August 4th, Friday, private residence on Carnegie campus
11:07 am
One of Leena's biggest concerns was that nobody would show
up for try-outs over the weekend, and that interest would die down in
the last two days before school started. She may have been overly
worried--after all, there were sufficient players in the team--but it
was her job to look out for these girls and guide them; she wasn't sure
how far the current lineup would progress. She decided that since it
didn't seem likely anybody else would volunteer, she would organize the
team into positions and begin training. Of course, she would keep an
eye out for newcomers, but her faith only went so far, and she was
prepared to go ahead with the women she had right now. Still, should
anything happen to them...
"Honey? You don't look so well." All of Leena's troubles
seemed to unwind as she gazed into her wife's angelic face. Kathlyn was
a blessing from heaven, and there was no way Leena could've made it this
far without her. She tried to smile for her sake.
"I know, I've been spacing out. I'm just worried."
"We have four days left, silly," Kathlyn giggled. "That's
plenty of time to find some reserves. Some of the girls have even taken
a proactive step and gone out looking for volunteers. Lauren, Freya,
and Terra have been a big help. Now stop frowning; you're too pretty
for that. We don't have to bite our nails until Tuesday, remember?
TUESDAY." Leena's grin broadened, and she snuggled into Kathlyn's arms,
feeling blessed to be married to such a wonderful woman.
"You're right, I'm sorry. Let's try to enjoy ourselves
until then. The team won't function if their Coach's morale is low."
Kathlyn smiled and stroked her lover's cheek, trailing her hand down
until it rested atop her chest.
"Maybe we should give it a boost, then."
"But the try-outs are three hours away!" she giggled. "What
do you have in mind, little kitten?" Kathlyn leaned in until her lips
were almost touching Leena's ear. Her voice sunk seductive and low.
"Just close your eyes and let it happen."
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
"Positions"
"Darn it, I'm going to be late!"
Maria Maethers checked her watch again, cringed, and shifted
her papers from one hand to the other, basically fidgeting in a vain
attempt to kill time. Helping Freya organize the team and gather
players had been tougher than she had anticipated, and designing all
their uniforms (And I still don't even have their measurements, she
grumbled) had kept her up almost all night. Now she was paying for her
delinquency by being at the tail end of a long line of procrastinators
waiting to buy their books. It felt like somebody had tripped her on
purpose, making her spill an armful of university merchandise, and
kicked her when she was down.
"Hindsight is always 20/20," she muttered as she pulled out
her design sketches. Too bad she had spent all night completing them;
she could use something like this to distract her. The line moved a few
steps and she shuffled along, studying and scribbling in some additional
thoughts. A handful of people shared her impatience, including the
person standing behind her.
"Mi Dios, there's always a line. At this rate, if the
bookstore doesn't close before I get there, they might run out!"
"I hear ya, sister!" Maria answered. She cheered up as she
saw what her neighbor was wearing: she had on baggy red pants that hung
just low enough to reveal a blue thong, and two shirts, a light
long-sleeved black shirt underneath a white tank top with some rather
exquisite lozenge patterns. Her hair was quite long, and had an
arresting red hue that seemed almost black in the stale halogen
lighting. Her eyes shimmered amber, sometimes flickering to match her
hair, and she had the body of a model: athletic, thin, and feminine,
with great expressive eyes and a pouty mouth, all radiating off a
creamy-bronze skin as soft and silky as butter. But words are slow:
all of this was absorbed instantly by an experienced fashion designer.
"Ohmygod, I love your outfit!" both women exclaimed at the
same time. They laughed at themselves and began to chatter about their
hobby.
"I make almost all of my own clothes, and right now I'm
contracted by an influential European family."
"Wow, really? I've actually been working very close for a
major designer in Bilbao for seven years."
"Oh, cool! I've been to Spain several times: wonderful
country. Have you ever been to Germany?"
"Once or twice, but I never stayed long. So what do you
like to do?
"Well, mostly design...but I also like to use my friends as
dress-up dolls! I've really been getting into some medical texts,
though: my best friend has a very serious internal condition, and I
want to see if I can help her in any way. What about you?"
"Hmm, me? I'm into drawing, reading, shopping, music,
movies, physics, exploring..."
"Wow, you're a real Renaissance woman! What kind of music
do you like?"
"Pretty much all kinds. I actually compose a little, too,
and I even play the violin."
"Awesome! I've dabbled in this graphic arts program, too,
but mostly I just focus on my clothes. I'm Maria Maethers, by the way,"
she announced. The kindred spirits shook hands.
Behind the beautiful face lies a beautiful mind
Awakening two worlds through perception and experience
The sun shines brighter because of her smile
Valencia Durante
"Is that your portfolio?" Valencia said, indicating the
sketchbook Maria had been studying. She grinned and showed it to her.
"It's one of them. Take a look and tell me what you think."
"Oh, thanks! Here," she said, digging through her
belongings, "you can have mine." The two designers continued to move up
the line, but they were mostly absorbed by the works of the other.
Maria was impressed: Valencia loved throwing around white, blue, green,
black, and red, in no particular order, and turning them into something
attractive, functional, and comfortable, utilizing layers, color
schemes, and patterns to work her magic. Valencia, on the other hand,
was amazed at Maria's very unusual but very cute choices. She obviously
leaned towards cosplay, sexy lingerie, gothic/Lolita, and kimonos.
Something else within the portfolio caught Maria's attention, and she
stared at it intently, long enough for the line to move again.
"Is this...an Adrien Félix?"
"Yup." Her mouth nearly came unhinged.
"Are you telling me you know Adrien Félix?!"
"Yeah," she said casually. Maria squealed and grabbed
Valencia's shoulders.
"Ohmygod, Val, you HAVE to introduce me to him! I've been
wanting to meet Félix for years!! The guy's a genius--please, I have to
meet him!"
"Settle down, beautiful," Valencia chuckled. "There's no
way a woman like me could refuse you. Jefe would love you. Oh, say,
who's this in the picture? She's gorgeous!" Valencia was pointing to a
photograph that had been taken for Freya's prom.
"Yeah, isn't she sexy? That's Freya, my best friend."
"Freya?!" Valencia shrieked. "Do you mean Freya von
Hohenheim?! Mi Dios, now you have to introduce me to somebody! I can't
believe you know her!"
"Well, yeah," she chuckled humbly, "we've been friends since
kindergarten. "Say, let's make a double-date! You bring Félix and I'll
bring Freya! How's that sound?"
"Great!! That would be excellent--and I'm sure Jefe would
like to see your friend as well. Ach, would you look at that, the
line's moved so far while we were talking." Maria turned around, and
sure enough, she had been so absorbed with her new friend that she had
forgotten where she was and what she was doing.
"Yeah. Good thing we're the last two. I just wish somebody
had told us."
"I know, people are much more self-absorbed in America."
"You said it," Maria sighed. When they caught up to the end
of the line, they were relieved to see it was so short, and the store
still open from the looks of it. The two women exchanged light
pleasantries while they waited for their turn. Valencia was surprised
to hear about Maria's homosexuality, but it was a pleasant surprise:
she had hoped her new friend swung that way. Vaguely she wondered if
Maria had ever tried to seduce Lady von Hohenheim herself, or if she
would be interested in directing those charms...elsewhere. She went
into the store weighing these ideas in her mind, and showed her list of
required texts to the clerk. Along with fashion design, Valencia also
chose Science, English, Sociology, and something that fascinated Maria:
"Advanced geometry?" She shrugged nonchalantly.
"I've always had a knack for it. Besides, I've based a lot
of my designs on geometric patterns."
"Yeah, I could tell! Hmm, I never thought of it that way.
Maybe you can give me a few pointers later."
"Before or after the double-date?" she grinned slyly. Maria
could tell just by looking into Valencia's amber eyes that she was
interested in her, and not just as a friend or design consultant: there
was a flicker of sexuality brimming in those tawny orbs; Maria was
excited just by imagining it. Once they were finished gathering their
books, they programmed each other's numbers into their phones, and waved
goodbye until next time.
--Terra Tu, 19, 5'4" (5'4" (1.62 m), no position--
Leena, Kathlyn, and Freya all came to the try-outs that
afternoon with four things in mind: one, the disorganized team would be
arranged into set positions that were pliable at need; two, today would
mark the unofficial beginning of training; three, while additions would
certainly be welcome, the established team would receive more focus; and
finally, it would rain over the weekend, lowering the chances of any
newcomers arriving. They would have to seize this opportunity while it
was still available.
"Has everyone met everybody else?" Leena said as the
thirteen girls trudged onto the field, a variety of emotions cascading
together. Since Arina, Alice, and Jennifer had just been added, the
consensus was No. "Take some time out to greet each other while you're
warming up. I realize this might be a little early, but I want to get
as much practice in as I can. The purpose of today's session will be to
explain the basic mechanics of soccer for those of you who don't know,
and to put you into your positions. First of all, let's go over a brief
history and explanation of the game. This may seem pointless for you
veterans, but remember that everyone was a beginner at one point, and
every bit of information counts.
"Soccer, also known as football, began as a modern
professional sport in the United Kingdom in 1885, and rose in America in
1967, although historians believe it might have been played in ancient
times. It's the most popular sport in the world, which is probably why
Ms. Rosewood proposed it for our university's first athletic team.
There are two opposing teams of eleven players who attempt to score in
the opponent's goal by kicking or knocking the ball with any part of the
body, except the hands and arms. A standard soccer field measures 115
by 75 yards, the goal is eight yards wide and eight feet tall, and there
are two forty-five minute halves. Right now, we have eleven players,
but I'm hoping to acquire more in case we need to make a substitute:
there cannot be more than three switches per game, so I'm hoping we can
find at least three more players.
"Now that we have the boring part over with," she grinned,
"it's time for me to assign your positions. I'm going to start with the
experienced players first, based on my observations, then I'll go around
and squeeze in the beginners. I'm going to rely on you vets to get the
others up to speed, now. Lauren, I'm going to put you as the goalkeeper
for now, since it looks like you know how to catch well. Fausta, I want
you to be my sweeper. I realize that you were also vying for that
position, Miss Threal, but Fausta's got an edge when it comes to
anticipating mistakes and filling in for the others. You're going to be
our stopper; it's a fairly similar job, anyway. You, Lauren, and Fausta
will be our last line of defense, so I'm counting on you.
"For the defensive midfielders, I've selected Nadia and
Jennifer. You both have excellent control and stamina, and you're able
to manage quick counterattacks. Felicity, I've assigned you the role of
the forward, and Kasumi, you're the striker. These two are offensive
positions, and you're tailor-made for them. Amy, Terra, based on your
performances, I've decided to assign you as left and right back,
respectively. Your task will be to cover your side of the field and
either slow down or stop the opponent's progress. That means you're
going to have to sync up with Fausta and Shannon; I hope you're up to
the task. Elisa, Alice, I'm still not comfortable giving you two an
assigned position, but unless we find more players, you're going to be
my left and right midfielders. The only thing you need to concentrate
on is passing to Felicity and Kasumi. You'll be right in the middle of
the action, though, so you'd better stay sharp. Arina will work
alongside Freya, Kathlyn, Shiki, and Maria as a member of the staff.
Their job will be to work on strategy, assist me, handle medical issues,
and do other miscellaneous tasks.
"Now none of these assignments are absolute, mind you; it's
just my way of keeping things organized, so if you're put somewhere you
feel uncomfortable, don't be afraid to speak up. With that said, I hope
you've all brought something you can practice in, because we're going to
be starting our drills. Lauren, Kathlyn has your gloves, so make sure
you put them on. The rest of you, get to your assigned positions.
Arina, Shiki, would you be kind enough to help me out here on the
field?"
"Certainly," they replied. "It would be our pleasure."
"Great. Maria, when do you think you'll have their uniforms
ready?"
"I've got several designs you can go over, but I'll need
their measurements soon. Here." She gave Leena several sketches she
had colored in, and waited for a response. Freya leaned over to see
what insidious creations her best friend had made this time, and was
stunned to find out they were all quite decent-looking.
"Wha?! No yukatas or frilly dresses, Maria? Not even a
three-piece gothic-Lolita?"
"Don't be absurd!" she exclaimed, sounding offended. "Fun
is fun and work is work, Frey-Frey. These warriors have to be stylish,
magnificent, and comfortable with what they're wearing. If they don't
take pride in their uniforms, they won't win any games!" Shiki looked
over Leena's shoulder as well, morbidly curious about what the surprise
was. She didn't expect her longtime rival to take this project so
seriously--that was Freya's job. She was floored by the results.
"Maria, I can't believe I'm saying this in a positive way,
but you've really outdone yourself! They're all amazing! You must have
been sober to make these!"
"Hardy-har, it's nothing but sweat, tears, and toil. You
might want to try it sometime!"
"Shiki does sweat, a lot," Freya squeaked, glowing sweetly.
Shiki's entire face turned purple and she thrust the portfolio back into
Leena's arms.
"I approve them all," she said sharply. "Good work, Maria.
Perhaps if you can take their measurements without turning it into an
orgy, I just might apologize for making fun of you."
"Oh, wow, what an incentive! You'd better be prepared to
eat those words, Araya-chan! I don't mix business with pleasure unless
it's with my Frey-Frey!" She piled onto the fragile blonde like a heavy
blanket, making her stumble and giggle. Not everyone was taking this
day so lightly: Fausta and Shannon were scoffing and rolling their
eyes, impatient for the practice to start.
"We came to play, not have fun!" Jen shouted ironically.
She grinned at Nadia, flashing a thumbs-up. The Russian didn't get the
joke and asked Felicity to explain it.
"Never mind, just focus. They're all being silly."
"Oh, silly is fun, but even with playing, we need focus. Iz
that what Jenny meant?"
"Sort of," she answered. Leena decided that it would be
best if the players voted for their own uniforms, and gave the portfolio
back before jogging out onto the field. Amy, Terra, Elisa, and Alice
were unfamiliar with their positions, so they needed to be shown where
to stand on the field. Once everyone was in position, Leena, Arina, and
Shiki started the very first drills.
--Kasumi Beckett, 20, 5'8" (1.72 m), striker--
It didn't take Freya long to realize she didn't need to
pretend to be cheerful around Arina. Both narcissistic and
self-loathing, Arina came off as rather twisted at first, and her
demure, thoughtful way of observing the world and speaking her thoughts
made her seem detached from human interests. But regardless of her
demeanor, she was very astute and saw straight through Freya's guise,
even though she mainly focused on the game. When she came back to
gather some water bottles, Freya tried waving and smiling at her, and
while Arina returned the gestures, her eyes had the look of one who
could see through the ruse we all put up when we're with other people,
and Freya was smart enough to realize this. She fluffed her golden hair
to make herself look busy, and tried starting a conversation.
"So what do you think of the team so far? We have quite a
number of talented people with us, and they're all very beautiful, too."
"Really? I hadn't noticed that yet. It takes me longer to
realize that sort of thing."
"I didn't just mean on the outside," she smiled. Arina
nodded dimly.
"Neither did I. If you want me to answer your first
question, I'll need more time to study. It's more difficult to measure
a group." She ended her thoughts and put her focus back on the game.
Freya sighed and scooted closer to Maria, and touched her hand.
"It's been a long time since I've seen Shiki enjoying
herself this much," she commented. Araya certainly looked like she was
having fun: her face was lit up with pure joy as she helped pass, kick,
and dribble the ball to the players. She stepped in whenever one of the
novices fell short, offering a helping hand or an encouraging word. Out
of all four of the amateurs, Elisa was, amazingly, able to bounce back
the fastest, even though she was just as quick to note how sloppy her
playing was.
"I really should have been able to get that pass," she said
bashfully. She slapped her cheeks and took a deep breath. "All right,
it's time for me to wake up. I can do better, Araya-san."
"I know you can. Ah, please excuse me, it seems I'm needed
again." Elisa smiled sweetly as Shiki ran over to tend to Alice; she
had slipped on the grass and was now sprawled out in all her gangly
glory. Leena sighed and decided to move on to offensive practice.
"Beckett, Velur, heads up! I want you both to try and
score. Defense, hang back and give them a few free kicks. Lauren, you
work your magic."
"I am all over it," she grinned, squatting down like a
shortstop anticipating a line drive. Kasumi came in first, charging
like a bull and firing a net-shattering blast right past Lauren, who
just stared in awe. Beckett smirked arrogantly and gestured for the
ball.
"Spacing out there, baseball girl?"
"Hell no! You just sent a freakin' missile my way, that's
all! Felicity, why don't you try it? You look pretty ladylike to me!"
"Was that supposed to be a compliment?" she grumbled as
Lauren tossed her the ball. But Velur didn't let up: she sent the ball
blurring past Lauren with as much strength and precision as Kasumi. The
two offensive players silently exchanged a high-five, while Lauren was
left to grumble. She tossed the ball to Leena and pouted.
"Show a little more restraint, you two," she warned them.
"Lauren's not nearly as experienced as you are. She needs to learn how
to catch, and showing off won't help. From now on, go easy on her until
she's found her groove."
"I don't need nobody pampering me," Lauren grumbled, wiping
her nose. Leena tossed Amy the ball and gave the hotheaded goalie a
sagacious stare.
"Eventually, Lauren, you will need to learn how to catch
those hardballs. The other strikers and forwards will employ those
exact same techniques to score, and if you can't keep up, you won't be
any good to the team." Lauren frowned but gave Leena a "yes ma'am",
then clapped her hands and asked for another barrage. Amy and Terra had
much fiercer kicks, but there was less control behind them, and Lauren
caught them with less difficulty. Nadia and Jen were in line next, and
Lauren proved herself once more SYMBOL 8212 \f "Times New Roman" \s
12but only because Nadia held back too much.
"So what was that?" Leena questioned firmly. Nadia was
clearly confused.
"You say be gentle, make sure Laurie catchez shots, da?"
"I didn't say let her catch them, I just said to go easy.
Try again." Nadia sighed and made another attempt, and while Lauren did
catch it, she had to put up a lot more effort.
"Khovansky's not too shabby aftah all," Shannon noticed.
"She may be a goof and a ditz, but she's got talent, I'll give hah that.
Are we next, Coach?"
"No, gimme a minute," Lauren gasped. "That last one really
wiped me out."
"It's because you have a flair for the dramatic," Fausta
said airily. Lauren glared at her, and Fausta glared right back. "This
isn't Hollywood, Ofdensen. You don't need to give a performance every
time you catch the ball."
"I'm not giving a fucking performance, ghibli," she growled,
throwing in the new nickname Felicity had coined. The name had spread
and almost everybody used it (everybody that rubbed Fausta the wrong
way, anyway), which only helped increase the tension and anger.
"Really?" she sang venomously. "Khovansky's not a bad
offensive player, but it wasn't as if she put everything she had into
that attack, either--unlike you."
"All right, that's enough. Don't make me dump this water on
you." Leena tapped the bottle on Fausta's head and threw another one to
Lauren. "Remember, ladies, this is only a warm-up exercise, not a game,
so let's not take things so seriously."
"If we do that, we may as well not take anything seriously,"
Fausta countered. Lauren growled to herself as she slurped her water
down. She had hoped that everyone on the team could at least fake being
civil and concentrate on their goal, but...urgh, why did Fausta have to
be so fanatical? She continued blowing out hot air, slowly scalding
Leena's saintly patience: "Football might be a game, Coach, but if we
don't play this game seriously, we'll lose every time."
"I understand what you're saying," Leena said gently,
looking into Fausta's piercing blue eyes, "but you also have to keep in
mind that about half the team is made up of people who've never even
played. I saw something special in them, so I want to give them a
chance. Fausta, I want you on this team--we need that aggressive,
indomitable spirit of yours--but if you can't give them some mercy, I
will remove you. Now I don't expect you two to shake hands, but don't
start anymore meaningless arguments. Take two laps around the field."
"Fine," she sighed. "I'm sorry for wasting everybody's
time. Ofdensen, if you can catch at least twenty more balls today, I'll
apologize for my comment. Don't let me down." She grinned
sarcastically and jogged off, pacing herself like a natural. Lauren
rubbed her face until it was red. What a character.
"Why are all the hot ones complete bitches? Uh, present
company excluded, you three!" Amy and Terra giggled shyly, while
Shannon just rolled her eyes. She didn't like it when other girls
flirted with her. It stirred negative sentiment.
The drills continued without any serious interruption for
about thirty more minutes before everyone was given a break. The
newcomers were huffing and puffing and smothering themselves with
towels, while the vets were coming alive, ready and raring for some more
action. Leena plopped down on the coach's bench and gave her wife a
weary smile; Kathlyn wordlessly walked behind her and massaged her
shoulders.
"I'm worried about Ofdensen," she confided. "She's a heck
of a goalkeeper, don't get me wrong, but she only caught half the balls
that came her way. I'm glad she and Fausta patched up--not that I'm
expecting anything to come from that--but what I'm really concerned
about is her dedication. She still isn't putting her whole heart into
it."
"I noticed that as well," Arina said as she mopped her face
and neck. She hadn't worked up this much of a sweat since she was in
middle school. "Baseball was the only sport she took seriously. To
her, all this is just for fun. She dove madly for that ball because she
was showing off, and she's only making such a fuss because Miss Nazario
was upset. If you'd like my opinion..." She waited for an answer, but
Leena didn't look to her: she looked at her wife.
"Well, you heard her, Katt. What do you think? Should we
start looking for a replacement goalie? We can't use anybody else on
the team, that's for certain."
"I could fill in for her if you want," Kasumi offered.
Leena kindly declined her offer.
"Thanks, but you're much better off where you are right now.
I can't put the entire burden on Felicity's shoulders. Besides, if
Lauren takes your place, her attitude probably won't change. I'm afraid
that currently, she's the best we have."
"Maybe not," Maria said suddenly, jumping out of her seat.
"I met someone earlier today who just might make the cut. I could call
her and have her come over here if you want."
"Who is it?" Freya asked. Maria smiled bashfully.
"Well...she's not a football player, or any other kind of
player--but I think it could work out! C'mon, whaddya say, Coach?
We've got nothing to lose by asking her."
"Unless she declines," Leena shrugged, "but give it a shot
if you want. It's all right by me." Maria grinned and snapped out her
phone; she had the woman's number up in no time. It only took two rings
for her to answer.
"Hey, Val, it's Maria! How would you like to bump up that
meeting with Freya by a few days?"
--Amy Nguyen, 18, 5'11" (1.8 m), right back--
Nobody knew what to expect when the grayish-black Ferrari
F430 Spider rolled onto the parking lot and a stunning Spanish woman
emerged, but needless to say, more than a few hearts were bewitched and
several eyes began to linger. Maria shot her arm up in the air and
welcomed the woman onto the soccer field, introducing her as Valencia
Durante, fellow fashion guru.
"Just 'Val' is fine," she chirped. "So which one of you
beautiful women is Freya von Hohenheim? I thought I would be able to
see her from afar, but it seems I was blinded by several other radiant
faces."
"Sweet," Lauren laughed. "I love her already, Maria.
Where'd ya find her?"
"We met in the bookstore line. Freya's that uber-sexy
blonde over there, talking to that snot-nosed Japanese laundry maid.
I'll introduce you two later, but right now, could you do me a favor?"
"Uh, sure, what?" Valencia's eyes kept staring as Maria led
her onto the field and put her in the goalie's box. She took all of her
friend's paraphernalia and advised her to remove her purple high-heel
shoes (gushing over how tragic it would be if they got a stain);
Valencia did as instructed, but seemed puzzled.
"Interesting," Arina whispered as she gazed at them.
"Apparently, there's been a coup, and you're being routed."
"So?" Lauren snorted. "Not as if I care. I told everyone
before that I'm only here for fun. She can be the god-damned goalie if
she wants. That'll get me away from the ghibli." Arina sincerely
smiled at her friend for a moment.
"I suppose even nonchalance can be a virtue."
While Arina was trying to stir up some jealousy, Valencia's
thoughts were racing as she tried wrapping her mind around what was
happening. Freya von Hohenheim was standing on the sidelines, waving
and cheering as if she were an old friend, while the rest of the team
looked on with varying degrees of interest. Maria had explained to her
new friend what she wanted, and at first, Valencia thought she was
crazy. She had absolutely no futebal experience whatsoever, and in
spite of Jefe's assurances, she knew she wasn't up to the task.
But oh, if I do join them, I'll be around all these
beautiful women! And if it's true that Freya von Hohenheim is the
manager...
"Hey, uh, Miss Val, are you ready?" Valencia broke away
from her thoughts and doubts, noticing a cute girl smiling back at her.
She didn't know any names yet, so all she could do was nod. Jennifer
Andre, trying to dismiss her own reservations, launched a fairly good
shot at the goal, yelling out "here it comes!" Valencia shrieked and
jerked out of the way--and Lauren laughed.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she gasped, "that was rude of me.
She just has this really cute scream." Arina sighed forlornly.
"How I envy you sometimes." Jen gave Valencia a sweet smile
and asked if she wanted to try again, perhaps without shutting her eyes
or moving out of the way.
"Not so rough!" Maria exclaimed. "That's an Adrien Félix
she's wearing!" Valencia waved at Jen and encouraged her to take
another shot.
"Don't worry, this is an older shirt. I mean, I wouldn't be
so stupid as to wear one of my better outfits. Let's try that again."
"Are you sure?" Val nodded and Jen delivered another kick.
This time, she was ready for it, and jerked to the side like a graceful
hawk, easily catching the checkered sphere. Lauren clapped and even
cheered.
"Bravo, bravo! There's hope for her yet."
"Ignorance is such bliss," Arina sighed to herself. Jen
tried another shot--and another--and another--and they were all captured
with pinpoint accuracy. Some of the girls had to wash their faces or
pinch themselves, just to make sure they weren't imagining things.
Felicity took over for Jen, juggled the ball in the air, and stared at
her target. She, too, had noticed Valencia's sex appeal, but forced it
back into her mind so she could concentrate on the game. She putted two
practice shots before bringing out the heavy artillery, and of the five
fierce attacks she unleashed, Valencia caught an astounding three (but
the other two were within a millimeter's breadth).
"Do you have anything to say now?" Arina asked, a slight
smirk of arrogance gracing her beauty. Lauren laughed, reclined on the
ground, and folded her hands, smiling peacefully.
"Um, does 'I think I'm in love' count? Or were you
expecting me to say something more like, 'Oh shit, she's better than me,
I'm mad now!'"
"Actually, I was hoping you would not say anything at all,"
she grinned. Lauren snorted.
"You're such a pill. Hell, if she gets to be on the team,
I'm asking that princess out on a date! I mean, who the fuck cares if
she gets to be the goalie?"
"You're not even worried that you'll be cut?" Lauren
cherished that sliver of concern on Essylt's impenetrable expression,
almost as much as the caress of a lover.
"Now why would I feel that way? Hey, Coach! So what's the
verdict?" Luckily, Leena hadn't heard their earlier exchange, because
she might have added a few strict comments of her own. She called
Valencia to her side and had a few words with her, then gathered the
whole team together and put her hand on the young woman's shoulder.
"Ladies, it is an honor and a privilege to welcome Valencia
Durante to the team. I guess our practice session today turned out
better than I hoped." The ladies were given leave to crowd around
Valencia and welcome her (Ah, to be surrounded by beauties! Paradise!),
and though her thoughts were mainly focused on their attention, in the
back of her mind, she was reeling.
I hope that boss of mine isn't expecting me to owe him
anything...although I probably should thank him. I just hope none of
these other women was the goalie.
Lauren finally approached Valencia when the crowds had gone, asking for
a moment of her time.
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