Chapter Text
There is an unspoken, fascinating phenomenon which many observe, but few discuss. And that is of the weekend relationship.
This happens in a few contexts, though they are fundamentally mostly the same. A bunch of horny strangers (mostly in their teens) thrown together around some kind of event or focus, happy to make out and sometimes a little more, before ending the weekend with an exchange of numbers, or sometimes not.
It happens in during competitions, of all variety; teams who couldn’t risk the mess of hooking up with their own teammates suddenly find themselves with a group of new (or sometimes familiar) faces, ready to win, and also ready to get some.
Camps are good for this, though sometimes they are a little prolonged, and hearts get involved.
Debate or arts competitions are good, though sometimes stifled by the deep feels, confused sexualities, and/or inability to speak to one another outside of a faux courtroom.
But sports… sports are where it’s at, and college soccer is no exception.
*****************
December, 2009
“Kelley, I really feel like we shouldn’t be doing this.” Kelley just looks back at her, expression unchanging.
“No one is going to care. Live a little!”
Christen hated that phrase. Live a little. “I was living quite nicely with my laptop and no shoes on in our hotel room.”
“Yeah, but what’s the fun of that?” Kelley and Christen paused outside the door, and she surreptitiously sent a text before flipping the phone shut, and sliding it into the pocket of her hoodie.
“Um, it was lame and boring, and this is going to be much more fun. I promise if you’re miserable, we don’t have to stay long.”
Christen looked around her, warily, hoping someone on their staff didn’t have a window overlooking the outside entrance to the other hotel across the parking lot, where two Stanford Cardinals were attempting to sneak in, in order to hang out in the hotel room of one of their greatest rivals. Kelley was acting like it was a walk in the park, and Christen was sure she was going to get in trouble. Absolutely positive.
About a minute later, a door midway down the hall opens up, and Christen can see Tobin Heath padding towards them, oversized Carolina blue hoodie, messy bun, and basketball shorts.
Why does she look good? How does she look hot? I don’t get it.
“HEY!!” Tobin wrapped Kelley up in a hug like she was family, and Christen felt a pang of… what was it? Jealousy? She’d only really met Tobin a handful of times, and they’d been teammates that summer, but everyone was focused on a million other things, and Tobin had her friends, and Christen had hers... It didn’t help that Tobin and Kelley were close, having been on youth national teams together for years, at this point. Tobin and Christen had been friendly, but never especially friends .
“Hey Christen!” Tobin opened her arms, and Christen slid around for a side hug. Of course she felt like a dork afterwards. Who gives side hugs anymore? SO middle school.
Tobin held open the door and Kelley and Christen both ducked under her arm, and she indicated her room to the left. The Tar Heels had only arrived about an hour earlier, in comparison to the Cardinals, who’d touched down in Texas earlier that afternoon, and settled into their rooms. Kelley and Christen were roommates, and Christen had been both wary and grateful, not sure if she’d signed up to be in the party room.
Mercifully, instead, it seemed like the Heels were a tad more chaotic, and the moment Tobin and Kelley had figured out that their hotels were literally divided by a parking lot, they’d planned on partying in Tobin’s room. She’d been put in a double suite, with her roommate Nikki, and a connecting door to Brit and Kling’s room.
There was mess everywhere. It was as though all the local convenience stores had been raided of all their cheap beer, chips, and candy. Tobin laughed at Christen’s face, pure shock crossing her features and a little bit of awe.
She smiled, and scratched the back of her neck, vaguely, sheepishly trying to justify- “We... pre plan. Win or lose, we still booze!” Christen heard a “Wooo!” from the adjoining room, and turned to see a few people bustling in the other room, among them Meghan Klingenberg, a teammate of Kelley and Tobin’s.
“KLING!” Kelley shouted.
“‘Sup, dude! Ready to suck ass?” Kling stuck out her tongue.
“In your dreams!” Kelley replied, sliding off her shoes and yanking off her hoodie, tying it into a knot around her waist. She headed into the other room, leaving Tobin and Christen in the living area of the suite.
“You can… uh… sit down if you want.” Tobin gestured towards the dark blue loveseat, where Christen sat, not realizing Tobin would join her in such close proximity and not take the chair.
“So how ya been?” Christen could smell her laundry detergent and was absolutely distracted by the long expanse of leg tucked under-
“Good! You know, we’re here. Trying to figure out what’s next-“
“OI!” There was a dull thudding on the other side of the suite door, and Tobin hopped up to answer, and striking brunette followed her in, clearly ecstatic. “Who would have thought this Texas grocery store would have such a great international section? I got some favorites, some Aero, a few Curly Wurlies, and they EVEN had some Fruit Pastilles, which I missed so much, let me tell you. Oh. Hello. I don’t believe we’ve met.”
“Oh, yeah, sorry- Christen, this is Lucy.”
“Bronze, Lucy Bronze.” She reached out and shook Christen’s hand, who looked at her, slightly startled. “Do Americans not do James Bond jokes? I feel like that one’s fallen short a few times.”
“No, it’s - uh, fine.” God, she’s British .
“Good, nice to meet the enemy. Well, which pile, Tobes?” Tobin gestured towards a growing mountain of Cheetos, gummy worms, Doritos, and family sized packs of M&Ms, Starburst, and Skittles. She added her additions, and plopped down into the seat Tobin had been previously occupying and then Tobin settled into the opposing chair. Christen could hear Kelley and some less identifiable voices chattering away, and she did her best to sit in the silence brewing between between the three of them. She nearly spoke up when more voices echoed through the hall, and even more players walked in; a tall blondish girl with a tight bun and dimpled smile, and some players she’d recognized from other games.
Pretty soon after, Tobin was distracted and chatting with friends, leaving the two of them alone, Christen, watching everyone get along, and Lucy on her phone. She flipped it closed and turned.
“So, what do you normally do at these kinds of parties?” Her fingers were interwoven and resting on her stomach, and Christen swallowed her distraction, though she considered storing the image of her hands, strong but soft, with short nails and a black hairband around her wrist- for later. Maybe. Like, once they were home and not competing for a championship.
“I… I mean, when I’m at parties I normally know people, but usually I’m just trying to avoid stupid games where I have to do something embarassing. You’d be surprised how strategically I can take out the trash and need to wash my hands, and get a drink, and find a million other excuses not to play Spin the Bottle.”
Surprisingly, the cute British girl laughed.
“Not quite the answer I was expecting! Why do you hate games so much?”
Just in time, Kelley walked over and perched on the arm of Christen’s chair, nearly empty bottle of Corona in hand. She offered Christen a cold one with the top already popped off, and turned to the new face.
“Hi, I’m Kelley.”
“Lucy.”
Christen squirmed. “No thanks, I don’t want to drink this close to a game, plus I’m not legal yet..”
“Uh, not legal for.. What, three weeks? Plus, what did I say before? Liiiiiive a little!”
Christen shook her head, crossed her arms, and offered a shiny grin. “Just say no, and all that, Kel.”
Kelley laughed, rolled her eyes, and shrugged, offering the beer to Lucy who took it gladly. ”Alright, Miss D.A.R.E.” They clinked bottles, each taking a sip. “So whazzup?”
“Christen here was telling me of her love of party games.”
“Hey!-”
“You guys play UCLA tomorrow, right? Tobin asked, sliding onto the floor on the other side of the coffee table from Christen. She was grateful for the diversion.
“Yeah, I’m not looking forward to facing Cheney out there. I miss her!”
“Anyone want a soda? The machine gave me two.” Another Tarheel and Pali Blues teammate, Whitney walked into the room.
“Yes please!”
“Chriiiiiiis!” She walked over and kissed the top of Christen’s head, while offering her the soda, and sitting down beside her.
Kelley piped up. “I texted Cheney and Syd to see if they could come hang out, but their coach is a bit of a bitch and they’re on full lockdown. No leaving, no parties, no junk food, no anything. Not even now, two days before the semis.”
“Yikes. Glad I avoided that situation!” Christen replied. The collected few raised their drinks, and cheered.
“Speaking of missing, where’s Ali?” Tobin asked.
“Phone call. I think it was the only good time to talk to her grandmother- time zones and everything. Not to fear, though- we can have fun without our Captain.” She dripped the final drops of beer onto her tongue, and placed the bottle down onto the coffee table, turning to her fellow Cardinal with a devilish grin, before spinning the bottle as the blood drained from Christen’s face.
It was as though she knew. She knew the bottle was going to stop in front of her, and she knew that Kelley knew, and -
“Ooooooh! Tobin and Christen!”
fuck.