Sage's POV
Today the team has practice before the first of two games against New Zealand. Carli, Christen and I are going down to get breakfast. When we enter all eyes lock on to us and it takes everything in me not to run away and hide. I guess Christen noticed this because she grabs my hand and squeezes it. I slowly calm down. It's weird how that works, but I don't care because I feel better.
Carli talks to me and Christen and says,"Sage why don't you go sit down with Christen and I will get us some food Okay?" I just nod. I still feel everybody's eyes on me and I'm getting self conscious now. Christen leads us over to sit with Alex, Tobin, Ash, Ali, and Kelley. Thankfully the two girls at the table that haven't introduced themselves yet don't swarm me with questions. I know they want to and Kelley only waits until Carli comes and sits down with our food to start talking.
"Hey Sage I'm Kelley"
"And I'm Tobin and its very nice to meet you"
"Hi its nice to meet you too" I say as I push around my food while looking at them with an awestruck look on my face. They notice, but choose not to say anything until I do.
"Sorry I'm so quiet. It's just weird to be eating breakfast with my heroes."
Kelley being Kelley talks first. "Awe well it's cool to know we inspire people, but we are just normal people too." Tobin then speaks up, "Are you coming with us to practice?" I just shrug and look at Carli not really knowing what I'm suppose to do while she is practicing.
"Yeah she is." Carli answers for me.
Once breakfast is over everyone left to grabs their bags and heads towards the bus. While I'm waiting for all the girls to get their bags a girl, I'm guessing around my age, with brown hair who is beautiful comes up to me.
"Hey my name's Mallory, but you can call me Mal."
"Hi Mal I'm Sage." I smile.
She chuckles "Well Sage would you like to sit with me on the bus?"
"I'd love to Mal." She grins and cheers silently.
Once everyone has loaded their stuff on the bus Mal and I go and find seats to sit in. The drive to the training pitch flies by as her and I talk about any and everything. Like whats it like being the youngest on the team, our favorite music artists, our favorite foods, and our favorite players. Mal seems like a really great girl. I hope we can grow closer to each other, because I really could use a friend like her.
While Mal is answering a text I look around to try and find Carli and when I do she has a smile on her face and she is looking at me. I return the smile and sigh contently. I'm so glad this isn't a dream.
- - - - -
At the teams practice I try to pay attention to the practice so I can better understand more of what they are doing, but I can only focus on two things, Mal and Carli. Mal is stunning and when she is playing she looks so free like she is the only person with the ball and nobody else is on the pitch with her. With Carli I now see why the team respects her so much. She is an amazing leader. She always knows what her team needs to do to breakdown the opposition and she knows how to get the best out of each and every player.
During lunch more people came up to me to introduce themselves, which kinda overwhelmed me but luckily they didn't all do it at once.
After lunch the girls have the rest of the day off to relax since their game is tomorrow which I'm excited to go to since I've only seen them on tv. After the team lunch some of the girls are taking me out shopping which should be fun.
"Who all is going with us to shop?" I ask Carli
"You, me, Ash, Ali, Kling, Tobin, Alex and I think maybe Julie. You ready to head down?" I nod and we head to the elevator.
We were the first one's to meet in the lobby so we just talk about the upcoming game against New Zealand while we wait. After around five minutes everyone is in the lobby and we head to Cherry Creek Shopping Center.
This shopping center is way to nice for me. I'm use to spending like $200 on a lot of clothes at Dillards not spending 200 dollars on a single shirt at some of the places we have been in. Besides that it has actually been really fun hanging out with the girls and seeing what they are like off the field.
Ash decided to see if either she or Ali could choose the better outfit for me while we were in Free People. Turns out the other girls heard about the "competition" and decided to join in so they're all about to start looking for outfits when Carli announces to the group, "Hey I just got told we are going out to team dinner tonight. Dress nice."
That gives me an idea, "Hey I will wear my favorite outfit tonight to reveal the winner of who has the best fashion sense so pick well." I say with a smirk.
"I mean we all know mine will be the best." Kling says, which causes everyone to groan and start hunting for the perfect outfit.
As of right now you couldn't tell that Carli and I weren't related by blood because she chooses everything I would like and it looks like she isn't even trying while the other girls look stressed. In the end all the girls did very well and I can honestly say I will wear all of them. I just haven't told them which one is my favorite because its kinda funny hearing them bicker about who has the best fashion sense.
As we get back to the hotel everyone goes to their rooms to get ready and apparently they're meeting in our room once they're done so I can show them who won. Once we get to the room I head for the shower first, then go and do my makeup and by the time I'm done everyone is in our room.
(The outfit Carli chose for me)
(My hair and makeup for the night)
All the girls in the room are standing around chatting in the room when I come out "Are you ready to see the outfit and more importantly who has the best fashion sense?"
"YES" they shout in unison. I come out the bathroom in the outfit Carli chose which earns a collective groan from everyone except Carli who has a smile on her face and looks proud.
"Wow you look beautiful Sage" Alex says while giving me a hug.
"Thanks" I blush. "All of you looking stunning as well."
"Well, as much as I would love to stay and talk about who looks the best, I'm starving so let's go." Ash says and we all leave. Once we are in the hallway she pulls me aside and says, "But in all seriousness you do look really pretty tonight. Your even giving Ali a run for her money," which earns her a slap on the arm from Ali. I chuckle and say, "No there is no competing Ali looks beautiful tonight too." Ali coo's and gives me a hug just as the elevator arrives to take us to the lobby.
The restaurant we are going to is called Venice Ristorante & Wine Bar which is an Italian restaurant located near Union Station. Im excited because I've never been there and have always wanted to go there. Luckily it's within walking distance of the hotel so we don't have to ride the team bus or Uber.
When we get there I sit with Carli on my left and Mal on my right. Pinoe, Ash, and Ali sit across from us. Mal looks gorgeous tonight. The waiter comes over and takes everyone's drink and food order. I get a coke and for food I order Tortelloni alla Parmigiana, which is a House-made hat shaped ravioli filled with fresh mozzarella & parmesan cheese, served in a gorgonzola cream sauce.
For most of the night I talk to Mal and we just talk about everything and to be honest I forgot anyone was with us because I was having fun talking to her. She is so easy to talk to and so fun to be around. The only reason I remember people are with us is because I start to have a panic attack and immediately grab on to Carli's hand which gets her attention and she leads me into the bathroom so we can have a moment alone.
Once in the bathroom she pulls me into a hug and says, "Hey you're okay I got you. Just listen to my heart beat and try to slow down your breathing okay? There you go. Breath just breath. In out in out." Carli says while playing with my hair.
"I'm sorry" I mumble.
"Hey hey look at me. You have nothing to be sorry about. I will always be here for you. I don't care how far apart we are I will drop anything and everything I'm doing and rush to be with you okay?"
I nod and she kisses my head. We stand there in a hug for about five more minutes then we go back to the table and as I sit down Mal puts her arm around me and I lay my head on her shoulder.
"Hey you okay?" She asks in a hushed tone.
"No, but I will be."
"Well I will always be here for you." She says and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.
A few minutes later we leave the restaurant and Mal and I walk side by side back to the hotel. Her never moving her arm from around me. I see Christen look back at us with a smile and I give her a questioning look and she mouths "we'll talk later." That's going to be a fun talk. Once we get back to the hotel I give Mal a hug goodnight and head to my room with Carli and Christen where we all do our nightly routines and I end up cuddling up to Carli as I go to sleep.