ONE GOAL BETWEEN US

FORCED PARTNERS

Chapter Three — Forced Partners

The final bell rang, and students immediately began pouring out of the building.

I should have been heading home.

Instead, I was standing on the football field with a ball tucked under my arm, wondering how my day had gone from perfect to terrible so quickly.

Then I heard footsteps behind me.

“Ready?”

I didn't turn around.

“No.”

Ethan laughed softly.

“You're here, though.”

“Because Coach told me to be.”

“So we're both suffering.”

I finally looked at him.

He was already wearing his training gear, looking far too relaxed for someone who had just stolen my position.

“Let's get this over with.”

We started with passing drills.

Coach stood several feet away, watching us carefully.

“Again!”

I passed the ball.

Ethan returned it.

Again.

And again.

Neither of us spoke.

For a while, it actually worked.

Then Ethan sent the ball too far.

I ran after it.

“You could've passed better,” I said.

“You could've caught it.”

I stopped.

“Excuse me?”

He shrugged.

“You heard me.”

I stared at him.

“You really enjoy annoying me, don't you?”

“A little.”

I kicked the ball toward him harder than necessary.

He caught it easily.

“Careful,” he said. “Someone might think you're angry.”

“I am angry.”

“At me?”

“Obviously.”

His smile disappeared for a moment.

“Why?”

I couldn't believe he was asking.

“Because you took my position.”

He looked at me for a few seconds.

“I didn't ask Coach to give it to me.”

“That doesn't change anything.”

“I know.”

His voice was suddenly quieter.

I wasn't expecting that.

Before I could respond, Coach called from across the field.

“Lena! Ethan! Scrimmage!”

We joined the others.

The game started.

This time, I refused to let Ethan distract me.

I focused on the ball.

On my teammates.

On winning.

Then, with only a few minutes left, I saw an opening.

I ran toward the goal.

A defender moved in front of me.

I tried to pass around her, but the ball slipped away.

Before I could react, Ethan appeared.

He intercepted it.

Then he looked at me.

For half a second, I thought he would keep running.

Instead, he passed the ball directly to me.

I caught it.

The goal was open.

I kicked.

Goal.

The whistle blew.

My teammates cheered.

I turned toward Ethan.

He was smiling.

“Good shot.”

I blinked.

“Thanks.”

It was the first nice thing he'd said to me.

And somehow, it felt strange.

Coach walked over.

“That's what I want to see. You two work well together.”

I almost laughed.

“Together?”

“Yes,” he said. “If you want this team to win the championship, you're going to have to learn to trust each other.”

I glanced at Ethan.

He looked at me.

Neither of us said anything.

Trust him?

Absolutely not.

But as I walked off the field, one uncomfortable thought followed me.

Maybe Ethan Hayes wasn't just my biggest competition.

Maybe he was exactly the teammate I needed.

And that scared me more than losing my position ever had.