The flight took 7 hours. Initially I was nervous but that died down once I became immersed in the onboard entertainment system.
I watched a couple of movies, slept a bit and before I knew it we were touching down at LAX.
I retrieved my bags all three of them, you'd think that my life consisted of more than just three bags but sadly no.
My whole existence fit into 3 large suitcases.
I collected my belongings and caught the shuttle taking passengers to the UCLA campus. I pulled out my care package that was sent to me by the university coordinator's office.
It contained all the facts of my life on campus. It had a map, my dorm assignment my class schedule and university guidelines as well as sports teams introduction.
I managed to find my way around campus and arrived at my dorm. Since I was early for soccer training camp I was the first to arrive in my dorm. I only had one other room mate but we shared a bathroom with the adjacent dorm room. The room itself wasn't anything special: two double beds, two desks, a lounge area, breakfast nook with a small counterspace and a mini fridge and microwave.
I have never lived in such close quarters with girls so this should definitely be interesting.
Seeing as I didn't have much luggage it didn't take me long to unpack and since I got here first I got first choice of bed and closet space. I took the what I thought was the good bed but I gave my room mate the bigger closet (my closet still looks empty considering).
I have only been here a few hours and I am already board, so I decide to pin Cruz
Triple J
>Claque? (what's up)
Cruzin4life
>Que pase mai? (what is up girl)
Triple J
>nothing much, arrived, set up my room, bored and wanted to say yo.
Cruzin4life
>mai (term of endearment for girl) if you tell anyone I will deny it, but I miss you already.
Triple J
>pai (term of endearment for boy) are you going soft? I'll be sure to tell the corillo. lmao jjk
> I miss you too, what are you and the boys up to.
Cruzin4life
>I am on my way to Santiago's house where we are gonna chill. I'll call you then so we can all talk to you
>Hablao tato (kool)
Triple J
>Tato
I wait as patiently as I can for Cruz to call me back when he reaches Santiago's house. I have only been away from my boys not even a full day and I feel like I haven't seen them in ages.
Cruz finally calls me and I get a chance to talk to all my boys, after an hour we say our goodbyes for the second time today and I decide to hit the sack. It may only be 9pm here but my body is still on eastcoast time. I am exhausted. I climb onto my bed and as soon as my head hits the pillow I am out.
***************************************
Soccer training camp starts today, finally. I have been going stir crazy. the last two weeks here has been boring as #ell. I can say that I have gotten a good feel for the place. I took the time to explore my surroundings and came across a few cool places.
Seriously though I am so stoked about Soccer. I arrived to the field a little early just to get warmed up before our practice.
Soon boys were trickling in and filling up the field. I kept my eyes open for the coach in anticipation.
Once Coach Malone arrived we separated into two teams, shirts and skins. The coach knows I am a girl but I have asked him to keep it quiet for as long as he can. I want the boys to respect my skills and not treat me different because I am a girl or get embarrassed if I school them. So obviously coach made me a shirt.
The whole first day was playing a schrimage game in order for coach Malone to get a feel for the players. I will tell you right now I kicked some major @ss. I scored 5 goals and played the whole 60 minutes. Coach let us go and told us to be back @ 7 am for a 4hour training session.
I collected my things and was on my way when some yelled my name, well my nickname: JJ.
"Yo JJ, dude hold up" a black haired boy yelled from the edge of the field I think his name is Devon
"Dude I just wanted to introduce my self, I am Devon. Seriously man you have mad skills, where did you learn to play like that" Devon said as he gave me a man shake (clasp the hand , bump the shoulder, smack the back) and that was when he felt it, my sports bra.
"Thanks, I've been playing for as long as i can remember, just tried to refine my skills as best as I could" I replied while trying to get out of his grasp
"Dude why do you smell like Vanilla and are you wearing a sports bra" he asked in shock
how the #ell can he smell my body spray still. I've just been running for an hour and sweating like crazy, I am surprised he didn't fall over from the b.o.
"uh.. dude what are you talking about, are you feeling ok, I have like a wife beater underneath and maybe your smelling my shampoo, i just bought what was
on sale" I reply. I wasn't totally lying, my sports bra was half a wife beater and i really did buy my body spray on sale.
by this point three other boys have joined us. Devon introduces them as his roommates. there is Josh: tall, built, brown hair, green eyes, Lorenzo: Tall, built, brown hair, brown eyes and Jesse: tall, built, blonde hair and blue eyes. Oh and Devon follows suit, tall, built, black hair and blue eyes.
They are all eying me quizzically. I say hello and shake all their hands, no man shaking. We get to talking until Josh yells out
"dude are you a girl"
I honeslty thought about lying but seriously it was eventually going to come out so I simply said "yes"
All their jaws dropped.
"I just asked you if you were wearing a sports bra and why you smelled like vanilla and you lied' Devon exclaimed
"Well I wanted to keep it on the down low for as long as I could. Boys get pretty defensive if they get beat by a girl. I wanted to show my skills on the field before any of you judged me" I replied honestly
"I am sorry for not telling the whole truth" I said
"please until the team warms up to me can you not tell anyone" I ask with hope in my voice
"does coach Malone know you are a girl" Lorenzo asks
"Yeah he does, and he agreed to keep it quiet until we all got used to one another" I replied
They all look at each other and nod in agreance "we'll hold on to this information, for now that is' Devon explained
"thanks" was all I said as we parted ways
Oh this should be interesting, lets see what tomorrow holds.
YOU ARE READING
Against all odds
Teen FictionJ.J's only goal in life was to get out of the Ghetto. She didn't want to be another statistic : pregnant, poor and uneducated. The only way she knew how to make her dreams a reality was through her love of soccer. Soccer was her ticket to a new lif...
