The Honest Goal
On a bright Saturday, the Daisy Dragons lined up on the green, grassy field. The chalk lines were fresh and white. Orange cones stood like tiny mountains. Sneakers squeaked. A friendly dog named Noodle wagged his tail by the fence.
Lina tightened her bright green shoelaces. She was small and fast. Max tugged on his polka-dot goalie gloves. Priya’s braids bounced when she hopped. Omar wore the orange captain’s band and smiled at everyone. Coach Rosa blew her whistle and tipped her cap.
“We pass, we share, we care,” said Coach Rosa.
“We play fair!” the team shouted back, tapping their shoes together.
They shook hands with the Blue Bees, a team in striped blue shirts. “Good luck,” said a tall player named Jade.
“Have fun,” Lina replied, and her tummy fluttered with happy jitters.
The game began with a kick and a cheer. Boots thumped the ball. The grass smelled sweet. Priya zipped down the side like a quick kite. She passed to Lina. Lina dribbled, tap-tap, tap-tap, past two busy Bees.
“Go, Lina!” called Omar.
Lina ran toward the goal. The ball bounced high. Lina reached her leg, but the ball popped up and brushed her fingers—just a tiny bump. It dropped to her foot, and she kicked. Omar tapped the ball into the net.
“Goal!” everyone shouted. The Daisy Dragons danced. Max cartwheeled. Noodle barked. Coach Rosa blew her whistle and pointed to the center circle.
But Lina stared at her hands. She felt a prickly feeling in her chest. Her fingers remembered the soft, tiny tap.
She looked at the cheering crowd. She looked at Omar, who was already high-fiving her. Her heart went thump-thump. Lina took a breath.
She walked to Coach Rosa and tugged her sleeve. “Coach,” Lina said, her voice small but steady, “the ball touched my hand before the goal. It was an accident.”
Coach Rosa knelt so her eyes were level with Lina’s. “Thank you for telling me,” she said gently. “In soccer, that means no goal. Free kick for the Blue Bees.”
The field grew quiet for a tiny moment. Lina’s cheeks felt warm. Then Max put his polka-dot hand on her shoulder. “Good call, Lina,” he said.
Priya grinned. “We’ll get another. Let’s play!”
Omar gave Lina a thumbs-up. “I’m proud of you.”
Jade from the Blue Bees trotted over and held out a fist. “That was brave. Fist bump?”
Lina bumped fists and felt the prickly feeling float away like a little cloud. Her chest felt light, as if someone opened a window and let in sunshine.
Play rolled on. The Bees zipped and buzzed. Jade took a strong shot, but Max caught it with a soft thump. “Nice save!” shouted Coach Rosa.
Priya streaked down the side again. She passed to Lina, who passed to Omar. The ball zoomed just wide.
Later, the ball skidded near the line. It was hard to see who touched it last. The referee whistle stayed quiet. Jade raised her hand. “Blue Bees touched it last,” she called. “Their throw-in.”
Coach Rosa nodded. “Throw-in for the Dragons.”
Lina looked at Jade and smiled. Jade smiled back. The game felt friendly and strong, like a good handshake.
With only a few minutes left, Priya threw the ball to Lina. Lina trapped it with her foot. She looked up. Omar was open. She passed. Omar kicked, and the ball slipped into the corner of the net—no hands, no bumps, just clean and clear.
“Goal!” cheered everyone, both teams nodding. The Blue Bees answered with a quick goal of their own, and the game ended 1–1.
Both teams flopped onto the cool grass, breathing hard, grinning wide. Coach Rosa passed around slices of orange that dripped sweet juice onto their fingers.
“That was fun,” Priya said.
“That was honest,” Max added, tossing an orange peel into the bin.
Coach Rosa looked at Lina. “How do you feel?”
Lina wiggled her toes in her bright green laces. “I feel like I took a pebble out of my shoe,” she said. “Better.”
Jade waved as the Blue Bees packed up. “See you next game!”
“See you!” the Daisy Dragons called. Lina waved back, her hand light as a leaf. The field shimmered in the sun, and the chalk lines looked extra bright. They had played hard. They had played fair. And that felt like a win.
