Julie's POV
"Hey Mal-Pal." I smile sitting down next to her with my dinner. "How was practice Little Bit?"
She looks up from her plate with a mouth full of pasta and grins, "Hi Jules!" She really is a mini Press. "It was good! It would have been better with you though."
"I'll be there tomorrow to kick your butt in the scrimmage." I playfully push her shoulder and she sticks her tongue out at me. "Is the spaghetti good or no?"
"It's not as good as when my mom makes it back home but it's not bad." she responds poking at her brussel sprouts. "These are what's gross." she stabs one with her fork. "Yuck."
"You only have four to eat. You can do it." I say eating one of my own. I actually like them. "Hey Christen!" I wave as she walks over and sits down across from Mallory and I.
"Hey Jules." she says putting her napkin in her lap. "Glad to see you decided to join us."
"Oh yeah." I laugh awkwardly and blush. "I'm sorry Pressy."
"Uh huh." she hums taking Mallory's pudding away from her. "You can have this when you eat everything else." Mal pouts but doesn't argue with her, she just stubbornly takes a bite of her roll. "Did you get suspended?"
I shake my head, "No; The coaches let Mom and Mama 'discipline' me, but I'm running extra before and after training until they feel like I've got all my running away ran out of me." She has to bite her lip to keep from laughing at the last part.
"Bean too?" asks Mal unsure.
"Yeah Moe too." I reply looking at her plate and shaking my head. "You're going to be on the list with us if you don't eat those brussel sprouts." I tell her semi sternly.
"She's right kiddo." agrees Pressy. "We were going to go on a Cinnabon date at the mall tonight, but since you won't eat your dinner I guess you're too full..."
Mallory's eyes get big with excitement and she smiles huge, "Really?"
"Yes Mally, really." smiles Christen. "But you've got finish so hurry up." Our youngest teammate starts to pick up her pace on her noodles making me laugh and actually have to tell her to slow down because if not she'll choke. "What are you doing tonight?"
"Probably just hanging out here." I say checking over my shoulder at my Mom and Mama, "They still aren't too happy with me."
"Oh I wonder why?" sarcastically remarks Chris giving me the "you're such an idiot" look.
"Shut up jerk." I say playfully glaring at her. "Will you bring me back Cinna Stix?"
"Yeah." she says popping the last bit of her food in her mouth. "Mal are you ready?" Mallory jumps up and puts her napkin on her plate to try to cover the last of her brussel sprouts but I spot her trick and catch the back of her shirt as she tries to run to the trash can.
"Uh uh uh missy." I scold giving her a look. "You finish those." Chris looks at me and her confused before checking her plate herself.
"Mallory." warns Christen. "Eat them now or we're not going to the mall and I'll just hang with Julie tonight."
"But Chrisy!" she whines. "They're gross!" Christen narrows her eyes at the younger girl so Mal gives in and shovels them down with a big gulp.
"Thank you Miss Mallory." I say smiling at her. She rolls her eyes and goes to throw away her trash. Christen waits for her to get out of ears reach and laughs.
"That kid has got an attitude."
-At the mall-
Christen's POV
"That's cute, but where is the rest of it?" I ask Mallory as she holds up a dress. We've been at this for at least an hour and we've gotten no where.
"Chris it's not that short." she argues putting it up against her. "See?"
I furrow my eyebrows and tilt my head to the side, "I mean you can buy it, but if I catch you wearing it you and I are going to have an issue." She pouts and shoves it back on the rack. "Mal-Pal your dad would kill me if he knew I let you buy that."
"Yeah yeah I know," she sighs before reciting, "'if it's not appropriate for church then it's not appropriate for your closet.' He tells me that every time I try to go shopping."
"He's right though baby." I say searching through some more. "You're only seventeen and you definitely don't need to be dressing like you're going to a club. What about this one?" I wonder holding up a plain white one that has short sleeves and a small scooped neck and is semi fitted. "You can wear this for professional stuff and it's still young enough for you I think." Mallory looks at it obviously not very pleased so I add, "You can wear those new wedges you got and that gold necklace you're so in love with." I absolutely hate those shoes and the necklace, but for some reason she is in absolute love so I guess they will work with this. She takes it and holds it up in front of herself in the mirror. "Mally it looks good princess." I assure her smiling.
"Uh I don't know." she mumbles putting it back. "Can we just go get dessert?"
"Yeah baby." I say still smiling. I put my arm around her shoulder and rest my head on top of hers as we walk to the Cinnabon Express to pick up our treats. I order each of us a MiniBon and JJ's Stix plus I get Mal a strawberry lemonade before swiping my card to pay. "Here princess." I hand her her drink and pick up the bag the guy hands me. "Thank you! Have a good night!" The guys smiles a little and nods as Mallory and I walk away.
"Can we watch a movie with Julie when we get back?" wonders Mal looking down and swinging our interlocked hands back and forth.
"I'm sure she'd love that." I reply glancing down at her concerned. She's acting odd tonight and I just can't put my finger on what's bothering her. We walk hand in hand back to the hotel with a strange silence between us. "Mally go ahead and pick a movie. I'll go get Jules, okay?"
"Okay." she says so softly I hardly catch it.
"Here," I say handing her the sweets, "take these with you." She takes it and goes quietly down the hall to our room. She was with Alex and I was with Kelley, but we switched last night after the homework incident. I frown as I knock on Julie's door to see if she's busy.
"Hey Christen- what's wrong?"
"Mal's sad about something, but I don't know what it is." I sigh wiping my face with my hand. "She wants you to join us for a movie, but if you're busy you don't have to."
"No no I'm free. Is she already down there?" she asks looking around me for her.
"Yeah I told her to go pick one out." I nod starting to walk with her. "She's just scaring me JJ."
"Press she's probably just tired or she might be on her period." suggest Julie stopping in front of my door so I can open up.
I shake my head, "She's not supposed to start until next Thursday."
"How do you know that?"
"Does Carli or Hope know when yours is?" I question. She blushes and nods. "That's how I know hers." I scan my key and push the door open. "Look who I got?" I ask trying my best to sound like my cheerful self. Mal's head pops up from the pile of DVDs she's searching through on floor and her eyes light up.
"Hey Jay!" she says not as happy as she normally is, but better sounding than before.
"Hey Mal-Pal! What are we watching tonight?" questions Julie sitting on the edge of my bed behind her.
"I think I brought Nemo." I tell her going to plug in the player.
"Really?" Finding Nemo is literally her favorite movie of all time and it never fails to make her smile. "Found it! Chrissy can we watch it please?"
"Of course princess." I say smiling and holding my hand out for the disk. She cracks open the case and gives it it to me. I put it in and use the remote to go straight to the menu. "Okay baby bop are you ready?"
"Can I have my cinnamon bun first?" she asks shyly. I nod and point at the bag she put on the desk.
"Get yours and give JJ her snack too please." I direct getting settled on my bed. "Oh Mally, use a napkin too. I don't really want cinnamon all over my bed." She giggles and grabs a few before coming and sitting next to me.
"I brought yours too." she mumbles handing me my box and a napkin. I smile and kiss her forehead.
"Thanks baby girl." I look past her head to Julie and make eye contact. We're both thinking the same thing; something is totally up with her. Mallory is the best kid in the whole wide world, but Mallory Diane Pugh is not "sweet". She doesn't just bring people things; especially once she's comfortable with people. Okay Mal is the sweetest besides that you have to tell her ten times to do something or she just whines and doesn't do it. I press play and the movie starts. Mal's eyes glue to the screen and don't move the entire one hundred minutes of the flick. When the credits start to roll I look at the clock and sigh, "Alright Mal-Pal, it's time for bed."
"But Chris." she pouts cuddling into me. This kid knows how to pull on my heart strings I'll tell you that. "Can't I stay up a little longer?"
"Mal it's getting late." says Julie standing up and stretching. "Listen to Press and go get in your bed and go to sleep." JJ pecks her forehead and ruffles her head. "I've got to see Mom and Mama before curfew and I've only got ten minutes until eleven so I'm going to go do that. Good night guys." We both tell her good night and once we're left alone I look down at teenager attached to me and give her a warning glance.
"In ten minutes you better have your little behind in your bed, in your pajamas, your teeth brushed, and your eyes closed going to sleep." I tell her. She rolls her eyes and pushes away from me. "No ma'am. Don't do this tonight." Mal is never the one to go to bed when she's supposed to so this is pretty much an everyday thing. Julie may have something with her being tired. She crosses her arms over her chest and pouts. "Mallory Pugh go get ready for bed please sweet girl."
"Christen I'm not sleepy though!" she argues. That's a lie and even if it's not I am so she's got to go to sleep. "If I get ready can I pretty pretty please sleep with you tonight?"
"Why do you want to sleep with me?" I ask.
"Just cause." she sheepishly admits. "Please?"
"Fine, but no more arguing." I agree. "Go on." She kisses my cheek happily and gets up to put on her pjs. I get up too but go and brush my teeth and switch with her once she gets dressed. I grab Mallory's pillow and her blanket from her bed as I get back in mine. She finishes in the bathroom and climbs in next to me. I reach back behind me and turn off the lamp before snuggling against her. I hold her for a while waiting for her to fall asleep like I always do when she sleeps with me, but she nevers does. Instead I hear a heartbreaking sound of her crying as quietly as she can. "Mally-o?" I whisper turning her to face me, I knew something was wrong! "Baby girl what's going on?"
"I-I-"
A/N
Guys it's Mallory's 18th birthday!! I hope you saw the video of her singing USWNT posted and then Moe and Lindsey's post if not go check them out! Especially her singing, I promise you'll regret not. I thought for her birthday I'd give you guys some Mal-Pal and Press action so here it is! I'm going to do a lot more with these two I think so how do you guys feel about that? Ya or nah?