August 3rd, Thursday, private residence on Carnegie campus
9:32 am
"Hello, am I speaking to Coach Parkin-Kata...uh...jisto?"
"Katajisto, yes. What can I do for you?"
"I'm Dr. Thomas Righte of the Bedford Institute, calling to
request the admission of one of my patients into your new soccer team.
It's my professional opinion that this will benefit her and bring her to
trust in others. Uh, I hope I'm not talking over your head here."
"No, but I might need to listen to the whole story before I
commit. We're actually very low on players right now, and I'm not in
the habit of just picking people at random off the street."
"I understand, but we've enrolled her at the local college,
and an extracurricular activity will help her therapy. But you're
right; I should tell you more. Are you available later today?"
"Anytime before 2:00."
"All right, uh...is there anywhere we can meet?"
"There's a quiet little café across the street. It's the
Lily Club. I hear they have a pretty decent bistro. Maybe you could
treat me for my troubles."
"Consider it done," he smiled. "So later today at two, in
the Lily Club. I appreciate your time."
"You're welcome. See you then." They both hung up and the
psychiatrist circled the time and location in his notes. He then dialed
Alice Hawthorne's number and patiently waited for her to answer.
You complete my fate
The world unwinds inside of me
You complete my fate
The halo crawls away
You repeat my fate
Rewinding all we can
You refill my place
You refill my place
Come and save me
Come and save me
You complete my fate
The heavens stroll inside of me
You repeat my fate
Revealing who we are
You refill my place
You refill my place
Come and save me
Believe in me
Drink the wine
Take my hand
Fill me up
Believe in me
Drink the wine
Take my hand
Let me follow
"Business Lunch"
With nine players recruited in two days, the status of the
team was looking good. They still had a ways to go--they needed at
least two more players, and most of their lineup had been amateurs and
beginners just a few days earlier--but they were making excellent
progress. The women had four major obligations to meet, and they
competed with each other for time and space; it was by far the most
challenging task the team had faced, and it would continue to challenge
them until they managed to find a happy medium. There was school, work,
practice, and a social life to consider, and usually, one had to be
sacrificed to meet the demands of another.
The various careers the players occupied themselves with
were as unique as the women themselves. Fausta and Terra labored at
Parody bookstore, Felicity and Nadia shared shifts at the Lily Club,
Elisa buried herself in the school library, Lauren was employed in a
garage, Freya owned her own graphics design business, Shannon occupied
herself at a local deli, Amy never mentioned where she worked, and
Kasumi was unemployed, being forced to quit her last job when she moved
(which was perfectly all right with her). They would all be forced to
work part-time once school and practice started up, or else quit their
jobs entirely, but with every problem comes a solution: most employers
were lenient enough to allow this, and Gardenia and Robin gave their
student staff a few days off to organize their lives.
That free time would be well spent. Most of the women were
first-time students, either fresh from high school or an academic
hiatus, and would have to sign up for classes and financial aid. At
twenty, Kasumi feared that she would be too old to be counted as a
first-year student, but Kathlyn, who had volunteered to guide her
through the registration process, assured her that this was not the
case. In fact, she herself was 24 years old, just starting her final
year of medical study, and this would be her first time at Carnegie as
well--and there would be even older students coming here for the first
time, all with a variety of reasons for holding out this long. Kasumi
still felt like all this was too good to be true--a free ride through
her education, the chance to play sports, a change of scenery, freedom
from her old job--and she sat through most of the process with a
stunned, cautious, faintly giddy expression.
"Hey, you still with us?" Kathlyn said, waving her hand in
Kasumi's face. "I know it's been a headache so far, but we're almost
finished. We just have to arrange a class schedule, buy your books, and
get a parking permit. Uh, do you drive?" Kasumi blinked and quickly
came back to reality.
"No. I mean, I have a license, but I usually just take a
bike."
"Oh, cool. That'll save you some money. Permits aren't
part of the scholarship. So what classes did you mean to take?"
"Well, I don't really know. I still haven't decided what I
want to study. I really just wanted to get into college; I thought I'd
figure the rest out later. Is it okay if I say I'm Undeclared for right
now?"
"Sure, we can just get you some general classes so you'll
have plenty of credits covered for next year. Uh, since you'll be on
the team, we may have to get you signed up for part-time. Do you have
a job?"
"No, not yet. I still haven't finished moving in, and the
rest of my stuff is back at my old place. I mean, I want a job, but I
don't know who's hiring."
"I can't help you there," Kathlyn shrugged as she hunted
around the registrar office for a list of classes. She found a stack of
them and brought one over to Kasumi, highlighting several basic courses
that could apply towards any degree. "I'm pretty new here myself," she
said while moving around, "and I don't know my way around. How about
this lineup? I've got you down for Writing, College Algebra, Intro to
Physics, and Computer Information. I didn't give you any more since I
figured you'd already have a full schedule."
"That looks fine," she said, studying the times her classes
began and ended. She would be busy from Monday to Thursday, but she
would have a nice three-day weekend as well. Finalizing her schedule
wasn't too much of a hassle, and her books, while expensive, were all
ready for her and in good condition. The hard part would be finding a
job, and since Kathlyn didn't know of any places, and Kasumi didn't have
any friends she could ask, she was stuck for a moment.
"I guess you could call Leena," Kathlyn suggested as she
walked outside the offices. "Although I'm sure she'll tell you the same
thing I did, it's worth a shot. Oh, uh, maybe you can call our new
manager as well. I'm sure with all her charm, she has plenty of
connections."
"Is that what we're calling it?" Kasumi smirked. Kathlyn
gave her the two numbers and wished her luck; Kasumi waited until she
was back in her small apartment before calling them. She had been
walking around campus and carting those books for hours; she needed time
off her feet. After getting a snack and a drink, she plucked her old
cell phone from its charger and started to dial Leena's number. Before
she could press a single button, however, the phone rang, surprising
her. She recognized the number: it was one of the two Kathlyn had
given her.
"Is this Freya von Hohenheim?" she tested.
"It certainly is!" she sang. "Your caller ID must be very
impressive!"
"Actually, I just came home after registering for classes,
and Katt gave me your number. I was hoping you could help me find a
job."
"Oh, certainly! A great manager will always help her
friends in need! Actually, I'm very glad you said that, because my
computer graphics company has expanded, and I need more people! Would
you be interested?"
"Uh, I've never done anything like that before."
"Oh, allerdings, how silly of me! Dummkopf! Perhaps I
should ask what kind of experience you have."
"Well, I worked at a bookstore for awhile, but it closed
during my senior year of high school. There was also this...other place
I went to, sort of like a restaurant..."
"You'll have to be more specific, Beckett-san. There are
restaurants and there are restaurants, nein?"
"Uh, yeah. Look, maybe you can just tell me if there are
any bookstores that are hiring."
"None that I know of," Freya stated glumly. "I did some
intense research before arriving here, just in case one of our players
needed a job. Parody Bookstores is right next to campus, but they're
not hiring. Was this restaurant a fast-food place, or a...restaurant?"
Kasumi growled in frustration. It wasn't like her last job was
unbearable--she had been there for about two years--it was just
humiliating to talk about. She didn't want anybody knowing about it
unless it was necessary, and given the size of her bank account, that
time was drawing close.
"It was a gay bar in DC," she grumbled, "but you can't tell
anybody, all right? I don't want any bad rumors going around."
"Certainly not! Your manager keeps things held in the
strictest confidence!"
So why is it that you know my telephone number?
"So a gay bar," Freya whispered, perfectly unaffected by the
idea. "Hmm. This is actually where Maria comes in handy. Der
Perversling did some research on her own, and came up with something
called 'Out and About'. Apparently, it's a lesbian nightclub that's
hiring. Would you be interested in that?"
"Are you asking if I'm a lesbian?" Kasumi growled harshly.
Freya laughed.
"No, no, of course not. I'm just asking if you'd like to
consider working there. You're the tall Japanese woman I saw the other
day, right? The one with a silver streak in her hair?"
"Uh, you got the right description, but the wrong country.
I'm an American; my parents just named me after a Japanese waitress."
"How very strange," Freya mused. "Well, anyway, you're a
very beautiful woman, at least from what I could tell. I'm sure the
owner will hire you. Give it some thought. Oh, one more thing,
Beckett-san--I mean, Miss Beckett. I've invited some of the other
members of the team to a meeting later today. Do you know where the
Chili's in Alave Center is?"
"Yeah, we passed by it earlier today."
"Oh, great! Please be there around 12:45, and don't worry
about the bill! Your manager will be handling all expenses! Talk to
you soon, okay?"
"All right." Kasumi couldn't help but smile warmly.
Despite Freya's eccentricities, she sounded like a sweet woman, very
caring and compassionate. Could this possibly be the first friend she
made in her new life? She breathed deeply and went for a phone book,
thumbing through until she reached the Os. "Out and About, huh..."
She put her old cell phone to use one more time.
--Elisa Berkeley, 21, 5'7.5" (1.71 m), no position--
Shannon Threal pursed her lips impatiently as she heard the
dial tone singing. She was calling her best friend, Scott Bardine,
about how she had fared in yesterday's try-outs. It was still fairly
early in the morning, however, so Shannon hoped she wouldn't be
intruding, even though she knew that if she called him at three in the
morning with an emergency, he would drop everything and rush to her
side--and she would do the same. At last, he answered her call.
"Hey, g'mawnin', Threal For Real," he said playfully.
"Mawnin' yahself, Nova Scotia. Ya know why I'm calling you
at such an ungodly hour?" He did, of course, but he would toy with her
first.
"Uh...you got lucky and wanted to gossip."
"Aw, so close!" she hissed.
"Okay, um...there's a gnome in ya bathroom and ya want I
should get ridda it."
"Nah, getting colder."
"You won the lottery?!" he squealed. Shannon laughed and
let him have it.
"No, ya moron, I got into the team!"
"I know," he sang. "But was there ever any question?"
"Actually, you're more right than ya know," she stated
seriously. "For a school that just stahted a program, they didn't have
very many people there. I mean, it ain't been but a few days, but
there's only nine of us there--ten if ya count the managah."
"You have a managah?" She could easily imagine him balking.
"Self-appointed," she noted. "Yeah, she's a few inches
short a yahd, and she's got these hanger-ons that follah her around."
"Hangers-on," he corrected flatly.
"Oh, whatevah! It's not like anybody cares. I can speak
proper English if I want; it's just more comfortable this way. So
what's new on your end?"
"Meh, same old. It's hahd finding' a job here."
"Yeah, tell me about it. I mean, if you don't mind being
surrounded by homos, there's plenty of places to find work."
"I don't mind," he grinned.
"I've got nothing' against them either!" she insisted, "So
long as they keep their hands to themselves. Um, I mean, I'd make an
exception if a cute guy wanted to snuggle with you."
"Perv," he snickered. "So what are the other girls like?
Oh, excuse me--what are the women like?" She laughed at his
condescending political correctness, but as she began to think about it,
Shannon couldn't formulate a good answer.
"Uh, well, the thing is, I don't really know. I was only
able to see a few of em' the other day. There was our manager, some
German gal, and this Asian gal that stuttered. Uh, there was one more,
but I didn't catch her name."
"They're on your team, Shan," Scott harangued. "I know
you're busy, but haven't'cha taken any time outta your day to talk with
em'?"
"Not yet," she admitted. I'll bet most of em' are gay
anyway, she thought to herself. "We'll have plenty of time for that
latah. Classes don't start until Wednesday next week, and I'll bet we
won't even have practice until later. Ah...hold on a second." Her
phone glowed and began to vibrate, indicating she had another call
coming in. "Some jerk I don't know is tryin' to call me. I bettah go
see what they want."
"You don't have to, y'know," Scott told her. "You can just
ignore them and keep talkin' to me."
"I know, but I ain't rude! I'll talk to you latah,
Scotland."
"All right, fine. Love ya lots, Shannon the Cannon."
Click, click. Shannon took a deep breath and studied the incoming
number. Carefully, she pressed the Call button and braced herself for
anything: "This is Shannon Threal's phone, may I ask who's calling?"
"Ah, guten morgen, Frau Threal! I'm so glad I was able to
reach you! Who were you talking to just now?"
"Uh, excuse me!" she barked. "First off, I don't know who
the hell you are, and second, it's none of your freakin' business who I
was talkin' to!"
"Oh, don't be so snappy!" chirped the other voice--a young
lady's with a German accent. "I'm just curious. I want to get to know
my teammates, so it's essential that I pry into their outside lives.
Just think of it as two friends coming closer together."
"We're not friends, you...wait, hold on! Is this that
German gal from the otha day, the one who wanted to be our managah?"
"Ja, bingo! Freya Serhild von Hohenheim at your service!
Oh, wait, I didn't actually introduce myself to you the other day, did
I?"
"No--and how'd you get this numbah?"
"Your manager has her resources!" Freya exclaimed proudly.
"Suffice to say that it was a matter of espionage and careful recording!
As your manager, I must keep in contact with every member of the team,
and you're last on my list!"
"Lucky me," Shannon grumbled.
"You ARE lucky!" Freya squealed, her voice alarmingly sharp,
especially at this hour. "I don't mean to brag, but I'm really quite
good at organizing institutions! Did I tell you I run my own business?
Oh, and Shiki and Maria will be helping out as well! I actually came up
with seven new ideas after the try-outs yesterday!!"
"Ya lost me," Shannon groaned as she tumbled into a chair.
"Es tut mir leid. I am getting a little confusing, no?
Tell you what: Shiki and Maria have been helping me make my calls, and
we've decided to get everyone together later on for a team meeting.
There was some debate about which restaurant to choose, so I just picked
the one that's closest in proximity to your locations. Do you know the
Chili's in the Alave Center?"
"Yeah--uh, wait, so you also know where we live?!"
"Just in case I ever need to send Shiki over for anything.
Surely we have at least one forgetful person in our ranks. Don't worry,
I haven't abused my powers yet!"
That's discomforting, Shannon grumbled to herself. But
whatever.
"So are you going to invite the whole team?"
"Everyone that's on my list," Freya replied. "The Coach and
Kathlyn declined, unfortunately, and Frau Nguyen said she had to work,
but the others seemed pretty enthusiastic! It'll be you, me, Shiki,
Maria, Elisa, Fausta, Lauren, Terra, Kasumi, Felicity, and Nadia." That
had been the first time Shannon heard her teammate's names; she hoped
she would be able to remember them, or at least rely on them.
"Okay, so the Chili's in Alave. All right, I know where
that is. What time?"
"Well, according to the schedule I have--I mean, the one the
others gave me--the best time to meet would be around 12:45. Can you
make it?"
"Sure, not like it's fah away. And at least ya gave me a
heads-up."
"Consideration for others is a cornerstone of my moral
foundation," Freya recited. "I hope to see you there, Frau Threal! Uh,
I guess from now on, I can call you Shannon. Is that all right?"
"Uh, sure, I s'pose. Uh, guten tag, I guess!"
"Ah, wunderbar! Auf wiedersehen!" Shannon hung up and
stuck her tongue out. She was worn-out just from talking to Freya over
the phone; she didn't want to think how working alongside her would
affect her.
--Fausta Nazario, 19, 5'11" (1.8 cm), sweeper position--
While Freya, Maria, and Shiki were organizing things over at
Chili's, Leena was waiting patiently inside the Lily Club for Dr. Righte
to arrive. Gardenia greeted her and gave an experienced appraisal: she
liked what she saw, but was stricken when she noticed the ring on her
left hand.
"Damn, already spoken for!" she muttered. Lau overheard her
and rolled her eyes. Shortly after Leena found a table, a man in his
mid-forties entered the café, scanning it for someone. Men were a very
unusual sight in the Lily Club, so he drew all kinds of attention,
including Leena's. She walked over to him, found out who he was, shook
his hand, and took him to the counter, where Nadia would've been if she
hadn't taken the day off (hearing that two of her employees were going
to a team meeting, Gardenia insisted that they take an extended lunch
break). Miss Kemper was there instead, unable to tear her eyes away
from Leena's beautifully-sculpted body, wedding ring or not.
"So what can I get you two?"
"Just a salmon bake, please," Leena said.
"Minestrone soup and grilled cheese for me, and two waters,"
Dr. Righte said. He paid for it like he promised and took Leena to her
table. They ate for about a minute before getting down to business.
"Well, as I said over the phone earlier, I'm a psychiatrist
for the Bedford Institute, and I have a patient in my care who would
probably do well if she were put on some kind of sports team. The
exercise and social interaction would be perfect for her. I've brought
a few notes with me if you'd like to look over them." He handed Leena a
folder containing his observations of the subject over a period of time,
and she skimmed over a few.
"Alice Hawthorne," she read aloud. "Hmm...schizophrenic
paranoia. If you weren't pushing it so much, doctor, I'd be a lot more
cautious. How much improvement has she made since?"
"Keep reading," he pointed, relishing his lunch. She bit
into her salmon bake and continued.
"Hmm. It seems like her family is partially to blame for
her condition. I noticed her regression when they came to visit."
"Yes," he murmured, "they're not very...good people. It'd
be best not to mention them to her, or the incident which led her to my
care." Leena nodded, and finally finished reading through the notes.
"Okay, I guess that answers my question. She's not as
dangerous as I thought, but I want you to keep something in mind,
doctor. If this were any normal incident, I would not be so willing to
accept her into the team. Don't misunderstand: it's not because of her
condition. Lord knows we all have something wrong with us. She just
doesn't strike me as being experienced, and I can't take in too many
beginners--we're here to win, not just to play."
"I understand, but she has lots of potential."
"We all have potential for something," Leena sighed as she
gave the notes back. He urged her to keep them, though, for future
reference. "Hmm, well, if you insist. I guess a doctor's
confidentiality code can extend to Coaches if need be. All right, I'll
see what I can do with her. If she can be taught, then I'm willing to
teach. One more thing: does she require medication?"
"No, it's not so severe anymore. Just be patient with her,
and treat her like a rational being. There's a brilliant mind behind
that meek façade, Miss Parkin-Kata...uh...forgive me."
"I told you, Leena's fine," she smiled. She finished half
her sandwich while reading the rest of Righte's notes, wondering if
there was anything she could do to help the young woman. Hawthorne was
a jittery loner who stood out from a crowd, towering at a staggering two
meters in height, prone to paranoia and even, if unchecked, sporadic
attacks. But she also had remarkable marks in the sciences and looked
like she was aiming for a career in neurochemistry. Leena wasn't sure
how this gentle giant would benefit the team, but she would take her
regardless, and hope for the best.
"Wilkommen, bienvenue, and welcome! I'm so glad you could
all make it!" A cute golden-haired woman with bright green eyes and a
somewhat lithe figure waved frantically as members of the team stepped
into the local Chili's restaurant. For those that knew her, this was
Freya Serhild von Hohenheim (at their service), no longer confined to
her wheelchair thanks to some rest and tender care. Her shimmering
blonde hair trickled all the way down to her waist, and she had it
braided and tied so it wouldn't get caught in anything; one of the women
standing beside her kept playing with it. She looked much healthier
than Freya, and her face glowed with a strong, playful, erotic light:
this was Maria Maethers, Freya's best friend and personal designer. The
other woman stood directly next to Freya, quietly watching for the
guests to arrive, dressed out of her maid uniform (for once) and into a
more modern style that had been directly imported from Shibuya, Japan:
this was Shiki Araya, Freya's personal maid, bodyguard, and other best
friend.
"Sweet," said Lauren as she stared at the three women. They
were all stunning and oozed sensuality--her kind of girl. "So you're
the hyperactive team manager I've heard about. Pretty killer."
"I'm actually a bit feeble," Freya explained solemnly. "I
was only being energetic for the sake of the team. I figured that the
best way to draw them all in would be to encourage their spirits."
Lauren cringed and ruffled her hair, not sure what to make of this
bizarre response.
"Okay, sounds fine. So where's the rest of the pack?"
"Some of them have already taken a seat," Shiki explained.
"We're just standing here waiting for the others."
"So I'm not late? Ach, damn, so much for being
fashionable."
"Well, you're not early, either!" Maria squealed. She was
definitely the energetic woman, and Lauren figured she'd like her the
most.
"I guess that's cool. So can I get one of you ladies to
lead me there, cuz' I kinda don't know where they are."
"That would be your job, Araya-chan!" Maria teased. Shiki
turned her nose up and ignored her archrival.
"If you'll follow me, please. Milady, please take care of
Maria while I'm gone, since she's obviously incapable of doing it
herself."
"At least I can take a piss without telling Freya about it
first!" Shiki walked away calmly, holding up her middle finger, which
Maria returned boldly, sticking her tongue out for good measure.
Naturally, somebody came in and saw it.
"Ugh, I think I'm in the wrong place. I was expecting a
restaurant but came to a bar instead." Maria croaked and wheeled around
to apologize; Freya laughed it off and greeted the newcomers.
"No, this is the right place. You must be Fausta, correct?"
"That's right, and this is Terra. We sort of work
together."
"Hello," Terra said, smiling shyly. Maria squealed at how
cute she was; Freya gently pushed her aside.
"Just follow the babbling lunatic and you'll find the table.
Ah, and here come our final guests!" She waved cheerily as Felicity and
Kasumi came through the doors, both of them looking a little out of
place. They had just learned a few hours ago that they would be
roommates, so needless to say, the trip over was an interesting one
(Felicity took Kasumi in her new sedan).
"You made it!" Freya exclaimed to them both. "Many happy
greetings! If you'll just follow me, I'll bring you to your table!
Better than a waitress, nein?"
It was difficult finding a seat for everyone--there were
eleven women there, so the staff had to push four tables together--and
just as challenging making introductions. Lauren, being one of the
loudest and most charismatic, stood up and opened the floor for
everyone, asking that they give their names and tell a little about
themselves.
"Going first, I'm Lauren, the resident baseball-playing
lesbian. You next, karate kid!"
"Uh, I'm Terra, and I'm into video games and manga--and Tae
Kwon Do, actually!"
"Semantics," Lauren snorted. "Next!"
"I'm Kasumi, uhh, and I'm not Japanese."
"I'm Felicity...uh...and I like watching House."
"Fausta Nazario, from Italy."
"My name is Elisa, and, uh, I absolutely cannot dance."
"Nadia is name, and favorite book is Netochka Nezvanova."
"You all know me, but I'd just like to say that I own my own
company!"
"Maria Maethers, fashion designer!"
"I am Araya Shiki, Hohenheim-dono's personal assistant."
"I'm Shannon, and I love the Cleveland Cavaliers."
"Seems we're missing one," Terra observed. Her new friend
Amy was not in the group.
"Oh, that's right, Frau Nguyen said she had to work. I
asked her if we could just come visit her, but she didn't tell me
where--" Just then, a waitress came by their table, stuttering
awkwardly.
"W-w-welcome to Ch-Chili's, m-m-m-my name is Am-m-my, can I
interest y-you in an appet-tizer and some d-drinks to s-start you off?"
"Hey!!" Terra exclaimed, her face lighting up. "So this is
where you work! What a coincidence! Now the whole team is here!"
"Exactly what I was about to say!" Freya squealed. Amy's
face turned white as she stared at the eleven women sitting together;
she recognized a handful of them from the try-outs yesterday. "Go on
and introduce yourself to everybody, Amy! This is Terra, Kasumi,
Felicity, Fausta, Lauren, Elisa, Nadia, Shannon, Shiki, Maria, and I am
your humble manager, Freya Serhild von Hohenheim, at your service!"
"Uh...um...hm." Amy's voice turned hoarse and she backed
away, not used to so many eyes staring at her. She fought to keep her
composure and her manners. "F-fine. It's n-nice to m-meet you all.
Th-thanks for s-stopping by so I c-could s-see you. M-my name is Amy,
and I'm p-part of the team."
"You don't have to be so timid around us," Elisa said
warmly. "Barring a few miscreants, we're all very nice people."
"She's stuttering, fool," Fausta grumbled. She knew
perfectly well who that last comment had been aimed at.
"I know that!" Elisa snapped. "I'm just trying to get her
to relax. Uh, sorry for the show there, dearie. I think I'm ready to
order now."
"Yeah, me too," Lauren sighed. "God, I'm so fucking hungry,
I could eat a fucking stegosaurus." A few of the girls snickered at her
vulgarity; Freya rolled her eyes but said nothing. It wasn't her place
to reprimand people.
"None of that on this menu," Nadia noted. She squinted her
eyes and ribbed Shannon, who she had been forced to sit next to
(Felicity was too far away). "I still am having trouble with American
alphabet. Years in Enkland seem like big waste. You tell me what
thingz are that I am pointed to, okay?"
"Uh, sure. Whaddya want?"
"No steak or milk, makes belly ache. You not have blini
here, Amy?"
"Uh, n-no, I don't even kn-know what th-that is."
"Is good Russian dessert!" Nadia chirped. She sighed and
gave her menu to Amy. "I will be having Bottomless Express Lunch with
potato zoup and...what is looking like Czar salad. How iz this said,
Shannon?"
"Caesar salad."
"Da, what she said!" Amy quietly wrote it down and asked
for everyone else's order.
"I think everyone knows what I'm getting!" Lauren proclaimed
proudly. She then sang the famous "Baby-back ribs" song, and a few
girls even joined in. Those that did not sing, sighed.
"They have more than ribs, you know," Fausta muttered.
"I'll take the Mesquite chicken salad, please."
"I guess I'll go for the fajita quesadillas," Terra said.
Kasumi: "Ooh, give me the quesadilla explosion!"
Felicity: "Uh, chicken crispers for me."
Elisa: "Chicken club tacos, please. And Fausta, if you
make any comments, I shall quit being your friend."
"Whaaat," she whined. "I didn't say anything."
"Keep it that way," she muttered. Several women giggled; a
few wondering if they were witnessing a lover's quarrel.
"The three of us will split two triple dippers, with one of
each choice," Freya announced. "And we'd also like to treat everyone to
some molten chocolate cake later."
"Then I suppose I'll just have the turkey combo with a side
of enchilada soup," Shannon sighed. Amy muttered out a thanks and went
to deliver their orders, but was stopped by Terra, who (luckily) didn't
have to squeeze or push through anybody to step out.
"Hey, why don't you take a break and join us? You are part
of the team now."
"N-no, I'll g-get off w-work in th-th-three hours, but
th-thank y-y-you anyway."
"Oh," she answered somberly. "Well, I'll be sure the others
give you a big tip. I know for a fact that Fausta and Freya are
loaded!" Amy chuckled and grinned warmly; a blush crawled to her
cheeks. She had noticed how beautiful those two were, and wondered if
they were her type. She preferred people who were outgoing, kind,
moral, and understanding, but her landlady insisted that she added rich
to the list as well. Terra came back and told everyone the news, and
Freya promised that the next team meeting would include everyone.
"Before we all engage in social chatter, I'd like to open
the floor for a few proposals that correlate to the team. Maria and I
have been talking, and she's agreed to design your uniforms."
"Normally, this is the part where I'd come in and protest,"
Shiki muttered with a smirk aimed directly at her rival, "but her
blueprints are actually quite impressive. I'm almost under the
impression that this is a legitimate enterprise."
"That's because it is," Maria replied, beaming venomously.
"Is it now?" Shiki countered. "So this isn't just another
excuse to grope people or play dress-up?"
"Such an active imagination to make so many baseless
accusations!"
"Oh, verdammt, I forgot to ask her for bottomless chips and
salsa," Freya mused, ignoring her companions. A very awkward silence
fell, with Maria and Shiki leering at each other on one side and the
rest of the team beset with bemusement on the other.
"Iz thiz what is called loving quarrels?" Nadia asked. Now
the duo turned red.
"Actually, they do have sex with each other every now and
then," Freya stated casually. Now the duo gawked, turning darker and
darker shades.
"Ah! Fun, fun, fun! The sexiez between you two is kawaii!
So we will be having the football clothes to wear soon, yes? What other
idea are you to share?"
"Yeah, you sort of got off track there for awhile," Lauren
pointed out. Freya agreed and submitted her second idea: since Maria
would be handling uniforms, Shiki would handle the cleaning duty, as
well as the training process. Terra lit up when she learned that Shiki,
despite her calm and gentle appearance, was a master martial artist, and
while her strength was only average, few could match her speed and
agility (which was naturally interpreted as a challenge by the other
women). After making a few other pointers, Amy came by with drinks and
appetizers, once more refusing to join them. Terra asked that everybody
give her a tip, so purses were opened and pockets were raided. The rest
of the meal was spent in idle chatter, just as Freya predicted, and
gradually, the tiny soccer team of Carnegie University got to know
everyone a little better.
--Felicity Velur, 19, 5'10" (1.77 m), striker or center-forward
position--
"Alice, it's me again. I have another appointment coming
up, so I'll just make this quick. I spoke with Coach Parkin-Kata...uh,
with Leena, and she told me that she would be quite willing to have you
on her team. There are try-outs later today at the university,
beginning around 2:30, so I hope you've made a decision by now. If
you're really serious about recovering, you'll know what to do. Keep me
informed, please."
She erased the message and stood numb in her small apartment
room, still uncertain even after five days. It was true that she wanted
to return to normal society and be accepted as a healthy member of the
human race, but with her condition--not to mention her immense,
unladylike size--was that even possible? The risks seemed to outweigh
the benefits...and besides, she had never played sports in her life, or
even shown an interest. The doctor went through a lot of trouble for
her, however, and it would be rude of her to just stand there in a daze,
letting his efforts go to waste.
"Forget that," she grumbled to herself. "He'd only just
tell me how I feel about it. Ach, and I still don't know. I don't
know, I don't know. If God is still out there, give me a sign. I need
to know where to go. I need to know what to do."
But what DO you want to do?
Alice looked outside her window, peering at the nearby
campus, pursing her lips together.
Notes: the items the women ordered are actual selections from a Chili's
menu; I didn't make any of them up. For an explanation of what Netochka
Nezvanova is, please check it out in Wikipedia.
Back to All Stars Index - Back to Original Fiction Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction