In her hands (ON HOLD UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE)

4

Jane stood in the hallway with a small teddy bear and a Hersey bar, with nervousness plaguing her beautiful features. The same features that Natalie would deny were a work of art till her grave.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Natalie questioned more concerned with her appearance as she most likely had mascara streaks from not removing it before showering and the many crying sessions she had between the stadium and sleep.

"I- Umm I just felt bad for how I left you and something told me to check on you. I'm sorry I know this is weird and I'm sorry but I came here to meet up with my teammates and then they mentioned you looked distraught when you arrived so I thought I would just come visit you and make sure you're fine." The tall woman rambled on.

"Well I'm alive. But Umm you can come in." The normally confident woman was now as confused as the blonde woman.

She both liked and hated being in the keepers present. She loved the feeling of her eyes and attention on her but she hated the way the keeper was always queuing in on her emotions. It threatened her. Natalie had always prided herself on how to cover up her feelings and when she meet the Stanford grad all of her defense mechanisms crumbled.

Jane nodded and stepped into the room. Natalie shut the door and re took her seat on the bed with her back pressed against the head board.

"Why are you here?" Natalie questioned again still confused at why she showed up.

"I don't believe that you were that upset over the try outs persay as they weren't tears of happiness but sadness. I Umm just don't want you to give up before you have your shot I guess. And I'm always here if you need an ear."

"Thanks for that. You have been nothing but supportive for whatever reason. But I sorta deal with my stuff alone."

"Ohh okay." Jane said dejected as she set the teddy bear and chocolate on the table and headed for the door.

"Wait. You've been nothing but nice to me and I always feel like I'm being rude. Please stay."

"It's fine. I understand I interjected myself into a situation I didn't belong. It's fine. It's my fault anyways."

"Don't apologize it's endearing. I'm just not used to it you know." Natalie wasn't lying. But she also wasn't telling the full truth. She was used to it but by her mother who had now turned into a lifeless full shell of the once outgoing woman she was when Natalie grew up.

"If you don't mind me asking did you know the girl who purposely crossed the ball into your head?"

"Yeah. Me and her go way back. She took my ACL, one year later I took her ankles and embarrassed we infront of her family. We've just never seen eye to eye."

"Oh okay."

"How are you liking camp?"

"We have no new keepers so our keeper unit will be the same but I like that. How about you?"

"It's new. I mean we are all fighting for a spot so it's just hard. I can't relax on something that I normally only run at like half speed in practice."

"Well if it makes you feel any better I watched you when you were embarrassing Chapman. All I gotta say is you have some serious footwork."

"Thank you. And could you maybe find a seat I feel weird while you stand and I sit."

"Okay." Jane took a seat on the rolling chair and scooted it towards the bed. "What happened at the bar after draft day?It's okay if you don't want to answer it or don't feel confident answering it that's totally fine."

Natalie contemplated coming clean before deciding she didn't want the pity. "I was just overwhelmed I guess. I had worked so hard for 8 years and now I was given a shot at my dreams. I just needed a moment to take it in." The way janes forehead contorted told her that the keeper didn't believe a lick of what she said but was too nice to call her out on her bullshit.

"Oh okay." The dash veteran said clearly not believing a word she had said. "Did you always play soccer?"

"Sorta. I started playing when I was four, I stopped when I was 10 I switched to a few sports before finding my way back to the game in high school."

"Did you always want to be a pro athlete?"

"Yeah. I still have a paper from like kindergarten that said I would be a pro athlete so I'm trying my damnest to do so."

"All I have to say is that when you moved up to the forwards we all had finished our drills and were watching you guys. That first shot from the left side was awesome. All I have to say is I would rather not be on the end of your shots."

"Well you wouldn't have to worry about that as I'm a center back. I don't know why they moved me up there but I like the back line."

"We'll all I have to say is you are going to be special." Jane says honestly.

"Thanks but I'm nothing special." Natalie said with a blush creeping onto her tan cheeks.

"What's your favorite movie?" A question out of left field I mean from behind the left field wall that is.

"I don't know. I don't watch movies or TV really."

"Why?"

"I don't know I never watched tv as a kid. I was always playing sports, or cards, or something outside. Just how I was."

"I get you. I was the same way. Always outside."

The two converse more until Jane looks at her phone realizing the time. 9:30. They both had to be up early and Jane still had the drive home ahead of her. They say their goodbyes and go their separate ways.

Natalie heading to bed and Jane heading to her place.

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I don't know.