"Alright, you know what to do. Just do what you did on Friday and you'll be good."

I turned around and faced Ryder with a worried expression.

"What if I freak out and don't make it? Do you know how embarrassing that will be? I don't want to fail infront of everyone."

He grabbed my face in his hands and made me look into his eyes.

"You'll do great. I know you will. And even if you don't, nobody will care because you look extremely hot," he said and kissed my forehead.

I rolled my eyes at the last comment and walked to the field.

It was after school on Monday. The weekend past like the blink of an eye and before I knew it I was in class again. Ryder managed to convince the soccer coach to let me try out even though it's an all boys team.

I'm guessing Ryder didn't need to persuade him too much because he was the coach's star player. Aka his favorite.

I was currently freaking out because all the boys from the soccer team were here and were gonna watch me try out. And to add onto it, there were students standing here and there who would then probably see me play.

Thankfully Isla was here and so was Blake.

Turns out he was on the team too. The other guys they usually hang out with were on the team too and a couple seniors.

Ryder put a hand on the small of my back and guided me towards the coach.

I hadn't seen him before. He was in his mid-thirties maybe early forties and he was good built. He looked friendly but you could tell that when it came so practise, he would be very serious.

I held out my hand and introduced myself. "I'm Kennedy Andrews."

"Ah, so you're the girl Ryder has been talking about nonstop."

I looked at Ryder with an amused expression. He caught my eyes and looked away.

"I'm Coach Samuel."

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine. Now, let's get down to business. You do know that because this is an all boys team you will have to be an excellent player. I will not give you special treatment because you're a girl."

"Of course. I completely understand. I wouldn't want it any other way," I agreed.

Coach Samuel looked at Ryder and nodded his head in approval. Ryder smiled proudly. "I told you she's different."

"You sure did, Ryder."

He turned back to me.

"Okay, first I want to see your skill. Then you're going to play one on one with one of our players and finally you'll play with the whole team. Sound good?"

I nodded my head.

"Alright, then let's not waste any time."

Ryder took a few steps back and Coach Samuel kicked me the soccer ball.

"First, I want to see your footwork."

____________________

Come on, Kennedy! You got this! Just one last goal!

I urged my foot to go forward and I kicked the ball to the goal. It went through the goal posts and flew into the net.

I did it! I'm in!

"Yes! You did it, babe!" Ryder ran up to me and hugged me. He picked me up and and twirled me around before setting me down.

"You made the team!" he smiled proudly at me and I smiled back at him while panting slightly.

I bent over a bit and rested my hands on my knees, while trying to calm my breathing. I couldn't stop smiling though.

Coach Samuel came up to me.

"Congratulations, Andrews. You're the first female to ever be on the school's soccer team. You passed with flying colors. As a matter of fact, you have the same score as Ryder when he tried out."

He turned to Ryder. "I think you've got competition," he said and laughed.

Ryder laughed with him. "I sure do."

I had stopped panting and stood up straight.

"Thank you so much coach. It means a lot that you even let me try out," I said.

"I should thank you. I'm excited to train with you. I'll see you again on Wednesday. Bye now."

"Bye coach," Ryder said.

"Bye."

Coach left and a few of the team members came up to give me a high five or congratulate me.

"Good job, Kennedy!"

"You were really good out there."

"It'll be nice to have a girl with us for a change."

That earned the guy a glare from Ryder. Mentally telling him to back off.

Lastly, Blake came and caught up with us. Isla had to leave before the whole team played.

"Welcome to the team, Kennedy."

"Thanks."

"And no offence or anything, but you look like you need a shower," he teased.

I glared at him. Of course I did. I've been playing soccer for almost the last three hours.

"You don't look so good either," I replied.

He and Ryder were also a bit sweaty because they had to play with the team for my last 'task'.

We all said goodbye and by the time I got home it was 5:30pm.When I walked through the door my mother immediately asked me where I've been.

"No time right now! I'll explain later!" I called down to her as I ran up the stairs.

I ran to Dylan's room and slammed open his door.

He jumped up out of fright and put a hand over his heart. "God, Kennedy! Don't do that!"

"Yeah, sorry, not really," I said. "Guess who made the school's soccer team?!" I excitedly asked while jumping up and down.

"No way! Really? That's amazing!"

Dylan gave me a big hug.

"But how? I thought they only had a boys team."

"They do. The coach let me try out and apparently I was so good that he let me be on the team. He said I was the first girl to ever be on the school's soccer team!"

"That's crazy! Do you know how cool that is?! Think about how many scholarships you could get."

"I didn't even think about that."

"This is pretty amazing. I'm proud of you," he said and ruffled my hair.

For the first time, I didn't scowl when he did that but instead smiled brightly.

I walked back to my room and took a shower. I put on some fresh clothes and walked back into Dylan's room.

"You don't knock, do you?"

"Nah. Knocking's overrated. Anyway, I came here to ask you something," I said.

He sat up on his bed. "What's up?"

"Think you can help me tell mom and dad about all this soccer stuff?" I asked.

"Sure. That'll be no problem."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Okay, thank you. I really didn't want to face them alone."

____________________

We were all sitting at dinner and eating.

Dylan gave me a questioning look and I nodded my head. I swallowed my food and spoke up.

"Mom? Dad?"

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"So, I've been playing soccer here and there and I realised that I'm not even that bad. I tried out for the school's soccer team today and I made it. If I'm good enough, I might be able to get scholarship and go to a really good college that will help you play a sport professionally."

"Well, honey... I don't know if--"

My mother gets cut off by my brother.

"She's amazing, mom. Not only did she get accepted into the school's soccer team but it's an all boys team. Think about how good she would have to be in order to be able to do that. And what makes it even more special, is that she's the firs girl to ever make the school's soccer team. If that doesn't show you how great she is at soccer, I don't know what will."

I gave him a grateful look and he smiled at me in return.

"And you really want to do this?" my dad asked.

"I do. I really do. I love playing soccer. It's probably my biggest passion. I would love it if you guys were supportive of my decision," I said.

"Well, if it makes you happy, then we're fine with it," my mom said.

I smiled brightly.

"So you're gonna be a famous soccer player, Kenny?" Nathan asked.

"Maybe, Nate. Maybe."

___________________

I was laying on my bed and watching a movie when my phone started ringing.

"Hello?"

"Hello, darling."

"Why hello idiot. What's up?"

"I was thinking, would you want to go out for celebratory ice-cream?"

"Just us two?"

"Yes, just us two."

"If I didn't know any better I'd say that you're asking me out on a date," I teased.

"Maybe I am. I guess you'll never know if you don't come."

"You do realise that it's 7:30pm."

"So what? I'm pretty sure your bedtime isn't at 8. So what do you say?"

"Sure, why not."

"Great! I'll pick you up in fifteen minutes."

"Alright, see you then."

"See you then, darling."

I hung up and changed into some jeans and a gray muscle tee. I put my hair up in a ponytail and put on my converse.

I ran down the stairs to see my parents in the living room.

"I'm going out for a while. I'll be back soon," I told them.

"Do you have your phone with you?" my mom asked.

"Yeah, I have it."

"Okay. Don't stay out too late!"

"I won't! Bye! Love you!"

"Love you too!"

I stepped outside just in time to see Ryder arriving on his bike.

"Hello, darling."

"Hello to you too!"

I grabbed my helmet and put it on. I climbed on Ryder's bike and wrapped my arms around his waist. I could feel his hard chest against my palms.

"Don't be afraid to touch. I won't mind," he teased and I lightly slapped his pec with my hand.

He revved the engine and put down the visor of his helmet.

"Hold on tight!" and with that, he drove off.

____________________

After about 10 minutes, we came to a stop and Ryder turned off his bike. We got off and walked into the ice-cream parlour.

Ryder walked up to the counter. The guy working there greeted us. He was maybe a year or two older than us.

"Hi, could I get two scoops of chocolate in a cone?" Ryder asked.

"Sure," the guy said and made his order. "And what will you have, cutie?" he asked me and eyed me up and down.

"Yeah, what do you want, babe?" Ryder asked and put his arm around my shoulder.

The cashier glared at him shortly before returning to me.

Wow. Smooth guys. Real smooth.

"Umm... I'll take a scoop of strawberry and lemon in a cup."

"Sure thing, sweetie," he winked at me before making my order and Ryder pulled me closer to him.

"You're a bit territorial about something that's not even yours," I whispered to him and smirked.

He looked at me and matched my smirk. "And who said that?"

Before I could ask wether he meant the territorial part or the part about me not being his the cashier returned with my order.

"That'll be 4 dollars."

Ryder got out his wallet and paid for our ice-cream.

"Thank you. Let's go, babe," he said and looked directly at the cashier before leading me outside.

"I could have paid for my own ice-cream," I told him once we get outside.

"But I didn't want you to," he replied.

I went to walk to one of the tables but Ryder grabbed my hand and pulled me back.

"We're not eating here?"

"No, I want to show you something."

"Alright."

I followed him and after about ten minutes of walking and finishing my ice-cream we came to his destination.

It was a cliff that looked over the ocean. The rock of the cliff was covered completely in soft grass. Ryder walked up to the edge of the cliff and sat down, letting his feet dangle over the cliff.

It wasn't that high up but still pretty high.

I sat down next to him and enjoyed the view.

"You know this is totally cliche," I teased him.

"I know," he said and smirked.

"How did you find this place?"

"Let me make this even more cliche," he said while finishing his ice-cream. He cleared his throat and looked out onto the water.

"When I was younger, I was in middle school, the situation back at home would get so intense that I had to leave. One day I was out exploring and I stumbled upon this place. You're the first person I've ever brought here."

"Not even Blake?"

"Nope. Not even Blake."

"I must me pretty special then," I said and smiled teasingly.

He laughed. "That you are."

I leaned back and lay on the soft grass. Ryder also lay down and intertwined our hands.

"I know it's probably none if my business and I shouldn't pry, but there's something I've been wanting to know," I said.

"Ask away."

"On the first day we met, you said that you're parents don't care enough to send you to college with loads of money. What did you mean by that?"

Ryder sighed and lay on his side. He propped himself up on his elbow and leaned his head on his hand.

"You don't have to answer," I told him.

"No, it's alright."

I nodded, telling him to explain.

"My parents don't really get along. They just stay together so that they have enough money to pay rent and have food on the table. They're always arguing and fighting. Sometimes they think that I'm just a burden and take up to much of the money that they make. That's why I'm trying to get a scholarship."

"For soccer?" I asked.

"Yes, for soccer. Because I know that they won't and can't pay for my college," he finished.

"Why do you put up this facade?" I asked him.

"Why do you?" he replied. "So that no one will know what's really going on. So that they believe something else. You said that your parents also can't pay for college. What's that about?"

He let go of my hand and started to trace his finger over my face.

"It's not that they don't have enough money. They do. It's just that if they were to pay for college for me and Dylan, they would have to save up again for a few years. And I don't want that for Nathan. I want him to have a good childhood growing up."

"You really are a great sister. You know, I used to wish that I had siblings," Ryder said.

"Used to?"

"Yeah. Until I met you. Then I knew that I didn't need any siblings that I could share my feelings with or not have to worry about keeping up my walls."

"You know what?" I asked.

"What?"

"I'm honored to be that person."