The Climb

2

Talia's POV

"Alright Ladies." Vlatko says. "Load up for training."

Today's our first day of training and it's an early morning session.

All of us leave the lobby of the hotel and load our stuff under the bus then get onto the bus.

I get on last and take the first available open row then listen to my music.

Sometime later we arrive at the training field so I get off and grab my stuff then head to a bench and get ready.

After I'm done getting ready I put my headphones and phone in my bag, grab a ball, then go onto the field and mess around with the ball.

"Is she always this quiet?" I hear Lindsey ask.

"Yeah." Christen says. "She doesn't talk a lot, but when she does you better listen."

"Will she ever talk to us?" Ash asks.

"You have to gain her trust first." Becky says. "She only talks to four people in Utah outside of training."

"Who?" Ali ask.

"Me, Kelley, Christen, and A-Rod." Becky says. "Well at least when I was playing in Utah she talked to me."

"And she talks to Tobin and Alex." Amy says.

"Why Tobin and Alex?" Emily asks.

"Well Christen lives with Talia in Utah and since Christen, Tobin, and I are married, whenever we play the Royals in Utah or if we visit during our off weeks or if we visit randomly then we'll stay at their apartment and we've become close." Alex says.

For some reason my parents bought me an apartment to live in during the season.

I was signed in 2019 by Utah before the season and my apartment has 4 bedrooms so I told Laura when I signed that if anybody needed a place to stay then I have two spare rooms.

Kelley and Christen took me up on the offer on the condition that their significant others could stay with us when they were in town and I obviously agreed so we've been roommates ever since.

Earlier this year Amy moved in to the 4th bedroom.

"Does her not talking hurt the team dynamic?" Someone asks.

"Not really." Kelley says. "And even if it did we'd look past it."

"Why?" Lindsey asks.

"She's the reason our forwards and midfielders were so deadly last season." Becky says. "As well as why are defenders were so good."

"What?" Pinoe says.

"In training if you want to score against her you have to pull off a once in a lifetime move so you can have an ounce of space to shoot, otherwise you don't have a chance." Christen says. "When we played your teams getting space for us was a breeze"

"And when you're defending against her you basically need to hope and pray she fucks up." Kelley says. "Otherwise your fucked."

"She's that good?" Carli asks.

"If you score on her keep the ball because it doesn't happen often." Christen says.

"I've never seen someone know what's going to happen 10 seconds before it happens." Kelley says.

"I've never played with a better defender." Becky says.

Given I'm not a natural defender I don't think that's true, but it's nice of Becky to say that.