Her uniform had been freshly washed, and it smelled like fabric softener. Her socks were pulled up, her shin guards in place. She’d checked the hair band on her ponytail at least six times to make sure it was secure. Monk, her monkey keychain, was tucked into her gear bag, and she had a stash of blue-raspberry Gatorade for time-outs. It was go time. The biggest game of her high school career. Outside the locker room, she could hear the stadium filling up. Before she changed, she’d met the UDub recruiter, a sporty-looking woman in her thirties named Monica. If she played well during this game, she’d be guaranteed a spot on next year’s team. And if she didn’t . . . Caitlin shut her eyes. She didn’t want to think that way. She sat down and massaged her ankle, trying to ignore the twinges of pain she’d felt in the past few days. All of a sudden, she felt someone staring at her from across the room. Ursula, also in her soccer jersey and shorts, smirked at her from the water fountains.
