September 23rd, Sunday, Carnegie changing rooms 6:30 am Terra Tu was confused on two different levels. How could the team lose like that- and how could she be attracted to other girls when she knew full well she liked guys? Kasumi Beckett felt dread. Losing that game had been her fault and she knew it. Their cold stares confirmed it. Felicity Velur had anger and gratitude battling it out in her heart- anger at what her father would do, and how she would react; gratitude that Amy had given her an angel's smile and faintly brushed her hand against her shoulder, a comfort in hard times. Fausta Nazario was disgusted at what happened- especially at her own failure. Elisa Berkeley's mind wasn't even on the game they had lost yesterday. Nadia consumed her thoughts: her beautiful body, her come-hither eyes, her sweet smile, her deep intellect, her fun, her insight, her clarity. She wondered what it would be like to make love to such a creature. Nadia Khovansky thought about cookies. Amy Nguyen was overjoyed that she had broken one of her thickest barriers, that she had actually reached out to someone, and that- more importantly- they actually liked her. Now she was more determined than ever to break free from herself and broaden her horizons. Perhaps if she accidentally bumped into Felicity... Freya von Hohenheim wondered how much time she had left. Shannon Threal, who didn't have time to wait for everyone and so took the stall furthest from everyone else, was wary of Fleur, who she heard had seduced another member of her "other" team. Although she was sure Fleur wasn't the type to force herself onto anybody, and she could probably beat her senseless anyway, Shannon wanted to stay as far away from her as possible. But she was also reconsidering her view on homosexual people, thanks in no small part to her "church friend" Kasumi, and her roommate, of course. Fleur Lacroix loved Priss as much as any morsel she had grown fat on. Alice Hawthorne spared a glimpse at Lauren and saw happiness and acceptance in her eyes. None of the other girls paid her the slightest bit of attention. It was the best feeling in the world. Lauren Ofdensen looked at Alice and instantly loved and accepted her. But still she wondered what Fausta would be like in bed- or anybody else, for that matter. Valencia Durante was thinking about how she could cheer Kasumi up on their date later tonight. Arina Essylt was wondering, for the millionth time, why her parents gave her that name, and where the deuce it came from, and why everyone assumed she was gay just because she hung around Lauren and was attracted to Fleur. Rain Howlet couldn't help but wonder how all her fencing buddies were getting along without her. Jennifer Andre wondered if Robin was really serious about all this, or just having fun like she did with so many other passing fancies. But more importantly, why did she even care? All in all, very normal feelings for a group of young people, wouldn't you say? In this wide world People you're meant to meet can be seen Beyond the window, beyond the rainbow I think you're aware of them Take off that restrictive weight Let your feelings go Now keep your ears open and wait for that time Awaken now Cherish the little dream you've drawn in the vast sky If you do, you can always become happy It's certain, whoa whoa! "Boot Camp" Leena had her arms crossed and her legs firmly rooted on the ground, but her face was calm and her eyes were patient. "There's no need for us to get into what happened yesterday. Losses come with the game; everybody loses eventually. It's what happens after you lose that determines the strength of the team. Now I said I'd be switching our training- intensifying, you could say- but apparently that isn't working. From now on, ladies, the gloves come off and I hit you with everything I've got. I'm going to turn you from football players into Valkyries: swift, powerful, merciless, and fearless. From now on until the last day of the season, we're going to be training at least once a day, rain or shine, regardless of your schedules. If you've got time to complain, you've got time to run laps. Let's hustle now!" Everyone, even the bench-warmers, was expected to run for forty-five minutes straight, without pause. Leena shouted at them, telling them how to regulate their breathing, how to pump their legs, how to swing their arms, how to use the knees. She blew her whistle in a steady rhythm, forcing them to march or run with the beat. She made everyone run as fast as she could for as long as she could, and just as the very last one collapsed from weary lungs and aching legs, she had the staff bring out tires. "Break's over, ladies," she stated, towering over them menacingly. "On your feet now. Essylt, that means you. Okay, everyone, through the tires! One-two, one-two, one-two, one-two! You're up next, Berkeley! One-two, one-two, one-two, one-two! Don't stop! Don't think- just do it! This isn't a classroom, it's a field! Lesser people have bled on the grass and stood up to fight again; don't disgrace yourselves. Durante, let's see some more speed! Those balls will come at you fast and hard! All right, Khovansky, that's the way to do it! You can do it, ladies- move those feet!" She gave them a breather, then had them do fifty push-ups and ten pull-ups to work on their upper body strength. When asked why, she told them, "Don't think you can run around flailing those sissy arms of yours and win any games! You need good strong shoulders and arms to pump so you've got a better balance. Don't strain yourself, Nguyen! This isn't a competition! Next are the medicine balls- catch and throw. Don't quit on me yet, Lacroix! You're gonna be doing this every day, so you'd better get used to it!" Leena didn't give them time to complain or groan, and warned them that as soon as somebody raised an objection to her brutal methods, she would force them to quit their break and move on to even harder work. Everyone took her abuse silently after Terra let out an objectionable curse, and she proved how serious she was. She had them perform a hundred jumping jacks and wouldn't take fatigue for an answer. When the tribulation was over at last, she gave them another break, and smirked triumphantly as they sat, wheezing, in silence. "This is for your own good," she explained as she sat with them. "Half the blame of yesterday's fiasco falls on my shoulders. I've been coddling you all too much and giving the benefit of the doubt. I wasn't sure if you'd continue to play seriously after we became a real team, so I slackened. But maybe, in a strange way, all this worked out. We never would've woken up to the reality of the situation if we hadn't lost. We'd still be on our high horse. There's nothing like humiliation to bring about humility. Once you've rested, we'll go over to the gym for some cycling. I'd like to integrate some swimming into our routine as well, so make sure you all have something decent you can work out in. You're all smart enough to know what I mean. This isn't Milan or anything." Fausta and Valencia turned red, since they felt so many eyes on them, but the rest looked eager to have a new twist to their routine. - Elisa Berkeley, Hair/Eye color: dark brown; left midfielder/reserve- Cycling is to riding a bike as a treadmill is to walking: they're just not the same. Cycling gives you a stationary bike that anybody can ride, without the curves and contours of a road to offer any challenge. Leena didn't use the treadmills because she wanted the team to practice on real turf, but she knew that not everybody had bicycles, or even knew how to ride one, so this was the best alternative. As Kasumi could attest, riding a bike was an excellent way to strengthen the leg muscles. Not everyone was used to it, though, so Leena went slow. Fleur was just about to mention that she would NOT start growing big ugly muscles, but then reconsidered. More than likely, Leena would just force everyone to go another kilometer or two, and while she didn't care about anybody else, the strain on her own body would be too much. After break, she had them climb a rock wall and go through an obstacle course the staff had set up earlier. Rosewood had contributed several ideas borrowed from her days in the military, and now Leena was using them to shape her team into a force to be reckoned with. They crawled under low bars, vaulted over walls, swung on ropes, and teetered on a beam. Leena gave each of them a wheelbarrow laden with heavy blocks and forced them to run a mile with them, then finished with a relay race. "We're going to train until you can do this in your sleep," she barked. "When you wake up in the morning, your mind will already be focused on your next session. You will sacrifice everything that means something to you so that you can come out here before the sun is up to run around in the mud. You will freeze and you will not care. You will bleed but you will never cry. You will train until you are broken and rebuilt. You will emerge from the fire a sharp sword that can pierce through anything. And tomorrow will be even more intense than today." She asked everyone to start integrating their own unique talents into the team as a whole. Leena had Terra and Amy teach everyone martial arts. Lauren showed them how to stay so focused on the ball that your body naturally moves in synch with it, how to jerk from side to side, how to catch and throw, and how to jump. Kasumi and Felicity showed them the finer points of handling the ball: how to hold it and angle it so it would go exactly where you wanted it; how to knock it with your head and your chest; how to dribble it on the feet, thighs, and knees; how to shoot it far across the field, and tap into the goal. Fausta and Shannon gave them aggression, how to hit hard and slide to steal the ball, how to intercept and pick out the weakest and strongest players. Nadia showed them how to move like a marathon runner, how to control the breath and the muscles so you could keep going when everyone else was breathless. Freya went over "battle tactics" and made everyone memorize a few surprise maneuvers. Fleur told them what to eat in order to produce very specific results; Elisa gave them the art of unpredictability; Valencia showed how use of geometry could help determine where exactly the ball would go. Rain drilled them in fencing maneuvers; Arina taught them how to get into players' heads; Jennifer showed them how to be nimble and weave their way through the opponents. "I don't have anything to give you," Alice sighed as she laid on the ground. "I've got nothing. Everyone's special but me." "Well then, try and integrate all of these skills, so that we can rely on you for anything at any time," Leena offered. Alice turned red but devoted herself to this ideal. By the time Thursday came around, the ladies had underwent a drastic change, and yet there was so much more they needed to learn before their next game. "Before your heads get too big," Leena shouted as the brutality began to wear off and results started to show, "you have to be aware that all the other teams are going through this exact same regiment. Remember! No matter how hard you train, how long you stay out here, or how much you want to win, the other team will always train twice as much, stay out twice as long, and want it more than you ever will. Always train for preparation against a superior force! Better to overestimate the opponent than underestimate them! Remember how Anolis and Carnegie felt about you? Now remember how Carlisle felt?! Don't forget!! They're always going to be reaching higher than you! What do you do, then, when the other team is superior in every way? What are you left with? You can either fall down in defeat or stand up in defiance!! "That'll do for today. Hit the showers. Tomorrow's going to be even worse." The training was so unforgiving that nobody even had time to glance around as they undressed, showered, put their normal clothes on, and went home to crash on their beds in a sleep that came as fast as the darkness in winter or school after a summer's end. - Fausta Nazario, Hair/eye color: black/blue, sweeper- Batter my heart, that I may rise, and stand, O'erthrow me, and bend Your force, To break, blow, burn and make me new... Take me to You, imprison me, for I Except You enthrall me, never shall be free, Nor ever chaste, except You ravish me. "The day has finally arrived," Leena said as the team broke the circle. "The day in which all of your hard work starts to pay off. I realize I may have been asking too much of you over this past week, and in the future, I'll ask for even more. But I want us all to be serious about the time we spend here. I want us all to be certain of what we came here to do. If you're truly devoted to this team, you'll understand why I did what I felt was the right thing to do. I don't expect you to like it; I just want you to trust me. We'll be up against Vale Private Women's College today, and from what I hear, they're a lot better than Carlisle. Let's show them that we're serious about this. Good game out there." The ladies were given a few hours off to meditate on what they had been through, what they were going up against, and what they had to do in order to redeem themselves. The game against Carlisle was a disaster, proof that pride does indeed come before the fall, kindling for Fitzgerald to use for his argument against the team's competence, and a blow to Rosewood's faith. It was worse than the loss against Anolis: at least back then, they had been beaten by a far superior team. Now that they were more experienced and were closer as a team, there were no more excuses. "I wonder if the Coach'll let us have tomorrow off," Valencia said as she headed back to her car, Kasumi by her side. There was enough time before the game started to have a light breakfast, and thank goodness she knew of plenty of places that were open this early. She winced playfully and said, "Lord knows we need it. I don't think I've ever been more tired. I envy you, Kasumi. You must be used to this sort of torture." "Not really," she grumbled. She smiled coolly and slipped her hand into Valencia's, entwining their fingers, getting a pleasant little shock from the contact of her silky skin. She hated having such rough paws; they must feel like tree bark. "I've been on a few teams, but they were mostly grade-school level. I sort of slipped out of it in my later years, and tried to put more focus on just getting into school and keeping my job. I tell ya, some of these old muscles, they don't feel too well after a couple of years in atrophy." "Well, you always look marvelous out there," she said, eyes shimmering. "You make it look so easy. I have to struggle just so I don't make myself look like an idiot." "It's harder than it looks. So," she said, changing the course of their conversation, "if Leena does give us this Sunday off, are we rescheduling our date?" "Yes," she whispered, turning a little red. Valencia had not been on a date in over a year, and she had never gone out with a girl- especially not one as beautiful, tough, and exciting as Kasumi. "Where, uh, would you like to go?" "There's this new Spanish restaurant that just opened called La Pasion. I've been dying to go there ever since I first heard about it." "All right, that sounds good." Valencia became a little sheepish as Kasumi smiled at her. "The only thing is, though, uh...you kind of have to make reservations, and...there's sort of a dress code." Kasumi's eyes flickered in surprise. "Oh, so it's that kind of restaurant." "Uh, yeah. But getting in shouldn't be a problem for me. Do you have like an evening gown you could take with you?" "Valencia, look at me," she sighed, rubbing her neck as she parted her long black hair. "I grew up in the slums of DC and I spent most of my time getting into and out of fights, whenever I wasn't getting scraped-up on the field or goosed by some horny bisexual guy. There's no 'Sunday finest' in my wardrobe." "Oh dear," she sighed, smiling remorsefully. "Don't take this the wrong way, carino, but you've just made me a very happy person. That means we get to go shopping together!" "Oh hell no!" she shouted, her face turning red. "I ain't hangin' around no girly boutique, and I sure as hell ain't modeling in no prissy uniform!" The significance of what she was saying hit her a split second later, like a slap to the face, and she recoiled shamefully. "Oh shit, what am I saying? Val, I...I'm sorry, it's just a reflexive reaction. Look, I don't mean to be a stereotype, but that's really not my thing. But, uh, if it really means that much to you, ya know, I'll go through with it. I mean, I guess I do need to have something nice in my closet. Um...I mean, you know." "You're so cute," she giggled, not taking any offense. "Don't worry about it. People who put up the biggest defenses are the most fun to shop with, after all. I promise we'll take a look at the flannel and leather department once we're finished." "I told you I'm not a stereotype!" she blurted, blushing deeper. Valencia laughed and kissed her cheek to soothe her. They stopped by the Lily Club for a bite to eat and slipped in and out of small-talk. Valencia did most of the chatting, though: Kasumi just liked to listen to her silky Spanish accent. Sometime in the near future, she was going to arrange a meeting between her mentor, Adrien Félix, and Maria Maethers; she and Freya would be attending as mediators. Valencia didn't expect Kasumi to know who Adrien Félix was, so while they were eating, she explained that he was a renowned designer in France she had met when she was fourteen, and because of her outspoken opinions, he had employed her and the two grew to be very close, so much so that she thought of him as a second father. "Outspoken opinions?" Kasumi said. Valencia smiled bashfully. "Yeah. When I first met him, I was looking at his designs on display, and he just happened to get into a heated discussion with me. He was impressed with my fashion knowledge, and decided to give me a job. I was fourteen at the time, and four years later, I became his assistant. He more or less got me started on this road. Apparently, he thought sports would be good for me, just like he thought acting and modeling would be good. Those didn't work out very well." "Whoa, wait a minute! You've acted and modeled before?" "Nothing big, just a few little stints here and there. I guess I had some potential, but...ah, I don't know. I was never very motivated. I don't even think I'm cut out for soccer. I just want to design and make clothes, you know?" "Wow," she murmured, impressed. "I never knew. Um, well, all the same, I hope you stay with us. You're an excellent goalie." "I suck," she laughed sadly. "Jefe said the same thing about my acting and modeling career. Ha! Can you imagine? There are all these things I'm good at, but I don't really care about any of them, except one. My future's like a giant quilt, and all I want is a little square." "At least stay for the rest of the season," Kasumi murmured, covering her hand again. "You may not realize it, but some of us depend on you." "I don't want people to depend on me. That would be horrible. Just look at our games. You put all your hopes on me, and when I fail- " "Don't," she implored, soft but strong. "Put that out of your mind. Nobody's going to hate you if you slip up. And...even if they do, I never will. I'm going to count on you and believe in you no matter what. Ah...sorry, I don't know what I'm saying. I've never had a girlfriend before. I haven't scared you away, have I?" Valencia laughed and caressed her dear sweet fragile face. "You know, for a tough girl from the ghetto, you sure are sensitive. Come on, carino, eat up. We both have a lot of high expectations set on us." She kissed Kasumi on the lips and grinned. They both felt a little better afterward. - Felicity Velur, Hair/eye color: brown/azure blue, forward- What am I doing here, Valencia wondered to herself as she put her cleats on and adjusted her keeper's mitts. It was almost time to go out and everyone was in the process of putting their game faces on. Valencia's heart was throbbing as she continued to wrestle with herself and her doubts. Talking with Kasumi had unearthed a whole mess of conflicting emotions and ideas that she was probably better off without, particularly since so many eyes would be watching them today. Expectations had been no doubt lowered by their dismal premier a week ago, so once again, the young team had something to prove. That's a bad question to ask yourself now, Val, she admonished as she took several calming breaths. But she couldn't sweep it away; it continued to pester her even as Leena came forth for some last minute advice. Her words became muffled and lost as Valencia's thoughts turned inward, and she became uncomfortable. Darn it, why do they have to rely on me? I should just quit and focus on my career! I was never meant to play sports! Jefe knew that! Mom and dad knew that! Marina knew that! The only people that seemed to think otherwise were... It was Leena and Kasumi. But not just them! It's time to be fair, Val: at least half the team thinks you've got something here. Even Lauren thinks I'm good at it. But it's not what I want to do! I know that people are supporting me- that Jefe and my family are supporting me even if they don't think I was meant for this- but they're supporting something I'm not sure I should be pursuing! If I told them what I really wanted to do, and quit on them, would they still like me? Would I be letting them down, or would they even care? Why am I even here? Why did I agree to this? I can still do everything I'm doing without futebal, can't I? I can go out with Kasumi, be with my friends, go to school, and follow my dreams. Why am I still here? "Are you okay?" She heard Amy calling out to her, and suddenly realized that everyone else had left the locker room for the field. She felt awful and wanted to throw everything away right then and there, and march away, never looking back. After all, wasn't she just wasting her time? But then Valencia had an epiphany: why was anybody still there? Did any of them seriously want to do this for the rest of their lives? Of course not. Even hardcore players like Kasumi, Shannon, and Felicity would go on to do other things. One or two might be lucky enough to go pro, and perhaps sponsor a few endorsements, but the others would no doubt find wider horizons after they got their degrees. "Sports" was not a major that they could take and get a certificate in; it was just another experience that added something to life so that it was worth living a little more. Valencia was not here because she was going to make something significant out of it: she was here simply for the experience, so she could look back on it one day, children and grandchildren surrounding her, and say with pride that she did it. She took a deep breath and rubbed her face. She gave Amy a hug for indirectly showing her the way. "Yeah, just a little nervous. It's okay, I'm over it now. I'm ready." "Oh, g-good," she smiled. "W-w-we'll be count-t-ting on you tod-d-day." "I know. I won't let you down." "Well, folks, this game has been all about Carnegie from the opening moments. They came onto the field as strong and confident as ever, and after shaking the dust of Carlisle off their shoes, they've proven themselves worthy of respect. Vale's been having lots of trouble penetrating their defenses as of late, but they've managed one goal so far. Carnegie's offense is pounding them with shot after shot, though, and they've made Vale pay dearly for every advance. With halftime over, the score 2-1, and the end of the second half drawing closer with every minute, you have to wonder if Vale has any tricks left up their sleeves. "Wagner comes down the field, passes to Voleski...Voleski makes a shot, it's caught by Howlet, Howlet drives down...no, wait! She's lost the ball and now Shiratori is heading right into enemy territory! She's got Mouse and Morgan on her heels, ready to pick up the slack... Nguyen and Hawthorne go after her- whoops, Shiratori gets away! Now further down to Threal and Nazario... Ladies and gentlemen, this is the first serious attack against Carnegie's defenses I've seen Vale attempt, but I don't know what they expect to accomplish with time and the score running against them. They're going straight for the goal...Threal intercepts but Shiratori is relentless; she's passing to Mouse, Mouse takes it down and- whoa, stopped by Nazario, and- no, wait! Morgan's got it and she's going strong! Now back to Shiratori! It seems like this offensive is all about Hikaru Shiratori today... She's going for the goal... Durante didn't fare too well in the last game, so you have to wonder if Vale's going to score..." What am I here for? What am I doing? Jefe, why did you push me here? "WHOA, what a shot! Looks like they just sealed the deal! I don't think Durante can get this in time!" No...I can't blame him. If I really wanted to, I could have refused his offer and continued my dreams. If I honestly didn't want to be here, I would not have signed up. So WHY? Why did I do it? "IT LOOKS LIKE VALE'S GOING TO TIE THE GAME!!" I know now. I know why I came. I know why I'm here. I know why I can never quit. The reason is so simple. It's been right there all along. Because they NEED me. "OH MY GOD, SHE CAUGHT IT! Valencia Durante caught it! Carnegie wins, 2-1! What a fantastic comeback! Carnegie wins!!" And I need them. Thank you, Amy. Thank you, Kasumi. Thank you, Leena. Thank you, Jefe. I have a new dream now. And for once I'm going to follow it. - Nadia Khovansky, Hair/eye color: golden-brown, pale blue, defensive midfielder- "You all did very well today," Leena announced warmly. "You came back and proved to everyone that you still have something to fight for. By now you know that all your hard work really does pay off- but that's no reason to get lazy! In fact, just so that you don't ever forget, from now on, I'm implementing an even more rigorous schedule for you all! Prepare for the Intensive Training Session from Hell!" "Oh, dios mia!" Valencia groaned as she deflated on the floor. "Saints preserve me, I should've quit when I had the chance!"
Back to All Stars Index - Back to Original Fiction Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction