Ainsley's POV
Trinity and I stayed pretty much separate the whole practice, and I was completely fine with that.
I was constantly peppered with questions about Ashley, which I answered, but I tried to focus on practice. We still had some time before the season started, but I needed to get back into it.
And life the next few weeks went on as usual, Ashley was able to come back to non-contact after a week and a half, and then was able to contact practice with 2 weeks left until the season.
Trinity and I went back to little feuds and not appearing like friends, but nothing like we were before. And neither of us brought up that night either.
We did text a lot, but like everything else, nobody knew about it. Ashley was convinced I had found a boyfriend or a guy, because every time I smirked at my phone, she would look at me and ask who it was. I always answer with "none of your business."
Honestly, I'm not a good secret keeper. This is a new record for me. One month.
As much as I hated the fact that we were texting and we had that night, I wanted more. But I really don't, but I do.
I really do.
About a week before the season opener, I gave in and texted her.
Me: Mind if I come over tn
Trina: What.
Me: Was I not clear you idiot
Trina: Why would you want to come here?
Me: Ashley's going out and I don't want to be lonely
Trina: Then go to Tara's
Me: She's not around either
Trina: Fine come over I don't care
Me: I'm coming at 7
Trina: I'm gonna be boring bc I'm tired
Me: Do you think I care
Trina: Probably not
Me: Bingo
Trina: How'd I know
Me: You're annoying
I threw my phone to the opposite end of the couch and just watched TV until I got ready to leave.
"Ash I'm going out." I called into her room as I walked by.
"Where are you going?"
"Out."
"Ainsley."
"I'm not doing anything bad, I swear."
"Ainsley."
"What?"
"I'm gonna trust you to be home by 1."
"That's stupid. I'm not 15, I'm almost 19."
"And you also have a habit of getting black out drunk."
"Not black out."
"I'll give you that."
"I swear I'm not doing anything illegal. Do you trust me?"
"Can I trust you."
"Yes."
"Fine. You're an adult anyway. Bye."
"Bye."
"I still want you home by 1:00 because of practice!" She called after me.
"Okay!"
I hate when she treats me like a baby.
----------
I just walked in the front door and sat down on Trinity's couch.
"Trina I'm here!" I yelled.
"I'll be there in a minute!"
"I don't care what you do. I'm here so I get out of the house."
I just sat on the couch, scrolling through my phone until she came in from the laundry room with a laundry basket.
"Hi."
"Hey." I sat up to face her. "Do you want to get made fun of for doing your laundry on a Friday night or no?"
"I'm good."
"Alrighty."
"Wow. That's the nicest you've ever been to me."
"I shocked myself too there."
"Soooo...." She put the basket on the steps and looked back at me. "Why'd you really come?"
"Didn't want to be lonely."
"Really?" She raised her eyebrows.
"Don't give me that look."
"I know you want something from me. Last time you came over, you wanted my help slashing that guy's tires. Then that other time you wanted me to go with you as you broke into your neighbor's yard and threw rocks at their windows." Trinity sighed. "I'm not in the mood to commit a crime tonight."
"First of all, you weren't in the mood for committing crimes those night either, and second of all, I don't want anything. I want to not be lonely."
"So you do want something."
"Don't start."
"Sorry."
"Next time I'm lonely, I won't be coming here."
"Why don't we go out?"
"Where?"
"I don't know, like food and ice cream or something?"
"Sounds good to me. I didn't eat before I came. I assumed I could just eat your food but if you're paying, I'll go."
"You're something else."
"You sound just like every adult I knew growing up."
"Well are we going or not?"
"Lets roll."
----------
We got food at a sports bar and then went out for ice cream after. Our conversations were mostly made of my insults and her failing to have a comeback. But we also talked about game day and how I was so ready to start my NWSL season after all that's happened. I'd tried so hard to push my mom out of my brain, but it seemed as though she was implanted in there, ready to jump out at any moment.
I figured out that her rich husband had bailed her out after the hospital altercation, and I figured she had gone back to wherever the hell she lives, thank god.
When I was out with Trinity, I tried to forget about her, but I was constantly on guard.
At one point, I thought I saw her outside the ice cream shop when we were ordering.
"Oh my god." I whispered.
"What?"
"Never mind."
"What was it?"
"I thought I saw her."
"Who--oh."
"Doesn't it look like her?"
"Not really."
"Well, you don't know what she looks like."
The whole conversation was said in a loud whisper, I knew she cashier could hear but the rest of the people around us I wasn't sure about.
The cashier obviously knew who Trinity was, because she was pretty nervous which made me laugh.
"She doesn't bite." I giggled as the girl handed Trinity her ice cream.
"But this one does." Trinity pointed to me and we both laughed, the other girl laughing nervously as if she didn't know what to do.
"She's not serious."
"I might be."
"You'd be smart to stop talking before this ice cream is in my face and you waste five bucks."
"See what I mean?"
The girl rang us up, Trinity paid and then was asked for a picture.
She asked me to take the picture.
I gladly took the phone, but Trinity said no.
"You sure you don't want her in the picture? She's Ainsley Sanchez, my teammate for both club and country. She just hasn't made her Spirit debut yet."
"Yeah why not!" The girl asked another customer to take the picture, and then we sat down to eat.
"This is really good. How's yours?" She asked.
"I'll never go anywhere else for ice cream again."
We both laughed.
"Thanks for not introducing me as Ashley's sister." I said quietly. "As much as I love her, I don't wanna be known as her sister forever. I want people to know me as me, as much as I don't mind when I'm called her sister. I want to be known for my play, not the face that I'm Ashley's sister."
"You just contradicted yourself at least five times."
"Just thanks, okay?"
"Well you're welcome."
We sat in an awkward silence for a minute.
"Can I try your ice cream?" I asked her.
"Are you serious."
"I'll let you try mine."
"Fine." I tipped the cone towards her so she could try, and then she did the same for me. "I like yours better. It's sweeter."
"Yours is so good."
Without saying a word, we traded cones and that was the one we finished.