Numbers - A Ted Lasso OC Story

12 - Bus? Snore.

The bus was loud and humid all the way to Liverpool. Vanessa was going to miss a day of school for the trip, but being top of the class and all it didn't feel like much of a problem considering it was for work. And besides, it was good to have the money, with graduation coming soon she'd have to find a new place... oh wow graduation, so soon.

Nessa sat at the back of the bus in a booth with the coaches, and Nathan. She typed away on her laptop, only a quarter paying attention to the conversation around her, only pausing occasionally for a quick calculation in her notebook before continuing again.

"BENNET!" Beards voice broke her out of her trance, waving a hand in the air to get her attention. He had picked up on calling her by her last name, her second last name, the important one. Nessa didn't mind.

"Sorry, sorry I just, I was focused in on my work to much, what do you need?" She had a tendency to get tunnel vision when doing something important, especially when working with numbers and data. Ted stretched his feet out.

"So Nessie, How do you feel about our odds for this one, anything encouraging for the boys?" Ted asked, he took his own spin of Vanessa's nickname, she didn't mind this either.

"Wellll..." She took a deep breath, wondering how to phrase this, if only there were preset options for the most appropriate way to deliver bad news. But since there wasn't she did the next best thing, said exactly what as on her mind, and definitely to much. "You shouldn't rely on my stats tonight judge, especially if you are looking for good news, with the way we've played since losing Tartt," definitely still a slightly touchy subject, "the team plays better when they are having fun anyway." Wow Nessa. Way to be a bummer, but what else was she supposed to do? Lie?

"Whelp!" Ted paused, "that's... good to know." Nessa just shrugged apologetically and kept taking her notes on her computer, back and forth between extra credit school work and official team business. She lost track of the conversation as she got pulled back into her work. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, breaking her focus. Rude, who would do that? Wait? Why would they know she was focusing, it was dumb to get annoyed at that Nessa reminded herself. She pulled her phone out of her pocket.
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New text from: Zo ☕️
Hey girlie! How's the bus ride going?
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Oh, it was just Zoë, it was nice of her to check in. Nessa wiped the smile off her face, Zoë was just being nice, it was her job to be, as her best friend and roommate.
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New text sent from: Nessa 🧡
Long, got lots of work done tho

How was your morning coffee with Vik?
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It stung a little to ask about Viktor. Nessa still hadn't met him, but oh well, Zoë liked him, a lot, and Nessa trusted her judgement.
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New text from: Zo ☕️
Oh it was so great. I really like him yk? He had the peppermint coffee that you always order. I think you would like him.
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Nessa better like him, she also better meet him. But when she did, she better damn like him. But it's not like it's any of her business anyway, she didn't actually care that much. Or so she told herself.
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New text sent from: Nessa 🧡
Well I'm glad. You deserve someone who makes you happy. How's that paper coming along?

New text from: Zo ☕️
Thanks. Also which paper? I have too manyyy 😭

New text sent from: Nessa 🧡
lol I feel that, I've been going back and forth between school work and work work this whole time.

New text from: Zo ☕️
I hope Liverpool is so much fun, even though it's for work. Such a cool job you have now! Moving on up in society!

New text sent from: Nessa 🧡
Haha, yeah right, someone's wanting my attention, I'll text later? 👋 bye! Good luck on the paper!
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She put her phone back into her jeans pocket and looked up to Beard, who had been waving in her face.

"Time to get up! We're here!" Beard clapped as he spoke.

"Sorry sorry!" She packed up her stuff, which was really just her laptop and notebook so it took only like thirty seconds, and followed to team out the bus. They were in Liverpool.

~~~

Guys I'm so sorry 😭
Once again I am a highschool student, and I've been working full time in the summer. I'm not gonna promise to be more punctual or consistent because at this point, we all know that's just wishful thinking.

Anyway, we also haven't had an Apple TV subscription for a while, so I was using, other, sources for the episodes. Which was fine but then our phone company was like "yo what r u doing" so I took a break from using it for anything for a while (even though the emails came when I really hadn't used it for a while) but anyway I'm going to go back to watching and stuff, I'm on a trip so when I get back, and I have other writing projects so it will be a process. But I will work on it.

This story will continue, and be worked on, and one day, eventually, at some point, I will finish (it will take me a while.)

Also thank you so much for everyone who has been reading and saving, it's really nice to see people actually interested in my characters and writing. I have so much planned and I can't wait to (eventually guys please be patient with me) write it.

Bye! And once again thank you so much. Also sorry again for the wait, I'm trying my best. You will get more chapters, you just gotta wait a while.

Ok bye for real now