Immovable Object, Unstoppable Force

We're On Each Other's Team

A.N. Sorry for the wait, I just wanted to push my other stories farther along.

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"We live in cities you'll never see onscreen
Not very pretty, but we sure know how to run things"

Jade's POV

"Let's go, Mom!" I yell. I didn't think she heard me, but she looks up at me breifly. Smiling and giving me a thumbs up in her giant goalkeeper gloves.

The team is playing Australia today. Apparently, this is round one of the group of death. Mom didn't seem too stressed about it though, so I'm not either.

And since this is a game I think I can pay only mild attention to, I decided to doodle in my sketch book to pass the time.

One of my favorite things to do as a smaller child was draw with my mom. She was always better at things like coloring inside the lines and tracing perfect circles, but she never seemed to get mad or frustrated when I wouldn't.

I flipped to a new clean page in my lightly worn sketchbook and began to trace random lines until it begins to look like something.

It's almost half time when I realize what it is. It's a nice view of the field, not to toot my own horn. I nod, wave to my mom as the team leaves the field for the half, and begin a new sketch.

This one I'm well aware of what I want to draw. My mother said I can design her next tattoo, which means I'm going to just give her one that I want so we can match when I'm old enough to get it.

She refuses to let me get any type of body modification until I'm 18. Says it's incase I change my mind.

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"People are going to think I'm your sister even more now." Mom said as we headed to dinner. She kept looking at my hair with a curious frown.

I don't think she's mad, more just realizing how much I look like her. Grandma often said she's pretty sure my mom just got bored and figured out how to clone herself one day.

Mom disagrees, she says I have my Dad's nose and ears. I've seen a picture of him before and I guess I see it, but I have absolutely no interest of actually looking into anything. Looking into him.

"That's always a compliment for you, and a insult for me. You're old." I said cheekily.

"How old do you think I am?"

I shrugged, "Old enough."

Mom just rolled her eyes, "Well, do you want to play 1v1 with this old lady after dinner?"

I nodded enthusiastically, "Of course I do."

Mom nodded, "We'll sneak out in a bit."

"Oh, hey, Christen." I greeted as my Mom grabbed my shoulder to keep me from bumping into Christen.

Christen looked surprised that I was speaking to her. She glanced at my Mother behind me, than back to me.

"Uh, hi. Jade." She then hurried off quickly.

"...That was weird." Mom said, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Yeah." My shoulders deflated, but I don't think my Mom noticed.

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Hope's POV

Of course I noticed. I have eyes.

But I don't say anything about it, I much rather her take her time and talk to me, then be forced into doing it quickly and trying to explain something that I'm sure she doesn't even fully understand herself yet.

I watched as she picked at her food silently. I can tell she's upset because she's practically in my lap, she normally only sits next to me during breakfast, then by Ash or Tobin the rest of the day.

Speaking of Ash, she looked over with a frown, probably wondering why she wasn't being pestered with questions about her tattoos. I just shook my head subtly. She nodded then turned back to her own food.

I turned back to my daughter with a light frown, hopefully she'll feel better once we get out of here.

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"Nope. Try again."

"Mooooom!"

"Jade Alice Solo. Try. Again."

Jade huffed before getting back into goal.

I'm standing about 8 yards away from her, the soccer ball at my feet. She's got my gloves on and she's doing what she's supposed to stance wise, but I can tell she's not fully focused. This ball is going to slip right through her hands.

I launch it into her and sure enough. It slips right through. She falls to the ground with a thud.

She looks like she wants to stay down out of pure frustration, but I told her we don't stay down, because if we do that's another chance for goal. She pops back up.

"You make it look so easy." Her face is solemn as she stares at my gloves on her hands.

"I've been doing this for decades, babes."

"But still, I try so hard and I can't do the things you do. Maybe I should just go back to being a defender." She flopped onto the ground with a huff.

I walk up next to her slowly. I sit down on the pitch and pull her into my side.

"When you first told me you wanted to goalkeep, what did I say?"

She gives me a funny look, "You said, 'Fuck no'."

I chuckled, "And you tricked Ash into buying you some gloves anyway. You sat with Alyssa, Ash, and I whenever you could and kept making Alex kick at you. That's determination. And that's exactly what you need to be the best. I don't want you to lose it."

Jade nodded silently. We sat in silence for a few seconds before she spoke again, "Why didn't you want me to be a goalkeeper?"

I sighed, "I don't want you to go through the things I do. I wouldn't wish any of this on my worst enemy. But, I hate when people tell me what I can and can't do, so it would be hypocritical of me to do that with you."

"I promise I won't let you down." She said earnestly.

"I know you won't. You're a Solo. We don't do anything half-assed." I kiss the top of her head.

She nodded then stood up with a determined expression on her face, "I'm ready to try again."

"That's what I like to hear."

She didn't let a single shot passed her after that.