Chapter 28: You're Gonna Go Far Kid

February was a sort of stupid month for Morgan. She kind of hated it. Especially today. She had just woken up from another session with her mother. She had recently begun to visit her mother in their dream world because it was like getting restless sleep, and it had affected her too much at school. Morgan needed some real sleep, so she cut it back from every night until two or three times a week depending on what was happening at school. Today, she woke up with listless thoughts and lifeless demeanor. She changed that with getting into her bathroom and putting on some face lotion and brushing her teeth. She had gotten back out of putting on a full face of makeup like her role of being a cheerleader had previously demanded. Instead, she had continued the trend that she had begun when she was in a wheelchair and then on crutches. She simply put on some natural looking eyeshadow, a thin line of black eyeliner and some mascara.

She always hated this holiday, but she decided to indulge Madison's request and wear the color she wanted the young psychic to wear. Morgan put on her burgundy knit sweater. It made her feel like she was wearing a blanket since it was a little long, a bit baggy and the thick knit style. It had a wide, v-neck neckline so she wore a black lace halter bralette. She always felt like she was just mimicking the other girls styles that she saw on social media, but Morgan liked that the ones she picked were comfortable. She pulled on her new pair of leggings that she bought. There were another pair of black lululemon leggings, but these ones had the extra inside lining to make them warmer and she loved them. These ones were also more plain and sleek than the ones she usually liked to wear. Her usual pair with pockets have ruched fabric down the sides of her calves by her ankles.

Morgan put on her combat boots with deep red fuzzy socks that match her sweater because she's the kind of girl that loves making certain things match in her outfits. She felt so comfortable and happy this morning despite the holiday. She figured it was probably about what was going to happen after school. As soon as her teeth were brushed and her bags were together, Morgan walked out of her room, her dog Zoey trotting at her heels. When she got to the kitchen, she dropped her duffel bag and her backpack on the floor, together, for the first time in a long time. She sat down in one of the chairs at the table where there was already food prepared courtesy of Sam.

"Where's my dad?" Morgan asked. Sam looked up from his laptop.

"He had to run into town to pick up some things," He told her. Morgan gave him a funny look.

"So who's gonna drive me to school?" she asked him as she put some eggs on her plate and two pieces of buttered and jammed toast. Sam raised his eyebrows like the answer was obvious.

"I'll be driving you in my car," he explained. Morgan raised her own eyebrows this time.

"I've never ridden in your car," She told her uncle. Sam laughed.

"Don't worry, it's not too different from the impala, still a classic. It was already here when we got here and we fixed it up," Sam explained. "And since we don't use it often, once you start driving, it could be your car so you could start driving yourself to school and wherever else you wanna go when you get your license," Sam told her. Morgan gained another smile.

"Cool. That sounds like fun," She told him as she got into eating her food.

"So, what's the duffel bag for? Cheerleading isn't making its comeback yet is it?" Sam asked. Morgan got a warm feeling, enjoying the fact that someone was taking an interest in her life. She didn't really talk to anyone except Madison anymore. She felt like most of those people weren't her friends. They were friends with Jonah and were only friends with her because he started bringing her around.

"No, cheerleading starts again next fall. But tryouts for girls' soccer are today and I intend to make the team," Morgan told him. Sam smiled.

"I didn't know you played soccer," Sam commented. She realized she never really talked about the sports she used to play.

"My mom used to sign me up for the neighborhood league since there aren't school teams when you're that young. I may be small, but I'm always a goalie if you can believe it. I may need new ones soon, but I still have a good pair of gloves so I'm ready for tryouts," Morgan explained. Sam laughed.

"You're right. You may be small, but you're a hunter. You'll kick ass, no doubt," Sam told her, giving her a fistbump as he put her lunch next to her. "Ready to go?" He asked as Morgan put her lunch in her backpack and got up from the table. Sam had the pair of car keys already in his hand.

"Yeah, we can go," Morgan told him as she grabbed her bags off the floor and grabbed the to go cup off coffee for her on the counter. They walked to the garage where Sam led Morgan to a car covered in a tarp. When he pulled the tarp off, it was a cobalt blue 1978 Chevrolet Camaro LT with white racing stripes. Morgan's jaw nearly dropped.

"This is a 1978 Chevy Camaro LT and you just happen to have one in perfect condition… This is your car?" Morgan exclaimed before walking to the passenger side and putting her bags in. She wanted this car so badly, and here it was in her uncle's possession, right under her nose.

"Yup, and in a year or two, it'll be yours," Sam told her. Morgan felt her heart skip a beat before she got into the car, closing the door behind herself.

"Honestly what is with you guys and your infatuation with classic American muscle?" She asked him. Her mom was never really a super big fan or the old stuff, but she loved the newer muscle cars.

"I don't know, must be genetic. I'm surprised you knew the make and model of my car," Sam smirked as he revved the engine, giving Morgan chills.

After School…

Morgan was sweating like crazy as she was crouched and ready to go. The teenager spit on her gloves to make them a bit stickier, and she needed all the traction she could get. She got lucky that the soccer tryouts were on an indoor soccer turf at the Sports of All Sorts a few towns over. The soccer coach had one of the school bus drivers pick them all up after school and ferry them over to the sporting complex. They had been taking shots on her and the other three girls that were trying out for the goalkeeper position. There was already a varsity goalkeeper, but there was a spot for the freshman team and possibly the JV team. Even if she couldn't fight her way onto the Varsity team, she wasn't going to let anyone take away her chance at the JV team. She wasn't even going to cheat with her telekinesis.

The girl in front of her went right through their defense and whipped a shot straight for the top right corner of the goal. All of her gymnastic training had prepared her for this moment. The ball sailed through the air at a high speed only a trained forward could deliver. Morgan waited till just the right moment, knowing how tall she was and how high she would have to jump to get there. The coach was just about to turn around, sure the shot was going to go in, but Morgan exploded from her spot soaring straight for the top right corner of the goal. She felt serene, flying through the air as she snapped her hands onto the ball and cradled it into her chest as her body plummeted back down to the earth. She crashed into the turf, somewhat gracefully with her foot catching the turf first, allowing her to sort of ease onto the turf rather than smacking right into it.

She stood up quickly, screamed for her randomly assigned to push up the field, then drop kicked that ball like it was Lainey. She actually pretended that the ball was Lainey, and it kind of helped channel some of that animosity towards something good. The ball soared through the air, only an inch away from clipping the rafters across the roof of the indoor field before bouncing down onto the upper half of the field, right where the forward on her team trapped the ball and straight up scored. Morgan surprised herself at the speed and manner of her delivery, even without the use of her powers. Though she was getting a little tired, as it was the nearing the end of the two hour trial, but she was happy that she had already gotten back into shape after she was able to get out of her boot.

The coach didn't give a smile, not even a frown, just the slightest raise of an eyebrow. As Morgan reset, moving off of her line into the play like a fifth defender, she tried a new technique from the grimoire. This time, it was a bit easier and to her excitement, her nose didn't even bleed as she sent out empathic feelers to the coach. She felt that he was pleased, but that quickly shifted to disappointment as a ball got stolen from a girl a bit too easily. Morgan retracted the empathic feelers and focused more on the game infront of her. Someone tried to send the ball to the stryker on the opposing team, but it was a bit over shot so Morgan intercepted within the 18-yard-box. She took a beat, giving her own team a moment to rest before she threw it to a widely placed outside defender and waited for passes to be strung together until someone stole the ball again and charged her defense with it. Morgan charged back, timing it just right so the two players collided inside the 18-yard-box and Morgan could snatch up the ball into her chest before barrelling into the other player, flipping her over her shoulder and standing tall with the soccer ball in hand as the other girl groaned on the turf.

"Walk it off, kid!" One of the reviewing coaches called out. Then the head coach blew his whistle for everyone to stop. He walked right up to Morgan and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Yes, sir?" Morgan asked, standing with the posture that her father taught her for when she eventually started pretending to be an FBI agent or such when she starts hunting. If she gets that far. Though someone with her abilities will most likely become a hunter.

"I'm tapping you out, kid. Well, metaphorically. You're gonna keep playing the last thirty minutes, but I've seen enough to know that I want you on the team. Just… ease up on the other girls. We don't want to take out the other girls now do we?" He told her. Morgan nodded, pleased with herself. As much as it felt weird for the coach to single her out like that this early into the process, she worked hard to get where she was and she wasn't going to let the position slip away to another half-assed goalkeeper. She needed a sport where she could hit something, this let her body slam people and kick the crap out of soccer balls. That was enough for her. The best part? Lainey was nowhere in sight. Turns out she's a theater kid and is in the school musical for the spring.

The rest of the tryout flew right past Morgan. The moment they blew the whistle and told everyone to pack it up, Morgan nearly sprinted for her back so she could get back on the bus. She was so excited to get back to the school and tell her dad how it went. Though if he wasn't home, she'd have just as much fun telling Sam all about it when he picked her up from the school like he promised. The bus ride didn't feel ling either. She made it a point to sit at the front of the bus by the coaches, not only to make conversation with them and get to know them before the season, but also so she could get off the bus first and get the hell out of there. She was so excited, that she didn't even notice the cold as she walked, with her coat and sweatpants in her bag, to the Camaro where Sam was behind the wheel. In all her sweaty glory, she climbed into the car and shut the door behind herself, basking in the heat from the car. Sam gave her a smile.

"So how'd it go?"