Game Theory × NH

059 | praseodymium

× Mercury

You could have sworn it was storming outside by all the bursts of light flashing through the bus windows, but when I looked out all I saw was a row of reporters and cameramen waiting to capture the moment when the London Lions enter the arena building. It wasn't anything new, journalists always wanted to talk to us and get a picture of our arrival, except this time the people waiting outside had tripled in size from our last game.

"Bloody hell," James said from the seat behind me, looking out the window observing the men in ties and woman in skirts holding out microphones or cameras. "We're going to get mobbed."

I ducked down in my seat and tried my best to stay out of sight from the people outside. I had just came from an hour and a half bus ride to Hastings, I didn't have any makeup on, I was tired as hell, my hair was pulled back in a sloppy ponytail, and I had a huge yellow mustard stain on my sweats. I so wasn't camera ready.

"Alright, listen up!" Coach shouted from the front of the bus. His short, black hair was a mess and his green eyes looked at us in turn. "As you can see, there are reporters out there - more than what we're used to. They're going to do anything they can to get you to answer their questions. I cannot stress this enough: don't answer them."

"None?" Reece asked from the seat beside me.

"None!" Coach barked, drawing attention to anyone who may not have been paying attention before. "You might say one thing, but they'll twist it into something else, even if the question is as innocent as asking about your diet. You. Don't. Answer. Them. Don't even look at them. Got it?"

The bus filled with nods and mumbles of agreements.

"Good, then let's go. Game starts in an hour."

Grabbing my duffle bag, I stepped out into the aisle as the team and I piled out of the bus. The second the first player stepped onto the concrete, the reporters went crazy. The flashes of cameras were nonstop - blinding everyone who got in their way - and journalists were spitting out questions so fast that it would have been impossible to answer if we were allowed to.

But that was nothing compared to when I stepped off the bus and into the commotion of shouts and bright lights. All hell broke loose then. People shoved to get closer to me, microphones and cameras where in my face. I couldn't even walk. It was like I was the Queen of England and not some American foreign soccer player.

"What's it like playing with the boys!?" someone shouted in my ear.

"Mercury! Can you give me a smile!?" another person with a camera said to my left.

A woman in a pink blouse and short blonde hair pushed herself right in front of me and held a microphone to my mouth. "Give me the latest gossip! Is it true that you and Horan snuck off after your last game to-"

The woman didn't get to finish her question as another person pushed her aside and started asking me about the last game we played.

I was never afraid of tight spaces or large crowds, but as I tried to get past these aggressive people, I found myself breathing heavy and automatically reaching up to grab the necklace around my neck. That was when I remembered that I had lost it and I suddenly felt very alone in the suffocating crowd.

"Hey, it's okay," Jace said from behind me and wrapped a hand around my waist and pulled me in close. "Just keep looking forward and avoid eye contact."