This Girl I Met

33

We're in class, and Mal is bored. 

Mallory Pugh being bored means her throwing things at Ashley, who is sitting in front of us, and laughing when the brunette gets mad. As far as I am concerned, I am just trying to keep up with my eyes opened, and focusing on the class and not on Emily who isn't here today. I really wish I can take all I said back, because that sucks. 

After a few minutes of me being silent, my partner just becomes serious and asks :

"Em?"

I shake my head yes.

"I can't help but think of her" I sigh, desperate. "It's so messed up."

Mal has a small smile on her lips. "Maybe things will get better. They always do. Beside, I don't think Em is as straight as she tells everybody" she adds in a confident tone.

"What to you mean ?" I ask, frowning.

"Well" she starts, smirking. "We were at a party you couldn't attend, and I was sitting on the couch with Abb, Sam and Em, and we were all drunk. We started talking about boys and stuff, and Emily started saying that boys are the worst, and that she personally thinks she doesn't need them to survive."

I frown even more. "That doesn't mean she likes me" I remind her.

She rolls her eyes. "Wait for it, dummy" she breathes out, looking around her to make sure nobody is listening. "Then, Abby asked if she maybe was interested in a girl, and when Emily was hesitating, Abb suggested that maybe her crush was in front of her during trainings."

I feel my heart beating faster. I try to keep my emotions to myself. I can't believe that, because I don't want my heart to be broken again.

I roll my eyes.

"Still isn't proving anything" I groan.

"Totally does"

Ashley's voice has come out of nowhere, and I am quite surprised by her forwardness. Mal seems as surprised as I am, while our friend is focusing back on the actual class.

Mal smiles.

"See ? The whole team think she returns your feelings. Maybe it's just hard to accept them." she says, taping my back.

"She clearly doesn't want me" I say, looking down.

"Oh, shut up" somebody says next to me.

I turn my head and lock eyes with Andi. I know she hasn't been subtle kind of person. I have a nervous laugh, realizing that my teammates have been talking a lot about Emily and I. I wonder who between Dahlkemper, Sam and Mal brought the subject to life in the first place.

I slowly shake my head.

"Drop it guys" I say. "Please."

They all nod and focus, while Mal is just mumbling a sharp 'fine', meaning that she won't drop it off.

••

The team is welcoming new members today.

Coach Heather is standing in front of us. We're on a line, and I am standing in between Moe and Cari, as usual. Emily is back, and obviously avoiding me big time. She's quite isolated, only talking to Danny at the moment. I think she knows everybody is talking about us right now, and that makes her feel like all my friends are against her. And Cari's cold looks aren't helping at all.

After a few seconds, Hao explains to us that we need more players if we wanted to take part of the championship legally. So she spent the last fee weeks looking for people. Of course Melissa, Andressa and Rachel's arrival is a very good thing - especially since Steph is still injured - but I couldn't agree more with her : we need new players.

Hao smiles at us.

"Girls, meet your new teammates !" She says, pointing at the doors behind us.

As I am turning around, I take a quick look at Emily, who is looking in my direction. We lock eyes, but she breaks the eye-contact right away. I sigh and put my attention on the newbies.

Oh. My. God.

I immediately recognize her long blonde braid and her piercing blue eyes, combined with an European-typed face. When she sees me too, she cracks a seductive smile and winks at me. I know Moe has seen that move, because she is looking at me, confused. Dagny, on the other hand, seems thrilled.

By her side stands another blonde, with a very friendly face. She seems younger, but also pretty mature. I have never seen her before, which means that she doesn't live here or in the state.

Hao wraps her arms around their shoulders and smiles at us.

"Girls" she proudly says, winking at us. "Meet Dagny and Megan. One is Icelandic and used to play for the back-up UCLA team, and the other comes from Ohio, and is named Oyster just like her grandfather, who owns the club she used to play for."

I immediately see Megan - or should I call her Oyster ? Sounds good, right ? - blushing a little bit. She seems to be a shy person. Dagny, on the other hand, is intensively looking at me, while sometimes smiling at people just for fun.

My teammates immediately jump on Oyster, asking her tons of questions, while Dagny just comes near me. I feel Emily's gaze on me, so when Dagny briefly kisses my cheeks, I make sure to make a physical contact with the tall blonde.

That makes her smirk.

"Trying to make your girlfriend jealous, Long ?" She asks in a very deep tone, raising her eyebrows.

I notice she hasn't taken any distance with me.

"I don't have a-" I start in a confident tone, but a certain Icelandic accent cuts me off.

"I'm not blind" Dagny sharply says, without loosing her smile. "She's eye-fucking you from the moment you greeted me, and now she probably want to rip my heart off." She then adds, trying to make her point.

That gets me confused.

"She's not" I say.

"She totally is." She insists, before laughing. "Believe it or not, this girl is jealous because I am hanging out with the girl she likes."

With that said, she goes and greets my teammates. I turn my head, looking around to find Emily.

She's gone.