They Don't Know About Us

|21|

"It's game day!" Mal chants while recording us as we walk to a team breakfast. "Game day!" Everyone shouts back. I laugh as the team mess around as we walk to a cafe. "So you ready for your first match as a Bruin?" Teagan asks wrapping an arm around Jessie and I. "I don't know if I'm playing today" I argue, "Coach still hasn't given any indication that I'm playing". "Same here" Jess answers which causes me to scoff.

"Your definitely going to play today. She would be insane not to play you Jess". "Same could be said for you El" Jess fires back. "Okay we all know that both of you are going to get some game time together. You both crushed it at practice there's no way you two aren't playing today" Teagan reasons. "But we're both freshmen. There's players who have been here longer than us who should start before us" Jessie argues. "It doesn't matter how long you've been here. Coach will put the team who have the best chance of winning out there and that includes you two" Anika explains. "Yeah. You two work your butts off to get to where you are. You both deserve to play today" Mal smiles. "Awwww thanks Mal Pal" I coo hugging her.

I talk with Mal for a bit before we eventually reach the cafe and when I reach the door I hold it open for the last of us. "After you" I bow jokingly at my fellow freshmen. They all laugh while Mal tussles my hair causing me to pout. When we get inside we follow the older players to a long table that fits the team. I'm sitting in-between Mal and Jess, across from Teagan. I take a quick look at the menu before deciding on scrambled eggs and a strawberry smoothie. I turned to Jess while Mal talked to Anika beside her, "So how you feeling?" She just shrugs, "Just another game you know?" "Yeah I guess after winning an Olympic medal this is pretty small time" I tease. She nudges my shoulder but grins, "Says the person who has already played professional club soccer". I laugh which causes her to fall into giggles as well, "Touché".

"If we do get game time today we got this. I believe that we're good enough to beat Floridia" I reassure Jessie once our laughter ceases. "Well I mean we do have the Wonder Kid on our team" Jessie teases. I roll my eyes and shove her shoulder slightly. We continue to talk about anything and everything that came up. Teagan holds up her phone obviously recording us, "What day is it?" I smile at the camera knowing Jessie was shying away from it, "Game day!" "You ready for it?" Teagan asks. "You know it" I smirk as I wink at the camera. Teagan laughs as she types something quick before putting my phone away. Just as our food comes my phone dings. Jess looks over my shoulder as I open my phone to see I was tagged in a video Teagan posted of just now with the caption, "Wonder Kid rearing to go! Watch out Florida". "Really?" I whine as I pout at Teagan while Jessie laughs beside me, "I hate that name".

As I'm about to start eating I look to my right to see Mal recording me. I give her a close mouth smile as I swallow my eggs before grinning at her. Mal giggles before turning her phone to my plate, "Game day breakfast". "Gotta get that protein" I joke. The rest of the breakfast was spent eating and talking to the others. I could see that Jessie still wasn't fully comfortable with everyone else so I mainly talked to her along with Teagan. I looked at my watch to see my class was starting soon, "I better get going. I can't be late to class". "I'll see you guys later" I wave bye as I walk to the counter to pay. I quickly walked to my lecture hall practically buzzing for my first ever game.

Just a few more hour until game time

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

"How you feeling?" Mal asks as I start to tape my wrist. I shrug as I get a marker and write on the piece of tape, "Normal I guess? I mean it's just another match". "Yeah but you should still be nervous" Anika jokes. "Jessie here is the same" Teagan laughs throwing an arm around Jessie's shoulders. I laugh as I toss my head back, "You mean the person who made their international debut at the age of 15 isn't nervous for a college soccer game. Shocker". Jess rolls her eyes and punches my shoulder, "Say the one who played for Arsenal when she was 15". "We get it! We get it! Your both soccer prodigies" Mal playful moans. We all laugh before we jog out to the field for warm ups. I drop behind everyone as we come up to the line. Jessie sees me fall behind everyone and drops behind me, "Everything okay?"