Encroachment

Ava shouldn’t be as nervous as she is but this was her first year called up to the under twelve team, she was only ten so she knew it meant she was good. She looked over at her family, her parents, her sister whose head was turned looking at a boy of course because that’s all Anna focused on now was dumb boys. And her bother proudly sitting in the stands wearing his matching number eight jersey with Sharpe on the back. Ava knew this game was huge it was the regional champs of Star City versus Starling, the winner goes to State. She had seen game footage the coaches had shown them and her job was to defend against one of their best forwards a young girl who they said was quick, like ninja quick. So, when Ava got a good look at her blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail it didn’t shock her the girl was small.

Lower center of gravity Ava mumbled to herself trying to see more about the number nine on the other team, but warmups were almost done, and the opposing team didn’t seem to want anyone to notice the small blonde. Ava walked over to the bench and looked at Adam who nodded towards the girl and Ava looked over and saw the girl running some drills with a teammate and she was quick with a ball at her feet.

The teams lined up to shake hands before the game and announce the starting lineups. Instead of lining up in number order they did height on her team which was annoying because Ava was tall for a ten year old and she was taller than most of the eleven and twelve years old's and that meant she was at the back of the line. So as she shook hands she kept looking for the number nine she was hoping to get into the girls head. So when the last person held out her hand looking at Ava both girls stopped in their tracks. Those blue eyes from the park were attached to the girl who Ava was supposed to be stopping from scoring.

Sara dropped her arms to her side and the two blondes stood staring for a moment at each other. It couldn’t be the girl who refused to be nice to her. The tall mean girl from the park, the one who she had seen the next time she went and then begged Laurel to take her home, so she didn’t have to see the girl again. Ava realized they had been standing staring looking at each other for too long and held her hand out to Sara. Who looked at the hand and then back to Ava and then back to the hand extended.

“I’m not here to make friends.” Sara said turning away and joining her team leaving Ava standing in shock dropping her arm slowly back to her side. Ava stood up straight and turned towards her team and Adam saw a look on her face and he knew it meant trouble.

The game started off like any other game, each team feeling the other out. Testing backlines and midfields. Long balls over the top to see if there were any breaks in defense but both teams proved to be pretty solid. Sara may have been quick, but Ava could read her move before she made it. Ava loved the game, and it was her ability to read players that gave her an advantage on defense.

Sara on the other hand was determined and if she couldn’t get around Ava well, she would just plow right the fuck through her if she had too. So when Ava followed her to the corner and trapped her where her only options were to let Ava take the ball or turn and kick the ball off of Ava to soar out of bounds she turned pulling her leg back and kicking the ball with all her might right into Ava’s mid-section. The taller blonde fell to her knees with the wind knocked out of her, when the linesman raised the flag indicating a throw in for Sara’s team but the head referee blew the whistle running over to Ava who had lowered her head to the ground still holding her stomach.

Ava looked up at the referee and saw her coach and a paramedic making their way towards her. She tried to keep the tears in her eyes from spilling over but while trying to catch her breath it was difficult. Sara stood off to the side with the ball moving it from hand to hand watching as the paramedic had Ava lift her hands up to take a deep breath while the coach was having words with the head referee glancing randomly at Sara indicating it should have been called a foul. When Ava finally stood the paramedic gave her a water bottle, she took a sip and then poured some on her neck and handed the bottle back. She turned her attention to Sara who just raised her eyebrow and Ava looked back without any noticeable change in her reaction.

“You good?” The ref asked Ava who kept her eyes on Sara and just nodded.

“Yeah.” Ava replied as she took a few steps backward and waited for Sara to throw the ball in.

The game went on for a few more minutes and Ava was waiting, patiently waiting for her opportunity. Sara wanted to play rough well, Ava was about to show her some school yard ball in that case. She hadn’t spent years playing with her brother and all their friends and not picked up some skills of her own. It was rare when Ava would run up the wings but when she did she was fast and calculated, she had sat back for the last ten minutes watching each attack from both sides and she noticed on Sara’s team the left back was a ball of nerves. She was also half Ava’s size so that could work to her advantage.

“Nora!” Ava called for the ball and Nora shifted and kicked the ball to her friend who saw that look in Ava’s eyes.

“What are you about to do?” Nora asked looking at her friend.

“What I’m good at.” Ava said with a smile and Nora rolls her eyes.

“Oh, piss people off?” Nora said and laughed at her as they looked at the field.

“Just stay back here okay.” Ava said as she turned and took off shocking the player who was running at her.

Ava ran up the wing right towards the left back who looked equally terrified when the tall blonde came running down the field avoiding tackles left and right from center midfielders. Ava had a few gifts she had always said she was born with and running with a ball at her feet was one of them and her height allowed her to make lengthy strides and quickly make her way down field. The shorter dark-haired girl stood still, looking in shock. Ava heard a voice call out the name Zari and before she could focus on it the brunette ran towards her which was her first mistake.

Ava quickly moved to her outside and brushed passed her as if she hadn’t even seen her. Ava then turned to make her way towards goal and there is where she saw her two offensive players making runs into the box so she glanced at goal and then back to the two running through the center backs on the other teams. She tried to time the kick so they were onside, and she pulled back to kick and before she even knew what happened in a flash blonde hair has caught the corner of her eye and Ava could feel the smile appear on her face as she stopped causing Sara to overrun in her estimation sliding to the ground when she tried to stop and turn back and Ava had just enough time to get the kick off as she watched the ball sail through the air towards the head of none-other that superstar player Alex Danvers who headed the ball right past the goalkeeper and into the net.

Sara just watched from the ground as the ball bounced in the goal out of the reach of their goalkeeper. When she looked up she saw Ava just looking down on her like a huge fucking statue, like seriously how was she so tall and why did she always look so angry. Sara stood up and Ava took a step closer to her as if she was waiting for some snide remark from Sara.

“Lance!” a voice called and Ava looked over at Sara’s coach and then back to Sara who just narrowed her eyes at Ava.

“Sharpe!” Ava heard her own coach and Sara looked over Ava’s shoulder and then back to Ava.

“More where that came from Lance.” Ava said looking at Sara who just rolled her eyes.

“Bring it Sharpe, next time I wont miss.” Sara said running off and intentionally brushing Ava’s shoulder as she took off causing Ava to twist and follow her. But instead of continuing their banter Ava ran back to Nora who welcomed her with a high five.

“Well, I see you pissed off their star player.” Nora smiled as Ava shrugged.

“Oh, I am not done yet.” Ava said laughing as they watched the other team kick off.

They went through the rest of the first half and Ava kept to her side working defense as Sara’s team kept trying to break through the defense but Nora and Ava were impenetrable. Half time came and went so quickly that Ava found herself face to face again with Sara. Ava backtracked and kept her self-squared up and she waited, the moment that Sara decided she was going to pivot and break right Ava read all the way and slipped her foot perfectly out pushing the ball between Sara’s legs and taking off around her. Sara’s momentum taking her a few more steps forward that by the time she turned Ava and her damn long legs were already a good six strides ahead of her.

Sara grunted in frustration and took off towards the defensive player who just seemed to know when Sara was going to make a move and try to push through the defense. Sara pushed her legs to catch up to the defensive back and she was determined to get the ball back. When she went to pass the taller blonde Ava shifted and pushed her weight against Sara kicking the ball away and sending Sara flying to the ground.

Sara landed with a thud and she groaned in pain as she rolled onto her stomach as the pain from her hip radiated through her whole body. The ball flew over the forward Ava was aiming for and went out of bounds. And quickly midfielders came running up on Ava yelling about how the hip check was uncalled for sending Sara to the ground. Ava just shook her head and moved to walk away but found herself blocked by that same brunette Ava had run passed earlier.

“Cheap shot Sharpe.” Zari said looking at the taller girl.

“Don’t act like earlier what she did wasn’t the same damn thing!” Ava growled back as she looked over at Sara getting up off the turf slowly. “We aren’t here to make friends.” She added and then ran off towards her backline.