My Cure - Mallory Pugh/USWNT (Sequel to Attached)

Chapter 5

June 13th, 2022 

Mal's POV

Morgana's parents were going to be out for a while, so we just ordered food right to her house. Her sister Chloe went to go pick it up, and I hoped that meant Hayley, Morgana's niece and Chloe's daughter, would come with her to lighten the mood. 

We were all on the couch, watching the TV in the dark, all huddled together under a bunch of blankets with the lights off because that was just how we were all feeling. 

Morgana was fragile and constantly shaking, it was just not at all what I was used to. I thinke everyone else would agree too. 

"I think I'm going to go lay down." She said. 

"Isn't that what you're doing right now?" Sanchez asked. 

"In my room, I mean." 

"Alright. Well you do that. We'll be here." Said Sophia. 

"Thanks." She stood up and stretched. 

"Let me know if you need anything. Do you want to take water?" I asked. 

"I'm fine. Just let me know when the food's here." She walked upstairs, and we were all silent until we heard the door to her room close. 

"Mal, do you know why Chloe wasn't at the hearing today?" Asked Ashley. 

"I wish I could tell ya." 

"Yeah. That was weird. I know Morg and Chloe are close." Said Kelley. 

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Sophia's POV

"Morgana loves her. And I know she's a good aunt to Hayley." Ashley Sanchez said. 

Everyone started talking about it, and coming up with ideas as to why she wasn't there. 

"Maybe she had work." Said Kelley. 

"Maybe Hayley was sick." Ashley said. 

"Well..." I said, which made evryone quiet. 

"Well what?" Mal asked. 

"Well I might know why." 

That night in the hot tub in Ohio during the first week of the SheBelieves cup,  Morgana told me a lot more than Mallory knows. Which is pretty weird, considering they are somewhat of a 'thing' and she's Morgana's comfort person. 

That night, Morgana told me all about her family. All about the struggle of her sisters, and how hard it was to grow up with them. 

It was pretty sad, actually. Because Morgana loves both of them so much. 

Morgana's now a professional athlete and Chloe's a nurse, which I woudl be very proud of if I were a parent. But Lena pulled she short straw, and ended up an addict. 

How that happened neither Chloe, Morg, nor their parents know. But I think it could come from the fact that she's the middle child and always gotovershafowed by her sisters, one being very very smart and the other being en extremely good athlete. But Morgana says that she was just the 'super best person ever.'

But I know Chloe and Lena didn't get along, and Morgana overheard so many fights that she wishes she never did. And it hurt her, because she loved them both so much. 

When I asked about them now, all she said about Lena was this. 

"Right after high school.....shit happened. She went downhill, my parents couldn't handle it, and she left one day and I didn't see her again. My parents told me everything, but it really sucked, Sophia." She told me. "I lost my best friend that day. She was the one I turned to for everything. And then she was gone. So that's even I started just bottling everything up."