A/N I took some liberties with the living situations at Eden Hall, since the movie isn't so firm on the facts; also my OC is going to be Sue-ish at times, but that is deliberate, lovelies! Once the plot get's where it's going, certain things'll change, but for now I must ask you grin and bear it. I don't own any of it, so don't sue.

"Dammit Sadie, c'mon coach, that's a card!"

"Aw, I barely touched you kid!"

"Let's go, on your feet Montero, corner white."

"But coach-"

"Nuh uh, none of that Amber. Get in the box."

Mother of God... I winced as I heaved myself off the damp ground, gently testing my right ankle. I flexed it in between steps jogging into the 18.

"I got center!" Mary poked me as she ran past, her cleats kicking up droplets of mud to decorate her red penny.

"Bastard, I wanted center." I grinned and tried to trip her. "Alright, alright I'm backpost!" I waved my arms obnoxiously at Katie, who was taking the corner. "Backpost Katie, I'm open!"

"Frontpost." Emily grunted, bouncing on her toes next to me. Her long blond braid swung back and forth above her butt. The three of us (Emily, Mary and me) jogged around at the arch, keeping our eyes on Katie.

"Corner!" she called. When she dropped her arm we made our runs. It was beautiful. I shook off Tracy W. and made it to the back post just as the ball did, knocking it past Gia's outstretched gloves and into the back of the net.

"GOOOOOOOLLLLL!" Katie screamed and held her hands up in the TD signal.

"Wrong sport jackass." Devin punched her arm good naturedly and smiled. Katie laughed and ran towards me for a sweaty highfive/lame-man-hug-attempt.

"White wins! Alright ladies bring it in, let's go!" Coach made his way to the sideline and we followed, picking up cones as we went.

"Nice ball Katie, I like that spin." I tossed my penny at her head. Her naturally crazed smile grew wider so her dimples showed.

"Yeah thanks. Been working on that." Sweat dripped from the team as a whole. It had been a particularly rough practice, still being preseason and everything, but since school started back the next day coach was giving us morning practice off. Then once school was in session, preseason was officially over, and that meant two-a-days were officially over. Awesome right? I'd never thought I'd be so exited for school.

"Good session today ladies. Get some rest tonight, you earned it. Practice at 3:30 tomorrow, upperclassmen come down for 8th period and get a head start, yeah?"

The trek up the hill to the field house was a pleasant one. The evening shadows had cooled the air a little, and the breeze was a welcome change from the humid 80 degree sauna of practice. Devin walked beside me carrying the bag of pennies, cones and keeper gear. I carried the mesh bag of red and white team balls over my shoulder, gasping dramatically for breath when we reached the top.

"GOD it's so hot!" I exclaimed. Devin rolled her eyes. The bun she had tamed her mass of curly hair into was now a sagging mess, and it wobbled when she shook her head at me.

"Don't be a drama-drag-queen. You do know it was only in the 80's today right?"

"80's in Minnesota, Devin darling. This is as hot as it gets here." I stuck my tongue out at her.

"Whatever," she laughed. "It's supposed to be back in the 70's for the week. Thank God right? I hate walking to class all sweaty."

"Oh come on, like we actually have to walk. Our dorm is like two inches from the main buildings Dev!" Devin and I were both Seniors this year at Eden Hall. As athletes, we got first pick of dorms because preseason practices brought us back to school 2 weeks earlier than everyone else. Plus, as captains of the varsity girls soccer team, we got priority over the other girls. We scored a room with Sadie, Emily and Shannon that was second floor on the side closest to the main buildings. Second floor is always the best because its up off the ground so there's rarely any bugs, but it's only one flight up so it's easy on the knees after practice.

"Still though." She grinned. Kelly, one of the two Freshmen that made varsity, jogged up to us then. She carried her shin guards in one hand and cleats in the other, her socks pushed down to her ankles.

"Hey, you guys going to that hockey thing today?" she asked, trying in vain to shake some little flyaways out of her face.

"What hockey thing?" Devin motioned for Kelly to get the field house door for us. Kelly held it open while we filed past, then followed us in since most of the team was still meandering up the hill.

"You know, the ceremony thing for the new JV hockey players. We're getting almost all of the team USA that went to the Jr. Goodwill Games last summer. My parents have to go, they're on the board... I was thinking of going, but I don't wanna be the only kid there, you know?" Devin and I tossed the heavy bags into the equipment closet before heading into the locker room.

"I'm sure there'll be other kids there, like family or whatever." I said. "But I'll go if you want company. I always like a good ceremony." Grinning, I grabbed my towel and extra clothes and dashed off to get the good shower. The locker room showers were a little cramped, but thankfully they were clean because coach made us scrub them down once a week (and by us I mean the underclassmen. Ha). There were only four stalls, and only one with good water pressure, hence my dashing. I rinsed off the sweat and grass languidly, enjoying the cold water on my back.

"Hey Dev, bring me some soap will ya? And shampoo, I forgot mine." A minute later a bar of Dial soap and a bottle of Pantene sailed over the shower curtain bar.

"Thank you darling!" I sing-songed.

/././././././././././././././././././././././././. /././././././././././././././././././././././././. /./././././

"M'kay, so like, what time is this hockey thing exactly?" Meredith asked as she brushed out her wet hair. I coughed as I walked through a cloud of perfume.

"Kelly said seven I think." I glanced at my watch. "Damn. So we got like fifteen minutes... HEY HURRY UP IN THERE KIDS!" I shouted into the shower eight Seniors had all showered and were now girl-ing themselves up by their lockers. Most of us had decided to go to the scholarship ceremony, so there was copious amounts of primping going on. Make-up and hair were slightly overdone to make up for the casual clothes. I'm a lazy ass, so instead of putting effort into my appearance I tore into a granola bar. My jean cut-offs and Nirvana tee were probably not correct attire for this kind of thing but what the hell right? I'm a Senior. As I munched on my snack I slipped into tennis shoes and sat on the bench in front of Sadie so she could braid my hair.

"I hope these hockey players are cute." Emily said into the mirror, puckering her lips as she examined the dark lipstick she had just applied. I looked up and laughed.

"They're freshman Em!"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean they can't still be attractive. I'm not above cradle robbing." She blew a kiss to her reflection and popped a piece of bubblegum. "I'm heading over, anyone want to ride with me?" she grabbed her bag and walked backwards towards the door.

"Yeah, gimme a sec I'll come."

"Me too!." Devin and Shannon slammed their lockers shut and followed Emily out. Sadie tugged at my hair, tightening the long braid.

"Done! You're hair's gonna be so wavy tomorrow Montero." She said jealously. I grinned. Lauren and Kelly, the resident freshmen who were still waiting on showers, sighed loudly then.

"We're not going to have time to get clean!" Lauren pouted. "And we're the ones that really need to look cute for this damn it!"

"Just shower in your sweaty underwear so you can share a stall. It's basically like a bathing suit." Tracy W. commented as she and Gia walked into the room, hair dripping from the shower. "Mine's open, but Tracy just took Gia's." The two Freshman exchanged a look, shrugged, and hightailed it into the showers.

"Ow ow, spicy!" I cat called. Sadie shoved me off the bench. I cackled and went to my locker, rummaging for my book bag. "So is everybody going to this thing or what?"

Sadie rolled her shoulders.

"Mary went straight home, and I don't really want to go."

"I'm not going either."

"Neither am I." Aimee and Talia spoke up from their lockers. I did a quick count in my head.

"So that's like half and half, 'cause none of the Sophomores are going either. Hey you two, hurry up if you want to ride with me!" I called to my Freshman babies.

/././././././././././././././././././././././././. /././././././././././././././././././././././././. /./././././

Kelly, Lauren and Meredith ended up riding up to the school with me. The athletic fields are down the road from the main buildings; totally walking distance, but we're lazy alright? And I never EVER pass up an opportunity to drive my car. The more I drive it, the closer I get to it breaking down, and me possibly getting a new car. Now don't get me wrong, I love my little Chevette, but it's almost 20 years old. The doors creaked as per usual as we all piled in, and the engine spluttered and coughed a bit but we got on the road all right.

"Hey Kell, pass me that plaid shirt back there; it's probably on the floor." The shirt flapped in the breeze from the windows as she passed it up. We cruised up into the parking lot at about 7:10. The ceremony was being held outside on the front steps of the school. There were chairs set up around the base and a podium at the top where someone (probably the Dean) was making a speech. My Chevette sounded like a dying animal, so we parked as far away as possible to minimize staring potential as we snuck over. I shrugged into the plaid shirt as we walked towards the crowd, leaving it unbuttoned except for the bottom two snaps. We could see Devin and Emily and the rest sitting on the back row of fold up chairs, and we quickly sat next to them. Shannon coughed to cover the squeaking as we did. A few people turned to glare but most were now paying attention to the young kids the Dean was now calling one by one up the steps. I dunno if it was just me, but they looked way older than just Freshmen. I yawned. So tired...

"Ohmigod he's so cute!"

"Yeah he i- oh holy crap look at THAT one!" Lauren and Kelly began quietly squealing into each others ears. I blinked up at the podium to see what the big deal was and -this embarrassing, but it totally happened- literally gasped. This guy. Oh my GOD. He was tall and athletic. His wavy hair was brown and he had one of those crooked smiles. What really got me was his eyes, all intense and deep and twinkling and so damn blue. I could tell the color from all the way in the back. I had to mentally slap myself to bring me back down to earth. He's a freshman Amber! And you have a boyfriend! I don't know what it was with me and hockey guys but geez. This could get complicated. I nudged Lauren in the arm.

"Whose that one? Blue eyes in the center." She turned to gawk at me.

"Ohmigod Amber really? That's who you pick? Of all the rotten luck... he's who I picked!" she broke out the pout again before sighing heavily. I rolled my eyes. "Gosh. Whatever. Have him if you want. He's Charlie. Charlie Conway." My eyes went back to Charlie, traveling up and down his nice, toned, freshman body. Damn...

Please R&R!