I'm back! On weekends, at least. Mostly. Sometimes. Okay, so only a little. But guess what? Not a whole lot of the story left, I don't think. :D Which is good, right? Of course. I do hope this is worth the wait! And I do hope the next one isn't so long. :)
Well, the carnival ended in a disaster, Viola was able to admit to herself. First she had to kiss Duke. Then he got in a fight with Justin over... who knows what, really. Something about being a guy, or testosterone. In either case, she was the one who somehow got blamed for the entire thing, which was very unfair, she decided.
To top it off, she hardly got to spend a second with Kia!
"Okay men, game day is almost here. I want you in the weight room for at least a half hour, then we'll have another light practice early this evening. That's an order."
At Dinklage's dismissal, Viola sighed.
"Dude, you alright?"
She met her roommate's eyes.
"Yeah, I'm... fine. Just tired."
"Well, come on. Lets get these weights out of the way, then you can be lazy all you want."
With her shoulders sagging, Viola agreed reluctantly. The transition from the field to the gym was quick, and with great force was Viola fighting the bar of weights. Duke seemed to have no problem with his 250 pounds. She struggled with just 80.
I am so weak, she thought miserably, sitting up.
Although it could just be fatigue, she added, trying to make herself feel better.
It didn't work.
"So, your sister..."
"Totally gay. Seriously, she defines the term," Viola cut-off the boy, confirming his suspicions.
"Yeah, uh, she didn't seem to like the idea of working at the kissing booth."
"I think our mom's trying to make her find an appeal in guys. It's definitely never gonna work."
She tried to convince herself that it wasn't odd, Duke asking questions. I mean, she was the first girl he had really kissed. Totally normal, right? She was attempting to stop all trains of thought, nevertheless.
"What about Olivia?"
Duke looked down, shrugging.
"Things are alright. We talk now. But she's just... I dunno. It's not really what I thought it would be. Don't get me wrong, she's still as great as ever, it's just... different."
"What are you talking about? What happened to the other night?"
"I dunno, yesterday was... weird... it just made me think."
Viola bit her lip. This was bad.
"Well, don't give up yet. You two have only really been on one date, right? Sometimes it takes more than that!"
She never had a problem admitting when she failed something, and she was fairly certain that she could add her little pep-talk to that list.
"You're right," Duke agreed, though he sounded far from convinced.
A short silence.
"Hey, even if it doesn't work out, you know... there's someone else out there. There's always some one else."
"Oh yeah?" Duke was smirking now, and his tone was challenging. "Even for you?"
Viola blinked at the change of conversation.
"I don't plan on ever finding that out," she finally said.
"Yeah, whatever bro," Duke just shook his head, before going back to his reps. Viola leaned against the machine, arms crossed as she studied him pensively. After a moment she shook her head.
What was it with guys?
Rolling her eyes, Viola studied the gym. Olivia and her friend, Maria as her mind readily supplied for her, who had returned to school early, were over at the elliptical machines, chatting over only who knows what as they shot several glances their way. The small workout room was otherwise empty.
"Hastings!"
Viola snapped up from her lounging position at the sound of Dinklage's voice, as Duke finished his second set of reps.
"Yeah Coach?"
"First string, for the Cornwall game."
A red jersey hit her face, before falling into her arms, which she had unfolded to catch it. Looking down at the material, she studied the jersey in wonder.
'Hastings' read across the top back, in large, white block print. Her number, 13, was present on both the back and the front of the shirt. It wasn't her favorite 'Cornwall' blue that she had worn for so long, but it still gave her a feeling of accomplishment.
"Really?"
"No I'm joking," Dinklage said, as if it were ludicrous to ask such a question. "Of course really."
With that he took his leave, not staying to listen to what he was sure to be an emotional response from the teen.
"Oh...my...God. Oh my God! I did it! Duke, I did it!"
Her temporary roommate was grinning at her excitement.
"I know dude, see, I told you."
"This is awesome," Viola gushed, not thinking of the picture she must make as she forgot herself. "Oh my God. I have to tell Kia!"
Duke blinked in amused confusion as the brunette hurried from the gym. Shaking his head with a half grin, he laid back on the cushioned bench, for his last set.
"Hey Duke."
The metal of bar made a loud clang against the holder, as Duke sat straight up.
"Olivia! Hi. H-how... what's up?"
"Nothing much," she said lightly, as if it was just a casual conversation. "What's with Sebastian?"
Duke grinned.
"He's first string."
"Really? I'm impressed. He's that good?"
"Just like he is with everything else," Duke shrugged it off. Olivia seemed to catch what he meant. For a moment he mulled over his roommates words. Just like with everything else rang through his head again.
"So, uhm... what are you doing tonight?"
0o0o0o0o 0o 0o0 o 0 o 0o
"WHAT?"
Kia's shriek was a match even for her own.
"I know, right? We're SO getting our team back!"
"Viola... I love you. You're amazing. And we are so on for tonight."
The smaller brunette laughed into the phone. "You know, I always love how that sounds. Especially when it's coming from you."
"I'll pick you up at...you have practice this afternoon, right?"
"Game strategies mostly," Viola agreed. "Dinklage surprised us with an hour of conditioning this morning, but he still wants us to have our systems down. It's at 4:30."
"Well, I will be there to pick you up when you're done."
Viola grinned.
"It should only be an hour long."
"Can't wait, babe."
Viola could almost picture her girlfriend's wink that would have accompanied the statement, if they had been face-to-face.
"Me either. See you then."
With a sigh of content, Viola snapped the phone shut, before stopping in her pacing. She allowed herself to fall backwards, landing with a bounce on her brother's bed, as she hugged the jersey to her chest.
By the time Duke returned, she was already napping.
0o0o0o0o 0o 0o0 o 0 o 0o
"Orsino, you'll cut to the outside. Hastings, when he does this-"
"I'll cut inside of him, and cover the center," Viola readily supplied with a nod, following the marks on the small white board that Dinklage was detailing the play on.
"Come on boys! If the two main players involved in the play understand it, why can't the rest of you get your positions down? You're the ones with the easy jobs!"
No one had an answer for the coach.
"Let's run it again. When everything goes smoothly, practice will be done. But until then..."
He let the threat hang in the air, and after a quick glance to each other, the team firmly resolved to not let that happen. As they rose from their huddle and headed back towards the field, a lone figure leaning against the fence near the bleachers caught Viola's eye.
She gave her girlfriend a goofy grin. She saw Kia roll her eyes at her quirkiness, but the other brunette gave her a smile in return, none the less. With a slight shake of her head, Viola turned her attention back to the practice, where the play started with a throw-in from the center of the field.
It took only several tries before Dinklage decided it was good enough, and released them. Kia had already let herself onto the field, now leaning casually on the fence next to the locker rooms entrances. She waited patiently as Viola slung her bag and made her way over.
"Hey babe," Kia's accompanying smile was a coy one, and Viola could almost imagine the jealous thoughts she was sure to be running through her teammates' heads.
"You haven't been here long, have you?"
Viola could not recall when the other brunette had shown up, just her suddenly being there.
"Not too long, but don't worry. It was educational."
Kia's invasion of her personal space was something that Viola rarely objected to, and like usual, this was not one of those times. Viola dutifully ignored the whistles and cat calls from the boys as they shared a slow, lingering kiss.
"Ready to get out of here?"
Viola's grin was happy, and the sparkle in her eyes matched, reminding Kia of just why she loved the other girl so much.
"I've been ready since this morning," the twin replied, tone smooth since the guys were still watching.
"Well... let's go then, luv-ah."
"Let us, my lady," Viola returned, her tone lightly mocking as she stepped aside, holding one hand out. Kia, as per her natural charm, gave her girlfriend a coy wink, before firmly grabbing the outstretched hand to lead Viola towards the parking lot. Viola easily fell instep besides the taller girl, but let their fingers interlace for the short walk.
"So what's the plan?"
"Team meeting," Kia informed her. "At Yvonne's. But we still have about an hour before we need to be there."
"Sounds great, cause I really need a shower," Viola said, as they broke apart. Sliding into the passengers seat, she clipped the seat belt in place as Kia started the car.
"You don't smell too bad," Kia said, but didn't argue her point. "Only a little."
Viola laughed at that.
"Well, that's always reassuring. I'm just happy we have the day off tomorrow. I don't know how ready I'd be for the game on Monday, if I had to deal with practice on top of that lunch."
"Almost done, babe. Just two more days, and things are normal again."
"Finally."
"What's your mom making you wear tomorrow, anyways?"
"Thankfully, she's letting me choose."
Kia shot her a quick glance of surprise.
"Really? So what day is the world ending?"
"Well, I'm hoping it at least holds out for this season."
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The seven other players of the Cornwall girl's team were already at Yvonne's when the pair arrived, exactly on time. At one time the girl had wondered how the couple could be late for everything else that didn't involve soccer, but she had long since given up trying to figure it out, as she stepped aside to admit her two friends.
When they all settled down at the large, dining room table, snacks spread out and a white-board-easel at one of the long ends, the meeting started.
"Okay, so our recruiting has been... kind of successful," Kate was a petite blonde who held position as one of the team's fullbacks. She was also notoriously known as a meticulous planner, and immediately took control of the information. "We have five maybes. Unfortunately, it's taken a lot of convincing and negotiating - all of them have decided to base their decision on the Cornwall/Illyria game."
With this she shot a pointed look at Viola, who was only the slightest bit surprised that anyone had let slip her involvement with the opposing team. What was the point of using that as a recruiting pitch if none of the recruits knew?
"Which I'm so gonna kick ass in."
"You better. Don't worry, I'm pretty sure none of them will give you away before then. Now, the only two slots we need to fill are fullback and halfback," Kate reiterated what they all already knew. "Thankfully, two of the girls are interested in those positions. Out of the other three, we have one interested in goalkeeping, and two utility girls. Neither of them have a preference of position, which means they'll probably be the most effective players for us to get, if none of the rest. Hopefully that's not our only choice, however."
Kate was also an avid scout and researcher and, though only a sophomore, she was usually the one who devised and trained the team in their game strategies when their coach gave her the opportunity.
"What else do we know about them?"
"Sarah is the only senior, she's the one interested in halfback. Her family just moved here from Ohio, but I looked into it, she's a pretty decent player. Scrappy, but has good field awareness. Cara is a freshman, she's the fullback. Strong player, but high school soccer is pretty different from junior high. Still I think with a bit practice, she'll do just fine."
There were no current Freshmen on the team, but three girls in each of the other grades. Kia, Viola, and Yvonne were the only ones set to graduate at the end of the upcoming school year.
"Another two of the girls are Freshmen. Hanna, who I wasn't able to get a lot on. She's the one who wants to play keeper, though, so that's fine, we can gauge her, train her as much as she needs before she'll be playing. Hopefully."
Trisha scowled at the girl.
"I swear Kate, if you just jinxed me..."
She did not finish the threat, and the younger girl shifted foot to foot, before taking a deep breath.
"Right. Our last two girls are the utility players. Aja is the last freshman. Very promising, but like I said before... high school soccer is still a level up from junior high. It might take her some practices and a bit of experience to get up to par, but once she does she'll definitely be a force to reckon with. Finally there's Niki, she's a sophomore. She tried out for the team last year, but she was still recovering from an ankle sprain that happened over the summer, and didn't make it. We used to play on the same team, though, I remember - she not all that bad of a player. We can definitely train her up quick, if she decides to join."
The room fell silent as the team mulled over the information.
"Do we know what our game schedule would be, yet?"
Kate nodded at Jenn, one of the team's fullbacks, question.
"The proposed season is all posted, they haven't finalized it yet, though. They won't for at least another two weeks, when the rest of the schools start up classes. I have a print out, if we get our team up and running by next week-"
"When," Viola stubbornly corrected, much to the amusement of the rest of the team. Even Kate gave her a small grin.
"Right, silly me," Kate chuckled quietly. "When. We'll be playing Prospect first, which is definitely a positive, because they've always been the weakest team in our division, so it'll be a good way to kick off our season. Hopefully with a win, and our newbies with some experience. That's scheduled exactly one month from today."
"So we'll have about three and a half weeks to get everything together," Stassi summarized out loud.
"Precisely."
Another silence fell over the group, this one leaving the room full of energy, however.
"We can totally do this, girls," Hilary, the teams third attacker, decided. It was met with a unanimous agreement.
"It's all on you, Vi," Jess informed the girl, who's green eyes glinted with determination.
"It is so going down."
The meeting continued on a lighter note, as Kate started detailing several new strategies that she had been working on over the past few weeks. The team chatted, debated, and laughed their way well into the night before Yvonne's parents got home and politely requested that everyone leave, due to the lateness.
That was what found Viola and Kia lying on their backs on the large bed-like lounge chair that was in the younger girls back yard. The night was clear, and a bit chillier than usual, but jeans, sweaters, a light blanket, and each others presence easily kept them warm as they made up their own constellations with the stars.
"Soccer ball!" Kia called out, as she pointed to the sky in a childish way that made Viola crack up.
"Look, it's hitting Drayton's abnormally large head," Viola gleefully pointed out her own abstract image.
Kia snorted at that, before shifting so her head was resting on Viola's shoulder. For a moment she closed her chocolate brown eyes, as she took a deep breath, grin firmly in place at the familiar smell that was her girlfriend. Lavender, from her favorite body wash, and another indescribable scent that always reminded Kia of home. Viola's arm easily curled around the other girl, holding her close.
"Hey, Kia?"
"Mhmm?"
"Do you think we'll all really be a team again?" Viola quietly asked as all the humor faded from the conversation. The thought of their idea failing had been a slight, but constant, nag at the back of her subconscious, but it was only now, as the deciding day drew even closer, that she finally voiced her doubts.
"Yeah. Yeah I do."
"But what if I fail?"
Kia lifted her head slightly to study the other girl, who's green gaze was determinedly fixed at the night sky.
"You're too stubborn to fail," Kia joked. At Viola's unchanging expression, she gave the slightest of sighs.
"Vi, look at me."
It was a moment before the other girl obeyed.
"If anyone can do this, it's you."
She still looked unconvinced.
"Look, babe. Have I ever lied to you?"
"No," Viola's response was quiet.
"And am I ever wrong?"
A slight, amused smile filtered across Viola's face. "Of course not," her tone was lightly teasing, before she was serious again.
"Exactly. And now is no different. On Monday, you're gonna go out there, you're gonna show up every single guy on that field, and our recruits will join. Then we're gonna blow all of our competition out of the water this season. And by this time, next year... you and I will have our own place, at Carolina, doing it all over again. Minus the recruiting."
As Kia's description went on, Viola's grin grew.
"How do you do that?"
Seeing her girlfriend's change of mood, Kia laid her head down again.
"Some people are just that amazing. I happen to be one of them," she said in a cocky manner, eliciting a laugh from the other girl.
"Well yeah, I already knew that."
Kia slung one arm over Viola, hugging her closer, as she almost seemed content to leave the conversation right there.
Almost.
"Vi, I know what you can do. And even if you doubt yourself sometimes, I don't. Because I've seen it."
After several minutes of silence, Viola's other arm came up, encircling the other girl completely.
"I love you Kia. You're the best."
"That I am."
Viola chuckled at her girlfriends choice response, but felt the younger girl shift closer.
"You know, you're just as great, Vi. Trust me. We just went over this: I don't lie and I'm never wrong."
The brunette looked up at the sky, relaxed at the feel of her girlfriend's slight breathing on her neck.
"I know."
The comfortable silence returned, and it wasn't long before either of girl drifted off into an easy, peaceful sleep, out under the stars, in each others embrace.
ANNNND there! Uhm, so yeah, I totally didn't intend on such a big Viola/Kia moment at the end, but I kinda like it. I think it was about time, yeah? :D I hope this makes up for my unfortunate absence! Now, I didn't actually look this over very much, cause I really just wanted to get this POSTED finally, so I'm sorry for any mistakes you encounter.
