ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴏɴᴇ:
'ᴀʀsᴇɴᴀʟ?'
𝚁𝙰𝚅𝙴𝙽 ʀᴀɴ ʜᴇʀ ʜᴀɴᴅs ᴏᴠᴇʀ ʜᴇʀ ғᴀᴄᴇ ɪɴ ᴀɴ ᴀᴛᴛᴇᴍᴘᴛ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ʀɪᴅ ᴏғ ʜᴇʀ ᴄʟᴇᴀʀʟʏ ᴇxʜᴀᴜsᴛᴇᴅ sᴛᴀᴛᴇ.
The footballer had barely got any sleep last night; she always found it difficult to get to sleep the night before big matches. And today was a huge one.
She was playing against one of her friends' teams and whatever she did in this game counted if she wanted to get into the euros of 2022.
The girl sighed, snatching her phone from her bedside table and slinging her bag over her left shoulder, taking a step away from the mirror she was standing at.
Sliding her phone into her jacket pocket, Raven jogged down the stairs, taking a seat at one of the last ones to easily slip on her shoes.
'𝙷𝚘𝚗𝚔!!'
She could already tell what the sound was, the car horn being so familiar she pretty much had it's tone memorised.
She groaned with a slight smile, taking her dear time to get out of the house and opening the door with ease. The girl juggled her keys in one hand, before slowly locking her door, another honk erupting from the grey toyota behind her.
"Alright, jeez I'm coming," Ray mumbled under her breath, skipping towards her best friend's car and flinging open the back doors, "Hey No," she hopped into the seat, throwing her bag into the seat beside her.
Noah rolled his eyes, clearly fed up with how long his friend had made him wait, "Don't 'hey No' me, you know I've been here since five past, right?"
Raven pulled out her phone, checking the time, which was printed on the top of her screen.
16:33
Ray gave the boy beside her a sheepish smile, "Whoops?" Noah rolled his eyes, starting up the car, "Well, why didn't you text?" She asked, unlocking her phone.
"I did!" The boy furrowed his brows, turning the music coming from the radio down to have a conversation with his friend, "And called actually!"
Ray scrunched up her nose in confusion about to try and prove him wrong, before the cocky smile on her face dropped, her eyes skimming along the words imprinted.
'𝟾 ᴍɪssᴇᴅ ᴄᴀʟʟs ғʀᴏᴍ
'ғʀᴜɪᴛʏ 🍎🍌🍉🍇🍓🍒''
'𝟷𝟽 ɴᴇᴡ ᴍᴇssᴀɢᴇs ғʀᴏᴍ
'ʙᴀʀʙɪᴇ 💅💅''
''𝚌𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚖𝚜𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚜𝚋𝚏'
sᴇɴᴛ ᴀ ᴄʜᴀᴛ!'
"My bad, sorry," the girl apologised with a big smile on her face, clearly not actually regretting her actions, "Phone was on silent."
She lifted up her phone in defense, leaning forward to turn up the volume to the radio, preventing Noah from replying, the boy only being able to let out a small, "Dickhead."
"We're still picking up Brooke, right?"
"Yep, she better be done. I'm not waiting and sitting alone with you for another five minutes." Ray let out a loud chuckle at his words.
---------------------
Noah pulled up in front of Brooke's house, rolling his eyes at something Raven had said beforehand.
One of Raven's favourite songs started playing and she nodded along to the lyrics, Noah tapping his foot and swaying softly to the tune too.
Only around thirty seconds after Noah had called Brooke (and she had actually picked up), the brunnette skipped out of her house and into the passenger seat of Noah's car.
"Ooh I love this song!" The girl stated what everyone in the car had thought but not voiced.
Noah and Raven both smiled at the girl, nodding along to her thoughts, all now instinctively singing along at the top of their lungs, Noah rolling out of the small driveway,
"You guys really need your own car by the way," Noah said, running a hand through his hair after the small karaoke session had ended.
Brooke and Raven let out an audible groan each, almost in sinc, Brooke sinking into her seat, "You know I can't drive."
"Yeah, she failed her driver's test." Raven added with a smirk.
Noah laughed in recollection, beaming a great big smile, "Oh yeah, like three times!" He giggled again making Ray join in.
The girl in the back rolled her eyes, letting out a long and loud huff, before the girl ahead of her spoke again, "Wasn't it the written one too?"
The two at the front of the car cackled immaturely, throwing their heads back and both looking back in the mirror at their best friend's annoyed state.
"At least I didn't reverse into a brick wall," Brooke stated blankly, eyeing up the girl ahead of her.
Now, Noah was the only one left chuckling, his giggles roaming around the car.
"Isn't your car still in the shop?" Noah turned to look at Raven, as they approached a red light, trying his hardest not to let out a chortle.
She narrowed her eyes, leaning back in her seat and scrolling through her phone, "Fuck you both."
The whole car erupted into fits of laughter when Noah got honked at multiple times, before realising the light had turned green, still giggling slightly then finally driving off.
"Who are you guys even playing today?" Noah asked when the laughter had died down a bit.
"Arsenal."
"Arsenal?" He repeated in a question, searching his mind for where he had heard of it before; he wasn't a big fan of watching sports or knowing team names, but he knew he had heard of that team name before. "Wait, doesn't Beth play for that team?"
"Yep," Raven answered with a nod, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"And," Brooke started, "There's scouts out looking for players for the lionnesses to join this year's euros and there's two openings!"
"Pray that Ray doesn't get red-carded again," Noah laughed, both friends remembering the multiple times their friend had gotten fouled for her anger issues.
In her defense, she didn't mean to. She didn't get annoyed over anything; just when she got fouled... mostly.
-------------------
Right now, the team were changing into their kits, Raven throwing on her lucky '22', before jumping up and down trying to get warmed up.
The girl paced around the changing room, muttering to herself; any onlookers must have thought that she was crazy.
She stopped at the mirrors, taking a glance at herself and fixing up her hair, redoing her ponytail.
She fiddled with her lucky dice bracelet, before tracing her thumb on the small tattoo on the inside of her left wrist- her usual ritual.
Raven always got a stomach full of nerves before games and this was one way that she tried to ease them.
Brooke hopped over to her friend clearly seeing her distress, "You alright?"
The girl nodded, pulling her bottom lip into her mouth, "Just peachy. What about you?"
The other girl seemed to chuckle at the, what seemed to be, small talk, "You'll be fine. Don't worry about it "
Somehow that calmed Raven's nerves, the words making her feel more confident than she had before.
Anytime, Ray had been stressed before a match she always somehow worked it out in the end: win, lose or draw. She nodded along to her friend's words, realising how unnecessarily worried she was being, "Yeah. Thanks, Brooke." She thanked her friend.
"No worries, Ray. Now are you gonna change into your shoes?" Brooke glanced down at Raven's shoes, before her friend followed, noticing she hadn't even put her football boots on yet.
They both let out a small chuckle also in sinc, "What would I do without you?" Raven joked, playfully whacking Brooke in the arm when she took a seat down and changed her shoes, ready to begin warm-ups.
"Honestly, you would be so lost."
The two giggled like the best friends they were, throwing their heads back and shoving one another.
Just after, each of their phones lit up and they both smiled, knowing who it was already.
----------
ᴡʜɪᴛᴇ ᴏʀᴇᴏ
(𝚐𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚙 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚝)
𝚌𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚖𝚜𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚜𝚋𝚏:
𝙶𝙾𝙾𝙳 𝙻𝚄𝙲𝙺 𝙾𝙽 𝚄𝚁 𝙼𝙰𝚃𝚅𝙷
𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝:
𝚃𝙷𝙰𝙽𝙺 𝚈𝙾𝚄, 𝚂𝚄𝚁𝙿𝚁𝙸𝚂𝙴𝙳
𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝚁𝙴𝙼𝙴𝙼𝙱𝙴𝚁𝙴𝙳 𝚃𝙱𝙷
𝚌𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚖𝚜𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚜𝚋𝚏:
𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝙸 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚝??
𝚒𝚖 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚛𝚘𝚠𝚍..
𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝚞 𝚗𝚍 𝚛𝚊𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗
𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚒𝚝 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚎
𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛
𝚛𝚊𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚐𝚊𝚢:
𝚢𝚎𝚝, 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚘𝚝
𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚠𝚎 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 🧐
𝚌𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚖𝚜𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚜𝚋𝚏:
𝙱𝚛𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚎, 𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚔𝚎𝚎𝚙
𝚁𝚊𝚢 𝚒𝚗 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎, 𝚜𝚘 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗'𝚝
𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚍
𝙰𝙶𝙰𝙸𝙽
𝚛𝚊𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚐𝚊𝚢:
𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝𝚕𝚢, 𝙸'𝚖 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎.
𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚕𝚢, 𝙸'𝚟𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢
𝚐𝚘𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚊 𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚠𝚒𝚌𝚎
𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗'𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚏𝚊𝚞𝚕𝚝.
𝚌𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚖𝚜𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚜𝚋𝚏:
𝚠𝚘𝚊𝚑 𝚠𝚘𝚊𝚑 𝚠𝚘𝚊𝚑, 𝙱𝚛𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚎,
𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚜𝚙𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚌𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚍𝚊𝚢?
𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝:
𝙱𝙰𝙷𝙰𝙷𝙰
𝚜𝚑𝚎'𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐
𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚝 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚝
𝚊 𝚢𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠.
𝚛𝚊𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚐𝚊𝚢:
𝙰𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗, 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎.
𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝:
𝙸 𝚋𝚎𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 £20.
𝚌𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚖𝚜𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚜𝚋𝚏:
𝚞𝚐𝚑. 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚎, 𝚛𝚊𝚢 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛
𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚕𝚎𝚝 𝚖𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗 😪
𝚄𝚙 𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚘 £50?
𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝:
𝙳𝙴𝙰𝙻
𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚛𝚎
𝚜𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏
𝚞𝚙 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚊𝚒𝚕 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝
𝚌𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚖𝚜𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚜𝚋𝚏:
𝚞𝚐𝚑
𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛. 😒
𝚛𝚊𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚐𝚊𝚢:
𝚂𝚃𝙾𝙿 𝙼𝙰𝙺𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙱𝙴𝚃𝚂 𝙾𝙽 𝙼𝙴
𝚌𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚖𝚜𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚜𝚋𝚏:
𝚗𝚘𝚠, 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎'𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚞𝚗
𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝?
𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝:
𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚋𝚎 𝚜𝚘 𝚏𝚞𝚗
𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎.
𝚛𝚊𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚐𝚊𝚢:
𝙸𝙼 𝙽𝙾𝚃 𝙶𝙾𝙽𝙽𝙰 𝙶𝙴𝚃 𝙵𝙾𝚄𝙻𝙴𝙳.
𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝:
𝙼𝚑𝚖𝚖, 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝'𝚜 𝚎𝚡𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚕𝚢
𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍 𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎.
𝚌𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚖𝚜𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚜𝚋𝚏:
𝙳𝙾𝙽'𝚃 𝙻𝙴𝚃 𝙼𝙴 𝙳𝙾𝚆𝙽 𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙴 𝚁𝙰𝚈!!
𝙸 𝙽𝙴𝙴𝙳 𝚃𝙷𝙰𝚃 £50.
𝚛𝚊𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚐𝚊𝚢:
𝚞𝚐𝚑
-----------
Brooke slipped her phone into her bag, Ray already had given up texting the group, laying down on the wooden bench and staring at the ceiling.
The girl gave a slap to her friend who was seemingly zoned out, Raven jumping to sit up at the action, making them both giggle.
"Alright everyone." The coach jogged into the changing room loud cheers and chatter being heard as the door swung open.
She told the team who would be starting, also going into telling the team about warm-up, which pretty much went over Ray's head.