Invisible String [T.S-E.S BOOK ONE]

20

*substance abuse*

July 28th, 2013

FC Kansas City was in town which meant Cheney and Becky were in town and crashing at her place. She loved being on the National Team for that reason, amongst others. But she loved having teammates all over the country that would meet her on the field throughout the season and offer companionship. There was nothing like the bond amongst the National Team. That's why they were the champions, the team chemistry was unmatched.

Spence loved it too. He loved people coming in and out of the apartment and giving him as much attention as he craved. He had been very sad since Taylor had left, so having a couple extra people around once and a while was the highlight of his life.

"Does your dog even like you?" Becky joked and Spence jumped into her lap, trying to steal her bagel. The dog hadn't even spared Eleanor a second glance since their house guests arrive.

Eleanor rolled her eyes. "Yes, he likes me. He just likes other people more. You should've seen him with Taylor."

"Ah yes, your superstar girlfriend. Of course he likes her more than you. We all do too." Cheney laughed.

Eleanor gasped in mock offense, clutching her heart. She knew they were joking, but also wouldn't even blame them if it were true.

She had told the National team when they were in Canada at the beginning of June and of course everyone already knew. But, they all swore to not say anything, just like they had done with Alex and Kelley. But now she also had to endure the teasing. All in good fun of course, but still.

"How is she, anyway?" Becky asked, petting Spence's head.

Eleanor smiled like she always did when she talked about Taylor and looked down to avoid further embarrassment. "She's good. I think she's on the way to Des Moines next, but she's got a few days to chill out."

The other two players nodded, happy for their teammate. Cheney was engaged and Becky had just gotten out of a long term relationship, so they loved hearing about their younger teammates' love lives.

"You're a lucky son of a bitch, Slate, don't forget that." Becky pointed her bagel at the younger girl, her motion followed closely by Spence.

Eleanor shook her head at the notion that she'd ever forget how incredibly lucky she was to even get to be in Taylor's presence, much less her bed. "Trust me, I never will."

They parted ways for the game at around noon. The game actually wasn't until six, but Becky and Cheney had to meet up with their team and Eleanor had to get her shit together and drop of Spence with her neighbor downstairs.

It was supposed to be an easy game for Sky Blue. They had a lot of talent and they're potential was hard not to recognize. Plus with Slate playing her best and leading the team as their central midfielder, they were seriously the team to watch.

The team knew it too, causing the locker room to overflow with restless, hungry energy the second a player crossed its threshold. Slate loved it with every fiber of her being. Her girlfriend loved the energy of a crowd singing the songs she wrote back at her and she loved the energy of a crowd cheer her on as she played the game she knew inside and out. They were two sides of the same coin. Different motivations, but the same result.

That was reflected in Slate's pregame playlist. It was all hype music from her dad's and shawls favorite bands, Izzy's and Catherine's favorite artists, and some of Taylor's music sprinkled in there. Plus Paramore of course. She would've put Anthony's favorite stuff in there too, but she couldn't listen to his stuff because it hurt her head. He loved Taylor's music, though. So her playlist was a collection of those she loved, all hyping her up for the game ahead. And when she took out her earbuds, her team was there, continuing to hype her up. It made her feel on top of the world.