The Wolves: A Play

The team (minus #46) is stretching together. #2 explains to the others she is knitting scarves to sell as a fundraiser for Amnesty International to help migrants who are incarcerated at the border. #2 talks about “Mexican children in cages” (39), although #11 corrects her that the incarcerated migrants come from all over Central America. #8 muses she always mixes up the usage of Central America as opposed to Middle America, and the girls discuss how Middle America just refers to, in their minds, regular Americans who, according to #11, “drive pick-up trucks and don’t like cuss words” (41). #13 mentions #11’s mother, riling #11 by calling her mother sexy. #13 needles her by saying her brother, Kevin—who sells substances, did not finish college, and is #11’s mother’s patient—masturbates to pictures of #11’s mom. #8 interrupts #13’s teasing by connecting the phrase “Middle America” to “Middle Earth,” making them all hobbits. They joke about hobbits, singing the Shire theme from The Lord of the Rings. #7 calls them “retarded” (43), and the others, including #25, tell her not to use that word, to which #7 rolls her eyes.

Alongside this conversation, #7 sneezes, now suffering from #14’s cold from last week. When #14 says, “Bless you,” #7 responds, “Thanks bitch” (43). #11 wonders where #46 is, and they giggle when #14 replies, “I suppose we’ll just have to like manage without her” (45), earning a warning from #25. They talk about the other team, which is deemed okay but that has a strong goalie known as The Wall. They discuss how The Wall must lift weights to be so bulky, and #2 wonders if she ought to do the same to be more intimidating. They all talk about how skinny #2 is, suggesting more protein; #2 says she eats plenty of protein. #2 reminds them about the “Mexican kids in cages” (47), which #11 corrects again. #2 compares the children to young children in their lives, which catches #8’s attention and makes her sad.

#13 chatters in rudimentary Spanish, which #11 calls racist. #2 and #8 wonder if anyone is reading to the kids at the border, since reading is important to child development. #7 bursts into yelling at them for worrying about reading when these children are caged, detained, and separated from their parents and will most likely be deported—all because their families wanted them to live somewhere with clean water and no dangerous drug lords.

#14 expresses surprise that #7 cares so much about the plight of immigrant children. #7 explains her dad, an attorney, does a lot of pro bono work for immigrants, and he is enraged about the situation. #8 questions whether it took #14 a long time to learn English, since #14 immigrated to the United States when she was four. Perplexed, #14 says she knew English before immigrating, which #8 presumes must be the reason #14 doesn’t have a Mexican accent. #14 replies, “…I’m Armenian” (49). #8 is surprised, noting #14 takes many trips to Mexico, which #14 clarifies are just vacations. Her mother is American, her father is Armenian, and #14 was born in London. The girls ask more questions, over which #7 loudly shouts, “YOU GUYS ARE RETARDED” (50). The others are taken aback by the word, and #25 orders #7 to run laps. #7 yells, “I HATE YOU” (51) before stomping off. #25 notes, “We’ll see if she starts this game huh” (51). At #13’s prodding, #14 jogs off to run with #7. #46 enters in her street clothes, but no one notices her.

#8 feels terrible, and the girls talk about whether they knew #14 is Armenian. #2 knew, as it is revealed she and 14 were once best friends. #46 comments she has been to Armenia, and the girls notice her presence. She apologizes for her lateness, blaming the bus she took to get there. #25 sends #46 to change into her uniform. #46 hesitates because the locker room is closed for renovations, and #25 tells her to use the port-o-potty. #46 exits, and the others gossip about how she takes three buses to get to the soccer field. #13 tells them #46, who is homeschooled, lives far away “in the hills in this like yogurt thing with her mom” (54). They discuss how odd it is that #46 just came and joined their team, when they’ve all been playing together for many years. The girls reminisce about when #25’s dad, Frank, was their coach. Coach Frank liked to scream and punched a referee in the face two years ago, which is presumably why he is no longer the coach. #8 thinks it’s strange #46 just joined for their indoor season.

#25 tells the girls #46 is actually a good player, especially since she’s never played before. The girls are surprised to learn this. According to #25, #46 just moved to town and didn’t even know what a travel team was. Also, she referred to soccer as football. The girls think this is strange and sad, and #13 pipes up, “Truth to power? She’s pretty stinky” (58). #2 starts to feel bad for talking about #46 behind her back. Suddenly, #00 rushes off, looking sick. The girls complain about the port-o-potty, and #13 tells them about last week, when a girl named Louise Peterson made #13 wait outside for a long time while she was defecating and smelling up the toilet. They gossip about Louise, who is new and has a punk rock aesthetic and was known for licking the microphone after singing at an open mic night. #25 inserts she thinks Louise is cool, and the others react by pointing out the things they find strange about her. #46 reenters in her uniform, but no one notices. #25 reddens as she defends Louise, who is intelligent and in her AP English class.

Speaking up, #46 tells #2, “I think you meant yurt” (62). #2 is confused, and #46 explains she lives with her mother in a yurt, not a yogurt. Everyone is embarrassed #46 heard them. Shifting, #46 says she just saw #00 vomiting, and #25 replies that #00 throws up prior to every game. The other girls chime in about #00’s anxiety, and how she’s intense but academically brilliant. Looking up, #46 notices a bird under the inflatable dome over the field. They wonder how it got in, and #13 becomes paranoid about the possibility of a hole in the dome. #46 identifies the species of the bird, which brings on an uncomfortable silence. Attempting to gossip like the others, #46 brings up #7’s abortion. But it backfires, and the others chastise her for mentioning it. #13 asserts there was no abortion. #7 just took Plan B after her boyfriend, Dan, visited over Thanksgiving, and it’s not okay to tell people, she says, that she had an actual abortion. #7 enters, and the girls greet her awkwardly, not admitting they were gossiping about her.

#14 exclaims her mother brought orange slices, soliciting excitement from the other girls, except #7 who remains sardonic. They eat them happily and #8 puts a slice in her mouth and smiles with orange slice teeth, which they used to do as kids. The others do the same, one by one, and they fumble around to find a phone and a pose to take a picture. Only #46 is left out, and #25 invites her to join them. However, #46 is close to crying, admitting she doesn’t understand what they’re doing with the oranges in their mouths. No one knows what to say. But #25 tells #46 to just do it and get in the picture, which she does. Before they can take any more poses, #25 announces it’s game time. The team they’re playing is called Fusion, and they whoop about destroying them. #14 asks #00 to borrow her wrap for an ongoing ACL injury, which #14 reassures #25 is fine. #8 wonders if the immigrant children at the border play soccer, which #13 declares racist before jogging off. Alone with #2, #46 comments on the bird again. #2 doesn’t know how to respond to that, but she tells her it’s great #46 came out to try a new sport. #46 says an awkward thanks, and #2 clarifies she is sorry for saying #46 lives in a yogurt, adding, “…a yurt sounds pretty neat” (73).

#25 leads the team in strenuous stretches and warm-ups, working them hard after they lost last week to Fusion. This week, #11 and #00 have the cold, but they both continue the practice of insisting they’re fine to play. #25 tells them to pair up and practice passing, and #7 and #14 partner without hesitation. #7 asks #14 if she brought her bathing suit and overnight things, and #14 jokes she forgot and will just be forced to swim naked. #11 and #8 want to win badly, dreaming about going to nationals in Miami, where it was held last year, and going to Disney. #46 asks to join #11 and #8, and they agree with reluctance. #13 teases #2, whose mother forced her to wear a protective headband. At last week’s game, #2 hit a header. This caused her mother to take her to the hospital for yet another CAT scan due to her recurrent fear that #2 is concussed. They joke that #2 needs a kitty tiara to cement her status as the Queen of the CAT Scan. #13 comments the header was impressive, and #2 agrees.

#14 quips that Martin Luther King Jr. Day is her favorite holiday, pretending to remember suddenly that it’s also #7’s birthday. They’ll be celebrating without adult supervision with full access to the stocked bar at #7’s dad’s ski chalet. #46 apologizes as she chases the ball she dropped. #11 tells the others about a website that one can use to find out if anyone ever died in their house. #8 finds the idea creepy, and #46 states, “Someone died in my house” (81). After a suspenseful moment, #11 asks who it was, and #46 replies, “I don’t know. He won’t tell me his name” (82). #11 and #8 aren’t sure how to respond and if she’s serious. #13 informs #2 there will be a scout at the game to check out Jordana Frye, a girl on the opposing team.

Jealously, they admit Jordana is good. #7 complains about the pain from having just had a bikini wax. Her boyfriend, Dan, is coming home from college for her birthday and bringing an attractive friend for #14. #14 is anxious about being left alone with a strange guy, but #7 tells her to calm down, reassuring her he’s attractive and they’ll have a great time.

During this interaction, #00 sneezes, and #25 asks if she’s sick, cursing. #8 and #11 question #46 about the ghost that haunts her yurt, leading to giggling about a ghost in her yogurt. #2 wonders if they will get full scholarships when it’s their turn to be scouted, and #13 points out full rides are uncommon. #7 murmurs to #14 that only “dumb virgins” and “secret lesbians” get full scholarships (86). Suddenly, #46 intercepts a pass and juggles the ball with dexterity while chanting a rap about living “in a yogurt” and how her “feelings don’t get hurt” (86). When she stops, everyone is staring. #46 exits, jogging. The others are impressed but also struck by the strangeness of what happened. From offstage, #25 orders them to keep passing their balls. The girls laugh about how similar #25 sounds to her dad, their former coach. #00 repeats #46’s rap, admitting it’s catchy before rushing off to vomit. Seemingly from nowhere, #8 complains about the pointlessness of self-knowledge and getting to know oneself. She clarifies she went to the house of a boy named Chris who wouldn’t stop talking about it. He also mocked her calves and reached down her shirt, to which #7 says, “Cool,” and #8 replies, “Um not really” (89).

The team switches to a drill called the Spiderweb, an intricate and Impressive passing exercise. They talk about the scout coming for Jordana Frye from UC Santa Barbara (according to #13), which is an excellent team. They note he’s a week early since the showcase tournament is next week. Jordana is so sought-after that this scout is trying to get to her first. #8 expresses nervousness about emailing coaches and saying the wrong thing. #11 asks #13 who told her about the scout, and #13 says she heard it from their coach, Coach Neil.

#14 refers to Coach Neil as “the creep who asked us to scrimmage in our sports bras” (91); #7 says he is hungover, which is common. This is why they are essentially coached by their captain, #25, despite the money their parents pay so they can have a coach. #7 argues the boys’ team in their age bracket would never be stuck with a useless coach. The boys’ coach is a former professional player and war veteran, who #14 notes is attractive. #7 calls the situation sexism, asserting that as high school juniors, the coming spring is the most important season for scouts.

#00 returns, rejoining the exercises. #8 muses that #7 is “such a feminist” (93), which #7 automatically denies, and #11 argues she’s a feminist and there’s nothing wrong with it. #14 reports Coach Neil fell asleep. They express their disbelief that Coach Neil was in the military and that he was deployed to Afghanistan. #11 wonders whether Coach Neil might have taken part in torturing people, like the prisoners at Abu Ghraib, which turns into joking about how Coach Neil would torture terrorists. #8 laments that she misses Coach Patrick, who moved to Idaho to care for his terminal cancer-stricken mother. #8 expresses hope he might return by spring, which #13 points out is the same as hoping his mother will die. The other girls tease #8 for wishing death on Coach Patrick’s mother, but #8 gets emotional, demanding they take it back. They do, then #13 understands why #8 is so distraught. She apologizes for forgetting about #8’s experience with her mother and cancer that made her sensitive to teasing. #8 pushes the girls away when they try to comfort her. #7 changes the subject to the three-day holiday weekend. #11 plans to do homework, and #2 planned a day of community service; she already did her homework and wrote a paper about Rwanda.

#8 reminds everyone it’s #7’s birthday, and they ask when she’s holding her usual slumber party. #7 explains she’s too old for slumber parties and is just planning to hang out at her dad’s ski cabin with her boyfriend. The other girls are disappointed, but #8 offers a sleepover at her house on Sunday night. They discuss who can bring their HBO account so they can watch Game of Thrones. #14 claims she has to leave town to visit family, and #8 is disappointed. Then #11 shares the gossip that #25 is hanging out with Louise Peterson this weekend. Before they can talk much about it, #25 enters to give them a pep talk. #7 reminds her they haven’t stretched, which they start doing. As they head to the field, #25 announces #46 will start as striker, purportedly a direction from the coach. #7 argues bitterly against this, but #25 doesn’t waver. #13 tells #25 about the scout, taking her by surprise, but #25 tells the team to get the scout out of their heads. They form a huddle to chant, “we are the wolves” (107), but #8 pulls back when she sees blood on her jersey. They realize #2 has a nosebleed. She touches the blood, and the whistle blows.