Alex & Me Page #3

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I need better touches

with my left.

You know, I think

that was a yellow card.

On you or me?

Definitely you.

I've seen you around here

a lot lately.

I come up here to

practice sometimes too.

We just moved in.

Right over there.

Around the corner,

on Longridge.

Welcome.

[LAUGHS]

You're really

working hard.

I'm trying.

How do you stay

so motivated?

[ALEX CLEARS THROAT]

Don't do it. Remember the whole

flashlight-in-the-eyes thing.

[LAUGHS]

I dunno.

Whatever it is,

it's working.

Who do you play for?

[SCOFFS]

Nobody.

What? Get outta here.

- You're good.

- No, I...

You think so?

Yeah.

Well, who do you play for?

United Real.

Oh, wow. They're good.

I mean,

they can't be that good.

They let me on the team.

Need any more players?

Um, well,

my-my friend's cousin,

she plays

for a small club.

The Breakaways?

She was talking about

how they need one more,

'cause somebody

moved out of town.

If you're interested.

The Breakaways?

I think they're new-ish.

I mean, she said

they're not a great team.

But it's a chance

to play this season.

How not great

could they be?

[TRAIN HORN BLARING]

You here to try out?

Uh, yeah... Yeah.

Cool.

What are you waiting for?

Okay.

Who cut you?

Excuse me?

What team

didn't you make?

That's why you're

here, right?

Somebody cut you or you

didn't make another team?

It's okay.

Nobody joins

this team first.

I got cut by

the Jags.

Oh.

- Crush.

- Mm.

You know, this team,

the Breakaways,

it got its name because

it was formed when some girls

'broke away' from Crush,

right?

And by broke away,

I mean got cut.

NIGEL [WITH BRITISH ACCENT]: Jolly

good work, girls. That's it.

Back and forth,

pass the ball, tickety-boo.

Keep it going along.

Great. Right.

Oh, I'd watch out

for the glass and the...

Maybe the live electrical wires.

Don't step on those.

PENNY:

For cryin' out loud, Bug!

Your moves gotta be faster.

You keep stopping

and looking

like you're crossing

the street.

LEXI:
Haven't you ever

heard the saying:

"Slow and steady

wins the race?"

The race,

not the soccer game.

Soccer is about fast.

Like this.

Whoa!

[LAUGHING,

STIFLED]

PENNY:

Don't even.

She's...? She's 13?

GIA:

Bug? No. Nine.

Need the players.

NIGEL:

Codswallop!

I almost caught

a Level 6 Zernorf.

GIA:

Coach.

New girl trying out.

Reagan.

Cheers, Reagan.

Uh, my name's Coach Nigel.

First thing:
has Gia

given you the panic word?

Oh, the panic word

is "apricot."

If you hear

that during practice,

stop whatever

you're doing,

and hide till coach

sounds the all clear.

Uh...

It means somebody saw

a city truck.

Don't wanna get busted for

trespassing and lose our field.

[PLAYERS CHATTERING]

Thanks for letting me

try out, coach.

Have you played

the beautiful game before?

- Yeah.

- Right on.

Welcome to the Breakaways,

Reagan.

Don't consider this a tryout.

Consider it your first practice.

Uh...

Hey, look, our first game

is in two weeks.

How many girls

do you see here?

REAGAN:

Um... Ten?

But soccer goes up

to 11, right?

So welcome aboard!

Get your boots on.

Meet us on the pitch.

Huh? Let's go!

Right-o, everybody!

Let's line up!

Whew.

You just made the cut.

That was

a real squeaker.

NIGEL:
...the point of the

whole game, isn't it?

REAGAN:

Uh, why...? Why...?

GIA:

Do we practice here?

REAGAN:

Yeah.

GIA:
Some real estate

developer bought the land

where our old field was

to build new apartments

or something.

REAGAN:

Ouch.

It's not so bad here,

though.

It's pretty private.

You gotta dive, Lexi!

My allergies are acting up!

[SNEEZES]

She's allergic.

To what?

Grass.

Not quite Crush, huh?

NIGEL:
Come on, Bug. You're next.

Have at it.

Blimey! Don't bimble,

Bug. Come on, fast!

PENNY:

That's what I told her,

but Lexi started

quoting Shakespeare.

Shakespeare? Slow and steady

is the moral

of one of Aesop's fables.

Let's not bicker about

who quoted who.

This is supposed

to be a happy practice.

Coach is a good guy.

He played over

in England.

Really? For who?

South... Tetherton

or something. I dunno.

But he's British

so he knows soccer, right?

NIGEL:

No, no, no.

Penny, Penny, Penny.

You... You gotta use

the inside of your foot

if you're gonna dribble.

Like this, right?

Like that. Like this.

All right?

- Uh...

- He's British.

[NIGEL BLOWS WHISTLE]

Bring it in.

Come on, gather round.

Come on.

All right.

Well let's give

a big Breakaway welcome

to the newest member

of our team...

Apricot! Apricot!

[GIRLS CHATTERING

INDISTINCTLY]

[]

GIA:

Come on!

[COUNTRY SONG PLAYING

ON TRUCK RADIO]

MAN 1:

So I was watching The Bachelor.

- They're on this island.

- MAN 2:
Uh-huh.

MAN 1:
He's got all these women.

He's got a rose,

but he doesn't have enough

for all the women.

- You with me on this?

- MAN 2:
Yeah.

MAN 1 Beautiful island,

women, couple roses.

- MAN 2:
Like Survivor.

- MAN 1:
Yeah, but you don't

watch it, do you?

Yeah, I didn't watch it either.

Anyway, they're

on the island, right?

He's got the roses,

and he uses...

- Welcome to the team.

- Yeah, welcome.

Thanks.

Glad to have you,

Rachel.

Reagan.

[SNEEZES]

[COUNTRY MUSIC CONTINUES

ON CAR RADIO]

You in my arms

My hands in your hair

Come on, sugar, nothing...

[CAR ENGINE RECEDING]

The goalie is allergic.

To grass.

A soccer goalie.

Allergic. To grass!

Not ideal.

We're practicing on

a city storage area place.

At least it's

super-private.

[SCOFFS]

Hey, it's a chance to play

on a team this season.

Isn't that what

you wanted?

I wanted to play

for Crush.

If I'd made them,

maybe...

Maybe I could be

a champion too.

Like Logan.

You wouldn't understand.

[HUSHED, INDISTINCT CHATTER]

I made that team.

Thanks for the tip.

- You're welcome.

- Keep your head up.

Use your left foot.

[CHUCKLES]

Uh, hello.

Are you not

telling me something?

[GIGGLES]

Clear!

My bad. Sorry, guys.

Must-Must have been

a UPS truck. Okay.

[NIGEL BLOWS WHISTLE]

NIGEL:
Nice hiding. Uh, good hustle.

Let's go, back at it.

Ho, ho, tally ho

for that effort.

All right, Bug.

All right, okay.

Little off the mark.

Let's see it, Gia.

[]

That was a bloody

nice try, Gia.

A bit wonky,

though, right?

Everybody, if you wanna

hit the ball hard,

you gotta kick with

the tip of your toe.

And keep your head

up, looking at the goal,

so you know what

you're shooting at.

Right? Make sense?

Let's see it, Penny.

Oh, that was

a real corker, Penny!

That's the way you do it!

And remember,

tip of the old toe.

Toe down. Strike through

the ball with your laces,

head down,

eyes following the ball.

All right, you're next,

Reagan. Let's see it.

Hey, coach,

mind if I try it

a different way?

NIGEL [CHUCKLING]:

A different...?

There might be different

ways to kick a ball,

but when I was studying at the

Royal Academy of Soccer, um...

PLAYERS [IN UNISON]:

Wow.

Right. Uh, let's give

Reagan's way

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