Derrick, Kemp, Chris, Cam, and Josh were all standing in a circle in the middle of the field, juggling a soccer ball. The goal was to keep the ball from hitting the ground, and just like in a regular soccer match, you weren't allowed to use your hands.
Cam currently was in possession of the ball. He kicked it up once, twice, three times, always catching it with his opposite foot and sending it back up in the air. A fourth kick sent the ball flying towards Plovert, who expertly cradled it on the back of his neck before flipping it back into the air and heading it at Josh, who volleyed it across the circle to Kemp. And so on.
Derrick couldn't help but grin at all the stares he knew they were accumulating. It was the one thing he ever had in common with Massie: he loved being the center of attention. And he loved showing off. This game, a little game invented by him and his friends (who referred to themselves as the Fantastic Five because even as lowly seventh graders they had still been the best players on the team) was practically designed for showing off.
At that moment, Kristen arrived at the field. She slammed the car door shut and, after a quick wave to her dad, headed for the bleachers to drop her stuff off. It was 8:59, only a minute before camp was due to start. Derrick wondered to himself why Kristen, the girl who made a point of being early for everything, was only just now getting here.
A frantic IM conversation with Alicia, perhaps?
A minute later it was nine o' clock and Coach Phillips was blowing his whistle, signaling everyone to come over. "Welcome back, kiddos. I hope you're keeping hydrated because it's supposed to get up to 98 degrees this afternoon, and we don't need any heat strokes." Derrick looked around for someone to exchange an exasperated glance with at the British coach's use of the word "kiddos." All the boys were paying attention, so he caught Kristen's eye and smirked. She let out her trademark phlegmy cackle, and all heads swiveled in her direction. Kristen clapped a hand over her mouth.
"Sorry," she giggled, and Coach Phillips just rolled his eyes and continued talking. When no one was looking, Kristen punched Derrington in the arm, and he grasped it in mock pain.
"What'd you do that for?" he whispered.
"For getting me in trouble!" Kristen hissed. "Now shut up or I'll hit you again!"
"Who says I don't want you to? I love getting hit on by cute blondes," Derrick replied, holding back a laugh. Kristen rolled her eyes and turned to face Coach Phillips, a smile tugging on her lips. After a beat, Derrington did the same. He wondered absentmindedly whether he had missed anything important during his mini-conversation with Kristen.
"So without further ado, let's start today off with some Chronological Passing." There was a collective groan at this; nobody liked the drill, which consisted of assigning everyone in a group numbers and passing the ball in chronological order, all while constantly moving around. "Split yourselves up into groups of five," Coach directed.
The members of the Fantastic Five got in a group together, leaving Kristen find herself a group. "Sorry," Derrick mouthed at her, but you know what they say: Bros before Hoes. The boys figured out an order and started passing a soccer ball amongst themselves. Cam, Kemp, Chris, Josh, Derrick. Cam, Kemp, Chris, Josh, Derrick. The drill was incredibly simple, really. So simple that they could talk without losing concentration.
"What's the plan for this weekend?" Plovert addressed the group as he expertly one-touched the ball to Josh.
"What about a movie?" Cam suggested.
"Because a group of guys going to a movie together isn't gay at all," Kemp dead-panned.
"Kristen could come," Derrington suggested, passing the ball to Cam, who kicked it to Kemp.
"Sorry dude, didn't realize she was your beysh now," Kemp snickered, trapping the ball at his feet.
"Yeah, man, what happened to Massie?" Josh asked.
"We broke up, remember?" Derrick replied in exasperation. "And Kristen's not my beysh."
"Constant motion!" Coach Phillips yelled as he walked past their group. They all rolled their eyes and started moving around again.
"Sure she isn't," Kemp sneered, giving the ball up to Plovert.
"Whatever, man," Derrick shrugged.
"Which brings us back to my original question: what are we doing this weekend?"
Funny how things always come full circle.
This had a Gossip Girl feel to me. The book, not the TV show. I'm not sure why. Anyway. In case you were wondering, beysh is slang for female dog. But it can also be used to refer to someone's girl. So since Alicia is Josh's girl, she's his beysh. And my brother and his friends call themselves the Freshman Five so I kind of adapted that to my own purposes. ;)
R&R please&thankyou. :)