Clash
The next week had started with heavy sets of practice and tactical meetings for Beth and the team. Their usual school days finished at 3 PM, followed by practice from 3:30-5:30 PM. Now, however, just a couple of days before the big game, they would stay on the rink until 7 PM, which meant Beth would return home exhausted by around 8 PM and would then choose to ignore her maths homework for one more day.
Today, though, Beth could no longer ignore her maths homework. The test they had done in class yesterday, which was based on the homework she didn't do, sat in front of her with a whooping “1” and a “talk to me after class” note. Beth really didn't want to talk to Miss Evans after class, especially because maths was the last class of the day, and she had to go to practice. It was Wednesday, and there were only two days away from the big game.
The bell rang, and Steph and Leah waited for Beth so they could exit the class together as they always did. But before Beth could tell them to go without her, Miss Evans did so:
“Go on girls. I have to chat to Beth for a minute. She'll be fine without you.”
Leah raised an eyebrow in Beth's direction and Steph just muttered good luck before they trailed out of the classroom. Beth made the agonizing journey from her desk to Miss Evans’, unable to meet her eyes.
“Beth,” she greeted. “Take a seat, dear,” Miss Evans prompted.
Beth had always been terrible at confrontation, at being told she did something wrong, especially because most times, she already knew. Slowly, she met Miss Evans eyes, her leg bouncing up and down.
“Your grades in my class have been incredibly low this term, Beth. What is going on?”
Beth opened and closed her mouth a few times, not sure how to respond. She stayed quiet, playing with her hands on her lap.
“Beth?”
“It's just that with hockey, Miss, I haven't had much time to do-”
“Oh yes, hockey, we all know how good you are at that,” Miss Evans said with a humourless chuckle. “That's not an excuse, dear. You are still in school, after all, and your scholarship is at risk with your grades dropping so low.”
That made Beth's heart stop, and she looked up at Miss Evans seriously. “What can I do Miss?”
“Well, you can go to after-hours tutoring. It's on Thursdays after class, where we review exercises with some of your other classmates who are behind for an hour. You can make extra-credit work to boost some of those grades up. And handing in your homework is a good way to start, too.”
“Okay, Miss,” Beth said.
“Good,” responded Miss Evans. “So I'll see you here tomorrow, 3:30 sharp?”
Tomorrow. A day before the game. She would miss at least an hour of training, and the debrief on tomorrow's game plan. But she didn't have a choice.
“Yes, Miss. I'll see you here tomorrow.”
“Okay. Go on then. I'm sure you're anxious to get to training already.”
Beth thanked Miss Evans and just about sprinted out the door. It was 3:20. She had to cross campus, put on her uniform and hopefully, she would make it in time for warm-ups.
When she barged into the rink, breathless, and adjusting her helmet, the girls were just about to begin.
“Beth!” exclaimed Ian. “How nice of you to finally join us.”
“Sorry, coach,” she said breathlessly.
Warm-ups and the rest of training had gone smoothly, and now, in the tactical room, Ian would announce the formations for the game.
“Mary, you're starting in goal. Leah and Steph in the backline. And Kim, Keira and Beth, you're in attack.”
Beth breathed a massive sigh of relief.
“I'll see you tomorrow for our last training before the game. Please eat and rest well, girls. Have a good night.”
The girls trailed out of the room and headed to their lockers for a quick shower and change of clothes before heading home.
Beth, however, stayed behind with Ian in the tactical room.
“Beth? You want to talk to me?”
“Yes coach.”
“Go on, then.”
“I'm going to be late for practice tomorrow. Mandatory tutoring. I'm really sorry.”
Ian just stared at her. Then, he sighed and patted her back. “That's alright, Beth. I trust you understand what we're doing in training and our plan for the game well, right?”
“Yes, coach,” Beth said.
“Alright then. I don't see a problem with you being late. Just make sure to warm up on your own before you join us.”
“Thank you coach. You won't be disappointed.”
“I better not,” he chuckled. “Now go get some rest, kid.”
Vivianne Miedema was a creature of habit. She would go on jogs every morning before school, then shower, have her breakfast, and get on the bus.
She would attend class, do her homework in between breaks, and make brief appearances at the lunch table, following Katie and Lotte’s strict orders to do some “mandatory” socialization.
She would train with the girls, get back home, eat, study some more and go to sleep. She wasn't a big fan of spontaneousness. She liked her routine, her quiet time, and the familiarity of her friends. And after breaking up with her girlfriend Lisa just a couple of months back, she had promised herself she would never allow anyone to get close to her heart ever again. Her mother, who always criticized Viv’s coldness, put the blame on Viv for her and Lisa’s breakup, after their long-distance relationship failed following Lisa’s High School graduation. “She was such a lovely girl,” Carolien would mutter. “Such a lovely girl.”
Viv lived with her mother in a small apartment in London. Viv’s mother was a nurse, which Viv was secretly thankful for, because it meant significantly less hours without her mother judging and criticizing her every move. Viv had a closer relationship with her father, who had stayed behind in the Netherlands with her younger brother, Lars, who was playing football semi-professionally. Viv missed her father and brother immensely, especially on the days in which her mother would be particularly gruelling.
Ice hockey was Viv’s ultimate comfort, her escape from everything in life, and the one thing she was truly good at. When she was on the rink, the outside world disappeared. She could temporarily put her anxiety aside, and be present in the moment.
Now, just a day before their big game against Arsenal Academy, the girls were working hard in training.
“Ready to net 10 goals past them, Miedema?” Katie joked, her Irish accent thick.
Viv just shook her head and laughed. “We’ll see”
“Oh, she's definitely putting 10 past them,” Vic said.
“Enough,” Lotte said. “You lazy-butts need to help out on the field, too.”
Viv breathed a sigh of relief, mentally thanking Lotte. She could always count on Lotte to read the way she felt, to steer conversations elsewhere and take the limelight off of her. Viv was close to all of the girls on the team, sure. Katie would do anything for her and always made her laugh, Vic was like her little sister. With Lia, she could always have deep conversations, and Jill, who she knew from back home, was like a sibling. But Lotte… Lotte was her best friend.
Lotte skated over to Viv where Viv was standing. “How are you feeling about the game tomorrow, zuz?”
Viv let out a nervous laugh. “Honestly? A bit nervous. Mead’s been in great form.”
Lotte nodded. “She has,” she agreed. “But so have you. You'll be great,” she said, giving a pat to Viv’s back.
For the rest of practice, the girls worked together, their connection on the rink effortless as they moved like a well-oiled machine in their 6 v 6 game. At the end of training Sarina announced tomorrow's starting 6, which didn't surprise Viv at all. Manu in goal, Katie and Lotte in the back, and Viv, Lia and Vic up front.
After practice, Viv rode back home with Lotte, who lived nearby. As she entered the apartment, she was relieved not to see her mother, who she was sure would have to say something about tomorrow's game that would make Viv’s shoulders slouch a little further from where they already stood in a permanent slouch.
Viv felt exhausted, as she always seemed to these days. She walked slowly to her room, setting her things down and preparing to shower. She shuffled Taylor Swift to fill in the silence in the apartment and quiet down the thoughts in her head.
Inside the shower, door locked and water running, she couldn't help the tears that ran down her face. She didn't know when she had become so unhappy, so indifferent to everything that happened in her life. She didn't know when she started believing that maybe she was broken inside, that maybe she was a cold robot, incapable of showing or feeling true love.
By the time she turned off the shower, her tears had stopped. She went to the kitchen to warm-up dinner, half-heartedly watching some show on her laptop before finishing the last of her homework.
Luckily, she was tired enough for sleep to come fairly easily. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep against her pillow, Flip, her childhood Teddy, gripped in her arms.
As she always did on days before big games, Beth couldn't sleep. And then, when she finally did sleep, her body would wake up at least an hour before she had to get ready for the day.
She laid in bed anxiously, tossing and turning from one side to the other until she decided to just give up on sleep altogether. Beth knew she shouldn't go on her phone this early in the morning, that it wasn't the most optimal way to start the day. But she had to put an end to her racing thoughts, and that's exactly what her phone did for her.
She quickly lost time scrolling, laughing at funny videos, and before she knew it, there was light outside the window and a knock on her door.
“Mhm,” her mom hummed. “Figured you’d be up already. Good morning, love,” June said from her place beside the door.
“Morning mum,” Beth said back.
At breakfast, Beth dug into her toast and eggs, anxious to get the day started. At school, the girls on the hockey team all had a buzzing energy to them the entire day, anticipation, excitement and nervousness lingering in the air. To anyone else, it was stupid to be so excited for just another game at the start of the season that didn't really mean anything. But to the girls, it meant more. A chance to prove that they were the best, that they were the top contenders for the School League title. Most importantly, it was an opportunity to wipe the smirk off of Chelsea's faces and gloat about their win.
Before Beth knew it, it was 4:00 PM. She and the rest of the team were changing into their uniforms to begin their warm-up for face-off at 5, and the Chelsea girls were arriving, looking all smug and full of themselves. That alone was enough motivation for Beth to want to go all out on the rink.
As the teams made their way to the rink for warm-ups, Beth slid up next to Miedema.
“Vivianne,” she greeted proudly.
“Bethany,” Viv said in the same tone, looking Beth's way, her accent strong.
“Ready to lose?” Beth said with a smile, eyebrows raised.
“You’re talking about yourself, I presume,” said Viv with a smirk.
“Ha!” Beth said sarcastically. “Real funny, Miedema.”
“You know me,” said Viv with a smirk again. Gosh, that smirk did something to Beth.
“May the best team win,” said Beth.
“Finally something we can agree on,” replied Viv, her head tilting with a smile.
Again, butterflies spun inside Beth's stomach. Gosh, what was it with her and Dutch people? She shook her head, telling herself to focus.
Viv and Beth met again in face-off, their sticks touching, eyes meeting as they waited for the puck to be placed in between them. For a second, tension rose between them, and the eye contact they were previously holding became unbearable. Before either of them could think more about the moment, the puck was placed between them and the whistle was blown. The match had begun.
From the beginning, the game was incredibly intense. Both teams were playing well, but there was an undeniable air to Arsenal that projected their desire to win. And then, just as the first 20-minute period was about to end, Beth found the back of the net.
She roared, skating over to where the rest of her teammates were to celebrate. She searched for her family in the very small crowd, finding them immediately, waving and giving them a big smile.
Going into intermission, the team was buzzing. However, when they returned to the pitch, their joy quickly came to an end, as Miedema netted a goal from the neutral zone. Her team came around her to celebrate, and Beth rolled her eyes.
Five minutes later, Beth scored again. After that, both teams struggled to find the back of the net. But after Katie McCabe was sent to the penalty box for a foul on Kim in the final period, Keira was able to score a goal. The girls raised their hands in the air as they skated over to Keira, swarming her in ecstasy. That was it. Two minutes until the third period ended, and they would win.
In the last minute, Miedema netted another goal, but it wasn't enough, as the whistle blew and the game ended. 3-2. They finally won, and most importantly, Chelsea's winning streak came to an end. The girls circled around each other, energy higher than ever, laughing and celebrating with each other.
After a few minutes in the huddle, Beth's eyes naturally drifted over to where Miedema was, taking her helmet off and talking to her teammates. She hadn't played bad at all, Beth thought. But they had been better. When she saw Viv about to exit the rink, Beth excused herself from the team huddle, skating quickly towards her.
When she reached Viv, she stuck her hand out at her. “Good game,” she said sincerely.
Viv stared at her in shock, a bit dumbfounded. After a few seconds, she accepted Beth's hand, shaking it, her touch icy against Beth's warm hand.
“Yeah, good game,” Viv muttered half-heartedly.
“You were decent,” Beth said honestly.
“Thanks,” Viv breathed out, although she didn't seem to believe it. “You were too. Really decent, that is,” Viv said.
“Wow, acknowledging foreign talent, what happened to you Miedema?” Beth joked.
Viv laughed, even though it didn't seem to reach her eyes. “I'm just able to recognize when somethings good,” she said. “Don't get used to it,” she added as an afterthought.
“Oh I won't,” Beth said.
They kept their gaze on each other, and Beth couldn't help but notice how pretty Viv looked. Without her helmet, she could see her eyes, and some of the freckles on her nose and cheekbones. Her hair was messy and undone, and her sweaty baby hairs became curls at her sides. She looked beautiful.
“Um, anyways,” Viv interrupted. “I have to go, my moms going to be late for work, and she'll kill me,” she said.
“Oh yeah, I'm sure your team wouldn't want their star striker dying. Although I think we'd be pretty happy with you gone”
“Haha,” Viv said sarcastically, although there was a twinkle in her eyes. “Goodbye Beth,” she said sincerely, before skating off.
“Yeah, bye Viv,” she said, although Viv was long gone by then.
After their win, the team had gone out together to get celebratory burgers, but however much she wanted to, Beth couldn't get Viv out of her head.