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An incessant pounding on the door roused Hope from her almost fully-asleep state. She tossed her book to the bedside table, having little to no clue what she had even been reading about when she did in fact, doze off. The knocking continued, in a familiar rhythm and Hope groaned.
She shuffled to the door and flung it open, interrupting the song. ”Beez in the trap, Syd?” Hope asked with an eyebrow raised.
The forward grinned and danced to the song, “I beez in the trap! Bee beez in the trap!” Sydney sang and wiggled her rear end into Hope, thereby forcing her way into the Keeper’s room. She stopped, mid-booty bounce when she saw the room was empty. Hands on her hips she looked to Hope, who stared back.
"Where’s Mewis?"
"How should I know?" Hope asked, shuffling past the younger woman and flopping back onto her bed.
"She’s your roommate!"
"And your best friend," Hope countered, glancing at her iPhone. She jabbed a finger at it, still not sure if she preferred it over her Blackberry.
"She’s not texting me back! Or tweeting me back. And I even sent her a Vine!"
"You’re taking this LerouxMew thing too far. Give the kid some space. She’s probably out at the pool with the others."
"One, it’s LeMew and two, we’re not kids!" Sydney replied and plopped onto the opposite bed. She straightened up, "And three! I almost forgot. Her Royal Highness has summoned you to said pool. Something about turning today’s recovery day into a spa day. So get your suit on and meet us down there. Seacrest, out." And with that, Sydney was out of the room before Hope even had chance to decline.
Hope debated just going back to sleep but knew that if she ignored Carli, she’d hear about it the rest of the trip. With a sigh, Hope changed into her swimwear, pulling on a tank top and shorts over her bikini and armed herself with a towel, sunglasses, book, hotel card key (because Kristie had, as usual, left her key right on the TV stand) and purposely left her phone on the bed. If today was going to be a recovery/spa day, she could leave technology behind. For a while.
One elevator ride and three hallways later, Hope emerged under the bright sun and her ears filled with the familiar voices of her teammates. Most of which were swimming around in the pool, playing a weird version of what seemed to be water polo and tackle football.
“I’m open!” One voice shouted above the rest and Hope watched as Ali tossed the Nerf Football to Kelley. Two seconds had barely passed and Kelley found herself getting dunked by Christen Press. The ball popped out of her grasp as she went under and Abby’s long reach snagged it before and moved it along down the pool.
Hope slipped on her glasses and circled around the pool, easily sliding into the lounge chair next to Carli.
“Animals.”
“Barbarians,” Hope agreed with a small smirk. She pulled off her outer clothing and snagged some tanning lotion from under Carli’s chair and began to apply the cream. Kelley spluttered out from under the water, laughing her far-too goofy laugh and she and Press continued to rough house one another.
“Already, Solo?” Carli asked eyebrow raising above the rim of her sunglasses.
“What?” Hope asked, pointedly keeping her gaze on her own body, far too focused now on covering her legs with the lotion.
“You’re not out here for a full two minutes and you’re already googly-eyed over the kid,” Carli murmured quietly. Not that she had to be quiet, with the pool full of women whose voices were already trained for loud verbal communication, it was highly unlikely that any of their teammates would hear Hope and Carli’s conversation anyway.
“And how could you possibly tell that I’m googly-eyed over the kid?” Hope asked, tossing the lotion back under Carli’s chair. She leaned back and continued to watch the game, still unsure of what the point of the game was. She doubted anyone who was currently playing really knew what the point of the game was .
“Aside from the fact that you didn’t just now deny you were watching her, you mean?” Carli retorted with a smirk. Hope rolled her eyes. She knew she wouldn’t win this conversation and instead opted for silence. She ignored the knowing “Just what I thought,” from Carli and settled down even more into her chair before purposely bringing up her book to eye level. Or, almost eye-level. She left just enough room for her peripheral vision to keep an eye on Kelley. No, on the game. Oh who was she kidding? She sighed and flipped the page.
Half an hour later, the pool’s atmosphere had changed. Syd and Kristie were in the shallow end of the pool, sitting on the stairs and chatting. Alex and Tobin had staked out their own lawn chairs on the other side and the rest of the teammates were floating around, resting from an intense game of what was now called Ultra Foosball Polo.
Abby swam from group to group chatting for a minute before high fiving the women and moving onto the next group. Finally, she swam to the edge and splashed a bit of water onto Carli and Hope’s feet. The women jerked simultaneously.
“Get in the pool. We’re having a Chicken Fight Battle Royale.”
“I’ll pass,” came Carli’s instant reply. She turned over onto her stomach to signal the end of that conversation. Abby rolled her eyes. “Suit yourself, Princess. You in, Solo?”
Hope looked to the pool and saw the girls all looking at her with expectant faces. It was pretty hot and she wasn’t getting anywhere in her book anyway.
“Sure, I’m in.” With that, Hope stood, took off her sunglasses and quickly tied her hair into a ponytail while the other girls cheered. Hope slipped into the pool, her breath catching at the slight chill of the water. She joined the women and Christie, who was still in the shallow end with her kids, was given the task of pairing the teams up.
“Barnie and Press,” she started off. “Syd and Mew. Tobin and Alex. Pinoe and Abby. KO and Solo. Kriegy and Ashlyn,”
Ali and Ashlyn high-fived each other and called out something in what the others assumed was Swedish. It would have been convincing had the two not pronounced the same word in two completely different ways.
The rest of the team, who decided not to play, sat around the edge of the pool and began placing bets. Hope heard a chuckle behind her and glanced at Carli. The midfielder gave Hope a sly thumbs up Hope glared at her. Giving herself a mental shake, she turned around and Kelley was cupping her hands to squirt Alex in the face. Barnie shoved Kelley away with a chuckle and disappeared underwater, only to come up a few seconds later with Press on her shoulders. Kelley swam over to Hope and with a grin waggled her eyebrows.
“So, you wanna be top or bottom?” Kelley asked.
Hope’s eyebrows shot up and immediately grinned. “If I’m on top, we probably won’t make it past the shallow end and we’ll be out before this stupid thing even starts.”
Kelley laughed and gently pushed against Hope’s shoulder. “I don’t think you’re allowed to make fun of your battle buddy.”
Hope chuckled. “Fine, fine.” And just like every other game they played together, they had a quick huddle and an even quicker hug. “Don’t fuck it up, O’Hara.” Hope maneuvered behind Kelley while the shorter girl was tying her hair into a bun.
“Oh, sure. No pressurrrr-ahhh!” Kelley didn’t even realize Hope had gone underwater and almost lost her balance the second she was atop Hope’s shoulders. She hooked her feet around Hope’s ribs and Hope snugly held Kelley’s legs close to her.
“Good?” Hope asked, looking up at Kelley. Kelley grinned and punched the air a few times, throwing jabs and hooks.
“Golden.”
Hope steered them to the group and the women began a quick round of trash talking. Kelley eyed Alex, Mewis, Pinoe, Press, and Ali. She took the time to glare at all of them and pounded her fist into the palm of her other hand. Hope could’ve swore she heard Kelley let out a ridiculous sounding growl.
“All right ladies. The first rule is-“
“We don’t talk about fight club!” Sydney interrupted.
“Right,” Abby rolled her eyes, “The second rule is,”
“We do not talk about fight club!” Sydney and Kristie yelled once more, almost losing their balance, causing a round of laughter.
“If you two idiots are done, the third rule is-” Abby looked over to the pair, and they stifled their giggles. “We all go at it until one team is left standing. No dirty tactics. We still have to do that whole soccer thing,” Abby finished.
The teams all eyed each other and with a whistle from the sideline, courtesy of HAO, the women went to war. The goalkeepers and their respective partners all seemed to subtly fall into ranks next to each other and within second, it was a 3v3 battle. Mewis was the first to go, being a victim of Press’s strong arm, backed by Barnie’s height over Sydney. The two came up for air, laughing and spitting out water.
Meanwhile, Ali and Pinoe had their hands locked with one another, each one trying to overpower the other. Ashlyn and Abby tried to keep their footing until a ridiculous battle cry from Pinoe had Ali and Ashlyn faltering with laughter and seconds later, falling victim to the two short-haired women. Barnie and Press moved in to go against Abby and Megan while Hope and Kelley continued to give chase to Alex and Tobin.
Alex and Tobin were wobbling and trying to outmaneuver Hope and Kelley.
“Stop running and fight like a man!” Kelley called shaking a fist.
“I’m a pacifist dude!” Tobin called back ducking behind the Press and Pinoe fight.
“I’m not!” Alex called and poked Tobin on her arm. “Ride like the wind, Bullseye!”
Tobin looked up at Alex, confused as to what the reference was and was about to ask when Hope quickly steered her and Kelley to within arms’ reach. Hope heard two giant splashes behind her, along with whoops and groans from the sidelines and spared a quick glance. The others had taken each other out.
Sudden death.
Kelley kept growling, which in turn made Tobin laugh and almost lose her footing. The game was intense now and neither team showed any signs of fatigue. By now, the entire team was either yelling for Alex or Kelley - Carli had even joined in and was chanting for Alex. Probably just to piss off Hope.
Just when it seemed that Kelley was about to overpower Alex, the Nerf football from earlier smacked Kelley right in the head, causing the girl to lose her focus and turn to the direction it came. It was all the time Alex needed for a final push that sent Kelley flying backward, taking Hope with her.
The two emerged to cackling and clapping and Kelley’s eyes scanned the pool to see Reece with Christie, laughing.
“Foul!” Kelley hollered above the laughing, “Foul on Team Rampone! Outside interference!” The girls let out a new round of laughter while Tobin and Alex paraded around them, fist pumping the air. Kelley looked to Hope and saw the goalkeeper’s pursed lips. The rest of the team seemed to begin a new argument, demanding and denying payment for bets on the game. Hope leaned against the wall, upper arms anchoring her to the wall.
Kelley swam over looking apologetic. “Sorry I suck,” she sighed.
“Yeah,” Hope smirked, “I’m sorry you suck too.” Kelley’s eyes lifted from the pool to Hope’s eyes and she glared.
“Hey!”
Hope laughed and pushed off the wall before Kelley could splash her. Kelley gave pursuit and easily caught Hope around the shoulders. She attempted to dunk the goalkeeper but with Hope’s height advantage, she failed miserably and instead, decided to just latch onto Hope anyway.
“Let go!” Hope groaned, only half-attempting to pry Kelley off. Kelley answered by latching her legs around Hope’s middle, effectively pulling off a piggy back ride.
“Not until you tell me how awesome I am.”
“You’re not awesome,” Hope argued, “You lost us the championship!”
Kelley poked Hope in the ribs, making the goalkeeper squirm. Being roommates in London had offered Kelley the opportunity to learn that of all people, Hope Solo was in fact ticklish on her right side. In retaliation, Hope dunked the both of them under water and came up a few seconds later to Kelley sputtering but still hanging on.
“You’re like a leech,” Hope groaned and moved to the stairs of the shallow end. Most of the team had already made it back inside to shower and grab lunch. Hope continued on to her chair, as if Kelley still wasn’t latched on and began to gather her things.
“Not a leech,” Kelley argued and finally slid off Hope’s back. “Just lazy. Wanna carry me to my room?”
“Seriously?” Hope asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Totally.”
Hope sighed. “Fine,” and without warning she scooped Kelley up, bridal-style.
“Really?” Kelley asked, genuinely confused.
“No. Not really.” Hope replied and tossed Kelley back into the pool.
Kelley came up for air and splashed water at Hope, narrowly missing soaking Hope’s novel. By now they were the only two at the pool. Kelley had an angry pout on her face and Hope grinned.
“Punishment for our loss.”
“Fine," Kelley huffed. Then her pout upturned to a beaming smile. "Help me out?”
“So you can pull me back in? I may be old, but I am wise, kid.” Hope turned away and grabbed a towel and began to dry herself off.
“… Are you really upset that I lost it for us?” Kelley asked quietly. Hope froze for a second and turned around instantly.
“What?”
“I just know you’re competitive and I blew it for us,” Kelley muttered, letting her hand draw designs in the water. Hope immediately squatted by the pool’s edge. Did Kelley really think she was pissed at her?
“C’mere you bonehead,” Hope held out her hand and Kelley eventually took it. Hope easily lifted her out of the pool and wrapped a spare towel around the shorter woman. “Do you honestly think I’m mad at you?”
“Well…” Kelley started and sniffed a bit. Hope threw an arm around her shoulder. “Of course not!” Kelley cried and pulled Hope with her, back into the pool.
“You’re such a shit, Kelley!” Hope yelled and splashed water at Kelley. Kelley laughed and splashed back. After a few minutes they eventually stopped and just stared at each other, breathing heavily and smiling like idiots.
Hope tried to think about the last time she just had genuine, stupid fun and it took too long to even remember what month that may have occurred. Certainly it wasn’t recently. Sure the team always had a good time when they were together at camps or traveling together for a match, but Hope had no idea when she actually laughed so much her back hurt, her face hurt, and tears had leaked out - even if they were washed away by the cool, chlorine water.
Being around Kelley, she didn’t have to be Hope Solo star goalkeeper. Hope Solo, controversial athlete and celebrity. Hope Solo the tough, cold, woman that people made her out to be. She could just be a person and with Kelley, her defenses were down. The two pulled themselves out of the pool and sat in the sun for a while to dry off. They sat in silence, which to anyone else but Hope, thought was an impossible task for Kelley.
That’s how Hope knew that their trust was mutual. It didn’t come overnight and it took effort, but it was worth it. They didn’t have to put on a facade that others were used to. Kelley didn’t always have to be the lighthearted, funny, and sometimes immature kid of the team. In fact, when it was just the two of them hanging out, they could relax in easy silence or have deep, insightful talks and meaningful philosophies. She wasn't a Stanford graduate for just being a pretty face.
Lost in her thoughts, Hope almost jumped when Kelley grabbed the keeper’s left hand and held it in her lap. They remained in silence for a few minutes, Kelley tracing the barely visible scarring from Hope’s surgery.
“It’s good to hear you laugh and see you smile,” Kelley started
“Mm. I was sort of just thinking the same thing,” Hope confessed.
“How so?”
Hope took a deep breath. No matter how comfortable she was with Kelley, or even Carli, talking about her own feelings still unsettled her to a degree.
“You bring it out in me,” Hope said, dropping her gaze to their clasped hands.
“I like being able to do that,” Kelley started and seemed to hesitate, internally debating whether or not to continue. “I feel like there’s the smile you let people see, then there’s the smile that I get to see once in a while. It’s stupid, but it gives me a feeling. Like, I actually am a uh, a friend to you and not just a teammate.”
Hope’s eyebrow lifted. A friend. But Kelley was so much more than that. How could such a smart woman be so clueless? It’s not like Hope had given the girl any real hints as to what Kelley was to her, or how important she was. The only reason Carli knew about Hope’s affection toward the young forward-turned-defender was that Hope had turned to her best friend in hopes of gaining perspective on what to do - even if Carli was an asshole about it sometimes.
“You’re not just a friend to me, Kel,” Hope started and stopped. Try as she might to remember that she had a pretty extensive vocabulary, her mind drew a blank. Words rarely, if ever, failed her. Now, of all the moments in the history of forever, the idea of forming words escaped her.
“What am I then?” Kelley asked voice low, as if the moment could be ruined any second if she spoke too loudly or said the wrong thing.
Hope didn't tell Kelley.
She showed Kelley.
The taller woman bit the bullet and swooped down on unsuspecting lips. They’re soft against her own. Quite possibly the softest anything she’d ever felt. Kelley tensed and Hope felt the increasing pressure of the defender's hand on her arm. Hope's heart skipped at least three beats. Did she cross a boundary? Maybe Kelley really is just a touchy-feely person. Kelley’s lips had frozen beneath hers and Hope knew in that instant that she took it too far, too fast and in the completely wrong direction.
Hope froze. Then... To hell with it. She already started and if she had to stop it wouldn't be before that split-selfish-second to commit the feel of Kelley’s lips to memory before pulling away.
“Kelley, I’m sorry I just- I don’t… I’m sorry.”
Kelley just stared at her, face slightly bewildered and eyebrows scrunched together. Her mouth was still open just the slightest and Hope's gaze flickered to the defender’s mouth just once more. Twice more.
Kelley slowly turned her head away from Hope and stared at, what the keeper assumed was thing air, for a few seconds. Hope opened her mouth to utter another apology when Kelley finally let out a chuckle. That, in turn, left Hope on even more unstable ground.
“Hope Solo is gay for me.”
“Oh, Jesus,” Hope muttered and tried to pull her hand away. Kelley clasped it tighter and turned to Hope, eyes twinkling.
“You kissed me.”
“Mmhmm,” Hope replied and swallowed hard.
“Alex is going to owe me SO much money!”
“…What?” Hopes head jerked backward, completely baffled.
Kelley, seemed to realize how this conversation was happening and how Hope could and probably was, more than a little confused as to whether or not Kelley was reciprocating her feelings. Her freckle face broke into a huge smile once more and she closed the distance between the two of them. Hope's eyes fall closed on their own accord. It went from intense and hard to soft and calm in a matter of seconds as the two relaxed into the kiss. When air started to become a problem, the two pulled back just enough to take in a deep breath. Kelley leaned her forehead against Hope's.
“I’ve um,” Kelley started, suddenly shy, “I’ve had feelings for you for a while now. I told Alex and Tobin. Alex said that on the off chance that you did in fact, like women, she’d give me a hundred bucks.”
“I can’t say I have a thing for all women,” Hope said, “But I definitely have a thing for you.”
Kelley smiled and pecked Hope on the lips. And once more just because she can.
“Besides,” Hope began and climbed to her feet. She reached a hand down and easily brought Kelley up with her. “If anyone is gay for anyone else, it’s definitely those two idiots you call your best friends.”
“God, I know!” Kelley said and helped Hope gather her things. Just like that, the two fell into lock-step with each other. Except this time maybe just a little closer than usual and the pair wandered into the hotel. Because they didn’t have to be Hope Solo and Kelley O’Hara, international soccer players and gold medal Olympians.
“Alex Morgan! You owe me money!” Kelley hollered when her eyes fell onto her friend on the other end of the hall. Hope rolled her eyes and grinned.
They could just be. For now.