They Don't Know About Us

|7|

I limp back to my room early this morning. I met up with the physio, whose name I learned is Dave, and Jill before breakfast to see if we could do anything about my ankle or if it was possible for me to play today. Sadly the result is the same.

I can't play against Ireland today

So I trudge back to my room not in the greatest of moods. I walk into the room careful not to wake up Mal if she is still asleep. But she wasn't even in the room. I groan and flop onto my bed. All this work only be injured right before my international debut. I sigh and grab my phone. I haven't told anyone back in England yet. I guess I was holding out hoping I would be better this morning.

I dial Daan's number wait at it rings. "Hey Ellie! How are you? Excited for your game tomorrow?". I wince at how excited she sounded. Everyone back in England knew I was getting my start in the game against Ireland and were excited to watch my debut.

Now I have to tell them I'm not playing anymore.

"Daan..." I sigh through the phone. "Hey what's up Ellie? What's wrong?" She asks down the phone. "I can't play tomorrow" I whisper down the phone. "What do you mean? Of course you can" she says confused. "No Daan, not like that. Someone tackled my ankle yesterday at training and now it's sprained. I'm out for 2 weeks" I explain on the verge of tears. "Oh Ellie. I'm so sorry. I know how hard you worked to get your starting position" she whispers through the phone. I huff and nod, "Yeah. Look I have to go. Just said I would tell you the news". "Okay Ellie. Call me if you need anything okay?". I say a quick goodbye before hanging up. I just lie on my back staring at the ceiling and I just start bawling. I just think back on all the time and effort I out into making it this far. All the missed parties and losing friends because I had to go to training instead of hanging out with them. All that done down the drain because of one injury.

I don't know how long I was lying there but it must have been for a while because I hear the door open and close. The bed dips beside me and someone hug me. So the two of us lie there, them holding me while I cry into their shoulder clinging onto them like a lifeline. After I calm down I pulled away and rubbed my eyes, "Thanks Christen". She just smiles and rubs my back assuringly, "It's okay Elliot".  "This sucks". "It's just a sucky situation". I chuckle at the red stars player, "How did you even get in here?". "Well Tobin was worried about you, but then Jill wanted to talk to her. So I said I would check on you and got Mal's key" she explains. I nod and played with her necklace. She sighs, "Look Elliot, I know it sucks that you can't play today, but you will get your start soon". "How do you know that Jill isn't going to drop me?" I worry. Christen holds my face and looks directly at me, "Elliot. She will not drop you. She knows how good you are and would be insane to drop you. Also I think there would be an uprising in the team if she dropped you". We both laugh at the thought of an unchill Tobin going off at Jill. "Thanks Chris" I say. "No problem Ellie". I just smile and nuzzle my face into her neck as she ran her hands through my hair. It reminded me of how my mom used to do that when something was bothering me. It helped me calm down a lot.

And for a bliss moment, I forgot the world around me.

................

"This sucks! We were supposed to be making our debuts together!". I look up from my phone to see Mal pouting at me as she gets ready for the match we have to leave for soon. My gaze softens as I look at the girl who's become my best friend in the little time I've known her, "I know. It sucks, but your going to make your international debut and your going to kill it". "But we promised we would make our debut together!" She whines. I smile at the memory.

Flashback
Mal and I were in an ice bath after a long training. We did mostly running and fitness and it was safe to say most of the team were dead by the end of it. "I'm deadddd. I can't feel anything" Mal moans beside me. I nod grunting moving my legs in the water, "Yeah I pretty much dropped after all that running Dawn made us do". "I did drop". I laugh at the girl beside me, "But think how worth it, it will be when all this work pays off and we make our international debut". Mal hums beside me, "Yeah". Mal tilts her head looking directly at me, "We're going to make a promise right here. We're going to make our debut together and we're going to crush it". Mal holds up her pinkie to me looking at me expectantly. I grin and entwine our pinkies, "Promise!"