Forever Rivals

Not Gay? Okay, Prove It.

Christen's POV:

"Hello? Earth to Christen?" Kelley joked as she pushed my shoulder slightly on our walk back to the buses. My eyes were drawn away from the striker a few feet in front of us to Kelley.

"What's up?"

"Nothing, you just looked like you were enjoying a certain view. Thought I'd join in." Kelley leaned into my side and pretended to be watching Alex, who turned her head slightly to make eye contact with me.

"Shut up, Kelley. I'm focusing."

"Oh, is that so? On what exactly would that be?" Kelley grinned at me and jokingly patted me on the back. "Good luck with whatever you're doing, Press." And with that she bounced away to talk to Syd.

As we all mounted the bus and started to settle in, I made sure I quickly sat next to Alex, who in turn couldn't move because I took the aisle seat.

"You're not my bus buddy, Press." Alex mentioned stoically as she took out her headphones.

"I'm sure Allie won't mind, just this once." I smiled lightly towards her and she locked eyes with me for a moment before averting them to the window.

The lights were dimmed on the bus and we started back towards the hotel in darkness. I started going through social media on my phone and I noticed Alex glancing in my direction every once in a while. "Hey, Alex, look at this post." I whispered to her, hovering my phone over her lap as she tried to look disinterested.

"Mhmm, cool." She muttered quietly.

"Oh geez, sorry." I apologized as my phone slipped out of my hands and onto the floor of the bus. Alex started to reach down for it, but I stopped her by putting my hand on her thigh. "Allow me." I leaned over her and reached down to get my phone, all while keeping my hand on her thigh. Feeling her muscles tense up under my hand, I leaned back up. "Something wrong?"

"Nope." Alex let out quickly, not looking in my direction. A few seconds passed and Alex bit her lower lip; I could tell she was fighting the urge to speak.

Alex's POV:

Literally. Fuck. Fuck you, Christen. I bit my cheek hard as I tried to ignore her hand on my mid-thigh.

It felt like an eternity until the bus halted in front of the hotel. Bolting out of my seat, I stepped over Christen and basically ran off the bus. Totally playing it cool, Alex.

"Hey, Momma horse, what's up?" Mal smiled at me lightly as we made our way into the hotel.

"Oh my god, Mal," I whisper-shouted and pulled her off to the side of the lobby. "Did you tell anyone?"

"Tell anyone what?"

I rolled my eyes. "Seriously?"

She pretended to look deep in thought, scrunching her eyebrows and and looking at the ground.   "Ohhh, you mean did I tell anyone about you and Christen? Like hooking up?"

Instinctively, I looked around us. "Could you say that any louder?"

"Hm, I don't know. Do you want me to try?"

"Mallory."

"Alright, alright, calm down." Mal put her hands up in surrender and laughed slightly. "I didn't tell anyone, but it's not like anyone's gonna judge you anyway, if that's what you're worried about. We kinda all expected it."

"'We'? Who is 'we'? Who expected what?"

"You know, like the whole team. Why else do you think Kelley made the name Chrislex?"