NWSL | Off Season

70

JANINE

I start feeling nauseous.

The sun is slowly rising, as the rare clouds are making the air heavier. We just left the hotel to join the UCLA soccer field, passing by some students that ask us for autographs. I fake smiles, play it nice because I know being humble is very important. But inside of me, nothing wants to smile.

I don't really know why I feel so bad, but what I know is that it's not because of alcohol. I shake my head and follow Labbé and Desirée to our teammates.

When I spot Shelina, who is sitting next to DMath and Jessie, I make my way to them and sit down. Shelina's intense gaze is already on me.

"You okay ?" she asks, truly worried.

I nod. "Yeah, just a little nauseous, that's all."

Soon after I said that, I puke all over the piece of field where I am sitting. I see people around me get up, looking and walking away, but a warm hand touches my back, and someone kneels next to me.

Of course it's gotta be her... How to hit on the girls of your dreams in two stages by Janine Beckie. Episode one : repulsive approach. Willing to kill myself right now, I take the handkerchief she hands me and wips the vomit out of my mouth. I then sigh, before getting up.

Great, everyone is watching. I sigh again, as I see both John and Sinc make their ways to us.

The head coach smiles at me. "No training for you today, you better go back to the hotel and get some rest." he says in a sweet voice.

"But-" I try to say, but the captain interrupts me.

"Kid, you just puked your guts out. Go back to that hotel room."

I sigh in defeat, before I start taking my cleats off. I loose my balance, but hopefully Shelina has my back and prevents me from falling.

As I am looking at her to thank her, she turns her head to John.

"I'm going with her" she says in a confident tone. When she sees the British man raising his eyebrows, and Sinc about to say something, she adds : "She obviously isn't feeling great, so the least I can do is walk her there and make some tea."

The coach nods, before calling the team on the field. I give Shelina a thankful look, as she grabs my bag and starts walking next to me.

As soon as we make it to the hotel room - our room, since we had a chat and she agreed on coming back here - she orders me to go put a comfortable T-shirt on and go under the covers, while she is looking for a tea. So when she comes back with two cups in her hands, I am waiting for her in my bed.

When she sees me - well, more like the dying zombie I feel like I am - she has a little smirk but restrain herself from laughing. I find it funny how, even when I feel like shit, she never fails to put a smile on my face.

She sits down next to me, handing me the tea.

"It's vanilla, your favorite" she says in a sweet voice.