Lavender's POV
"Do you think we'll be stopped from playing today?" I ask as I pull into the players entrance at the Camp Nou.
We play FC Rosengård today in our last game before the September friendly window, but there's a storm starting to rage outside and there's supposed lightning strikes happening almost every minute at the back of the storm so it's gonna be close if we get the full game in.
"Maybe." Maya says as I park in my spot. "The radar says the lightning will pass near us in 2 hours."
After I'm parked in my reserved spot, my soulmate, my doggy, and I get out of the car then Maya I get our stuff from the trunk.
Once we have our stuff, I close and lock my car then we walk to the home locker room here in the Camp Nou.
As we're walking into the locker room, I look at our Line-up on the wall.
1-Cata Coll
2-Ona Batlle
5-Maya Pete
4-Mapi León
3-Selma Bacha
8-Keira Walsh
14-Aitana Bonmatí
11-Alexia Putellas (C)
7-Salma Paralluelo
9-Lavender Lacroix
10-Lauren Hemp
After I look at the line-up, I follow my soulmate to our lockers then I put my stuff in my locker.
Once my stuff is put up in my locker, I grab my smudging bundle and my lighter then I follow my teammates outside for the pitch inspection.
When I get onto the pitch I stand on the touchline and light my smudging bundle then let the bundle burn for 30 seconds
After the bundle has burned for 30 seconds I blow it out which causes the bundle to start smoking then I walk around the edge of the pitch while doing my smudging ceremony with Pongo.
As I approach the place I start my ceremony I walk onto the pitch and cleanse my teammates with the bundle then Pongo and I head to our bench area and cleanse it.
After I finish doing my smudging ceremony, I extinguish the smudging bundle in a jar of sand then Pongo and I head back to the locker room.
When I get to my locker I put my sand jar in my locker then I take out my nose ring and I take off my necklaces, my earrings, and my rings.
After my jewelry is off, I put my jewelry in it's safe then I put my jewelry safe, phone, and wallet in my bag.
Once I'm jewelry free I take off my black cowboy hat, put it in it's protective case then I close and lock the case
After my hat is put away properly I take off my clothes and put my long, curly, dark brown hair up in a ponytail then I put on my warm up top and my game shorts.
I then sit down in my locker and put on my socks, my shin pads and my rainbow boots.
When I finish getting dressed, Maya comes over and sits in-between my legs.
Once Maya is sat in-between my legs she hugs one of my legs then she sits up straight as I begin running my fingers through her long luscious hair.
After a minute of playing with my soulmate's hair, I pull it back into the normal ponytail she puts it in for games.
Once Maya's hair is in a ponytail, I lean down and kiss my soulmate's head.
After I kiss her head, Maya and I get up, walk out of the locker room, and head onto the field with the outfield players.
When I get on the pitch I run through my warm ups with the starters for a while then we head back to the locker room.
Once in the locker room I change out of the training top and change into my blue and garnet striped jersey while Astrid does her last minute talks.
When the last minute talks end, we are told to head to the tunnel so I kiss my soulmate and hug her before I head out to the tunnel with Pongo.
Once in the tunnel, I line-up in-between Maya and Aitana then I wait for us to be called out.
Weirdly we wait for a long time to be called out then, after like five minutes, people in suits walk up the refs and talk to them.
The refs then turn and talk to the two captains.
"There's lightning in this part of the storm so everyone back to the locker room." Alexia says then my teammates and I head back to our locker room.
Once in our locker room I relax in my locker with Maya while I pet Pongo.
"I'm putting music on." Aitana says then starts playing music.
"Wait this is my song." I say as Maya starts playing with my hair. .
"Mhmm." Aitana says with a smirk then I listen to my song.
I was just out of the service, drifting through the countryside
I found a field a fireflies to bed down for the night
Before I fell asleep something caught my eye
There was a tall old man in the field, a shadow in moonlight
Late in the springtime when the sun goes down
You can find him in the field across the street from his house
Picking him a bouquet underneath a May full moon
With aging eyes as misty as an early morning dew
I met him through the fireflies, he was a kind-hearted man
And I asked about the bouquet as I went to shake his hand
He told me about his late wife and the flowers that she grew
And how springtime was her favorite
Cause that's when everything would bloom
He said at night I go pickin' a Cherokee rose
I'll lay 'em on her headstone
Cause she loved them the most
No matter how many I have won't bring her back
I suppose
But it makes me feel close
To my Cherokee Rose
He took me to where she lay low
And he said my dearest Rose
I lost her givin' birth to a boy I'll never know
Then we sat there in the silence as he held hands with her ghost
Until we meet again the only peace I'll ever know
He said at night I go pickin' a Cherokee rose
I'll lay 'em on her headstone
Cause she loved them the most
No matter how many I have won't bring her back
I suppose
But it makes me feel close
To my Cherokee Rose
Well, the days went on and the years went by
And on a rainy Autumn day, he joined her on the other side
But in his will, it was much to my surprise, he left me everything he had
For just a small price
Oh, it's been 35 years since this land became mine
And many things have changed, but one thing has stood the test of time
I spend every Spring pickin' flowers with my wife
Because he taught me love is one thing that will never die
So, now at night I go picking a Cherokee rose
I lay it on his headstone, Cause he loved her the most
No matter how many I have won't bring her back I suppose
But I know that he's close
To his Cherokee Rose
"You big meanie." Aitana says as she sniffles.
"Hey you decided to play the song." I say.
"You coulda said it was sad." Jana says.
"I'll try and warn you next time." I say. "I'll try and warn you."
