August 7th, Monday, Locker room for Carnegie women's soccer team 7:31 am "That's not a good enough excuse, Velur, and I'm going to keep poking my nose in your affairs until you give me a straight answer. If you won't go out with me because I'm another woman, fine. But grow a backbone and say it." Fausta glared at Felicity, demanding she show the same pure-hearted drive and focus she demonstrated on the field- the singular quality Fausta sought above all others. She felt like she could really love Felicity- not like a flowery romantic, but a fiery, passionate force of nature, a destructive love, an explosive love- but only if she could stand firm and proud, and speak with certainty and clarity. "I just don't have the time," Felicity answered weakly. "I have to focus on my schoolwork and practice." "Neither of which you'll have to worry about until later. I've spoken with the Coach, and she says our first practice session isn't until this weekend. Besides, we have today and tomorrow all to ourselves. You cannot honestly think that- " "Would you just get off my back?!" she yelled. "I said I don't want to and that's that! Now leave me alone!" "Not until I get a good reason. You owe me that much at least. I don't buy any of this 'I don't have enough time' nonsense. Is it a matter of dating the same sex?" "That's not the point!" "Yes or no, Velur?" Felicity froze, suffocating, her voice gone, her body ready to crumble. She desperately wanted to come out of her coffin, out of the closet- she had admitted it to herself but not to others, not to anybody but her- but she couldn't, she couldn't, she couldn't. She hated herself so much. God-damn you, you fucking coward. Just look at yourself! You're less than pathetic. "Just leave me alone," she whined. "Leave me the hell alone. I just don't like you, that's all!" Even though you've been staring at her nonstop since you first met her. "I'm comfortable with that," Fausta replied calmly. "I've dated women that didn't like me. They came around." "Well I won't. Now leave me alone. I want to be by myself now." Felicity left the locker room with a huff, disheveled after dressing hastily. Fausta frowned at her, disappointed at this turn of events. Somehow, she just couldn't believe the older woman. Something was definitely holding her back. "Is that what you really want," she wondered. And people dream dreams that transcend time Held in the arms of a still sea As they looked up at the birds and clouds It set their ephemeral souls on fire on a thousand mornings I bet they're taking flight to where the light is headed Now is the time to launch your dreams Off into the frontier that is carrying boundless dreams Farther and farther, dive in the sky "The Last Minute" "You see? I told you it would be worth it if we came here early!" "But the library hasn't even opened yet." "That just means we'll be the first ones inside!" "Actually, I think the librarian would be the first one in." "Semantics! It's only a fifteen minute wait. That's nothing compared to the time we might've spent if we came here later." "I know, I saw the lines. I still can't believe the campus bookstore has to back order textbooks." "You know what the true irony here is, right? We're here waiting." "Well, we are ordinary students, but I know what you mean. Oh, look- I think that's her. She works here; I saw her here on Friday!" "Ah, excellent! You came just in time!" Elisa Berkeley had been strolling down the sidewalk in the early morning, just enjoying the nice weather after the rain. She didn't expect to be pulled away from her daydreams and back into reality so suddenly, but when she saw there were people actually waiting for her to open the library, she sighed- so much for fantasies- dug out her keys, and began her daily duties. "Just give me a few minutes," she requested. Her first two customers- an attractive young man and woman, both with sheer black hair: one short and spiky, the other long and wavy- were kind enough to stand back and give her some room, but once the door was open and Elisa had erected the sign, they burst through and made a beeline for the Student Textbooks bin. "Is there anything I can help you two with?" "No thanks," said the man. "We've got it covered," the woman said. They chattered to themselves as they assembled their texts; several other people came through the doors as Elisa was organizing her desk, and fanned out to explore and research. One of them, a tomboyish woman with short blonde hair and a slight figure, stood at the desk with her hands on her hips. It was difficult to discern her gender at first; she could almost pass for a man. "Mary! Jerry! Haven't you found them yet?" "What's your hurry, Jillikins? Classes won't start for two days!" "She's so cute when she's impatient." "And lucky for us, Mr. Nails is always like that." "You won't bother me with that anymore," Jill stated dully, "so you may as well stop." "It's a term of affection!" Mary exclaimed. "A high honor between three friends," Jerry added. They smiled and nodded at each other. "I'll settle for a handshake," she grumbled. She turned to Elisa and smiled weakly. "Um, old friends of mine. What do you have in college algebra?" "Oh, um, well, everything's been organized in those bins over there by subject." "Oh, okay. Is that what's taking you two so long? Are you digging around for my books too?" "Of course. We got here early just so we could claim all the leftovers." "And if we can't find your books, Jillers, you'll be out of luck." "So you can be generous, occasionally," she snickered. Mary and Jerry, evidently twins from the way they looked and acted, returned to Elisa's desk with an armful of textbooks each. This was just a preview of the squalling in store for her: ever since the main campus bookstore ran out of several texts, more and more students were relying on the library to supply their study material. This meant that Elisa would probably be ran ragged until Saturday, what with all the purchases and returns. To make things worse, her coworkers had all moved away, gone on to other jobs, or shifted their schedules around the "busy season", leaving her to weather everything alone. Alas, the "help desperately wanted" sign she put up had been ignored ever since. "I hope mother doesn't throw a fit when she realizes we're paying for Jill's books as well," Mary said. "Knowing her, she'll probably give us medals for generosity!" Jerry exclaimed. The twins gave Elisa a shockingly prestigious credit card, and she rang up all three orders without saying a word. Even now, with her curiosity piqued, she knew better than to interfere. "So what kind of help do you need?" said Jill, tapping the sign. Elisa suddenly felt like hugging the woman just for asking. "Oh, thank goodness! Please tell me you're interested in a job! It's for the register during the semester. I need at least two more people up here and someone to organize everything and keep inventory." "We're two people!" Mary exclaimed. "And we don't have jobs," Jerry added happily. "I've always wanted to work in a real library." "And I'm sure I can squeeze in some time between studies and practice." "I thought I recognized you from somewhere!" Elisa exclaimed. "You're on the men's soccer team!" "Yes, that's right. I'm Jerry Belfiske." "And I'm his cute older sister Mary." They both glanced at their accomplice, who had been skimming through her texts. They ribbed her and she jumped to attention. "Uh, right! I'm Jill Haynes, their...uh, friend. So can we get applications?" "Applications?" Elisa whispered, breathless with excitement. "Ha! You don't need any stinking applications! You're hired!!" - Valencia Durante, 21, 5'7" (1.7 m), goalie- As excited as they were about working at the library, Mary and Jerry (and Jill) still needed time to put their books away and grab some breakfast. Elisa assured them that the real rush would not begin until sometime after lunch, so they could take their time and not feel pressured. She nearly fell over when they volunteered to start working that very day, and if she were any less of a lady, she would've kissed them all for their charity. The first few waves of last-minute customers and early clusters of study buddies were sufficient to keep Elisa busy until her new coworkers returned- busy, but not hectic. That would come later! She kept at a steady pace for an hour, and even managed to throw around a bit of cheer. Normally she didn't pay attention to her customers and patrons- they were all just faces that blended into the background- but she clearly recognized a few of them as they came through her doors, chatting and laughing obnoxiously. They were her teammates, but...oh, drat, she forgot their names. Well, the one with the Russian accent was Nadia, and the one wearing punk rocker clothes was Lauren- that was easy enough. Who could ever forget them? But the other two... "Hey there!" Lauren exclaimed as she leaned on the reception desk. "You're that badass chick from before, right? The babe with the hot British accent! I'm Lauren." "Yes, I know," she said, her breath caught in her throat as they shook hands. "May I help you ladies?" "Sure. Y'wanna go out sometime?" "Excuse me?!" "Ignore her. We're looking for advanced psychology and sociology books, please," said a serious-looking brunette with blue and green eyes. Elisa let out a breath and scurried to look for them. Lauren watched her and grinned as she bent down to peruse the lower shelves. "Mmm, nice." "Why must you make such a perverted fool of yourself?" sighed her companion. Elisa pretended not to hear and came back with their orders. "I must apologize, but I still don't know most of your names," she said. "Iz okay, our acquaintance iz not being made everywhere," Nadia said. She grinned at Elisa, causing her to blush, as they exchanged names, and she also learned that Valencia, Jen, and Arina- Lauren's somber friend and rival- were with them. "We met each other by chance on the way to the library," Arina murmured. "It's sort of like an abridged version of The Canterbury Tales." "I could go for some Canterbury Easter eggs right about now," Lauren sighed. "That's Cadbury, Lauren. Thank you, Elisa." "You're welcome. Is there anything else I can do for you?" "Just resist her charms," she answered kindly. Lauren snorted as her friend walked away, scooped her books up, winked, and trudged outside. "What was that about?" Jen wondered. "Anyway, Leese, Val's asked me out on a date tomorrow, and we've decided to hit that nightclub. Wanna come with? We can double up." "I'm not sure what you mean," she replied carefully. Elisa never considered herself very savvy on current events and popular places, but she was hardly out of touch. "The Out and About club," Jen pointed. She chuckled and said, "Don't worry, you don't have to be gay to get in." "Oh, encouraging." "Look, just do this as a favor. Come and hang out with us. We are on the same team, and besides, Nadia won't have a date." "I promise we will have all the sexy fun you can take," she said. "And once school's out, we can head on over to Parody for game night! But I gotta warn you all: I'm no pushover. Don't give me an excuse to PWN you." "PWN?" "Defeat us utterly," Valencia answered. She laughed at Elisa's confusion. "I know, it's really dorky, but I figured I could at least try it out. Jen's going dancing with me, so it's only fair." "But I'm not taking my shirt off," she stated defensively. "I am!" Nadia chirped. Elisa looked even more baffled. "Why would you..." "Lordy, woman, time to get out from underneath that rock! Tuesday is Topless day at the O and A. It's normally not my thing, but since Val was kind enough to attend game night with me..." "That's what makes dates so fun," she said warmly. "You get to experience things you never would've considered...providing you have an open mind and like to be adventurous. So how many dates have you been on, Elisa?" "Oh, not enough to brag about," she replied humbly. "Have you ever been dating woman before?" Nadia asked. "Um, not really...but you know, I really have no objection to it- I just haven't, well...you know. But I'll more than likely be busy those days. Oh! No, wait- I almost forgot! I just recently hired some help. I suppose that if you're okay with it, I could just take some time off." "More than okay!" Nadia exclaimed. "You should be taking entire day off! Pretty Eleeza needz holiday! You will being good date for next two dayz!" "I hope so," she chuckled feebly. "But...ah...don't expect me to be very frivolous about it. And I'm certainly not taking my...my top off. And I'm not very interested in video games, except for a few online ones." "Just tagging along will be good enough," Jen said. Elisa agreed that it would, and promised she would be there. She processed their orders and prepared to say goodbye when her new coworkers came back. They greeted Nadia, Valencia, and Jen, and shimmied behind the reception desk, ready to begin their first day. "We got you something too," Jerry said as he offered her a sack. "I hope you're okay with pancakes." "You didn't have to do that! But thank you! I am rather famished. Do you think I could ask you three for a favor?" "Sure, anything. We do owe you for giving us this job." "No, I owe you," she replied sweetly. "But I was wondering if I could have...what days?" "Tuesday and Wednesday," Valencia said. "If you would cover for me while I take those days off." "Ah, so is that why you hired us?" Mary grinned wickedly. "The boss gets some extra help so she can skip work, is that it?" Jerry snickered. Jill rolled her eyes. "Oh shut up, you two, she probably deserves it. Think about what time of year it is. You go ahead and take some time off, boss. We can probably work Thursday and Friday if you need a vacation." Elisa grinned warmly at Jill. "Thank you, but no: I'll be fine. I suppose everything has been settled, then?" "Yeah, definitely!" Jen exclaimed. "Um, pardon me for a moment, but what are your all's names? I get the feeling we've met before." When the trio introduced themselves, Jen's eyes bulged and she squealed ecstatically. "Ohmygod, are you serious? Hahaha, no wonder I thought I recognized you guys! We're in the same bandit guild together! I'm your leader, Sarishaun!" "You're the bandit princess?" Jill scoffed. "Bullshit!" Jen laughed and hugged them; apparently, they were online friends of hers. "Cool, I can't believe you're students here as well! Huynh the centaur's here too- I'll introduce you on Wednesday! Wow, it's like we were brought together by a higher power or something!" "Coincidence," Jill grumbled. Elisa, Nadia, and Valencia were lost, of course, so Jen introduced them. "They're online friends of mine. Jill is my second in command, and these two are my underlings! So this is what Mr. Nails looks like- and I never thought Merod and Gerod were brother and sister. It all makes sense somehow." "You're as bewildered as I was when I first learned," Jill sighed dramatically. Nadia and Valencia coughed, indicating that they wanted to leave. "We'll just step out so that you video game dorks can talk." "Yes, must not spend all day in library. Will have much time to see them later. Must be, how you say, getting back on track." "You're right," Jen groaned. "But hey, you all should come with us to the nightclub and game night! Uh...sorry, Gerod- I mean, Jerry- but guys aren't allowed to O and A. Nothing personal." "Aw, nuts." He waved at the ladies as they departed, making sure that Elisa understood the particulars about their outing. Once the fresh air wrapped itself around them, Nadia started jogging to the Lily Club, leaving Valencia to stare at her new girlfriend. "Bandit princess, huh?" - Fleur Lacroix, 20, 5'10" (1.77 m), right midfielder- "I still can't comprehend why you decided to buy your books at the last minute. You do not even have an excuse. I at least enrolled later due to some unforeseen circumstances." "And you blame me for making excuses! Thanks." Lauren threw down another of her friend's bags, feeling exhausted, and laid down on the skewed couch so she could catch her breath. "I didn't wait until the last minute, okay? It's still Monday, remember? Besides, we beat the rush, and we got our books, right?" "Procrastination will never help you," Arina said pretentiously. "Ah, lay off," she mumbled. "I was too busy with my life to be bothered by some shitty schoolbook. Not all of us can be neurotic bitches." "Yes, apparently some of us are busy being lazy." "I just don't like taking things too seriously. Here's another bag." "Just put it anywhere." Arina's apartment was amazingly cluttered, even for somebody that was in the process of moving in. Lauren had volunteered to help her get settled; she knew how rough it was, transferring from the familiar into a strange new place. You didn't know your way around, or where anything was, and there seemed to be an unlimited supply of baggage to be carried and stuffed and broken and scratched and bumped around. But it was a necessary development: Arina's parents had moved out of their old house, leaving her no choice but to find another place, preferably a little closer to school. The first thing she set up was her cell phone and charger, placing them atop a small desk she and Lauren had brought in. "Man, why'd you have to get a place on the third floor?" Lauren grumbled. "It was the only one available at such short notice, and with my budget, it was really the only one I could afford. You can be bothered to perspire a little." "But my aching muscles," she groaned, lifting her shaking arms. "And this isn't even the last of it. I need a shower and a drink." "Go ahead," she insisted. "It'll save me from listening to your complaining, and there's only small items left." "Really? Thanks a bunch!" She grinned and scurried off to Arina's new bathroom, peeling off her clothes as she went and throwing them on the floor. After all, what did Arina care? Her place was messy enough as it was! Arina sighed quietly and called out to Lauren before the rush of water drowned her voice out. "Don't forget, you're buying me a housewarming supper!" "Yeah, kay!" Her phone rang as Arina was throwing Lauren's sweat-soaked clothes in the laundry hamper: it was the Coach. "How may I help you?" "Hey Arina, are you available tomorrow at noon? I'm calling an emergency team meeting." "I just started moving in, but I'll make the proper arrangements. I'll tell Lauren about it as well; she's in the shower." "Okay, good. Say, do you have any of the other girls' numbers?" "No, I'm afraid not. Would you mind telling me what this meeting is about? You sound concerned." "I have every right to be," Leena stated. "Arina, I don't like keeping people in suspense, but since I don't have all the details yet, I'm afraid you're going to have to wait. Just be sure to be at the field tomorrow by noon." "All right, I understand. I'll be sure to tell Lauren as well." "Thanks." Arina hung up and poked her head in the bathroom, where she saw her friend's silhouette behind the curtain. "Lauren? Lauren!" A sopping mat of dark red hair, strewn around a dripping face, popped out from the curtain and stared. "What? I'm busy." "The Coach was on the phone," Arina pointed. "There's a meeting tomorrow at noon." "Um, okay, what about? Practice isn't until this weekend." "I'm not sure. She said she'll tell us later. You will make an attempt to be there, won't you?" "Yes, yes, I'll be there! Jeebus, get off my case. Um, is there anything else?" "No." "Then what are you doing here staring?" she grumbled, waving Arina away. "Go, go! This ain't a peep show!" Arina made for the door, but she stopped to primp for a minute first. Eww- now she needed a shower. But there were still items to haul in, and it would be better to wash up once all the heavy work was done. After putting as many small items in her arms as she could, trudging up two flights of stairs, and placing them in a disorganized pile, she was just as tired as Lauren, who emerged from the bathroom wearing only a towel. "Crap," she muttered, "I didn't bring a change of clothes." Arina smiled at her mysteriously. "Now what kind of a friend would I be if I never had any spares? Besides, we've known each other how long? Just leaf through that bag over there. I'll be in the shower soon." "We should've taken one together," Lauren snickered as she searched for something to wear. Arina only seemed to have T-shirts and jeans; however, they were exactly what Lauren needed, and most of them fit well. "Hey," she called, "I'm heading out for your supper. Y'want anything in particular?" "It's your money, but I'd like some pasta from Pizza Hut." "Cool, I'll go call it in. And hey, Essylt, welcome to the new pad." "You're so sweet," she chirped sarcastically as she shut the bathroom door. - Rain Howlet, 19, 6'0" (1.82 m), no position- "It isn't that I don't have faith in your abilities or theirs, but since it was the Chairman's idea, you can bet he'll try to tip the scales in his favor. ...I'll do all that I can to find a team that can play on their level, but I won't make any guarantees. ...Yes, I'll be sure to call you again once I verify who your opponents will be. You'll be the first to know. ...You're welcome. The rest is in your hands, Leena. ...I will. You take care too." Rosewood hung up and rubbed her temples- not out of frustration or anxiety, but because she simply needed to relax and put herself in a state of mind where she'd be prepared for the new semester. Fitzgerald's challenge didn't come as a surprise at all: even if he hadn't been a sneaky, conniving, ruthless serpent, Rosewood would have just suggested it herself. She knew the best way to test the abilities of the teams was to let them practice against other players, ands the ultimatum, while concerning, certainly gave everyone an incentive to perform better. Just as she was getting up to brew a hot kettle of tea, she heard someone coming through the front door- three people, actually, judging from the overall noise- and picked out extra cups for them. While she was busying herself, a young man and two young women came into the den, looking exhausted but satisfied. They took their shoes off and padded around, making themselves comfortable. "Mi casa es su casa, senor Nails!" the girl chirped. "Thanks. Hey, somebody's brewing tea. Did you guys leave a kettle on?" "No, we don't have a kettle. Mother must've dropped by for a visit." "That's unusual," the man said. Rosewood appeared before they could call out, and grinned warmly. She had four cups of tea on a tray and several snacks. "Hello," she said. "I hope you don't mind my intrusion, but you did say I could come visit whenever I liked, and you did give me a copy of your key." "Guilty as charged," the man said. He took the trays from her and kissed her cheek dutifully. "So what's the occasion today?" Rosewood shrugged. "I just wanted to visit. Actually, I do have a bit of news to tell you two. Will you be staying long, Miss Haynes?" "Yeah, the night. They said it was fine." "It's their apartment," she answered. "Anyway, about that bit of news: the Chairman has decided to push the practice schedule up by a few weeks. Jerry, you probably already heard this from Bracton, but you'll be going up against three teams late in this month, and if you lose two of those games, I'm afraid the team will be disbanded and the program canceled." "Evil Lord Gary strikes again," the girl lamented. "Just for once, I wish he was like the Gaios Gary." "I have to agree with the Chairman this time," Rosewood said carefully. "You need some real experience. Do you think you'll do well?" "We've got a good team, so we might just win all three games. Still, I'll try to practice as much as I can." "Good. You know that I'm proud of you even if the team fails." "Yeah, I know. But lucky Mary, not having all that pressure." "Hey, I'm the one Elisa chose as her right-hand woman! I've got textbook mania to cover!" "What's all this about?" Rosewood said, shaking her head. "We finally got a job," Jerry announced. "We're working at the school library," Mary added. They beamed at Jill, who was apparently meant to conclude their thought. "Oh, um, right! Elisa's our coworker, and she's on the women's team." "Ah, I see. I believe Leena's going to inform her tomorrow, but if she misses it somehow, can I count on you two to fill her in?" "Of course." "We'll ask her about it at work." Nudge. "Oh! Um, right. Yeah, we're not going to miss it." "Good. Ah, there it goes. Let me get the kettle and I'll serve the tea. It's the least I can do after barging in." Rosewood left with a smirk; Jill plopped down on a couch as Mary and Jerry joined her. "It's still hard to believe the retired General Rosewood is your mother," she commented. "That's not so difficult to believe," Mary said. "The kicker is that they found someone who can stand up to her!" "The Chairman, you mean? Sheesh, where'd they get him, anyway?" "From somewhere in Europe, I heard," Jerry said. "Helmuth is a German name, but I believe Fitzgerald is Scottish." "Well, he certainly lives up to his nickname," Jill scoffed. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Stacie Rosewood smiled to herself as she poured the tea. Ever since her husband passed away several years back, Mary and Jerry had become even more precious to her, yet she had been gone from her children for so long thanks to her career in the military; she regretted missing so many vital years of their life. "Well," she said to herself, "now's the perfect time for me to make it up to them."
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