NWSL | Off Season

44

EMILY

"What do you mean they all are in Australia ?... What the fuck are you doing in Australia anyway, Kratch ? Seriously....... Answer, otherwise I'll..... Kristie I swear to God if you fucking hang off now I will...... KRISTIE !"

Sam angrily puts her phone down, looking around her, only to find Jane and Mal working for school, and the rest of the girls on the room chilling with their phones. The entry hall is the only place where the connection is good, so it immediately attracts people here. I am sitting next to Carli, who is texting her mom, while the two students, as well as Lynn and Arod, are looking at the tall midfielder, confused. 

She then looks at us, and sighs. 

"She probably is visiting a friend" Carli lets out, trying to comfort the blonde. 

But Sam doesn't look comforted at all. "Maybe" she lets out, rolling her eyes. 

Before any of us can say anything, Lindsey and Moe come into the room in a hurry, their clothes already on for training. We immediately know they're up to no good when we see them burst into laughter, their hands on their mouth. 

When Lindsey's eyes fall on me, I feel a shiver running down my whole body, and as I am trying to ignore it, I realize she still is looking at me. Some girls are looking my way too, so she blushes and looks away. Moe is frowning, but she isn't making any comment, which is basically super-weird because she never misses the opportunity to be sarcastic or tease her bestie. I shake my head, as people are looking at them again. 

Moe smiles. 

"Abae is on the phone Sammy" she announces, lifting her phone above of her head.

There is something funny about Sam : she is not able to hide her excitement. Whether it is when she's called up, scores or that her girl calls her on the phone, her eyes just lighten. She jumps out of the couch and takes the phone from Moe's hand. The brunette burst into laughter, while the taller girl exits the room.

That makes Carli smile. 

"She really is in love this time" she comments, smiling. 

Lynn seconds that by saying : "They're so freaking cute. I can't wait for the new season so that I will be able to tease them about that all the time !"

As the girls keep on debating on when Jill is going to find out about the newest relationship and if Abby will ever get called up again after her injury, I spot Lindsey going out of the room by herself after throwing me a dark look. She is not a very expressive person, but I know when something is bothering her. I don't hesitate long before following her to her dorm. She is rooming with Jaelene, who is currently running with some of the girls outside of the hotel, so when I open the door, there is no surprise for me that she's alone.

Her light eyes fall on me as I am closing the door. 

"What's wrong, Linds ?" I ask in a very soft voice. 

She smirks. "Nothing, I'm all good." 

"You're not" I interrupt her, and I can see in her eyes that she is about to get angry at me. I man up a little bit and say : "Look, I know you by heart, and I can tell when you are not feeling okay or something. I know there is shit in your family right now, and I also know that you don't deserve what happened to you. Just know that I am here, okay ?"

As soon as my sentence ends, her beautiful green eyes are drown into tears. I immediately go and sit next to her on the bed, wrapping an arm around her. She keeps on crying for about fifteen minutes, during which I am not willing to go. My chin is relying on the top of her head, as my arms surrounding her are comforting. 

I whisper from time to time : 

"You're going to be okay, trust me. I'm here, Linds."

** 

KRISTIE

Today is the first New Castle Jets game of the year, and I am one of the first people to make it here. I haven't talked to Megan since her friends burst into our cozy little moment, and I am stressed out about what might be going through her head right now. I know Shelina can be pretty persuasive, and that she's heard many things about me that aren't really flattering - like the fact that I am unemotional - while Caprice is like her little sister. What am I going to say around all those girls ? 

I am sitting here, looking at the people taking a seat around me. There is hardly anyone here, so let's say I have some space to myself. The Jets are playing Adelaide United (the team in which Danny Colaprico and Sofia Huerta are playing and killing it) today, and I know how much it stressed Megan. 

As I am minding my own freaking business for once, I feel a presence next to me. Caprice Dydasco and Kelsey Wys sit down. I can see the keeper's knee is not doing very great, since she injured it during the first game of the season. The two girls don't seem to be mad to see me here or something, but the fact that Shelina is not here means everything. I am about to get my ass kicked. 

My future teammates seem to be looking for words. When Caprice finally finds them, she says : 

"I'm sorry if you felt like you weren't welcomed here"

"I totally wasn't, but it's okay" I let out nonchalantly, rolling my eyes at them. They might be my new teammates (if that stands), but there only is one person's opinion I care about in that continent, and that's not theirs, or Shelina's. "I don't really give a shit about what people think."

"Yeah, Abby told me" Caprice says, and before I can say anything else, she looks in front of her. "Here she is."

I also look that direction, only to find Megan, looking at me nervously. 

I immediately stand up and walk towards her. When I try to take her hands into mine, she takes them away from me and locks her eyes on the ground, blushing. I start frowning, and she might have seen the surprise on my face because she can't even look at me in the eyes. That's when I know something bad is going to happen today. Something that will have an effect on me for once, and that I absolutely don't want to happen. 

Megan slowly shakes her head, and when she finally looks up at me, I can tell how unsure she is only by the way her blue eyes are locked on mine. 

"Kristie..." she starts in a lower voice than usual. 

"Look" I say, not willing to hear that sentence. I grab her shoulders, and before she can even think of saying something else, I continue : "I know it sucks to have your friends being judgmental and shit, but-"

"How'd you know ?" she asks, putting my hands away from her again. I never though a simple move like that would hurt so badly. I can see her eyes getting teary, as she is looking away from me again. "Your sister is very supportive..."

"She is, but-"

"Kristie, I can't do this" she interrupts me, avoiding my gaze. 

"What ?" I ask in disbelief. I grab her wrists and finally make her look at me. I know there is something between us, she can't deny it. And I am not willing to let opinions destroy what we've been struggling to build together. "Megan, you don't have to care about what that Canadian bitch says, it's-"

She shakes her head. "It's people in general. I am not ready to... I don't know, I can't risk everything just for..."

"Just for what ?" I ask, frowning. "A stupid love story ?" 

"No, Kristie, I didn't mean..." she starts, sighing. She sees how hurt I am, even though I am trying to hide it. I also appear to know her two friends are still behind us, and that the game is starting in less than two minutes. She looks at me, and her mouth expresses what her eyes don't : "You should go back to Boston. I'm sorry."

Megan then turns around, tears in her eyes, as I am desperately trying to hold her back. As she is midway to the bench, I yell : 

"Megan, I love you !"

She freezes for a while, before shaking her head and run to the bench. Several people are looking my way, including Caprice and Kelsey. I don't even look at them before bursting out of the stadium, already buying a ticket online. 

My heart is broken.