Numbers - A Ted Lasso OC Story

4 - After Laughter

*Authors note: Prepare your self it's a long one, sorry not sorry.*

Vanessa steps off the bus giving a small thank you to the bus driver. It's important to respect civil workers. She starts her walk, songs from her favourite band Paramore blasting in her ears through her AirPods, she's only a couple blocks away from Nelson road stadium, she had to take a different buss since her regular one didn't run at this time of day.

She originally thought Ted was just being nice by saying she should come to training, but the email she got last night with training times and when to be there proved he actually meant for her to come. So of course, she couldn't help but to be excited, but the combination of anticipation and nerves made her stomach knot.

She would actually interact with the team, she'd seen them on screen play, and seen some of them occasionally, traipsing into the stadium before a game. But she had never talked to any of them, except Sam whom waved at her every once in a while, which was part of the reason his was the only full name of the team she could actually remember.

Even after almost four years of living in London she was still yet to had used to the ever changing weather. Weather at home was weird but at least it was usually consistent, she didn't miss the cold though, London cold was nothing to her. It was sunny with a light breeze, she could see small rain clouds in the distance, probably to hit this evening. She grabbed her pink tinted 'cop-style' prescription sunglasses out of their case in her mini backpack, switching them with the large rose gold frames usually placed on her face. She gently pulls her black baseball cap down a bit further.

Finally arriving at the stadium, something about it looked different now, maybe it was the lack of bustling crowds, or the serenity of the midday air, whatever it was, she liked it.

She approached the door only to realize she had no idea where she was going. She entered ntering a hallway with pictures of the team and portraits of current and past players, some who she recognized, some who she didn't, and some who she knew Lauren would be head over heels for immediately.

"Hey excuse me," a short man with a round face interrupts her confusion. "You aren't supposed to be here, no fans inside. Not now, not ever. So can you leave, please." He opens the door behind her gesturing for her to leave, holding a small tray of water bottles in his hand.

"I uh, Ted asked me to come. I don't know where I'm going though. Where can I uh, find him?" Taken aback by the abrupt welcome, or not so much of one.

"Oh are you the merchandise girl?" He asks, not really waiting for her to answer, just asking out of  courtesy. "Then come with me." Only slightly bothered by the 'Merchandise girl' comment, she followed him.

The halls of AFC Richmond could be awkward at times, some walls were completely blank, while others were decorated with team pictures from years past. They walked past what probably would be a trophy case, if there was anything in it, which there wasn't.

"Ted, Coach, Your math girl is here." The small man, the kit man she guessed, knocked on the door to an office. Inside the office sat two desks pressed against each other, a whiteboard, way too many football rule and strategy books laying around, and two coaches standing chatting with each other. The blinds were drawn but she guessed that they faced the locker room, but she really had no idea. Ted and the other coach, beardy, turn to look at her, directly, at her.

"Now now Nathan, Nate the great, she isn't just a math girl, she is a statistical genius! Let me tell you, I only saw a small portion of her notes and my mind was blown!" Ted reaches over to shake Vanessa's hand and she eagerly obliges, thrown off guard by the random compliment shower just given to her by a man she's met twice.

"Now this here is Coach Beard, now don't let him scare you he's a real sweat pea once you get to know him." Ted laughs, receiving only a grunt from the accurately named second coach., Ted steps back to peek out the other door beside the covered window.

Vanessa reaches out to shake his hand as well but is met with nothing. She purses her lips, nods her head, and brings her hand back down again.

"Nice to meet you, I suppose." She acknowledges Beard. Now that's a name she could remember. She looks over to Nolan- Nathan, "My names Vanessa actually, not math girl."

Before he can respond Ted pops his head back in the office, as she slowly regrets what she just said

"Come with me Nessa let's have you meet the boys, don't worry they don't bite... Well maybe Roy would, but if he does I would like to believe he would have a reason." Ted's eyes seemed to glitter with excitement, if that was even a thing eyes could do in real life and not just shitty fan fictions.

"Oh, ok then." She cut through the office out into the open door Ted had left for her. The locker room was hectic, and smelly. The team stood all at their lockers, or around a square bench in the center, or a long bench along the back wall. She couldn't pick out anything the guys were saying, only a few words every here and there, but when a few players spotted her and Ted standing there the atmosphere shifted. The noise changed from joyful conversation to a series of hushed whispers  and hushes.

"Gentlemen let me introduce you to Vanessa, she's going to be analyzing you guys today. With statistics! She'll be sitting on the side and watching you guys, but don't let her stress you out and just train your absolute train-i-est." Ted pulls her in tapping his hand on her opposite shoulder. He then gestures for her to speak, a wave of his hand and a friendly wink.

"Oh, I'm Vanessa, but I guess Ted already said that...-"

"Hold up, you're so bad at your job Lasso, that you have to bring a 'statistics' person in here?" A douchy voice cuts her off. As rude as that was she couldn't help but to be a little grateful, she genuinely had no idea what she was going to say next.

"Well I think this will be good for us Jamie." Ted seemed unbothered by Jamie, whom Nessa had only knew until now as #9 or Tartt. "Give us some real numbers on our performance, huh!?" Some of the team grumbled in agreement while others stayed confused, and some remained sceptical. "Whelp, I'll let you boys finish getting ready, I'll see you on the pitch!" He turns to Nessa guiding her back into his, and Coach Beards, office. "I'll let you get ready what you need to, we've got a chair beside the pitch for you and everything, make yourself comfortable out there! You can hang up your bag there." He points to a hook on the wall.

"Thanks. Thank you, a lot Coach Ted. This is really nice of you, and I uh, I'm glad to help." She smiled, it was nice to feel needed, nice to feel important.

***
NEW PLAYLIST SONG(S) ALERT!

Hard times, By Paramore

Rose-colored Boy, By Paramore

Fake happy, By Paramore

~

(Guys I think Nessa might be a Paramore fan, just a theory)

Anywayyyy. If you didn't get the title, all three songs we added today are from Paramores album titled "After Laughter" so I went with that cause yeah. If it wasn't obvious Nessa favorite band is Paramore cause they are epic, she has a second faint yall don't get to know that yet 🤫

I told you it was gonna be long, I promise this won't be the regular length of chapters. It just took a while to get across what I needed to today, cause now we've gotten into it more.

Question of the chapter:
How do you think the character relationships and dynamics between Nessa and the rest of the team? Who do you think she will bond with the most?

Anyway I hope you had a wonderful day!