USWNT 3.0

21

Maura entered the room where Ashley and Saskia were already sitting, peacefully talking. 

She really wasn't the type of girl to start a conversation. She obviously was that awkward friend that everybody had, that stayed in a corner, and talked only when she had to. Sometimes, people found it annoying. But ever since she joined the team, nobody seemed to really care about her silence. And she was pretty happy with that. People seemed to actually like her, which was a miracle. 

Her first friend she's made on the team was Saskia. She liked how calm and composed she was, and also how mature. She's been through so much, as a Syrian, that she wasn't as naive as some of her teammates. She knew what life was all about, and how every piece of it was important because everything could be over within a second. It only took a disaster, a shooting, a earthquake, and hundred of lives could be destroyed. That was the kind of philosophy Saskia was fond of. 

Ashley, on the other hand, was pretty joyful and naive. She wasn't naive as in 'I'm going to follow this weird man down the street' or 'he likes m because he smiled in my direction', but more about life in general. But Maura found her cute and sweet, and that was what mattered the most here. She was happy t have a friend like her, and that she wasn't spending all her free time with Mal as Maura thought she'd do. 

Michelle Betos and Alyssa Naeher entered the room, quickly followed by Jenko. Most of the girls just didn't speak to the blonde. 

"Yo" Michelle let out, grabbing a banana. 

"Hey" Saskia responded, smiling. "You guys are done with training ?" 

"Yeah, we practiced for like three hours" Alyssa said, smiling. "It's like... My legs are dying right now. I need my bed." 

That statement made the girls smile. As Jenko was taking her usual cappuccino, the two other keepers sat down in the couch in front of them. 

"You were with Dawn until now ?" Michelle asked, surprised. 

"Yup" Ashley said, trying not to roll her eyes. "It was 'fitness day' today. That's fucked up." 

"It's for your own good, Sanchez" the brown-haired keeper jokingly said. "I can assure you that you can't go a 90 minutes game without Dawn's sessions. Besides, she's funny and everybody like her, so pretend like you loved fitness sessions." 

"Fine" the youngster said, rolling her eyes. 

"So, did you guys heard about tonight ?" Jenko asked from the other side of the room.

Everybody turned on her. She spoke ? To us ? Maura wondered, quite surprised. She only had seen her talk to the keepers, and Syd, and sometimes Julie because she was the co-captain and seemed to be the only one not minding her attitude. When she realized Jenko really did talk to them, she frowned. 

But she answered anyway. 

"Tonight ?" 

"Yeah. It's Sam's birthday and her sister wanted to throw a big party or whatever." 

"And she invited you ?" Saskia let out. 

She earned a death glare from Jenko. 

"Syd insisted I guess" the blonde just said, before sitting on the couch next to Alyssa, who smirked at her. "Anyway, are you guys in ?" 

The three youngsters nodded. 

° 

Kristie grabbed the things she bought for her sister earlier today. Stephanie was gently helping her - it wasn't like she had much of a choice anyway - by dragging her feet behind her, holding some things.