad..." she mused. "Now you..." she gestured toward Mary Anne in imitation of the afterlife caseworker in the movie Beetlejuice.
"Creative," was Mary Anne opinion after she'd sipped. "Pretty good."
"Move over, conventional marshmallows!" I crowed.
"Make room for mints," Mallory added.
"You might be able to patent this, Claud," Jessi added. We kept talking and continued to pig out, then started on Uno.
"How many think we'll make the championship this year?" I asked after Kristy had won two games in a row.
"It's possible," Stacey told me.
"Oh, we will," Kristy reshuffled the cards. "We've only lost one game. And I have it on authority that you, Abby are close to scoring more goals than Burkeview's quarterback, Randy Kirwan.
"Way to go, Abby!" my friends whooped as I grinned.

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Kristy:

Don't misunderstand me, I have hopes that Abby will take home the high title of the schools. But she's SURE of it. All week after our sleepover, talk of the game bounced around school. Randy, Burkeview's football quarterback was just ahead of a Abby by nine scores. Maybe that's why we'd argued that BSC meeting Friday before the game.
"Actually, Abby, I'm the one that holds us together," I put in.
"You may be the leader of the BSC, but you're NOT the expert on our team!" Abby snapped.
"I never said I was..." I shifted. "I'm just saying if you by some remote chance you don't beat Randy...it's our last chance and I want to make sure..."
"Thank you, Kristy," Abby rolled her eyes. "I just think it would be swell if our team beat out Randy, the Burkeview big guy quarterback."
"Abby...this isn't a personal pique on Randy, is it?"
"I think I'm more mature than that." Abby huffed. "It's about time the Barracudas actually PROVED that not all guys are better than girls in sports."
"I can vouch..." Stacey nodded. Just then the phone rang and we took a client call.

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Claudia:

Five more...the Barracudas were winning at that Saturday game. Unfortunately Kristy and Abby were still a little miffed at each other. Abby was then just two more shots away from beating Randy. "Abby...Abby..." we chanted. Sure enough, Abby had then one more...she had the ball again and was heading toward another goal! Just as the ball hit the net, Abby tried to dodge two players who were actually almost on top of her, then one of them tripped and fell over, bringing Abby down on top of her. Three other players who had been running tumbled into the heap and to our shock we heard something break.
"Someone's hurt!" Mary Anne wailed and we gasped. Coach Loskin called a time-out and the players got up...except Abby, who was groaning. Her arm was twisted at an odd angle.
"Abby...Abby..." Kristy ran up to her, tears streaking down her face. She sat next to Abby and cried harder. I looked at my friends and they all looked ready to cry also. Mary Anne went ahead and burst into tears as someone got a doctor.
"Broken..." someone muttered.

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Mary Anne:

I have never seen Kristy so upset! All of us BSC members were in tears by the time we got to the hospital, but Kristy was still crying hard.
"She'll be all right," Stacey hugged her. I tried to speak, but couldn't. I was also crying pretty hard myself, so all I could do was hug Kristy. We all then gathered in one big hug and just cried. Anna and Ms. Stevenson were in the family waiting room and were also shaken. We waited for what seemed like a lifetime. Just then some of the Barracudas came in, some of them teary also.
"Good news," Kathy Maski told us softly. "We won the game and...Abby won the title."
"Oh, good..." Claudia pulled away and as we wiped our eyes. I handed out tissues. I, being a crier, always carry two packets of tissues with me. I never leave home without them.
"I shouldn't have p-pushed her to..." Kristy buried her face into her tissue and started crying again. I kept an arm around her and we sat on a couch.
"Hey..." I whispered. "Don't blame yourself." I had to blow my nose. Just then, Ms. Stevenson peered out, a weak smile on her face.
"Girls?" she whispered. "Abby's all right. It was a compound fracture on her right arm, but it's been set. She'll be here overnight and can go home tomorrow morning. She's still groggy from anesthesia, so she can only have a few visitors..."
"You go, Kris," I whispered. She nodded and headed over...

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Kristy:

It was a relief knowing Abby was going to heal soon, but sad knowing that she wouldn't be playing soccer for the rest of the season. I was able to stop crying when I saw Abby.
"Hi..." I whispered.
"Hi, Kris," Abby's arm was in a sling and her eyes were droopy. Fresh tears threatened to burst out. "Hey..." she reached out with her good arm and held my hand. "It's all right. I'm sorry about our fight."
"Me, too. Why do I have a big mouth?" I wiped my eyes.
"You don't. Tell me...did I beat Randy?"
"Yes." I managed a weak smile. "You sure kicked ass out there. Congratulations. I think you are the strongest player. I may be a leader, but I'm not sure I could have won that title."
"Keep it up, Kristy," Abby smiled weakly. "You're great the way you are. All of us...isn't that why we're a great team...the Barracudas and the BSC?" We hugged and as I left her room, I thought about that. Even when we fight, all of us BSC manage to work together.