Kyle and Maddie, backdated to Sept 4

[x-wildchild.livejournal.com]

Kyle, being awesome, helps Maddie (also awesome) with her soccer-team problem. Cue impending future awesomeness and also a District X recreational soccer team for young mutants.



The ball soared through the air, landing easily in the back of the soccer net that had been set up on the mansion's lawn. No sooner had it settled on the grass when another soccer ball was launched at goal, its trajectory missing the structure completely.

Several yards away, a figure lay on the grass, staring motionless at the clouds in the sky, her red hair fanning out beneath her. She wasn't hurt, she was just cursing herself for falling victim to the slipperiness of the ground that had cause her to slide and the ball to veer so far off course.

"I hate my life."

"Helps if you're not laying in wet grass, you know." Kyle crouched down, toes dug into the turf. "You wanna beach towel or is this your new training thing? Does the wet grass help you bring your A-game?"

"It doesn't matter," she replied, utterly defeated. "It's not like I'll ever really play soccer again. Not unless I am completely rid of my powers and it can be proven that I really do not have them, and even then I'd probably still be banned in case my powers come back or I'm lying'"

"How awesome would I be if I told you I could fix that, and all it would take is you having to put up with one of us teacher types...." And that was still weird to say out loud. "driving you into the city." Kyle said. "Because I am basically the man right now."

Maddie's hand shot up to shield her eyes from the sun as she squinted at the guy crouching next to her. "What you talkin' bout?"

"The community center in District X has a co-ed soccer team, and they're not gonna put geographic restrictions on it. So they could give less than a crap if some kid from 'the mutie school in Westchester' comes over to play soccer. Kyle sat down in the grass, held out one closed fist and grinned. "Pound it, Mads, I am the man."

The girl beside him crinkled her forehead and stared at the fist bump that was being offered like she was unsure of what to do. "Yeah, no one does that anymore," she replied finally, glancing up at Kyle. She didn't want to admit it, but on the inside she was squealing like a little girl. After all the turmoil she could actually play soccer again. With boys. Who, to be honest, didn't play as hard or as dirty as girls, but who were just as fun to knock down into the mud. And who were boys. Which the mansion was seriously lacking in.

No. It was much more satisfying to see the look on a guy's face when a scrawny thing like her pushes him to the ground. Maddie smiled just thinking about it.

"Wait. Is this 'Fun, Fair, Positive' or whatever? Where everyone gets to play and you get a card for just about anything? And a slide tackle gets you thrown from the game? Because that shit ain't me."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm an old fart teacher. Give me a goddamn fist bump." Kyle kept his fist out, and made a face. "And no, it's actual competition. Might be a little more hands off than you like." He had a pretty good idea of what kind of soccer Maddie wanted to play, which was fine because it was pretty much the same kind of soccer he liked to play. The kind where everyone ate a mouthful of grass and dirt and Julio kicked you in the head at least once. Maybe minus the specificity of Julio doing the head kicking. "And they're gonna do a lot of evaluating powers use, from what the dude on the phone told me, it's a new thing this year."

"Whatever," she bumped his fist with hers. "I once had a player grab the inside of my shorts and try to pull them down. Ref didn't see or didn't care or anything so I stomped on her foot." Maddie cracked a smile, not at that specific event, but at the memories of walking off the field covered in grass stain and caked in mud. If you didn't already get it, she couldn't explain why she loved it all so much. "So what would I have to do to join?"

"Paperwork, mostly. Might be a tryout but I'm pretty sure it's gonna be a small team." Kyle said. "Promise not to punch anyone or use your powers to influence the game. It's gonna be a red card if you do, straight to the bench and out of the game. Other than that, your folks'll have to sign a permission slip and you have to put up with me and my old people music when I drive your ass to the city."

That all sounded pretty fair and straight forward, Maddie had to admit, and a welcome change from having to Fight The Man. For despite the perfectly valid explanation Garrison had provided, it still felt completely unfair to be excluded like that. And while being given this opportunity was far from being able to heal the wound, it could possibly act as a bandage. It was far from ideal, but it was something she could do. Life had given her lemons, so she was going to use them to fill a water gun with lemon juice.

"All right," she replied, sitting up. "Sounds good. But no old people music. Please. I have delicate sensitivities."

"My ass you do. If your team wins a game you can pick half the music, but that's as far as I go." Kyle said. "And it won't be ranked - you guys'll be outside the competition structure, so no tying to go to Nationals or whatevs, but they have a couple of games lined up."

Maddie snorted in response, both at the music situation and the level of competitiveness. Whatever. She would keep up her own rankings. Just for fun, of course. "Fine. I'll just bring my iPod."

"Now why are we still sitting here," she jumped to her feet. "I believe we have some paperwork and stuff to fill out."