Looks can be deceiving (Mapi León x OC)

Chapter 3 - total chaos

A week later, I was walking to the training center with a slightly too hot to-go coffee from the crowded subway station in my hand. Fortunately, today it was a bit colder and cloudier than the previous days, but the sun was still desperately trying to push through the cloud layer. I looked at the palm trees at the roadside and thought about the upcoming football training.

Last week all we had been working on were our techniques, but yesterday Jonatan had announced that today we were to play against each other in two teams. I just hoped that I wouldn't be on the same team as Mapi. Even though the past week had passed fairly quiet except for some minor teasing on her part, I'd rather not be testing my luck today. I'd prefer to be in a team with Laura, Lucy or her girlfriend Keira, the ginger she'd disappeared with on the first day. When Lucy had introduced Keira to me last Thursday, I briefly played with the idea of coming out to her. But even though I knew she obviously wouldn't mind, something stopped me from doing it. To be completely honest, I was secretly worried about what Mapi might do with this information about me, even though it seemed she was friends with Lucy and Keira. Nevertheless, I was feeling that she wouldn't hesitate to use any means to get rid of me.

As the training complex appeared in front me in its full glory, I took the last sip of my coffee and tossed the cup to the nearest trash can. Fuck. Of course, I just had to miss it. I hurried to the trash can and bent down to throw the cup away. I was about to enter the building when I noticed a motorcycle that had just pulled up. Thanks to my bad luck, no other than Mapi had to be standing right next to it, talking to the driver, a young, red-haired woman. It was the first time I'd seen Mapi in casual clothes. In training she scared me with her aggressive manner, her hair was always tied tightly, and she rarely laughed. Even now, she still radiated an enormous dominance, but in an almost peaceful way, if that makes any sense. Instead of the usual training gear, she was wearing loose dark pants and a mint green crop top. Her slightly wavy hair fell loosely around her shoulders and a pair of black sunglasses was sitting on her head.

Their conversation seemed to come to an end, and I was about to leave too when she stood on her tiptoes and gave the woman a quick kiss on the mouth. My eyes widened. Well, I would have nothing to fear from her in this matter, I thought with amusement. I seriously needed to stop overthinking. Mapi might almost be worse than Sydney in some ways, but at least she definitely wasn't homophobic.

Just then, Mapi turned and spotted me. Her eyes turned dark and her entire expression changed. "What's the matter, Princesa?" She asked me harshly, slowly approaching me until she was standing right in front of me. "Do you have a problem with two women kissing?"

Her brown eyes were shooting sparks into mine and I could feel her warm breath on my face. A hair brushed against me, and I didn't know if it belonged to her or me, but it sent a shiver down my spine anyway.

"No, no" I stammered, unable to even get out a proper sentence. My heart was pounding restlessly, and if it had beaten any louder, the sound would have been audible on the other side of the world. She was still looking at me challengingly, but I noticed how her eyes were wandering over my whole body at the same time, as if she was checking me out.

That was too much for me. I quickly turned around and disappeared into the building. Shortly afterwards, I arrived in the dressing room, totally out of breath.

Although I changed as quickly as I could, Mapi arrived in the locker room before I could get out. Luckily, we weren't alone, but I could still feel her eyes on me relentlessly. I grabbed my cleats and hurried out onto the field, joining Lucy and Keira.

The latter threw me a worrying look. "You okay?"

I nodded. "It's all good, I'm just running a little late."