Lucy rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she reached for her phone on the bedside table. The bright screen lit up with a flurry of notifications, and as she scrolled through her messages, her heart swelled with pride. She had made the rounds on social media, and she couldn't believe how quickly people had taken notice of her joining the first football team. She smiled at the tagged photos from the night before, feeling grateful for the support from her new team.
After a quick shower, Lucy headed to the kitchen to make herself a much-needed cup of coffee. As she sipped her coffee, the events of the night before came flooding back. She remembered Leah's gaze and the almost-kiss, but she shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. She had a busy day ahead of her, with training and a meeting with Jake later on.
Lucy got dressed and headed out to the training ground, where she was greeted by Jonas Eidevall, the manager. He congratulated her on her first day and told her that he had high expectations for her, and she thanked him for his words of encouragement. As she stepped onto the field, she felt a sense of belonging. She had always loved playing football, but now she was part of a team of like-minded individuals who were all passionate about the sport. She felt proud to be part of such an incredible group of people.
Leah approached Lucy, greeting her with a warm smile and a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Hello you!" Leah said, "You made it to your second day!"
Lucy smiled back, feeling grateful for Leah's support. "Thanks, Leah. I couldn't have done it without all of you."
Leah gave Lucy's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Listen, I just wanted to say, I remember our conversation last night. I know you're feeling nervous about coming out to your parents and Jake, but just remember, you're not alone. We're here for you and we support you no matter what."
Lucy felt a wave of relief wash over her, and she thanked Leah for her advice. Leah continued, "And as for Jake, just be honest with him. If he likes you, I'm sure he'll understand."
Lucy nodded, feeling more confident now that she had Leah's advice. She promised Leah she would talk to Jake and thanked her again for her support. Leah gave her a wink and encouraged her to show the world what she was made of.
After training, Lucy said goodbye to the girls and headed to the pub to meet Jake, today was the day she told the truth. As she sat across from him, she took a deep breath, preparing to tell him the truth about her feelings. But before she could speak, Jake interrupted her.
"Lucy," he said, with a serious look on his face. "I have something I want to ask you."
Lucy's heart sank. Had he found out about her being gay? She braced herself for the worst, but then he asked, "Will you be my girlfriend?"
Lucy was taken aback. She had not expected this at all. On the one hand, she felt a sense of relief that he hadn't found out. On the other hand, she knew that she couldn't accept his proposal. She had come to tell him the truth about herself and she couldn't start their relationship off with a lie.
She didn't want to hurt Jake, but she knew that her family would never approve of the truth. Her heart ached as she thought about the decision she had made. Her voice quivering, she finally said, "Yes."
As she spoke, she saw the joy light up on Jake's face and he leaned in to kiss her. Lucy felt an immense guilt settle in her heart. She had made the biggest mistake of her life, and she felt like a coward for going along with it. Jake was such a sweet boy, and she had let herself and him down.
As they walked out of the pub hand in hand, Lucy's mind raced with thoughts of what she had just done. She couldn't shake the feeling that she had made a terrible mistake.
As she opened her door, Lucy's parents were watching TV. It was only 8 PM, and so they wouldn't be angry, but Milly, her mother, was the first to speak. "Have a nice day, darling?" Lucy rolled her eyes and responded to her mother. Her gaze landed on the TV screen, where an advertisement was playing of two women getting married. Her heart ached as she thought about her own truth.
Lucy's father spoke up, "I don't like it. It's not right," he said, while Milly nodded in agreement. Lucy felt her temper rise.
"Actually, Mom and Dad, I don't think it's okay to talk about people that way," she said firmly. "Everyone deserves to love who they love, regardless of their sexual orientation."
Tony scoffed, "Lucky you have a boyfriend then, isn't it? You think we didn't know about that. Anyway, it's not something we want to see on TV. It's not appropriate for our home."
Lucy felt a knot form in her stomach, and tears started to well up in her eyes. "It's not about what you like or don't like. It's about respecting people for who they are. Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect," she stumbled over her words, her voice shaking with emotion. "I can't have this conversation with you. I need some time to myself."
She felt hurt and defeated by her family's intolerance. She wanted to tell the truth, but she knew now that they would never accept her.
Just then, her phone pinged. It was a message from Leah, asking, "How did it go with Jake?" Lucy sat there for five minutes, trying to gather the courage to write back. She knew she had to tell the truth, but also a lie. So, she wrote, "Hey, I think I got it wrong. I'm going to stick with Jake."
Once she pressed send, she felt a twinge in her stomach. She felt like she had regressed and was back in the closet. To make matters worse, Leah's response was simply, "Ok, cool."
Lucy felt a knot in her stomach as she read Leah's message. She had been hoping for a more supportive response from her friend, but instead, Leah seemed distant and uninterested. Lucy sat there, staring at her phone, trying to make sense of what was happening. She realised that her decision with Jake had come from a rejection she had felt from Leah, when nothing actually happened. She felt torn between her growing feelings for Leah and the guilt of Jake. She didn't know what to do, and she felt more lost than ever.
She didn't understand why her friend had been so distant, and she felt like she was losing her. Despite these emotions, Lucy knew she had to put them aside and focus on her training for her big game against Chelsea. She tried to push all thoughts of Leah and Jake aside, hoping that with time everything would become clearer.
The next day, as Lucy stepped onto the football field for her debut game, she was feeling nervous but determined. The setting was buzzing with energy, and the roar of the crowd was deafening. Lucy tried to push any thoughts of Leah's strange behaviour out of her mind, focusing instead on the task at hand.
Despite the team's best efforts, they ultimately lost to Chelsea, and Lucy was disappointed. However, she knew that it was just the beginning of her journey in the league, and she was already looking forward to their next game and putting everything she had learned from this one into her performance.
After the game, Lucy was walking into the changing room when she felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Katie McCabe and her girlfriend, Ruesha Littlejohn, who played for Aston Villa. They told her about a Halloween party they were throwing for all the girls in the league and invited her to come along. Excited for the opportunity to get to know her teammates and other players better, Lucy eagerly agreed.
Jonas Eidevall gave some stern words about being better as the team sat deflated but determined for the next game. After this Lucy dashed out to find a costume she decided on a devil costume for the party, hoping that the alcohol would give her the courage to confront Leah and find out why she had been acting so distant. She arrived at the party, and the atmosphere was electric with laughter and music filling the air. Lucy made her way over to the bar and ordered a drink, scanning the room for Leah.
When she finally spotted her, Lucy's heart skipped a beat. Leah was dressed as a cat, and even in her costume, she looked stunning. Lucy felt nervous but was determined to talk to her friend and find out what was going on. She made her way over, and as she approached, Leah turned and smiled, greeting her warmly.
Hey, Lucy! You look amazing!" Leah said, and Lucy felt her nerves begin to ease."Thanks, Leah! You look great too," Lucy replied, and they both laughed.
Lucy felt her nerves begin to ease as she and Leah chatted for a while, and she couldn't help but feel confused. Leah had been so cold towards her recently, and now she seemed perfectly fine. Lucy mustered up the courage to ask Leah if everything was okay, and Leah's expression changed to one of worry as she explained that she had just been worried about the game. However, Lucy could tell that Leah was lying, and she couldn't help but wonder what was really going on.
The pair were interrupted by an already drunk Jessie who dragged leah off to the dancefloor. Lucy stood watching her heart sinking.