Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Benio wakes on Wednesday morning, ankle stiff but manageable. She meets Malik at the park for final practice. A scout, Ms. Tanaka, arrives to watch the tryout, raising the stakes. Ross appears and claims his uncle is the referee. Benio and Malik drill penalties and defending. They walk to the city field where Coach Kimura and the referee Mr. DeMarco are waiting. The one-on-one begins with Benio attacking first.
Benio woke to gray light filtering through the laundromat window. Her ankle felt stiff but not swollen. She unwrapped the elastic bandage and flexed her foot—once, twice. The pain was a dull ache, not the sharp spike from the night before. She took that as a good sign.
She dressed quickly, tucked her father’s ball under her arm, and slipped out before the morning customers arrived. The air was cool and damp, and the streets were quiet. She jogged lightly to the park, testing her ankle with each stride. By the time she reached the gate, it had loosened up.
Malik was already there, sitting on the bench with a paper bag in his lap. “You’re early,” he said.
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