Christen's POV
"TALIA CAN WE USE YOU DOWN HERE?" Ali shouts.
"YEAH." Talia shouts back then she jogs away from all of us and heads to where the Center backs on the national team are finishing up their drills.
It's SheBelieves time and right now we're in Philly ahead of our first game which is against Australia.
"Is she okay?" Syd asks.
Talia's reverted back to her old quiet self.
"No." Sarah says. "No she is not."
"Why?" Rose asks.
"That's not for us to disclose." Moe says as we all watch Talia put the center-backs through their paces.
"How the fuck does she do that?" Sam mumbles after Talia puts Abby on her ass.
"That's why she's the Ballon d'Or winner." I say.
"She's not that good." Kelley says.
"Are you fucking blind?" I hear Lindsey say.
"Bitch." I mumble then I walk over to my bag and start taking off my cleats and other practice gear.
"Grow up Kelley." Someone says as Alex and Tobin join me in changing out of our stuff all while watching Talia running rings around the center backs.
"Okay now that's just rude." Andi says after we watch Talia nutmeg four center-backs in a row.
"I now know why your team is number 1 in the league." Sam says.
Inter New York hasn't lost a game since the APL began in 2021.
"I know someone who wishes we would lose a game." Moe says.
"Who?" Midge asks.
"Talia."
"Why?" I ask.
"Well A, she gets so much shit about the league being rigged even though we all know it's not." Moe says. "And B she gets drug tested every game."
"Not very random then is it." I say.
After every game we have random drug testing
Well it's supposed to be random drug testing, but I guess not in Talia's case.
"She's almost blown up at the USADA people multiple times." Moe says.
"I would too." I say as the center-backs and Talia come over and change out of their practice stuff.
Once everyone has changed out of our practice gear, we pack our stuff up then we get on the bus and head back to our hotel.
"Talia how hard is it to write a song?" Sonnett asks.
"Can I see your guitar?" Talia asks then Sonnett hands her guitar to my favorite New Yorker.
I don't know why Sonnett has a guitar with her.
Once Talia has the guitar she strums it for a while then she starts singing.
I am driving up 85 in the
Kind of morning that lasts all afternoon
Just stuck inside the gloom
4 more exits to my apartment but
I am tempted to keep the car in drive
And leave it all behind
Cause I wonder sometimes
About the outcome
Of a still verdictless life
Am I living it right?
Am I living it right?
Am I living it right?
Why, why Georgia, why?
I rent a room and I fill the spaces with
Wood in places to make it feel like home
But all I feel's alone
It might be a quarter life crisis
Or just the stirring in my soul
Either way I wonder sometimes
About the outcome
Of a still verdictless life
Am I living it right?
Am I living it right?
Am I living it right?
Why, why Georgia, why?
So what, so I've got a smile on
But it's hiding the quiet superstitions in my head
Don't believe me
Don't believe me
When I say I've got it down
Everybody is just a stranger but
That's the danger in going my own way
I guess it's the price I have to pay
Still "everything happens for a reason"
Is no reason not to ask myself
If I am living it right
Am I living it right?
Am I living it right?
Why, tell me why
Why, why Georgia, why?
"Pretty easy I guess." Sonnett says as Talia hands her the guitar back.
"Why a song about Georgia?" Moe asks.
"Emily was just talking about going to a waffle house in Georgia when we get there and I guess it stuck with me." Talia asks. "Plus you've been talking about stuff you want to do in Atlanta since the schedule was released."
"Oh." Moe says as we pull up to our hotel.
Once the bus stops, all of us grab our bags then we get off the bus and head to the team meeting room.
When we get to the team meeting room, we all stand around as some people from Nike wheel out some covered mannequins.
I guess we're finding out what our World Cup Kits will look like.
"Here they are." One Nike person says then the three covers on the mannequins are lifted.
"What the fuck is this shit?" Talia says as she points to the home jersey.
"Uh oh." Sarah says.
"Since when do we have highlighter green in our crest or in the colors of our flag?" Talia asks.
The home jersey they're showing us have highlighter green trim, highlighter green numbers, and highlighter green socks.
The away kit is red with blue trim.
"These are what you'll be wearing at the World Cup." Someone from Nike says.
"No the fuck it isn't." Talia says. "If you stick with this shit then we'll just get Audrey and her clothing brand to design our uniforms."
"You can't do that." The lady from Nike sassily says. "We won't pay you all."
"Oh no." Talia say in faux shock. "US Soccer won't get money? How sad."
A couple of my teammates and I openly laugh at what Talia said as some others quietly snicker.
"Bitch nobody gives a fuck if US Soccer doesn't get paid." Talia says.
"Uh we do." The president of US Soccer says as he walks into the room. "But we also told Nike this uniform design wasn't accepted."
"Told you." One of the nike people says.
The Nike lady huffs then a different Nike person wheels out a White kit with blue and red trim.
"Better." Talia says then all of us leave the room because we wanna shower.
"Oh." Rose says as we get to the elevators.
"What?" Sam asks.
"Brazil captain Marta will become FIFA president after the 2023 World Cup." Rose reads off her phone.
"Finally." Talia says. "A women in charge."
YOU ARE READING
The Climb
FanfictionTalia has a lot of secrets, but her biggest secret she hopes nobody will ever find out. Her secret could put the people she loves most in danger. How will she protect her secret, her friends, her loved ones, and herself?
