Chapter 246

July 13, 2018 (Friday)

Dear Ms. Diary,

The first five minutes of the game with GV proved the power of the much-improved Argon lineup. While we destroyed GV 16-0 in our first game with Argon tallying seven of those goals, Argon notched three goals in that first five minutes, today. Mia led things off without using her Ghost persona, culminating a great tiki-taka session by sprinting across the box and booting Tonda’s drop into the low right corner before the first minute of play had expired. Less than three minutes later, Haven intercepted a pass about halfway into our half and immediately booted it long, the ball catching up with Tonda midway into their half. She thigh-trapped it on the move, juked right, then rouletted left to beat their defensive sweeper, then practically walked the ball into the goal.

The third goal was even more spectacular, being off a play we had designed weeks ago for an opponent’s kickoff and something we had set up today by doing things very differently on their kickoff following our first goal. Tonda blitzed into their half as soon as their center forward sent the ball back. I doubt their forward had considered Tonda’s action as she sent a fairly anemic pass. Tonda got to the ball before it got to their center half, and she toed it ahead of her and got back to the ball on the other side of the center half before that player could get turned around and challenge for the ball.

Although all other Argon members would alter their actions if Tonda did not get the ball immediately upon the kickoff, Padme sprinted full speed upfield on the right wing, while Mia blitzed upfield at her best speed, but angled toward the center to support Tonda. Kanda had sprinted full speed up the left side at the kickoff while Haven slid left a bit to cover the hole in the D left by Kanda. Lissa went upfield, but at more moderate speed in order to be the first line of D should we lose the ball.

Their back line reacted as we expected: in panic. Tonda, with her speed and dribbling skill at that speed, was deep into their D before they knew what was happening. Their right back, seeing Mia angling to the middle went left to support the center back and D sweeper, which left a gaping hole in the deep-right part of their D, a hole that Kanda’s sprint from midfield was designed to attack.

When Tonda reached their back line, she slowed, becoming more deliberate, and this is where her perch on top of the league’s goals leader board provided another part of the farrago the play was designed to present to whatever hapless D we sprang it upon. Both center back and D sweeper converged on her as their right back moved even more centrally to back up that duo. I saw Tonda check over her left shoulder, then put the last part of the play into effect by moving to her right.

Presumably, every team now knew how dangerous Tonda was as a central striker, and both defenders went with her. She dribbled twice more toward them and to her right, then back-heeled the ball to where Mia was supposed to be. Mia one-touched the ball in a sizzling grass-grazer onto which Kanda ran and slammed it into the left side of the goal past their goalie who was frantically trying to get back to her right after Tonda had sucked her to her left. Krypton and the staff went crazy.

“Gather ‘round!”

When we were settled, Coach said, “I’ve been waiting for one of the lineups to use that anti-kickoff play, but I was surprised that their D did every ... single ... thing ... that Heather and Beth predicted they would with Tonda’s rise as a dangerous striker. You do realize, I hope, that their new D formation was prone to being suckered like that. Yes?”

Tonda replied, “Yes, with their central back-line defenders arranged deep rather than wide, Lissa thought this was the perfect opportunity to use it, and, boy, did that work. Coach, even if Heather and Beth never play pro ball, they could make a living coaching and designing plays. I know we’ve had success using Beth’s brainstorms, but this combo brainstorm was probably the coolest play I’ve ever been part of.”

Lissa spoke up with, “I agree. I remember hearing them figuring that out ... What was that? Three weeks ago? I remember them figuring out each piece the play needed, who, when, and where. That was so crazy cool!”

My face went red as Coach agreed, “Indeed, it was, and let’s keep that in our arsenal. I don’t know if we can get away with it in the league again, but one of the lineups could consider it in the league tournament, and we can certainly take that one to state. However, let’s not use that against Santa Fe next week, as I don’t want that play seen anywhere near the state soccer complex until we trot it out.”

Seamus spent an inordinate amount of time on Argon attagirls considering that they had scored eight goals and had completely stymied GV’s O. The only touch Mila got was when Emma Parkinson at left back passed it to her to send around to Emma Smythe at right back. Interestingly, that led to Argon’s sixth goal, which was also quite pretty. Argon worked the ball up the right sideline through Emma Crewe (in for Dakota at right half) then up to Padme. Crewe followed her pass upfield, allowing Padme to cut inside with Crewe following her slowly a bit upfield of Padme. Eventually, Padme passed the ball back and upfield to Crewe who sent it all the way across the box to Ghost, who rematerialized and headed the ball into the left side of the goal.

And then it was Krypton’s turn, and we took completely unfair advantage of the disheartened condition in which Argon had put the GV team, tallying ten goals, the first double-digit goals tally in a half for us or anyone I could remember in the league. Not even the cellar dwellers of the past few years had given up that many in such a short time. Of course, even though the GV team was not at all the team it was the past two years, it was GV, so we pulled out all the stops.

We did not start as well as Argon did, but we built up through the half. Oddly, GV’s only shot on goal came about 15 minutes into the second half. Their right wing intercepted a pass and booted the ball ahead, surprising Zahira. Gracey was playing deep as a safety – and had probably been very bored until this point, as the back line had had no defensive action at all until then, because Rathi and Zala, with some help from Rhee and me, had been so efficient at cutting off every advance GV made.

Their right wing seemed not to want to challenge Gracey, so cranked up a shot from inside her upfield-right corner of the box. I could easily see that, with the right shot, she had the left side of the goal available, but she began mentally kicking herself as soon as the ball left her foot, as it went right to Marli, who had no trouble handling it. Marli never again put a hand on the ball during the game.

During one of the play stoppages – their left half rolled an ankle, Char quietly said to me, “I hope this shellacking we’re giving them helps encourage GV’s organization to fire that coach. I know that at least someone in it knows why I jumped ship, and most of these girls don’t deserve having to suffer this humiliation.”

I responded, “But we’re really that much better than them, and would be nearly so had you been on their team.”

“Yes, but while that midfield never liked me – thanks to that bitch I think was giving the coach ... umm ... favors, the back line did like me, and at least one of them will probably speak out if asked.”

We did not really plan it this way, but we had no great plays that resulted in pretty goals. We simply kept pounding the ball into the middle, and Char and Rhee had a field day.

After we were settled in the locker room, Coach looked slowly around the room then stated, “In all my time coaching, I’ve ... never ... ever ... seen a beat-down like that. GV got exactly one shot on goal, and took only two others, neither of which was even close to the goal. I’ve ... never ... ever ... seen a team tally ten goals in a half. I’ve ... never ... seen ... a duo of forwards tally eight goals in a half. Of course, by the end, they were fouling in the box just to stop the bleeding. I’ve ... never ... ever ... seen a player score three goals in a half ... all on PKs.

“I know that some of you are ... quite satisfied with what happened here today, and I understand why you are, although I’m ... a bit embarrassed for the GV organization ... and for their coach. Just two years ago, that team was the league champion and roughly half that team on the other side of the pitch today were members of that championship team.

“I understand why ... you girls wanted this to happen. I even recall asking all of you not to let up on any opponent this season, as I wanted to see you keep pushing yourselves to learn how to be better, to be smarter, to be more effective. This ... devastation of that team was a result of both of those ... causative agents.”

She breathed deeply a few times as she looked at each of us in turn, then said, “Again, I understand why Krypton, in particular, and the team as a whole wanted to hand out that beat-down to that team. Perhaps it will have the benefit you hoped to achieve and GV will have a ... different administration next year. Regardless, after we leave this locker room today, no more looking back. I want you all looking forward. Looking ahead to our next game, then our next, and our next. We’ll all put GV behind us, but so far behind us that we can’t see it in the rear-view mirror. We’ll be able to remember it, but we’ll no longer be able to focus on it, as it will be so far behind us.”

Again, she slowly looked around the room, catching and holding each member’s eyes until she got a response, whether a nod or a quiet, “Yes, Coach.”

When she finished that effort, she split her face in a wide grin and said, “I’m sure Brett’s time handing out attagirls will be short, given the results of Krypton’s O in the second half.”

There was much chuckling as Brett stepped forward and stated, “Indeed! I’ll start with an attagirl to Rhee for each of her three successful PKs! Then I’ll hand an attagirl to Char for each of her... FIVE goals!”

After the hullaballoo that caused, Brett added, “I guess I never truly knew how dominant a good center forward could be with a world-class assister behind her.”

Although Brett’s eyes did not stray a millimeter in my direction, my face went pink at his words, then warmed further at his follow-up.

“I think Char actually touched the ball only seven times total for those five goals. She simply redirected Beth’s pass to her into the goal, whether with foot or head.”

Char spoke up during the resultant laughter, saying, “Particularly you younger girls should make note of how easy Beth made my task. She not only saw possibilities for me, she put the ball precisely where I needed it to take advantage of those opportunities. Brett was right. Much of this lineup’s success, much of this team’s offensive success is due directly or indirectly to Beth’s field awareness, her understanding of how situations will develop, her teaching aspects of her skill to Lissa and Padme, and to her sure touch on passes. She’s not anything like the fastest of our teammates. She doesn’t have outstanding ball-control skills. Other than some extra height, she’s not physically dominating. However, she uses that powerful brain of hers to analyze what will happen and where the ball needs to go, then uses her fine control over her passes to put the ball there, on time ... and on target. Thanks, Beth.”

With my face and, probably, most of my torso blazing red, Gracey pulled me into a left-armed hug, then loudly said, “And despite that she’s been doing that for three years, she’s still embarrassed by the notoriety her brain and skills give her.”

Lissa put me down for the count by shouting, “Three cheers for Beth!” Seemingly everyone else joined in with Lissa’s three iterations of, “Hip, hip, hooray!”

I curled into Gracey, who put her left hand behind my head and cradled it onto her left shoulder. Thankfully, Brett took pity on me by taking his attagirls spiel in a different direction.

“An attagirl for each of Civ’s two goals, and for her assisters, Rhee on the first one, Beth on the second. Rhee, I was amazed you even saw Civ break for the goal through the crowd in the box, much less be able to get the ball to her through ... or ... over it. That was stunning!” Unfortunately for my skin tone, his next words were, “Of course, with Rhee getting three unassisted PK goals, that leaves only seven possible Krypton assists. Rhee got one ... and ... Beth got the other SIX!” He grinned unrepentantly at me, then stated, “Obviously, I’ve already mentioned the one she sent to Civ, and Char already did most of my work for Beth’s FIVE assists to Char! Congratulations, Beth, for what Coach says is the single largest single-game assists tally she’s ever seen!”

In my haze of embarrassment, I missed the attagirls he handed out for excellent non-goal plays and the beginning of Coach’s next topic.

“ ... how controlling the ball on O can make it difficult for even a good opposing offense to score. I’ll be surprised if Krypton didn’t top 75% possession in their half. Despite her previous embarrassment, I’m going to add to it by pointing out the critical part Beth played in Krypton’s O keeping the ball by moving it around until Char got a chance to make a run, and with something like half of those times, Beth getting her the ball for a score. That was as overall dominant as I’ve ever seen an offense be, in my playing days as well as my coaching days. That was a tour de force! And one for which GV had no answer.”

Thankfully for my skin cells, Coach turned the floor over to Liya, who stated, “Next week, we have a lot of traveling to do. Game at Watermelon Mountain on Monday, start time of 10:00. As for our game at St. Lucia this week ... and for the rest of the season, we’ll have the two large vehicles to take the entire team there, so be at the practice pitch absolutely no later than 7:00, as we’ve got nearly a two-hour ride there.

“On Wednesday, we travel for a non-league game to Centerville, which is not quite at Watermelon’s elevation nor as far away. Be at the practice pitch by 7:30 so we can be there an hour later for a 9:30 start time. Finally, next week, we have the trip to Santa Fe. Coach and I have explained the details a couple of times, and I’m afraid you’ll have to endure another explanation ... on Wednesday after the Centerville game.” She talked over the groaning response, “Our final three games are all in the next week, and you can thank Coach that they’re all home games.”

There was much rejoicing.

More than a bit nervous, Taylor stepped up to say, “While ... umm ... Char’s five goals were impressive, her words helped us decide that today’s winner of the game ball is none other than ... Beth Williams ... for her six-assist ... blockbuster!”

After all of us gave Brett and Lana departure hugs, we dropped them at the Jacobs residence, then headed home.

As soon as Andy had the Sprinter moving again, Taylor asked, “May I get naked, now?”

Liya answered, “Yes, but be ready to put a top and bottom on if we suddenly need you to do so.”

Taylor nodded, then made herself naked in less than 20 seconds, after which she exclaimed, “I love this! I love that you girls let me be naked so much!” When she saw Heather moving, she turned to look at her, then remarked, “And I love it that ... all my new sisters love being naked, too!”

Even Mia had removed her clothes in less than two minutes after we backed out of the Jacobs’ driveway.

When we reached the J, since we usually parked the Sprinter on the street, Andy pulled up at the street end of our very short driveway and let us out before she parked a bit beyond the driveway. Taylor was ecstatic that all of us were carrying our gym bags into which we’d put our uniforms, then walked briskly up the five feet of driveway length into the garage in which the Ford was already parked.

Once through the garage and with the street-side door closing, Taylor laughed, then said, “That was so fun! Thanks, girls, for making my life so much more fun.”

Liya responded, “I think, perhaps, it’s time to take her to ... our pavilion.”

Heather answered, “You’re right. Why don’t we get a quick shower, pack a lunch, give Katherine a heads-up, and head there?”

Cera replied, “Yes! Taylor, don’t get dressed right after our shower. We’ll stay naked at least until we’re ready to leave.”

“I won’t. I’ll always be naked as much as possible, here.”

We ripped through the shower, all together, then began packing sandwich makings and tossed in some leftover salad from last night.

When we were ready to head out to the Ford, Liya told Taylor, “Grab a T and a short, but don’t put them on. You’re going to ride naked to where we’re going.”

Taylor slammed herself into Liya thanking her profusely, and she was first into the Ford.

When she saw Heather climb in, also naked, she clapped her hands and enthused, “We’re being naked together! Thanks, Heather!”

Heather responded, “When we get there, I’ll instruct you on what clothes to put on before we get out. Okay?”

“Okay,” she responded enthusiastically.

We were in luck upon our arrival. Although we’ve found that, typically, no one is occupying or even near our pavilion in the park when we arrive, we’ve been disappointed a few times when we arrived hoping for naked time there.

Heather asked Taylor to look around, then asked, “What do you want to wear out there now?”

Taylor looked a bit confused, then nervously asked, “Nothing?”

“Exactly. Take the clothes you brought, but you can go out there naked.”

Taylor slammed her naked body into Heather’s naked body, saying, “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” after which she pranced out of the vehicle and stood in the hot sun in the open reveling in being naked outdoors ... and not in the compound. “This is so GOOD!”

Heather followed her, then helped the rest of us move our coolers and gear – frisbees, soccer balls, and the beanbag-tossing game – inside the pavilion. Mia got her cavorting sister to join us in the pavilion so that Rhee could lay down the law.

“Taylor, you ... and anyone else ... may be naked here so long as there are no other visitors in sight. However, we need to have two of us watching for other people arriving so that we can all get into our clothes before they arrive. You can see that Kim parked the Ford so that it’s blocking view of the inside of this end of the pavilion. Everyone takes turns being one of the lookouts, but we won’t at all run through all of us on this visit. Your turn won’t be today, so you can be naked so long as no strangers arrive. However, you’ll get your turn to be a lookout on some future visit. Okay?”

She nodded and said, “I understand.”

“When our lookouts see a car turning onto this road, she or they will call out, ‘Alert.’ When you hear that, you must immediately stop what you’re doing and put on the clothes you brought. Okay?”

“I understand, and I’ll do that. I ... don’t want to ... ruin this for everyone else.”

“Good, because everyone who’s not a lookout will also be naked, as we love doing that here.”

Our youngest member was ecstatic at hearing those words. So much so, that she could not get any intelligible words out, so slammed herself into Rhee and nearly broke down in happiness in her arms. Once we had the coolers on the end seats of the table closest to the vehicle, all but Andy and I stripped to their skin and began setting up for lunch, Taylor conscientiously helping in that effort. Andy and I went to sit in the grass behind the Ford and focused on the T in the access road.

After we had been there about five minutes, Taylor brought us a plate each, one at a time, and we thanked her for bringing our lunches.

“May I ... sit here with you and eat my lunch? I see where you’re looking, and I probably wouldn’t be seen when I sneak back to the pavilion for my clothes.”

Andy replied, “We’d like your company. Thanks.”

“You would?”

“Yes. Taylor, we all like you, a lot. We all love your enthusiasm, even for nudity because we’re also pretty enthusiastic about being naked here. However, we must be very careful, as getting caught could be very bad for us, particularly for the older girls of us. Do you understand why?”

“Mom said that I had to obey all of you about ... nudity, because you older girls could get in trouble about it if we were caught outside the compound like that.”

“Exactly. We enjoy your enthusiasm for nudity so much that we’re willing to take chances on you like this, but you must ... absolutely must obey us in this.”

“I love being with you girls too much. I won’t disobey. I pinky swear.”

We went through the process of having her pinky swear to each of us, after which the three of us settled down and ate our salad and sandwiches. We were nearly finished when my phone jingled a text tone.

I looked at it, then quietly told Andy, “She’s coming ... and she’s asked for the ‘all clear.’”

Andy elevated her right eyebrow at me, then mouthed, “Wow,” at me.

I looked at the intersection, then sent a text. Less than a minute later, Katherine emerged from the woods wearing sandals and carrying some clothing. Other than the footwear, she was naked.

Taylor quietly asked, “Is that Katherine?” When I nodded, she exclaimed, “Wow,” looked at the intersection, stood, then walked rapidly to meet Katherine at the edge of the pavilion.

“You like being naked, too?”

“I do, Taylor. That’s something that your ... family and I have in common.”

“And you do ... sexy-time with Brett. Right?”

Katherine balked slightly, then smiled at her, and responded, “I did. The girls tell you about... ‘sexy-time?’”

“Not details, but yes. Sometimes, the other young girls and I are banished upstairs so everyone else can have sexy-time together. Before Mom and Mia and I moved into the compound, I didn’t really understand sex and sexy-time. I don’t understand everything, but I understand a lot more, now. Civ and Mare have helped me with that a lot. Even though they’re not allowed to do sexy-time, they still know quite a lot about it. Like my Mom has explained it to me, their parents have explained it to them. They always insist that whenever they explain more to me that I must tell Mom what they told me and what I thought about it.”

“That’s good. Do you understand that the more you know about ... sexy-time, the less scary it will be when you’re allowed to share in it?”

“Yes. Mom’s said that sexy-time is very important to most people, but that most don’t really understand it and make what she called a mess out of it.”

“That’s unfortunately accurate. I certainly made a mess of it early on. I would have gladly traded with you to be better informed when I was a teenager. My life back then would have been much better.”

“Huh. Mom said the same thing about her ... time as a teenager.”

“You’re lucky, Taylor, that your mom understands that and loves you enough to help you understand much more thoroughly the various mental and physical aspects of sexy-time. She wants you to have a better life than she did at that age. That’s why I would have gladly traded with you, but I’m glad you’re getting a better education than I did.”

“I think I understand that. The girls have also helped me understand. Beth said that they’re trying to make my time less ... scary and even more enjoyable than their ... early time with sexy-time. For now, I like it because they let me be naked whenever I can be. That is, when none of the guys are with us or, like in the shower, when the situation is controlled by our shower ... pro-tic ... protocol.” Taylor looked down, then back at Katherine, and asked, “Are you going to ... join us? I mean, not like here and now, but at the compound? I know all the girls, including Brett, like you a lot.”

“That’s what we’re trying to work toward. They told me that when I first set my feet inside what they call the J, I’ll be married to them. Do you understand that?”

“Yes! The J is the house we all live in, and it’s so wonderful there. And Mom said that she and Mia are now married to the rest of the girls. She’s not sure what the ... relationship is between us young girls and everyone else, but that when I get to be 14, if I want, I can be married to everyone. I don’t really know what that means, but I really love living with them, now. It’s so fun in the compound!”

“I’m very much hoping they’ll formally invite me to join them, as I’ve come to love them all.”

Taylor put down the remnant of her sandwich, knee-walked to Katherine, looked at her with a serious mien, and said, “I think they all love you, so I expect they’ll invite you to join us soon.”

Katherine stared at Taylor for no short time, then asked, “May I hug you, even though we’re both naked?”

“Sure! We give naked hugs all the time! They’re the best! My Mom now gives me naked hugs. I love being with the LA.”

Shortly after Andy and I traded the lookout job to Kim and Heather, Kim called out, “Alert.”

The rest of us either scrambled into clothes or did so sedately. The alert was for a city Parks Department vehicle, which stopped by the pavilion, and the driver got out and then walked up to us, our lookouts having joined us under the roof.

“How’s everyone doing, today?”

Heather answered, “Great. This is one of our favorite places and we visit frequently.”

“Good, good. I think I’ve seen you girls here before, although there seem to be more of you than I recall seeing.”

“Yes, we’ve got more converts to this park and to this pavilion.”

“This pavilion?”

“Yes. We assume that because there’s no close bathroom, few other visitors spend any time here. That’s what we like about this pavilion, as we’ve usually got it to ourselves, and we don’t get any guys hassling us.”

The woman smiled at Heather and replied, “I can certainly understand that. When I was your age, my friends and I would have loved to have a place like this where we could avoid being bothered by boys ... so we could talk about ... boys without being interrupted.”

“Hah! We don’t talk much about boys, but we have a good friend that’s a boy, but he’s unlike most other boys we know, so we like his presence with us. Unfortunately, he and his cousin had to meet his parents at their home today, otherwise he and she would be with us. Still, we like our times here when we can let our hair completely down and not worry about things.”

Heather changed her mien, then asked, “Do you know if the park has plans to put a bathroom here?”

“I do, but we have no expectation of managing that. Like city parks nearly everywhere, we don’t have a lot of funds for physical alterations, although a bathroom here has long been on the wish list. I guess you hope the funding will never come through for that.”

“At least until we high-school girls head off to college. After that, we might be okay with a bathroom going in here.”

The woman smiled, then said, “I couldn’t resist talking to you, but I better get back to work. Thanks, and enjoy your time here unhassled by boys.”

After the woman’s car was well down the road, we non-lookouts resumed our nudity.

We had to explain to Taylor that if she wanted to join us in tossing frisbees or other stuff that she had to be clothed. We spent the next couple of hours having a full competition at the beanbag-tossing game, with those not playing at any given time tossing frisbees. Celeste won again; she is a phenom with a beanbag.

It got to be just too hot in the sun, so we retreated to the pavilion and shucked clothing, except for Liya and Cera who were now our lookouts.

Katherine said, “Thanks, girls, for inviting me. This was very fun and made for a wonderful break from work. However, I need to get back to the store.”

Brit asked, “You’ll give us each a naked hug before you leave. Right?”

She nodded and added, “And a kiss, too. God, this ... thing we have is so wonderful!”

It took over a half-hour to get Katherine all her naked hugs and kisses. Part of the cause was that Rhee, who got the first hug, threw in some minor fondling. It was just grabbing a handful of Katherine’s left butt cheek, but Katherine wanted to repay the favor.

When it was Mare’s turn, she said, “We young girls shouldn’t do that ass grab. Is that okay?”

Katherine replied, “Please, learn that even in sexually highly-charged atmospheres, that nothing at all sexual is ever required. Sex should always be completely up to your free will, even when a person wants to be dominated by her partner. And my interests do not go down that road ... in either direction.”

“Good, but, Katherine, it’s not that Civ and I don’t want to do sexy-time with you. It’s just that, as a group, we have rules that we will not break.”