Alex stood on the sidelines, wearing sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat. He looked like a tourist who had gotten lost on the way to the beach.
"Pre-season," Alex muttered. "The time of hope. And sweat."
Mark was standing next to him. He was wearing a whistle, a stopwatch, and... water wings. Bright orange inflatable armbands.
"Mark," Alex said. "Why are you wearing floaties?"
"Safety first!" Mark declared. "The humidity is 90 percent! We are practically underwater! I am prepared for spontaneous flooding!"
"We are on a mountain, Mark. Floods go down, not up."
"Science is unpredictable!" Mark argued. "Also, they match my shoes."
They did match his shoes. Bright orange neon.
Alex blew his whistle.
"Okay!" he shouted to the squad. "Warm up over. Time for the first friendly."
The opponents were a local team. AC Mountain Goats (or something like that, Alex hadn't really checked the name). They were semi-pro, enthusiastic, and looked like they ate raw pasta for breakfast.
