Chapter 78

POV: Mia

The girls are already positioned on the field when I arrive at the location. Just as I settle into the bench, the referee blows the whistle to start the game, marking the beginning of the match. My body finally relaxes, feeling the open-air breeze against my face. I take a few sips of water and some energy bars they had left there, trying to recover from what had just happened, all while observing the stands filled with our schoolmates. I notice a small section reserved exclusively for the Golden Griffins. Despite our greater numbers, you can still hear their victorious cheers as if the game were already over. Adam enters, and I scan the space with my eyes after he winks at me, reassuring me about what he and Sam had talked about outside. I spot Amy in the front row of the seats, a privileged position thanks to her relationship with Adam. Interestingly, she's also watching me, and a subtle smile forms on my lips. I wasn't expecting it, but Amy returns it, even though she's just seen my interaction with her father. However, this brief moment of connection is quickly suppressed by the thunderous cheers from the opposing team's crowd, marking the moment we concede a goal.

"Damn," I mutter to myself, realizing how poorly our team is doing.

Adam heads to the sideline, shouting some instructions to the girls to switch their marking, as they seem to anticipate all our moves thanks to our former referee who had revealed some tactics. The girls manage to change their plans, but they can't score a goal due to an attack failure; instead, they suffer a swift counterattack from the opposing team. The defense struggles to retreat quickly, but the opponents' speed is impressive. The goalkeeper is trying to guess when the opposing player will shoot the ball, but the attacker makes a skillful move to dribble past the goalkeeper and then shoots the ball towards the unprotected goal. People in the stands are anxiously watching, holding their breath, as the ball moves toward the net.

As the referee's whistle signals halftime, we find ourselves in a tricky situation, with our team trailing by two goals on the scoreboard. At this moment, I take a deep breath, clearly noticing the sighs and frustrated murmurs echoing among our fervent supporters. By now, the man suffocating me while Madison says horrible things occupies little space in my mind, reminding me how soccer could make me forget my bad days in a matter of seconds.

In the corridors, our opponents taunt us, referencing the man who had predicted this disaster. Alisha is the first to try to confront the opposing team's captain, but I hold her back.

"Alisha, don't do this; it's exactly what they want... Come on, girls," I say to them, their attention now turned to me.

"Are you the girl expelled for sleeping with the coach?" She mocks, and I'm grateful she still doesn't know about the kidnapping and refrains from making the situation worse.

"I don't think that's any of your business," I reply seriously, earning a laugh from the girls behind me, as the girl seems to have been left speechless before moving away.

They follow me, and though they're less sad, they're still downcast when Adam arrives to share more tactics, which I know they all know. So when he finishes...

"Girls," I say from where I'm sitting, looking down at my feet, gaining the attention of each of them. "You can't let yourselves be discouraged now. We've won this far, we've beaten them one by one just as good as they are, and we're here..." My tone is low as I finally dare to look at their faces. "You need to believe in yourselves. I know some of the things we've practiced for so long aren't working now, but everything Adam is talking about right now, we know how to execute every detail. Honestly, you shouldn't compare yourselves to me or think that we'll only win if I'm there because I'd be nothing without you on the field. I messed up with my team last time, and that won't happen again. So, as the former captain of your team and now a friend of the current captain, Alisha," I say, and she smiles at me. "I'm asking you not to give up, give it your all because this title will be ours. Come on, put your hands in here," I ask, stretching out my arm and managing to smile timidly.

When they all place their hands there, I ask them to shout the name of our team, and that's exactly what they do, electrifying themselves once again, hope returning to each of them and especially to me as we head back to the field.

The resumption of the game after halftime brought renewed energy to the team. The words of encouragement I shared with the girls seemed to have an effect, as they were now more determined than ever.

Alisha was ready to shine. After one of the girls scored the first goal a few minutes later, it was her turn to stand out with a perfect move. The ball was at my friend's feet, and she skillfully dribbled past the opponents, leaving them behind. With incredible precision, Alisha kicked the ball towards the goal, and the entire stadium held its breath as the ball flew toward the net. The opposing goalkeeper stretched as far as possible but couldn't reach the ball, which entered the goal with a deafening thud.

A roar of celebration erupted from the crowd and our own ranks. Alisha had scored a spectacular goal, and it was clear that the team was back in the game with full force. The girls' confidence was high, and they knew they could win, no matter who was on the field or the fact that there were only three minutes left.

They all ran to me, and together we shouted the name of our team with passion and determination. Hope had returned, and I saw that they were ready to fight to the end. The referee blew the whistle, indicating that it was time to resume.

However, a tense moment hung in the air when Alisha's voice rose. It was clear, firm, and challenging.

"We're not going to play if Mia isn't on the team; we need you on the field. We can't get the final goal without a striker like you, Mia. Besides, this is all a big farce."

The referee blew the whistle again, but they didn't return to the field; they all stood still.

"Girls, please... you can't do this..."

Another whistle, and the crowd fell silent, trying to understand what was happening when the principal appeared.

"What do you think you're doing?" She whispered angrily, looking around.

"We're stopping the game. Either Mia plays, or no one else here will play. No matter who she's involved with, we're all mature enough to make decisions, so this is a huge injustice. All of us, if we were lucky, would be in the same position... no offense, coach," Alisha turned to Adam, smiling, and Adam responded with a smile, probably understanding the message behind the words but not taking it too seriously. "So, what do we say?"

The principal, after hearing Alisha's determined words, looked around and saw the determination on the faces of the other players. She sighed deeply, considering the situation, and finally gave in.

"All right, Mia. You'll have the chance to play," the principal announced with a serious expression but a touch of resignation.

A radiant smile spread across my lips, and my eyes probably shone with joy; it felt great to have the support of the girls and to be on the field again, especially if it meant we could become champions in the end.

I ran towards the field with the girls. I looked at Adam, who smiled at me, and then at Amy, who silently wished me good luck, making me realize the presence of my parents there. They blew me emotional kisses, and I wondered how they had gotten there before returning the gesture and positioning myself again.

I glanced at the opposing goalkeeper, studying her movements, and with a touch of calmness, the referee placed the ball in the center of the field, with the opposing team's captain in front of me. The referee's whistle echoed, and I watched her face for a fraction of a second before skillfully dribbling past her and passing to Alisha, the clock showing less than a minute to go. Every step was a precise dance as the ball rolled among the girls until I was at the entrance of the goal and received the ball again, shooting it towards the goal. Time seemed to slow down before, with a loud noise, I hit the net, scoring the winning goal. A deafening roar of celebration engulfed the stadium, and I was surrounded by the exuberant celebrations of my teammates, who seconds later were popping champagne over everyone when the referee blew the final whistle, declaring the cup definitively ours.

The object was raised, shining under the stadium lights. The fans in the stands were ecstatic, applauding and cheering our victory. Tears streamed down my face as I hugged my teammates and then Adam, knowing that everything had been worth it throughout the season, and I had finally realized that this was where I belonged.

The stadium lights illuminated the path to glory, and the sound of celebration echoed around me as I was still in Adam's arms. In that moment, the worst day of my life had turned into the most incredible and unforgettable one, the day I realized I wasn't the high school Mia or even the Mia who had started here at the beginning of the school year. I was a new version of myself, and certainly the best one.

"You're amazing, gorgeous," Adam whispered to me before lifting my face to his.

His eyes were locked on mine, and for a few seconds, from the gleam in his eyes, I thought Adam was finally going to say the three words I wanted to hear the most.

"Darling, I thought I'd never see you again in my life," my mother interrupted us, breaking our contact, and if Adam was indeed going to say it, he gave up, going to greet the other girls and then engaging in a conversation with Amy.