All Stars [English Version]

Back to Lyon

Kelley's POV

January. It's back to school.

New Year's flashback:

All American women celebrated New Year's Eve together. Tobin and I had decided not to announce our relationship, but when they saw me with Tobin without Hope, they understood.

It's no big deal, until she asked me about Laure.

I said we'll see at the rally. Louisa and Lotta were told and the rest of the team understood too when Laure left our Whatsapp conversation. But no one asked any questions, it was that obvious.

Oh and I got another card. It's with everyone else: in my drawer.

End of flashback.

We're back in Lyon before the championships resume.

Everyone's here except Laure.

Lucy: "Who's going to coach us now that Laure is gone? Not that we can't train ourselves, but that wasn't the goal of this team, was it?"
K: "I don't know how to do it..."

Everyone looked at me, even Jill.

Jill said, "How about you, Kelley?"
K. "Excuse me?" I said in shock.
Jill :  "You're already athletic director, but you can do defense, too. After all, you're a world-class player, too."

Surprisingly, everyone agreed with Jill. Except for me.

Tobin walked up and took my hand.

T: "Say yes." she whispered in my ear as the whole team looked at us.
K : "Yes." spoke my mouth before my brain.

Ash: "Whipped !" Ash shouted.

Ali slapped him in the back of the head and said, "Shut up!" and Ashlyn immediately fell silent.

"Whipped !" everyone shouted, which made me laugh.

Santa must have brought them some team spirit.

Well, I just got appointed defense coach, I guess...

Jill gave her instructions for practice. Once everyone warmed up, I prepared the drills for the defense. I decided to work on the line-out and the goalie defense.

At the break Wendie came up to me in a panic. I felt a little bit small...

W: "Kelley, I think we have a problem."
K: "What? Why?"

She made me turn around on myself. No, we don't have a problem. We have a BIG problem.

The police are coming in with hundreds of spectators and players. The head of the brigade came to me.

Police: "You have to leave! You must leave now!"
K: "Why?"Police: "The field is requisitioned for the U-17, France-US game."
Jill: "The field has been reserved for us by the president of Olympique Lyonnais and we haven't been notified. You can't just kick us out any way you want!"
Police: "I don't make the laws or the rules, I enforce them even if I don't agree with them. Now, ladies, get your things and leave the stadium."

Jill turned to me. "Kelley, are you okay?"
K: "Listen to what they're saying..."

"Get out, losers!"

"Get back to the kitchen! We're hungry."

"Get out, you dykes!"

"Football is for men! Go back to knitting!"

I didn't have time to move because Ashlyn and Hope were already in the bleachers banging.

They all backed away in front of them. They're not so smart all of a sudden.

Ali, Carli and I went to get them before the police did.

We went back to the dressing room to get our stuff. But when we went in, it was too much of a shock. Everything was spread out and torn apart on the floor and in the showers.

Bags were tagged 'Men > Women'.

I saw Julie and Amy turn white. The memories came back.

We picked everything up and walked down the stadium hallway to the exit.

The American U-17s sarcastically made a hedge of honor for us and pushed us between them. They laughed and some of them spat at us.

One of them grabbed my wrist and wanted to kiss me. I backed off just in time and stuck my fist to him. He was furious.

?? "You're gonna pay for this, you bitch!"

He and his friends started to surround me. He grabbed me by the throat and pinned me against the wall. My head hit the stone hard...

"Kelley!" Amy and Julie shouted.

My team ran to my rescue. Hope, Allie and Ashlyn grabbed them by the pass and pinned them against the wall. Andrine was the first one next to me and held my head so I wouldn't move. Amy and Julie rushed towards us while the OL players arrived with security.

J: "Tobin is coming. She was held up by some of those bastards when she wanted to come and defend you. The doctors are coming. Hold on, Kelley!"
T: "Kelley!" I heard the voice of my favorite attacker.

The doctors arrived and took me to the hospital. Tobin came with me while everyone else ran out. My eyes slowly closed.

A few hours later, I woke up. At least I think it's several hours when I see the time on the clock.

T: "My love? Can you hear me?"
K: "Why is it always me?" I asked in a whisper, which made her laugh.
T: "It's all right. By some miracle you weren't hurt any more than you already were."
K: "Where are the girls?"
T: "I called Carli. She said they're all at Ada's."

She went out for a moment and came back with a doctor.

Doctor: "Miss O'Hara, glad to see you awake. Your tests are good and you can go home today. We just need someone we trust to sign the release forms."
T: "Give me those things!"

She signed the papers and helped me put my clothes back on.

K: "I hope the French have blown the shit out of them." I growled.
T: "They did: 4-0," she said laughing.
K: "Good. Very good. Perfect even."
T: "Since when do you support France?"
K: "I support anyone who doesn't attack me."
T: "Good answer. Let's do it."

Tobin helped me walk out the door. An Uber was waiting for us and took us to Ada's.

We rang the bell and Andrine opened the door. I didn't even make it through the door when I got a call from the Federation.

I tell Tobin to go in with the others and Andrine to leave the door open, then pick up the phone.

K: "Hello?"Federation: "What's up? How was the game?"

I thought, 'Poor schmuck'.

K: "You're the one who sent them to the field where we were!"
Federation: "By the way. You are no longer allowed to train on an official field or use official facilities."
K: "What? But why? We are in France! Football is open to everyone!"
Federation: "That's it for me. Obey or next time there'll be deaths!"
K: "You bastard!"

He hung up and I shouted. The street turned around but I went home.

Tobin ran up to me and asked me what happened. The girls were behind her in the living room looking at me with anger and concern.

I explained to them what the Federation had just told me, and that the more we were against it the more it would put a stop to us.

The girls looked at me in shock and then exploded with rage.

It took us a good 15 minutes to get everyone back down.

Badly: "Where are we going to go now?" she said with tears in her eyes.

K: "Right now I honestly don't know."
Louisa: "The only roughly 'passable' and unofficial terrain is the vacant lot outside the city... Nobody goes there."

I couldn't stop crying. I want to get out, but Tobin grabs me quickly and holds me tight. She pulls me away.

K: "Laure was right..."
T: "We're going to fight. No matter where."
K: "It's all over, Tobin..."
T: "If everything was ruined, do you think the others would be in the damn living room right now? The foreigners didn't abandon us despite what happened in the locker room. We can't let those sons of..."
K: "BIIIPP"
T: "So what's best? Having access to everything and winning or fighting for what we believe is right and succeeding over obstacles?"
K: "The second scenario is much better..."
T: "See! So get up and guide us on the road to victory!"

I looked at her, she had so much determination and love in her eyes.

T: "Get up, Kelley O'Hara!"

She lifts me up with one arm. Wow, strength!

We're going back with the others.

K: "We're going to fight! Wherever we go, no one will take away our passion!"

The girls applauded.

K: "I have another question for you."

They looked at me with a frown.

K: "I have received a message, always the Federation. It asks me where we want to face the future World Champions this summer."

Everyone looked at each other and the silence was broken by a shout in unison.

"A DALLAS!"