The rookie

Part 8

It's been 2 hours and I'm sweating in the gym with Millie and Rachel.

"Hey kid, you know you can take your top off, who even brings a long sleeve top to the gym anyways?" Rach laughs, little did they know.

"I'm alright, I'm not really that warm" I lie, as I wipe the sweat off my forehead, almost like clearing evidence from a crime scene.

"Yeah? Tell that to your sweat marks!" Millie calls out whilst completing her final set of weighted squats. Luckily charlotte or Andrew never really hit or aim for my legs so I could wear shorts, my arms weren't really that bad, a couple scars here and there but knowing mills and rach, they are going to question it if they see them.

"I'm almost finished anyways." I get onto my last set of hip thrusts.

"Whatever you say kid," Millie calls out with and uncertainty in her voice. She is catching on, and even I know it.

As we finish up in the gym we head to the recovery room. We head straight to the ice baths first, all jumping in. "Ever been in an ice baths before kid" rach says chattering her teeth.

"Uhm not really, but it's only a little colder than my usual shower" I chuckle to myself not realising what I've just said, and the girls frown,

"You shower cold?" Millie raises an eyebrow,

"Yeah, not really allowed hot water" is this ice getting to my brain or something? Why am I saying this?

"What do you mean?" Rach questions further, both with worried looks in their eyes. I finally catch onto what I've just told the girls and look anywhere but at them,

"Just, I like cold showers is all" I try to save myself,

"But you just said you aren't allowed hot water?" Millie pushes again,

"I said that? Oh must be the ice getting to my brain or something" I laugh hoping the girls will follow suit and drop the conversation. Thankfully they do with much hesitation.

"So where do you live at the moment kid?" Rach changes the subject, trying to kill the tension.

Millie's POV:

I know what rach is trying to do, and I'm glad. This kid knows more than she is letting on. Hopefully rach making her speak about her family will make her slip up, I mean I have my theories, and I'm sure Rachel does too, but now it's just proving them,

"Milton Keynes" the youngster replies.

"How long have you lived there?" I now include myself into the conversation,

"Two years" another blunt reply,

"Any family? Brothers? Sisters? Mum? Dad? Grandad?" I push further. This made her stutter. Now I'm starting to solidify my theory.

"You know you can talk to us kid?" Rach points out, trying to get her to speak.

Julie's POV:

I can't tell them? Can I? I mean it's no harm in telling them I'm an orphan? That wouldn't show the abuse or anything? Just a sad child that's lost her parents? Rachel speaks up pulling me out my thoughts

"You know you can talk to us kid?" But can I really though? I start looking around. Panicking. I felt my breathe getting faster. I subtly try to hide it.

"It's cold in here isn't it?" I try to change the subject. Before either one of them can say anything the alarm goes off indicating us to get out. Thank the lord. "Time to leave I guess" I quickly jump out the bath and towards the towels, making my quick escape back to my room. I wasn't really in the mood to be interrogated whilst getting a massage, I'd rather be in pain for a couple of hours. Leaving the girls behind, I exit the door.

I know how rude I've just been, but if making friends means opening up, I'd rather have enemies. I make my way into my room, my luck must have run dry because Ellen was sat there on the bed. Thankfully no one else was in here though. We exchange a simple greeting before I put in my headphones and lay back. I drift asleep, running a million different scenarios in my head.

Millie's POV:

Me and Rach watch as Julia runs out before either of us can get a word in. We also jump out the ice baths and sit in silence for a while whilst drying ourselves off,

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Rach breaks the silence first.

"If what you're thinking is that something seriously wrong is happening to the girl then yes. I don't want to assume but something is definitely not right." I respond, looking towards the door the trouble teen ran out of.

"I hate to assume as well but it's all adding up. She wouldn't take off her top, she won't talk about family, she is skinny and not eating properly, not to mention she flinched every time someone comes close to her or even at sudden movement." Rach looks down.

"I don't know what's happening but whatever it is, we need to get to the bottom of this Rach. I don't like this. Not at all." I shake my head and she silently agrees with me. What are we going to do with Julie? How are we going to get her to open up to us, and more importantly, how are we going to help?

"I'll talk with Sarina" rach claims as we leave,

"I'll join you."

As we reach Sarina office, Rach knocks before entering, I'm following closely behind.

"Hey girls, it's getting late, what's up?" Sarina simply greets us, I notice the time. It's now 7pm.

"Hey we have a few questions about Julia" Rachel speaks first, neither one of us wanting to push any boundaries,

"What sort of questions?" Sarinas eyes now furrow as she points us towards seats in front of her desk. We take the seats and continue where we left off,

"Well where did you find her?" I ask bluntly, wanting to get straight to the point.

"On a field, she was practicing, and caught my eye, I found her skill fascinating, and when she said she has never trained or even played with a team before, I knew I wanted to train her to be a lioness straight away, just so happens Ellen called me a couple days earlier about her injury, and I had a spot to fill at camp." I'm surprised how much detail Sarina went into. Was she also worried about Julia?

"Did you notice anything... unusual?" Rach proceeded with caution.

"What are you getting at girls?" She raised an eyebrow as if she knew where we were going with this.

"I think you know Sarina. And I also think it's part of the reason you brought her here." I once again answer bluntly. Sarina sighs,

"She had marks on her arms, a tired look in her eyes and an aura as if she was about to give up." She looks down, "I saw a lot of potential in the kid but I also recognised the pain, I don't know what's going on, but I knew I had to do something." Sarina finished, looking up at us again. Me and Rach remain silent. All this just proves the point we were both hoping wasn't true. Sarina continues, "when I told her about joining our team, one of the first thing she asked was "do I need parental consent" she also text me to pick her up at a corner shop, and not her house, I didn't want to push and ask why, but I had a pretty darn good idea."

"We need to help her Sarina." I sigh, thinking what she could be going through at home.

"I know, but I can't do anything until she opens up." Sarina simply explains.

"Let us try" Rach asks, Sarina nods her head giving us the go ahead.

We all agreed that it was too late tonight to try anything, but after training tomorrow, Sarina said she will put us together as a recovery group. Maybe then we can start to gain her trust. Maybe then she will start to open up. Or maybe she will run away from the situation.

Let's just hope she can trust us.