Tracie was preparing for the girls soccer team practice by gathering up the soccer supplies.  The team was waiting for her out on the field.  They just got back from a tournament and didn’t win, they came in fourth, but that didn’t matter to her.  She always just enjoyed playing and watching her girls have fun on the field.  Of course that didn’t stop some of the team getting upset or worse the parents.  Many of the parents were furious that she didn’t get them first place and started to blame her and how she was drilling the kids.  That is until they find out who she was and the world cup she won.  They quickly change their tune and start pinning it on the other kids or worse their own child’s fault.  Tracie shook her head at some of these parents.  She didn’t have any kids but she could never imagine herself treating someone like that, let alone their own child.

Heading out to the field, Tracie carried the soccer supplies with her.  When she got to the field she saw Danny waiting there for her like some of the days that his mom couldn’t get him.  As she approached the team there seemed to be a small commotion going on.

Nick wasn’t sure how much Tracie changed over the 30 years and what to expect when they would meet.  Danny walked toward the soccer fields were there was a group of girls already there chatting away as they put on their soccer cleats and socks.  Nick listened to their conversation as it brought him out of his thoughts. 

Both Sam and Nick poked their heads out to see what was going on.  The group of teens, who were around 17, talked about something as one girl put her shoe on.  She slipped her shoe on and stepped down with it and let out a disgusted noise.

“Eww, what the…” She pulled her shoe off and her white sock was covered with mushy red pasty goo.  The rest of the girls on the team burst out laughing.  With a droll look the girl with the dirty sock said, “Ha ha ha, very funny.  Who put a buggy in my shoe?”

One of the girls replied, “Maybe it climbed in on its own?”  She tried to sound serious but her snickering couldn’t be held back.

Another girl said, “That’s impossible because Mandy’s shoes smells terrible.  There is no way a buggy would go in her shoes.”  They all burst into laughter as Mandy just rolled her eyes.  “Oh come on Mandy take a joke,” the girl said as she clapped her on the back.  “They say a buggy in a shoe is good luck.”

Mandy tried to stay mad but soon started to smile.  She started to wiggle her toes in her sock and felt the warm goo starting to cool down.  “Well it does feel kind of nice,” She said so no one could hear her.  She put her shoe back on and enjoyed the squishy feeling that she now felt every step she took.  “Well at least let me put one in my other shoe,” Mandy told them.

The girls all cheered at her and someone tossed her a screaming buggy through the air that she caught.  Mandy opened her hand and looked at the terrified buggy.  Mandy paused and looked at the buggy with a worried look.  “Awww, are you scared little one?”

The little buggy was a girl in her late teens the same age as Mandy.  The buggy nodded and begged Mandy.  “P-p-please, don’t hurt me.”

Mandy gave the buggy a smile.  “Don’t worry I’m not going to hurt you.” 

The buggy sniffed and rubbed at her eyes, “Really?”

“Of course, I’m going to kill you,” She said cheerfully.

“What…?” The buggy asked scared and confused now.

“Bye bye,” Mandy said cheerfully and dropped the buggy.  She screamed out loud as she fell through the air.  The soccer team cheered and laughed as the buggy fell and landed in the open shoe below her.  The buggy looked up at the giantess who was still smiling like she was doing nothing wrong.  The smell of the shoe caused the buggy to cough and gag profusely.    She looked up to only to see her doom approaching.  To the buggy’s horror a white socked foot came into view blocking out the rest of the world.

“Nooo,” The buggy whimpered and started to crawl away.  The buggy didn’t know what else to do but to delay the inevitable.  But suddenly the shoe was being filled with the mammoth sized foot that bulldoze forward toward her.   The buggy let out a shrilled cry that was silenced by the enormous foot that swarmed over her and pressed down on her to oblivion.  In a mere moment she was reduced to a stain in a soccer cleat.

“I think I heard it pop,” one of the soccer players giggled.  Everyone laughed at the buggies demise.

Suddenly the coach shouted, “What are you girls doing?”  Everyone looked over to their coach who had the soccer balls and cones along with other equipment for them to use today.  “I could have sworn I told you girls that you all should be warmed up by the time I’m out here right?”

“We were just about to warm up coach, I just needed to get my shoes on,” Mandy said as the other started to come up with similar excuses. 

“Well since you girls are ready now why don’t you give me 4 laps.”

Some of the girls moaned and groaned until the coach said with a louder voice, “Did I hear you girls wanted to do 5 laps?”

The kids quickly shut up and started to run their laps around the field.  As they started to run Mandy couldn’t help but enjoy that feeling she felt with every step as the gooey remains of buggies made a squishy noise with every powerful stride she took.

Nick slumped down into the pocket at what he witnessed.  His experience with high school soccer girls was less than pleasant and what just happened only brought them back to from his past.  There were something’s he really wanted to forget and that week was up there on his ‘top things to forget’ list.  Sam followed suit as she stopped watching the pleasure Mandy was getting from her run. 

“How could they do something like that?” She asked.  Nick didn’t say anything.  “We have to tell someone,” Sam pleaded.

 “Tell who,” Nick asked.  “Tell their parents?  They’re the ones who probably showed them it was ok.  Tell their teachers?  They most likely taught them that it is morally ok.”  Nick let out an anguished sigh.  “Face it Sam, no matter what, nothing will change how people act toward them or us.”  Sam was shocked at how Nick reacted.  Nick looked at her reaction to him and let out another long sigh.  “Sorry… this just brings back bad memories.”

“It’s ok,” Sam said comforting.  It wasn’t long till they heard a familiar voice.

“How’s my favorite little man doing?”

“Aunt Tracie,” Danny said excitedly.   Suddenly Nick felt himself become weightless as Danny was picked up and then set down.

“Wow, someone is getting big.  How was the soccer match,” Tracie asked eagerly.

“We won,” Danny beamed at her.

“I knew you would,” Tracie remarked as happily as Danny sounded.

“Aunt Tracie,” Danny started as he reached into his pocket to retrieve Nick and Sam.  Nick looked up to a slightly familiar face that had aged over the years.  The similar features he could pick out were her noise and the deepness to her eyes.  The smile she wore was similar to the one that she used when she was a teenager back then.  Just like Jasmine she was a striking woman for her age.

“Hello there,” Nick said waving to her.

Tracie just looked upon Nick and Sam for a while and finally said, “My, Jasmine wasn’t kidding when she said you two didn’t age a bit.”  Tracie let out a joyous sigh which turned to a gigged noise that a little kid would make, “There’s so much I want to tell you, but sadly I need to whip these girls into shape for their next match.  I guess if it waited 30 years it can wait another 2 hours.”

With another smile Tracie walked away and started to coach the soccer team.  Danny kept Nick and Sam out as he sat there and started to do some homework that he got.  Nick and Sam were able to enjoy some fresh air without having to worry about anything happening to them.  Still Nick couldn’t help but feel that sickening feeling whenever he saw Mandy enjoying her new insoles too much.

Tracie decided to stay for dinner after taking Danny home.  After the kids were put to sleep, Tracie started to recall her life’s tale after Nick and Sam left.  The game that Tracie won, due to Nick fixing her leg, helped her get into a college.  A scout was watching the game and was impressed with her skills.  She later went onto the big leagues and won a world cup.  Tracie couldn’t express how grateful she was to Nick.  Tracie and Jasmine talked for hours about things they did and other funny stories that made Sam and Nick both laugh at.

After the laughter died down Tracie let out a blissful sigh.  “Look at you two,” she said looking at Nick and Sam who were close together.  “You two are perfect for each other,” she breathed the words with a wishing desire.

“What about you?  Who is your special person?” Sam asked.

Tracie seemed a little taken back at first.  Then her smile faded slightly as she thought of something depressing.  She shook her head and said, “No… no there isn’t anyone.”

“No one,” Nick asked shocked that no one would be interested in Tracie.  Granted Nick’s heart was to Sam but he would be lying to say that Tracie at her age when he saw her wasn’t beautiful.  That was before her prime, which she must have been dazzling.

She shook her head again.  “I mean there were a few but…” She trailed off.  When everyone was quite, Tracie realized that they were waiting for her to continue.  She chuckled and continued, “Yes there were quite a few men that I fell in love with. They had great personality and,” She chuckled again, “Amazing in bed.  Then I found out that they weren’t what they seem.”

“Did they cheat on you,” Sam asked aghast.

“No, like I said they were great guys it’s just that … the things they did to buggies.  Nick, before I meet you I didn’t care much for buggies.  I wouldn’t think twice about stepping on a buggy if it crawled pass me.  That was before what you did for me.  After that, you changed my perspective of them and I saw them as real people.  There aren’t many people like us out there, people who care for buggies.  The guys I dated were really nice people, but when one of them wants to,” Tracie took a breath in before she continued, “Fuck me with a buggy as a way spice up our sex life, well that’s where I draw the line.  And it wasn’t just that, I caught one torturing a buggy for fun while waiting for me to come back to our apartment after a soccer practice.  I tried to change them, I told them how I felt about it but they just didn’t understand.”

“Tracie, it takes a lot of courage to hold on to what you stand for.  It’s their lost,” Nick said to her.

“Thanks,” She said smiling at what Nick told her.  “I always wanted to have a family, but not if it meant changing who I am.”  Tracie held back her raw emotion as she continued, “I really wanted to have kids too, but I was scared that they would turn out like their fathers.  I tried to adapt a child but they were always looking for a father figure to help raise them .”  Tracie gave them all a smile, “But I always treated Julie, Danny, and Macy as if they were my own kids.”

“I never knew any of that,” Jasmine said speechless.  “Why didn’t you tell me, I could have tried and help.”

Tracie just gave a shrug trying not to show how much it hurt tell them her biggest dream that crashed and burned.  “I didn’t want to get you involved with my problems, besides there isn’t anything you could have done.”

“You don’t know that, I could have vouched for you or something.”

Tracie gave Jasmine a warm smile, “Your right.  I should have shared with you and my sister.” 

A few moments later the front door opened and someone walked into the house.  “Mom I’m home,” Julie called out.  She came into the kitchen, and came up to Tracie.  “Aunty Tracie,” she welcomed and gave her a hug.

Returning the gesture Tracie said, “I should get going it’s a school night.”

Tracie said goodnight but when she came to Nick he stopped her and to tell her something.  “Tracie, I understand how you feel and why you kept silent about your situation.  But sometimes you’re stronger when you have someone to share your problems with.”

She gave him a kiss on the forehead, “You take care of yourself and Sam.” 

When Tracie was done saying goodbye Jasmine turned to her daughter. “How was school,” She asked as she started to clear the table. 

“Fine, study group went a little longer then I planned but I should be ready for my final this Wednesday.”  Julie headed to her room and disappeared.

“I should head to bed too.  I need to take Danny to school tomorrow early.” 

They all headed to bed but Nick couldn’t sleep.  He started to get that feeling again that something bad was going to happen.  Frustrated and annoyed at not knowing why he was feeling this way he got out of his bed without waking Sam.  Deciding to try and walk it off he jumped down the long drop to the floor.  Nick proceeded to walk through the dark and deadly silent house.  He went out into the massive hallway and noticed a small light shining from beneath a door.  Curious he walked toward the door and heard muffled talking.  Knowing that he probably shouldn’t he went up to the closed door and listened.  It was Julie’s room and he listened in on the conversation.  She was talking to someone on her phone

“You’re right,” Julie laughed excitedly.  “He was hitting on me.  I don’t know, yeah he was kind of hot but still… Yeah I’m going to the party.  What kind of party?  Yeah, it shouldn’t be a problem.  This Friday?  Yeah I’ll be there.”

Nick stepped away from the door.  That gut feeling he had was on high alert.  Not liking being in the dark on events that could be deadly Nick headed toward the kitchen.  As Nick reached the kitchen he passed by Cupcake who was prowling around the house while everyone was asleep.  Nick looked into the eyes that peered back at him.  Quickly the cat scurried away.  The cat must have remembered what happen to last time it attacked him. 

The full moon bathed the room in a pale light that allowed Nick to see everything outside.  He walked toward the back door and without opening the door walked through the glass as if he were a phantom.  It was a wonderful night out with the night air cooling down after a warm day before.  Siting outside Nick closed his eyes and tried something he always hated to do.  He tried peering into the future and see what awaited him this Friday…