The inside of Monica's minivan reeked of sweat and arnica cream by the time we reached Indianapolis five hours later after stopping for lunch and to refresh my shoulder's ice pack. We'd spent almost the whole drive studying for our roller derby written test. We arrived at the Indianapolis White River Fieldhouse just after five o'clock that evening. The arena was buzzing with activity. It was a similar scene to my very first derby bout in Nashville, except this time I knew a little bit about what was going on...and there would be no West Adler lurking in the crowd.

Or would there be?

It was possible he'd be there, I guess. He was a team sponsor after all, and the team was going for the championship.

No. No. No. You're over him. You will not spend the entire day out with your friends searching for the guy who blew you off.

I did spend the entire wait in the ticket line searching for him, however.

"This is so exciting!" Zoey squeaked, gripping my arm when we finally got our tickets.

"Come on," Grace said, pulling Monica forward. "They're selling Nashville merchandise."

We followed her to a table full of T-shirts, buttons, magnets, and posters. Kraken was working it. "Hey!" she cheered when she saw us. She came around the table to give us hugs.

"Hey!" I embraced her, carefully favoring my tender shoulder. "Are you not playing today?"

"Yeah, I am." Her eyes searched the crowd. "Just waiting on Jackie to get here and take over sales for me. You guys want some swag to support the team? You get twenty percent off."

"Definitely!" Grace said. "I'm buying shirts for everyone."

"You don't have to do that," I argued.

"I almost killed you today, Lucy. A T-shirt is the least I can do." She tossed me a white shirt off the stack.

"What happened today?" Kraken asked.

"I was doing hits with Kelly and wiped out in front of Grace." I turned and pulled down the stretched neckline of my shirt.

"Ouch. That's going to be pretty tomorrow."

"I know." I sighed and shook my head. "Sometimes I really wonder what I was thinking when I joined this sport."

"I think we all feel that way from time to time. When I started, I couldn't skate at all." She put her hand on my good shoulder and lowered her voice. "I was even worse than you."

I laughed.

"Hang in there, Lucy. Someday you'll be skating in the playoffs too."

Olivia and I found seats in the crowded arena while Grace, Monica, and Zoey went to get drinks. All three levels of the stands were filled with fans sporting an assortment of team colors. I looked at my brochure. Twelve different teams were playing that weekend, and if Nashville won again, they'd play on Sunday for the championship spot in November.

The girls finally crossed the arena. They were carrying beers and popcorn. I waved from our spot halfway up the bleachers.

They climbed the stairs and inched their way across the row to us. We slid down the bench to make room.

"One for The Prodigy," Grace said, handing a beer to Olivia.

"Oh geez." Olivia rolled her eyes as she accepted.

Monica leaned forward with a wild smile. She handed me a cup. "One for The Trip Hazard."

"Hey!" I whined.

Laughing, Olivia pointed at my face. "That's so you."

I couldn't really argue.

Grace raised her cup in the air. "This beer's for Zoey. Congratulations on kicking cancer's ass!"

"To Zoey!" we all cheered and awkwardly clinked our cups together over the heads of the people in front of us. I, of course, had the hardest time stretching toward them, but my teammates came the rest of the way to meet my cup.

"I'm so glad we did this," Olivia said, looking around the arena.

Zoey wiped her mouth on the back of her sleeve. "Me too."

Grace leaned forward. "How are you feeling, Lucy?

"Or should we start calling you Trip Hazard?" Olivia interrupted. She pointed at Monica. "Because that's funny."

I slumped in my seat. "You guys are so mean to me."

"Have you thought about another roller derby name?" Monica asked.

"Maybe." My cheeks flushed with heat.

Olivia swiveled in her seat to punch me in the good shoulder. "You didn't tell me!"

I rubbed the spot she'd hit. "You didn't ask."

"Well, what is it?"

I grimaced. "It's not much better than Trip Hazard, actually."

"Tell us," Zoey insisted.

"Lights Out Lucy," I said, scrunching up my nose. "My brother used to call me that when we were younger."

Grace dropped her head back and howled with laughter. "Oh my god, I love it."

Monica's eyes widened and she pointed at me. "Your number could be L0L, like L-zero-L."

Olivia clapped. "That's awesome."

"What about you, Prodigy? Have you come up with a name?" Monica asked.

Olivia shook her head. "Haven't given it a single thought."

Both of Zoey's hands shot straight up in the air. "I know what mine is!"

We all turned to look at her. "What?" Olivia asked.

She put up her palms and wiggled her fingers for dramatic effect. "Chemosabe!"

I laughed and sipped my beer. "That's very appropriate."

"What about you?" Olivia asked Monica.

"Are you kidding? My name is a derby name." Monica reached down beside her and pulled something from her purse. It was a Lockwood Academy name badge on a lanyard.

"Dr. Monica Hooker," I read aloud. "You're a doctor?"

Olivia laughed. "You're a hooker?"

Nodding her head, Monica tucked the lanyard back into her bag. "Yes and yes. I have a PhD in music and teach high schoolers at Lockwood Academy. I also failed to keep my maiden name when I married Derek Hooker. Roller derby will be the only place I don't have to threaten detention over my name."

"Oh my god, your number could be how much you charge an hour," Grace said.

"How much are hookers?" Zoey asked.

We all exchanged confused glances. "You should Google it," I suggested.

"Heck no!" Zoey's face was bright red. "I use my work phone and don't need that showing up in the history."

Grace was looking up at the ceiling. "I'm pretty sure Julia Roberts charged a hundred dollars an hour in Pretty Woman."

"That's going to be so funny," Olivia said, her chuckles finally fading.

I looked down the line at Grace. "What about you, Grace? What's your derby name going to be?"

"Because I'm a seamstress—" Grace drummed her fingers on the table—"Britches Get Stitches."

We all laughed until the people in front of us turned to look.

"That's great." I was laughing so hard, my eyes were watery. As I dabbed the corners with my sleeve, I looked at Olivia. "Any ideas?"

"She's The Prodigy," Grace insisted.

She blew out a slow sigh that puffed out her cheeks. "I can't use The Prodigy. People will think I'm a snob."

Grace waved her hand. "Who gives a shit what people think? The vets say you're the best newbie the team has ever seen."

"They do?" Olivia straightened in her seat.

Monica nodded. "Everyone says it."

"Well, I'm not going to be the Trip Hazard." I frowned and shook my head.

"Why not?" Olivia leaned against me. "Everyone says that too."

I couldn't hit her, so I stuck out my tongue.

She started laughing. "I wonder if they can print one of those falling stick figures on the back of your jersey."

"A stick figure wearing skates," Zoey added.

Olivia pointed at her. "You're right. She doesn't even need a name. Just the symbol. Like Prince."

"I hate all of you," I said, staring out at the track.

"You really should win some kind of award for being the first major injury of our group," Monica said.

"I couldn't agree more," Grace said. "After all, that's what this sport is about, right? Big hits and big injuries."

Monica nodded. "It's not a matter of if you'll get hurt, but of how bad and when."

Alarm bells should have sounded in my head at this revelation. They didn't.

Zoey raised her cup in the air. "I'm changing the toast! This one's to Lucy. May you stay alive the rest of the season!"

Everyone in the arena started cheering. But, thankfully, it wasn't for me. We all looked out just as our team skated onto the track followed closely by the skaters from Richmond.

Unfortunately, the cheering wouldn't last.

The Music City Rollers lost the bout to the Richmond Vixens in a blowout.

87 to 176.