“God, I hate her,” Maria said. “That was so wrong. She totally robbed you of that goal. I’m gonna get her back.”
As Scarlet stood there, fuming with the indignity of it all, she suddenly started to experience something she never had before. She began to feel something burn up inside her, rise up from within. A sense of outrage and injustice burned inside her, and she began to feel a heat rising through her veins. She could feel the sensation tingling in her arms; it almost felt as if the veins were popping out of her skin.
For the first time in her life, she felt a burning desire for revenge. Her anger burned, grew stronger and stronger, as she felt a surge of energy race through her. A superhuman strength. In that moment, she felt she was capable of anything.
“No,” Scarlet said, taken aback by the strength in her own voice. “I got this.” Scarlet suddenly raced down the field, running right for Vivian. Vivian was a good fifty yards away, but something was happening to Scarlet, and she found herself able to zoom in on her, in crystal-clear detail. She had never had vision like this before.
Or speed like this. As she ran, it was as if her legs ran for her. It was as if everyone else was running in slow motion, as if she were a gazelle among kids. In just moments she covered the entire field and was closing in directly on Vivian.
Vivian, of course, had the ball, and was moving it downfield. And she never saw Scarlet coming.
Scarlet kicked the ball out from under her, drove it further downfield, then turned around, all in the flash of an eye, and about ten yards away, kicked it hard, right at Vivian.
The ball went flying in a line drive, and hit Vivian right in the stomach. She keeled over, on the grass, clutching her stomach, as the coach blew the whistle.
Several girls came running over to Vivian, helping her up, making sure she was okay. Vivian got to her feet, fine but embarrassed. She glared at Scarlet with a look of death.
Scarlet stood there and smiled back, feeling vindicated.
“You little witch,” Vivian said threateningly.
She approached, but now, Scarlet was completely unafraid. On the contrary, she felt a power unlike any she’d ever known, and welcomed the confrontation.
Vivian lunged at Scarlet, claws out, aiming right for her face. But before she could get close, several of her friends grabbed her from behind, pulling her back.
“Vivian, it’s not worth it,” her friend said.
More girls got between them, and slowly, reluctantly, Vivian backed away.
“You’re dead,” Vivian yelled, pointing at her.
Scarlet looked over to the sidelines, and saw Sage still there, watching her. Now, he had a small smile on his face.
The coach blew the whistle, and again the ball was put into play. One of Vivian’s friends managed to get it, and instead of moving it downfield, she passed it to Vivian, setting her up.
Vivian turned away from the goal and instead prepared to kick it directly at Scarlet.
But Scarlet, with her new reflexes, sensed it coming. As Vivian geared up to kick it at her, about ten yards away, Scarlet burst into action. With lightning speed, she raced for the ball and reached it before Vivian could even finish winding back her leg. She stole it right out from under her and ran with it downfield. Vivian kicked at nothing but air, and her leg went flying up and she fell right on her butt, humiliated.
By then, Scarlet was already far downfield. There was no one who could get within ten yards of her as she zigzagged between everyone deftly. Soon, it was just her and the goalie—and the goalie didn’t stand a chance. Scarlet wound up and kicked the ball so hard, it went past the goalie and into the net with force enough to lift the entire goal and send it crashing back, it’s metal frame crashing to the ground.
Everyone stood there frozen, hardly believing what they just witnessed.
“OMG, Scarlet?” Maria said as she came running up to her. “That was like—amazing. Like unreal. How did you do that?”
Scarlet stood there, hardly registering what had just happened. She’d been so caught up in the moment, she hardly understood it herself.
The coach blew the whistle and screamed out. “Gym is over! Everyone back to class!” The other girls filtered off the field slowly, giving Scarlet amazed looks.
“Nice kick, Scarlet,” a girl said admiringly.
“Yeah, nice kick weirdo freak,” came a snotty comment from one of the popular girls, as the group of them brushed passed her.
But Vivian now looked at Scarlet with something like fear, and she kept her distance, clustering with her friends. She glared at her, but this time she didn’t dare come anywhere near her. Scarlet realized, with satisfaction, that she must have shook them. Finally, she felt vindicated. Even if they did think she was a freak.
“OMG, he’s staring at me again,” came Maria’s voice.
Scarlet turned and followed Maria’s glance to the sidelines. There stood Sage, hands still in his pockets, a smile on his face, staring right at Scarlet.
“Am I imagining it, or is he really looking at me?” Maria asked.
Scarlet hardly knew what to say. As she stared back into his eyes, she found herself mesmerized, unable to look away.
“OMG, he’s coming over here!” Maria announced, and turned away, blushing. “Like, what do I say?”
Scarlet noticed it, too. He began to walk in their direction, and as he did, staring right at her all the while, she felt her heart begin to pound.
“Hey, nice goal!” suddenly came a voice from behind her.
Scarlet turned to see Blake standing there, holding a football, with two of his buddies, cheeks flushed.
Scarlet was overwhelmed—it was too much going on at once. She hardly knew which direction to turn. She looked back, over her shoulder, for Sage.
But when she turned, he was gone.
She was amazed. She didn’t know how it was possible. How could Sage have disappeared like that? There were nothing but open fields all around them, and nowhere to hide. How could he have just vanished?
Scarlet was mad at Blake for scaring him away.
Damn it, why had it all have to happen at once?
“Um…thanks,” she said, flustered.
“Anyway, like, a few us thought we’d cut for the day. Head down to the lake. You guys like, want to join?”
Scarlet was taken aback. She hadn’t expected this. She didn’t really know Blake’s friends well, and doubted Maria would want to go, since she never missed class. She was nervous at the idea of missing class, and of going herself—but she was more worried that if she said no, it would be like rejecting Blake. Wouldn’t that seal her fate for the dance?