Offside

“Damn!” I heard a low whistle through the phone’s speaker. “Gotcha. I’ll find out who it was. You won’t see him again.”

“Better not, or it’s your ass,” I told him.

“Nice. Going to the dance tonight?”

“Probably.” I ended the call and threw my phone back in my locker. Swiveling around, I leaned against the locker door and stretched my legs out far in front of me, pointing my toes in the air and loosening my ankles.

Motherfucking ref.

Red carding me.

Doesn’t he know who the fuck I am?

I closed my eyes and felt my jaw lock up as I started grinding my teeth tightly together. My fists clenched, and I kind of wished the ref would decide to come and “talk to me” after the game—so I could get the chance to fuck up his face. I heard the band start playing outside and knew the game must be over. I wondered who might have stepped up as goalie for the last couple of minutes. We had already used all our subs, so our backup goalie, James, couldn’t even get on the field.

Poor bastard—might have played in the first game of the year but couldn’t.

Ha!

Fucker.

I continued to stretch as my teammates walked in, some of them grumbling a little but not much. Not with me there, anyway. I learned pretty quickly that the game ended in a two-two tie and that Jeremy had stepped up as goalie for the last three and a half minutes of the game. I leaned back against my locker and continued to stretch out with my eyes closed.

“What’s wrong with you, Malone?”

I opened my eyes, and I looked at the new kid…um…whatever the fuck his name was. Tony, maybe? He was a freshman player who happened to make varsity though he didn’t get played today. I didn’t think he was from the area, and he had just moved here from…wherever.

Who gave a shit?

“Excuse me?” I looked at him and raised one eyebrow, wondering just how stupid he was.

“You don’t stop looking at the ball just because you think a foul will be called! And you sure as hell don’t drop f-bombs in front of the ref!”

I tensed everywhere. For a brief second, I considered just decking the little shit. I quickly forgot that idea for one that was much, much better. I stood slowly and took a step from the bench.

“There is no fucking way you are talking to me,” I smiled a half smile at him, but narrowed my eyes. Several of the guys snickered.

“Who else let a goal right by him without even trying to go for the ball?”

No snickering now. Actually, the whole locker room went pretty damn silent. There was the sound of water from the showers and some mumbled voices over that way but nothing else.

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” I asked as I nodded toward Klosav and Oliver. They walked slowly up to either side of him.

“I’m part of this team!” the little shit exclaimed.

“And as part of this team, you do realize I am your team captain.”

“I know that,” he said. His voice trailed off as he noticed the two bigger guys coming up beside him.

“And as the team captain, I do get certain…privileges.” I smiled wider and took another step closer to him.

“What? Like acting like an asshole on the field?” He looked from side to side as if he wanted to back away, but there was nowhere for him to go.

“No, like getting blowjobs from the youngest player on the team.” I watched his eyes get wide as he froze in place.

“You’re fucking insane or something,” he mumbled.

“Seriously? I’m thinking you need a little lesson.” I motioned toward Klosav and Clint, and they each placed a leg behind the kid, forcing him to stay where he was. “You need to understand that what I say goes. I’m always right. And you don’t fucking question me.”