Taking a breath, my eyes trained on Tina, who kicked the ball towards me. It skittered through the grass, and I passed it back to Skipper. Skipper kicked it up, and a roar exploded from the girls behind me as my thick head connected with the ball, launching it at Elena, the goalie. As she lunged for it, I stumbled, and my knee hit the ground.

The ball smacked the pocket of the net and Skipper hooted and hollered and tackled me to the ground. "Let's go!"

I screamed with laughter.

"What a showoff!" Melanie shouted from the rest of the group, waiting for their turn to practice crossing and shooting.

"Don't be jealous," I teased, biting my tongue at her.

She rolled her eyes, but everyone could see her smile. I was on fire today.

­­"­­Elena, are we planning to stop any balls this practice?" Coach Lawson asked, raising his arms in mock resurrection. Coach Lawson, the messiah of high school girls' soccer.

"I'm not dignifying that with a response," Elena said. Her immobile facial expression might unsettle the masses if worn by another girl. On Elena, she just looked cool. Nothing bothered Elena Moreno unless she let it. Wish I could relate. In a rubber versus glue scenario, everything stuck to me.

The word "empty" still scratched the back of my brain.

"Come on," Coach insisted, turning, and hoping to inspire the crowd. He clapped his hands together. "This season, giving your all is more important than ever."

Holding her knees as she caught her breath, Tina asked, "What's this leading to, Coach?"

Skipper jumped up and then hoisted me back to my feet. I ran my hand through my hair and Skipper snickered, glancing at all the strands defying gravity. She fixed my hair, patting my head and smiling. She was sunshine.

I smiled back, mirroring her head tilt.

"Thank you, Tina..." Coach sighed. "I have the honor to finally announce that the judging for the chipmunks' MVP contest has officially started."

Every cell in my body awakened.

"As we all know, it comes with a trophy, some recognition, and a cash prize, girls," the Coach tried to hype the team with the promise of cold hard cash. "So, focus on your sport, your grades, and your community."

"I'm gonna go for that," I said to Skipper, but I turned, and she was gone. Skipper had evaporated and appeared by the goal. She had her hand extended against the post, smiling down at Elena, who was stuffing her curls into a ponytail. Little cartoon hearts were in their eyes and panic zipped through me.

Picking my feet up, I headed for them so I could figure out what was going on and, hopefully, butt in at a good time. Not knowing what they were talking about worried me as much as paper cuts, burning my tongue on coffee, and driving by eighteen wheelers on the highway. But Coach's voice caught me like a fish on a hook, ripping into me and pulling me back. He announced to the entire universe, placing me in the spotlight, "And we even have Zoey here whose sister Jess won MVP her senior year. How cool is that?"

All eyes on me, I suddenly had to perform. I smiled pleasantly enough, remembering the way Jess came barreling into the house that day, yelling at the top of her lungs about how she won. I thought the house would collapse. Nothing lived in that place louder than a librarian's polite murmur, but my parents allowed it, and we all went out to eat to celebrate.

"Yep, Jess won," I said.

"Are we going to continue the legacy?" He asked me.

"Of course, coach."

My smile still plastered, the closer I got to the girls, the more I could hear Skipper talking, "Yeah, so there's a new bakery that's, um, pretty good. From like reliable sources-" While Skipper tripped over her words, Elena just kept smiling brightly with hearts in her eyes and I moved faster like I was gonna throw myself over a grenade.

"Is it the bakery in the Target shopping complex?" I jumped in, making Skipper jump. "The cupcakes there are dry."

"Oh?" Elena blinked as I sucked all the good feelings out of the atmosphere like a relationship vacuum. Snuffing out their flame, it no longer smelled sweet, but more like sulfur. Elena poked Skipper's side. "Guess your sources aren't that reliable."

"Uh, yeah, I guess so," Skipper mumbled and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Hey, Elena, do you have any Midol?" I asked, knowing full well she did. Her purse could rival the thoroughness of professional doomsday planners. Except hers was better because she had sparkly pink lip gloss.

"I just started my period," I lied the same way I lied to my mother to get out of a family activity with the theatrics of rubbing my stomach and everything. "And it's killing me."

"Yeah, of course. I'll run and grab some," Elena said without another thought and left her zone.

Coach caught it immediately. "Elena! What are we doing? That was a joke about not stopping balls, but you literally can't if you leave."

She didn't stop walking. "I'm getting some Midol for a period."

"Got it." The coach shot her a finger gun and stopped looking at her. "I got it. Thank you." To everyone else, he said, "Let's call this a good ending point and we'll play some scrimmage. How's that sound?"

As he assigned teams, Skipper nudged me. "Hey, do you know any good places? That are preferably cute?"

My brow scrunched as I played dumb. "Why? What do you care if things are cute?"

I attempted to walk away from this conversation physically, but Skipper followed, speaking low and just between us. "It's not for me. For Elena. You know she likes taking little pictures of the food and stuff. I wanna take her to a place where she'll be excited."

"Oh, I can take you guys to a cafe that has cafe art. Maybe we can study there tomorrow after school."

Skipper swallowed nervously. Her brow narrowed as if she didn't know how much strength it would take to get it through my thick skull with a sledgehammer that she wanted to ask Elena on a date. Of course, I knew her intent... but I needed them. Needed them just the way they were. I couldn't let them ruin the perfect thing we had going on. A golden trio.

Because let's say they do get together and when they inevitably break up, what would that mean? I'd have to choose between them? I'd have to give up a friend. One of them would just disappear? Like that? Forever, despite our history? I was tired of people disappearing.

The emptiness inside of me grew. Frost clung to the edge of my bones, like a wasteland covered in winter snow.

Skipper told me, "I'm thinking of asking Elena out."

"Really?" I said what I had already rehearsed. "She hasn't told me she's interested in dating right now. She seems pretty focused on college prep and stuff. I'm not sure if now would be the best time."

Skipper wilted. "That's right. Maybe now's not a good time."

"Yeah, I think you're right."

"Summers! Sutherland! Are you ready to play?" Coach asked.

"Ready!" I raised my hand, eager to excuse myself from this conversation. "Hey, I'll go grab the jerseys!"

"Thank you, Summers! See girls, that's MVP behavior."

Smiling, I rushed back to the gym and into the storage room to find the jerseys. It wasn't there, so I took a detour to coach's office and immediately found them in a plastic box. On his desk, I caught a picture of the team three years ago. My sister, Jess in the center with the trophy in her hands.

I never understood why people said we looked alike. She was so pretty and even cared about her appearance with pretty make-up and pretty blonde highlights and pretty gym clothes. She wasn't too tall and wasn't too muscular. My family would say she was probably the prettiest girl in the world. In the same breath, I apparently looked like great grandpa.

There was another picture of Jess with her two best friends and her boyfriend at the pizza party. A thought entered my head and before I could snuff it out, I was already texting Jess's boyfriend, Michael, but I had him under my phone as JESS'S BOYFRIEND.

ZOEY: [Hey, sorry. I know it's been a while, but I have a quick question. What did Jess do to win MVP Chipmunk?]

Heart thudding my chest, it tried to make me feel wrong for asking, but it was too late. I sent the text. Whatever. He probably wasn't going to reply. Last time we spoke, we fought. He probably thought I was just being another selfish Summers girl. Grabbing the jerseys, I hurried back outside and handed them out to my team for the scrimmage.

Melanie threw hers over her head and said, "What's Daniella doing here?"

Goosebumps trickled down my arms like hairy spiders. I could hear the crackle of thunder in the distance. The stadium lights flickered.

Snapping my head up, I caught Daniella James in the stands far away from other people. Reading a book, she wore a wide set of black jeans, an oversized sweater vest, and a white button-up shirt. It must've been cold in the shade because her big marshmallow coat was on.

"I don't think I've ever seen her outside before," Tina said.

"Right? Guess she's not a vampire."

They laughed, but I wasn't. Tina said, "Whoa, she's with Allison."

And like they said, Allison with her long model legs climbed to Daniella's secluded spot. Allison smiled, but Daniella didn't return it.

"Man." Melanie sighed. "Allison is so beautiful. Should I go on a diet?"

"Weight has nothing to do with it. The problem's your personality."

"Oh, fuck you."

"See."

Melanie chased Tina across the field as my phone buzzed.

JESS'S BOYFRIEND: [It's cool. There's a dance around this time, right? She helped a lot with that, but I don't think she did much. You know Jess. Everyone just loved her.]

Sighing, I almost replied, but Michael texted back first.

JESS'S BOYFRIEND: [How are you doing? Have you heard from her?]

Stomach dropping, I closed my phone and shoved it back into my pocket.

That was why we fought.

Him and everyone was under the impression that I had ever mattered to Jess. They thought I had some special treatment and when she ran away and disappeared, they assumed she'd tell me. She didn't tell me. Didn't even wake me up to say she was leaving. No goodbye. Just an empty house.

I tried to take a breath, but it got lodged in my throat and my eyes watered without my permission. Shit. I was trembling and now that I knew I was shaking, it was going to get worse.

"Shit. Zoey? Are you okay?" Melanie asked, touching my arm. "You look pale all of a sudden."

"Do you wanna sit down?" Tina asked, taking my other arm.

"Oh, no, no I'm good. I'm good," I said to myself and hit the ground running hard. Taking all these feelings, I poured them into the game as fake as it was, trying to remember just the way Jess played it. Trying to recapture Jess on this field.

#

Once practice ended, the girls and I got changed and met Allison and Daniella out on the field once it was cleared. Paired with a Canadian tuxedo, Today's shirt was green tie dye with Shrek's face in the middle and Allison wore it like it was the latest from the newest Gucci campaign.

"Are we gonna do small talk? Or get down to business?" I asked.

Skipper snorted behind me, and Daniella rolled her eyes. She said, "The less time together the better. Allison, what's the game?"

"I've thought about what we can do to prove who is the better date," Allison announced, like this was a game show and only Daniella or me could make it into the finale.

"A series of five small matches..." Allison explained and held her hand up like we couldn't count. I did appreciate the theaters though. "Challenges all themed to the five love languages: words of affirmation, quality time, physical touch, acts of service, and receiving gifts. I will decide the winner and a judge of your choosing." She glanced at Daniella. "You know, to keep it fair, but the decision is ultimately mine. Whoever wins the majority of the matches will get to dance with Mona."

Allison shrugged a little, wearing the coyest smiles. "We can start off easy. With words of affirmation."

"So, the first person to three wins," Daniella requested clarification.

"Exactly." Allison smiled more pleased than a housecat with a mouse stuffed in its maw. "Good thing there's not six love languages, huh?"

"We should make things sweeter," I said. "When I win, will you vouch for me?"

"You haven't won yet," Daniella said.

Allison just smiled and shrugged a little. "Sure. Why not? If you've proven you'd be a good date, why wouldn't I vouch for you?"

Daniella shifted uncomfortably. "And we're not telling Mona about this?"

"No," Allison said. "It's more fun this way. We wouldn't want to stress her out, right? First challenge starts tomorrow. We'll try to keep the challenges at school so it's common ground. Everyone should meet in the theater."

I eyed Daniella, waiting for more of a fight from her that never came. She asked again, full of so many questions, "When you said a judge of our choosing..." She glared at Allison without glancing at me. If anything, she looked like she was avoiding my eyes. "Are you saying we have to bring a friend?"

"Exactly." Allison nodded. "I figured you'd want someone from your friend group, so things felt fair, but I will ultimately decide the winner."

"Right. Yeah, thanks."

This would be easier than shooting fish in a barrel, but some things didn't need to be said. Everyone already heard me when I said Daniella didn't have any friends. I'd bet money she wouldn't bring anyone to the first challenge. I kept my mouth shut. I wasn't in a knife twisting mood.

"Are we in agreement? Five challenges, three judges, and we don't tell Mona. Anyone would gives up or tells Mona, succeeds and loses by default. Winner gets to ask Mona to the dance. Deal?"

"Deal," I said and Daniella echoed.

"Deal."

"Great," Allison said. "Shake on it..."

We both looked at each other. Staring at her, I realized I was a little taller than her. I realized she wasn't wearing make-up. Her eye lashes were just that thick. Her hair was all the way to her elbows, and I wasn't sure how she could stand it. Looking at her was like this was like finding a sweater under my bed I hadn't seen in years.

Once upon a time in a world long long ago, Daniella and I used to rule the track team together. The last time we shook hands was when our track coach made us apologize to each other. "Shake hands," she insisted the same way Allison did now.

She offered her hand.

I gave her mine.

This was before being friends with Skipper and Elena. Before my crush on Mona. Before Jess left. She could call me empty, but Daniella was the only person who probably knew me when I was myself. In that moment, I knew Daniella James had the potential to ruin my entire life.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Well well well... who thought Jess was dead? Be honest! 😂 Plot twist (?) Jess is not dead! But she is gone. I wonder what happened... guess we have to wait to find out.

Hope you guys liked the chapter! Let me know what you think! Looks like Zoey's got some moves and she's moving fast to be a cockblock, thoughts on her stopping Elena and Skipper's date? Is this the best fit check from Allison? And the challenge has been explained!! What are you gut thoughts?

And if you like this book, please check out my other babies which are all EQUALLY chaotic. For updates and silly videos, check out my instagram~