Brooked pulled her Ford Explorer into an open parking space right in front of the apartment complex. She was running a bit behind already, something not unusual for Brooke, when she started honking the horn. “Come on where are you” she thought waiting for Kara to come running down the stairs. Just as she raised her hand for another blast of the horn, Kara appeared on the stairs carrying her cleats and shin guards in her left hand. “Hurry up!” Brooke shouted out the window. “I’m not the one ten minutes late now am I.” Kara shot back as she hoped in the front door. “You should know better by now.” Came Brookes reply.

Kara smiled slyly as she looked over at her friend. She was new in town and was glad she had Brooke to count on as one of her new friends. They both worked for the same computer company and were both on their own for the first time in their lives. Adjusting to a new city and job were hard on Kara at first but Brooke was a life long resident and knew all there could be know about Kara’s new home.

“So already to kick some computer geek butt today?” Brooke asked referring to the Microtech Industries soccer team. Their opponent in today’s semi-final soccer playoff game and chief business rival. “As ready as ever.” Kara replied with a chuckle. Brooke and Kara didn’t actually work in the computer side of the industry but were the company’s H.R. department.

“I still can’t believe how serious these games are taken around here. I haven’t played in a league this competive since High School.” Kara said.

“Yeah MicroTech has kicked us around for the last 2 years, but with the addition of our new star player we should get them this year. I can’t wait to see those geeks crying in their drinks after the game.” Brooke said as she looked over at Kara with a giggle.

Kara really didn’t consider her self the teams star player. True she had played in High School and a year in collage and compared to most on the team she was world class.

“I’ll do my best” she replied with a smile.

They arrived at the field 10 minutes before the game and as Kara got out of the truck she was met with a round of applause. “Thank goodness you’re here. We were starting to worry that our own Mia Hamn wouldn’t be gracing us with her presence.” Phil Ammichio said as he walked over to Kara. Phil was in charge of the marketing department. Kara had been attracted to him the minute they met her first day. Over the next few months Kara and Phil developed a quite a friendly relationship and were know as the office flirts. But that was as far as they had gotten so far. Phil was hoping to make a break through in the next few weeks and test the waters with Kara. She was just his type, about 5’7” with an athletic build and flat stomach. Her legs seemed to stretch for miles and when she had a skirt on he could almost not refrain from running his hand along her legs al the way to the top. She had her hair pulled back in a ponytail for the game, which made her striking facial features stick out even more. Her perfect lips, high cheekbones, and big round green eyes made Phil weak in the knees when he caught a glimpse of them.

“Well no need to fear.......I am here.” Kara said trying to make a joke but realising how lame it was once it came out of her mouth.

“Oh I was fearing and not for the game but that I wouldn’t get to see you with those cute little soccer shorts on.” Phil said with a smile.

“Alright knock it off we got a game to win her people we aren’t at Mulligan’s yet.” Brooke said referring to the post-game watering hole.

Kara and Phil exchanged quick smiles and jogged up to the field to warm up. The game got under way and was what everyone expected, a hard fought battle for a recreational league. The score was 1-0 at the half with Kara being the only player who had found the goal so far. “All right let’s go!” Kara said to the team as the huddled around discussing how they would attack in the second half. “If you get me the ball on the left wing I can get past the guy playing middy.” Kara said “after that Phil you need to attack the net so I can look to pass to you or screen the goalie for my shot. Alright?”

“Gotcha” Phil replied

“Alright this game is ours! Play hard the last half!” Kara shouted. She couldn’t believe how she was feeling right now. It was only a rec league game but she was treating it like the finals of the world cup. “I need to find some other hobbies.” Kara thought as she ran onto the field for the second half.

The game continued to be a battle for most of the second half. MicroTech scored on a fluke goal halfway thorough to pull even at 1-1. On the ensuing kick off Kara broke down the left wing and received a great pass from Brooke. She easily got by the midfielder and was breaking toward the goal with a nice 2 on 1 break forming. She saw Phil streaking towards the goal. Kara sized up her options and decided Phil was a great guy but lousy soccer player so this would be her shot. She picked her spot in the upper right corner, planted her left leg and reared her right leg back to kick the ball.

Kara swung through with her kick. Her eyes were on the ball and she was surprised when her leg smashed into something other than the ball. As she swung through the defender swung her leg at the ball stopping Kara’s foot from finding the ball. But it did find the defenders leg.

Kara heard a loud snap as she followed through with her kick. She caught a glimpse of the defenders leg as she fell to the ground on her left side. She let out a gasp of air as she struck the ground. All her thoughts were blurred for a moment. As she came to she looked up to she the defender standing over with a worried look on her face.

“Are you alright” She asked with concern in her eyes.

“I thin......I don’t........so.” was all Kara could manage.

Kara slowly rolled over to her back and began thinking what had happened, she didn’t feel right. Her right leg was numb and tingling. Something was wrong. She began to push her self up to her feet when it hit her. At first it felt like her leg was asleep and getting the pins and needle feeling but it didn’t stop there. As the pain shot up her leg like a hot stabbing knife she knew right there......her leg was broken.

Kara looked up and said to no one in particular ”M......m.......my....leg is.....b...b...b...broken” her voice trembling with shock.

“It isn’t broken. You’ll be fine. Just relax.” came Phil’s reply. He just wished he believed the words that came out of his mouth. Phil was the first one to Kara’s side, he had a perfect view of the events of the last minute. He had watched as Kara swung her leg through on the kick only to have the defender stick her leg out at the last second. The noise of Kara’s leg snapping against the defenders leg was enough to make him turn his head instantly. There was no doubt.....it was broken.

“I called 911. They’ll be here in 10 minuets.” an opposing player said as he put away his cell phone.

“Phil.....my......leg.......my........leg.” Kara said.

“It’s ok your going to be fine.” Phil reassured her.

The people above Kara were becoming a blur, she couldn’t think straight. The only thing she was sure of was the overwhelming pain that had no began to consume her. “Ten minutes.” she thought “God please make them hurry.”

Brooke had been on the other side of the field when she heard the snap and saw Kara collapse to the ground. She froze where she was for a second waiting for her friend to hop up and keep running. It wasn’t uncommon to see Kara take a fall during a game, but there was something different about this time something wasn’t right. Brooke began to jog across the field to see what was wrong as Kara lay on the field.

“I think she broke it.” Brooke hear someone say.

“Broken?” she thought as she realized she was no longer moving. A flood of thoughts went through her head in those brief seconds. But the only one Brooke could focus on was the thought of Kara with her perfect leg incased in a full leg cast. Brooke stood still for a few more seconds, her head filled with several thoughts. Was it bad she was thinking of her friend in a long leg cast at a time like this? Would Kara be in a cast? How could she think of this as her friend lay on the ground with a broken leg? Brooke had always been turned on by the thought of having her leg in a cast, as far back as she could remember she had wanted a cast. She couldn’t explain why but knew that the very though excited her very much. Brooke could remember back to 5th grade when Jen Shields had a broken leg from a sledding accident. She could recall how the teacher announced that Jen had broken her leg and would be out of school for a week. The teacher asked if anyone would be interested in helping Jen when she returned to school. Brooke remembered how her hand shot up like a rocket. She spent the next month and a half carrying Jen’s books around the school and helping her get up and down the stairs with her crutches. And also how she spent a month and a half wishing that full leg plaster cast was on her own leg.

Kara’s head began to clear and she could now think more clearly. She looked around at all the faces huddled around her and felt embarrassed at all of the attention she was receiving. She knew everyone was trying to help but still felt foolish being the chick with the broken leg. Kara decided she need to look down at her leg, everything told her not to but she had to check to see what it looked like. To her surprise the leg wasn’t twisted or disfigured, it look quite normal to her. But she knew from the pain shooting through her body that it had to be broken.

“Brooke?” Kara said as she saw her friends face poke through the crowd.

“Yeah it’s me. Are you ok hon?”

“Yeah but I think my leg is broken.” Kara replied matter of factly.

“You’ll be ok I am sure it’s nothing major.” Brooke said.

“No.......it’s broken I am sure.” Kara replied.

“We won’t know for sur....” Brooke started to say before Kara cut her off “No it’s broken. Stay with me please.”

“Ok everything will be alright I promise.” Brooke said as she knelt beside her and gently placed her hand into Kara’s out stretched palm.

It seemed wrong but all Brooke could think of was Kara’s leg encased in beautiful white plaster.