Alex Morgan - Fans in the Stands

Score! Rose Lavelle scores! the announcer yelled. We were in Emmas movie room, and I jumped up from the couch, nearly knocking off Zoe, who was right next to me.

Yes! I pumped my fist into the air as the other players of the US Womens National Soccer team slapped Rose on the back in congratulations on Emmas practically-movie-screen-size television.

My best friend, Jessi, high-fived me. Some of the other Kicks were also there.

Were winning! Jessi crooned. Her hair, which she used to wear in long braids, was a mass of supercute black springy curls that shot out in all directions.

Yes, but Im gonna need to switch seats, Zoe chimed in. Devin, you almost knocked over my drink!

Zoe was the only one of us wearing a dress, but it was sportyan off-the-shoulder black Adidas T-shirt dress, with cool white kicks. She was growing out her short hair, and it was starting to curl behind her ears. Zoe was always fashion forward.

Oops, sorry! I shrugged. But you know how excited I get!

Emma laughed. I told my mom we should consider putting a tarp over the couches because of what happened last time.

I winced. During the World Cup the previous summer, in my excitement over the US womens teams win, Id spilled red punch all over my seat. Mrs. Kim, Emmas mom, had been really nice about it, but I had been soooooo embarrassed.

Dont remind me, I told Emma. She was the tallest of my friends and looked sporty too, with her long black hair pulled back into a ponytail, and a T-shirt with the emblem of the South Korean flag emblazoned in the middle of a soccer ball.

We were watching one of the games in the US Womens National Soccer team victory tour, after theyd won the World Cup. Today was a friendly match with Korea Republic, which was how FIFA, the International Federation of Association Football, referred to the South Korean womens team. Emma and her family were South Korean, and she debated over who to cheer for.

Since its a friendly game, Im going to go ahead and root for Korea, shed explained nervously when wed first gotten to her house.

Oh, dont worry, Devin, Emma said now as she threw an arm around my shoulder. Well just have to keep an eye on you. Maybe we should put you in the playroom for a little bit to calm down.

Emmas house was the perfect place to watch the game. It was more like a mansion than a house. The movie room was huge, with sliding glass doors leading out to the backyard, which had an in-ground pool. A large leather sectional surrounded the huge television screen, and there were comfy reclining chairs in place behind it. A long bar along the back wall had tall stools and every kind of soft drink we could imagine, including a new machine that poured out water or seltzer, and ten different fruit flavors we could add to it. Even though I could have had a soda, which I wasnt allowed to have at home, I loved trying all the different-flavored seltzers, so that was usually what I drank when I went to Emmas.

The playroom Emma was referring to was just down the hall from the movie room. It used to be for her and her brothers, but she had a large family with lots of little cousins, so they still used it all the time.

When the nugget gets bigger, Ill have to bring him, Jessi said. The nugget was Jessis newborn baby brother, Oliver, who was the cutest baby Id ever seen. He was so happy and smiley, and almost never cried. Oliver was way different from my little sister, Maisie, who had screamed all the time when she was a baby. Now that she was eight, she could be okay sometimes, but I was glad earbuds had been invented, so I could tune her out when I needed to.

Theres a casting call for babies for a new line of organic baby food, Frida chimed in. Your mom should take Oliver. Hes a natural.

Frida was the only person Id ever met in person who had been on TV. She was the same age as the rest of us, and played soccer too, but her true passion was acting. Shed been in a bunch of commercials. Her biggest role so far had been in Mall Mania, a TV movie that shed costarred in with the singer Brady McCoy. Shed played his sister. Come to think of it, I guess Frida wasnt the only person Id met who had been on TV, because shed gotten Brady to show up for one of our soccer fund-raisers, and wed all gotten to meet him. He was really nice. Emma was a superfan, and Id thought she was going to pass out, because she completely freaked out when she met him.

I dont think my mom will go for that, Jessi said.

Frida shrugged. Not everyone is called to be an actor, she said, a bit dramatically. Frida loved drama, and she loved to stand out, dressing in funky outfits and vintage clothing. Today she was toned down in yoga pants and a T-shirt, her long, reddish-brown hair falling in curls over her shoulders.

Thats true, Jessi said. Who knows what Oliver will be like when he gets older? All he does now is sleep and eat. And speaking of eatingEmma, that soccer field snack stadium is amazing. And delicious!

Emma beamed. My mom and I worked on it all week, she said.

I joined Jessi as she went back to the table next to the bar where the food was set up. Emma and her mom had gone all out and re-created a soccer stadium, filling it with edible goodies.

The field was made out of guacamole, with soft white cheese piped onto it to make the boundary lines, and the goals made out of square pretzels. The back wall of the stadium had cute little American and South Korean flags with toothpick flagpoles.

Carrot sticks with olive heads looked like tiny soccer players on the field. Emma and her mom had cut up empty cereal boxes to make the stands and covered them with white paper and soccer ball stickers. The stands were filled with food: hot dogs, slider burgers, sushi, veggies, dip, potato chips, Cheez Doodles, cookies, candy, fruit, and popcorn. There were so many choices, I almost couldnt decide what to eat.

I filled a paper cup with M&Ms and brought them back to the couch so I could snack on them while we watched the rest of the game. As I settled onto the sofa, Jessi sat next to me, with a plate piled high with sushi and potato chips.

Mmm, sushi, Jessi said.

Zoe moved to the far end of the sectional away from me. No offense, Devin, but this is a new dress, and I dont want to ruin it.

Its only M&Ms, I protested, holding my cup out and shaking it so she could see. With that, a cascade of the brightly colored candies came pouring out onto my lap.

Everyone started cracking up.

See? Im staying right here, Zoe said.

Oh, Devin, Emma said as I scooped M&Ms up from my lap and popped them into my mouth, you might need to go into the playroom after all.

I cant help it if you packed so many awesome things into the soccer snack stadium, I said.

Maybe we can help you make another one, for when the Kicks win the championship, Jessi suggested.

If we win the championship, I said.

Yeah, dont jinx us, Jessi! Frida cried.

My friends and I all played soccer for the Kentville Kangaroos, also known as the Kicks. We had made it to the playoffs for our spring season, and wed won our first two playoff games. First wed beaten the Victorton Eagles. And this morning wed faced our longtime rivals, the Rams, on their turf, and had beaten them by just two points. We had only one more game before the final state championship match. It really felt like the win was in our grasp. Now, I wasnt as superstitious as Frida, but I definitely didnt want to spoil our chances either.