My Cure - Mallory Pugh/USWNT (Sequel to Attached)

Chapter 34

Morgana's POV

My family got a flight back last night after the game, but I stayed another night with Mal and the team. 

We partied until 3am, and then fell in our rooms, pooped. We had to be out of the hotel at 8am to catch the bus to the airport, and I had doubts of making it. 

But we did, and the whole team was completely silent the whole drive. And then while we were waiting for the flight, I checked the news. 

Most articles in the sports world were about us, specifically Mal and I. 

My 2 goal performance, my MVP and Golden Boot, bla bla bla. Then there was tons being published right around now about how I had basically confirmed that Mal and I were dating, which wasn't great. 

I hoped no one drunkenly posted pictures or videos from last night, because if there's one thing I remember is a lot of kissing Mal. 

I also remember a conversation that went on between a few of us. 

"Mal, you're the luckiest girl on this team!" Said Sophia. 

"No! That's her! She got the talent." Mal laughed. 

"No. You're kissing the absolute hottest soccer player on the planet. Looks wise and also playing wise. I mean just look at her! She's drop dead gorgeous!" 

"Hey Mal, you better watch it or Soph's gonna steal your girl." Laughed Kelley. 

"She could never!" Mal said, grabbing onto my shirt. "She's mine, and I'm hers." 

"And that's how it will always be." I said. "No cheating. Cheating is bad." 

"Very bad. I would not advise it. It makes your girlfriend across the country break up with you and hook up with ASHLEY SANCHEZ." Sophia needed this drink, it was obvious. 

I looked at Ashley, who was dancing with Trinity and it was so hilariously uncoordinated. 

"I liked it though." Soph whispered. 

By this point, my head was about ready to explode, so I went to sit down with Hatchy. That's where my memory ends. 

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Hatchy's POV

It didn't take me long to realize that there were people here not from our team, and also people who didn't work for US Soccer. 

So I kept myself on the DL. Not many others realized this though. 

I swear, Morgana and Mal are going to have a real problem to deal with tomorrow if they don't notice the people with the cameras. 

I wanted to tell everyone, but I didn't want to stop the fun. Watching Trinity dance for 2 hours straight was hilarious, and I was really just watching how the Soph and Sanchez dynamic changed throughout the night. Also seeing some of the other girls loosen up was fun too. Sonnett tried teaching Sam Coffey how to dance, but it didn't work too well. It was just funny. 

It was like watching a reality TV show, not that I watch many of those, but I've watched enough to know what it's like. 

Morgana came over and sat next to me, and shook her head. 

"You look great." I laughed. 

"Yeah well Mal keeps messing up my lipstick." 

I laughed at that, and that's when I realized she was almost completely sober. 

"You're not drinking much either, huh?" She asked me. 

"Nope." 

"I'm faking it. I was drunk once, never think I can do it again. It was hell." 

"I feel that." 

"Meanwhile my friends and my girlfriend....wasted." She laughed. 

"I get not wanting to be like them...." I looked at Sanchez and Sophia drunkenly dancing or something. "But have a little fun!" 

"I could say the same for you." 

"I'm different." 

"How so?" 

"I need to protect you kids. I've already admitted myself to that." 

"I'm grown up. I don't need protecting." Morgana scoffed. 

"Are you?" 

She was quiet after that, and she grabbed a drink and downed it almost immediately. 

"Not grown up people do stupid things, right?" She asked. 

"Sure." 

"Well I'm going to go be stupid." 

Morgana got up and joined in the partyers, and I just kepy my eye on her, trying to make sure I kept count of how many drinks she had. 

I hung out with some other people until I retreated to my corner after I almost lost track of what Morgana, Mal, Sophia, Trinity, and Sanchez were drinking. 

I know it really wasn't necessary, because they really were grown ups kind of, but I still worried for the things thy may have to deal with tomorrow.  

I made sure to take a strong drink out of Ashley's hands, because she didn't need anymore of that. She was just going around, drunkenly asking our teammates to dance or kiss or something stupid. 

Morgana found me again, with another drink in her hand. 

I took it from her without a word, and she didn't say anything about it. 

"Listen, Hatchy." She said. "I don't think you really understand. You don't understand just how freaking much you mean to me. You don't understand that you are like, my rock. You are like my fake big sister. You basically are. I decided that you are. Just now. Because I have room for another one of those. You don't know how much I miss her, and how much your kindness and patience means to me. I'm not easy to deal with. I'm annoying, and dramatic. There won't be a day when I don't miss her, but there also won't be a day when I don't think of everything you've done for me. Whether you realize it or not, you got me back on that field. Mal helped, but you did too." 

"Morgana, I'll be here when you need me always. All hours of the day, except when I'm practicing. Even in the middle of the night, you've got me." 

"I know. And that's why I love you. So much." She said. Then she said it in French, like she's been doing all night. Just saying random things in French or Italian. 

 "I love you too." I said. 

She gave me a long hug, which made me almost burst into tears. Then she gave me a kiss. 

"That was not supposed to be romantic. I hope you know that. That was for being the best human on this planet." She walked away to join the other girls again. 

I took a sip of the drink I confiscated from her, and that's when I couldn't control my tears anymore. 

MAL IS LITERALLY ON FIRE! 6 goals in 4 games so far in 2023 and a 5 game score streak! Unreal! Also she's 2 goals away from being the all time leading scorer for the SheBelieves Cup! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and another update coming soon :)