Mini Ertz///USWNT/NWSL

Training Again

The next day I skipped school and begged Julie to let me go to training with her since I was awake. It was late training day, it started at 1 and I slept in until 11. 

"Fine." She gave in after much begging. 

I smiled triumphantly and headed upstairs. I got changed out of my pajama pants into jean shorts and a flannel. 

"What in the world are you wearing?" She asked. 

I looked down at my outfit, seeing nothing wrong with it. 

"Where's your training shirt?" Laughed Julie. 

"I didn't think I'd be training today actually." I smiled, and quickly got changed again. I grabbed my soccer bag and followed her out the door. 

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"Guess who's back!" Julie said to the team as I followed her onto the field. 

"BRITT!" Everyone yelled things at me and surrounded me as if I didn't see most of them last night. 

"Are you here....like...on a contract?" Asked Sam Fisher. 

"Unfortunately not. I wish I was. I hate school." I laughed. 

"Well maybe we can do something about that." Said Julie, and everyone whipped their heads around. "Just thinking out loud. Sorry." 

"Got me excited!" Mallory Pugh said. 

I just joined training again today. I forgot how much fun it really is. 

When I asked Julie why I was even allowed to train again, she just said "I'm Julie Ertz! And you're a part of the team. When we get that trophy, you'll get a ring too!" 

I thought about that and how amazing that would be. Imagine having a championship ring at 16? That would be insane. 

We went out to get pizza after training with Tatumn, Mallory, Ella, and Kealia. 

I went to the bathroom and Tatumn came with me. 

"Need a break from those adults." She said. 

"For real." I laughed.

Then I paused, contemplating whether to ask this or not. I decided to ask, because I had nothing to lose really. 

"Did you ever ask Ella?" 

"Ask her what?" She stared down at her nails and picked at her nails. 

"Tate." 

"I didn't, okay? I chickened out." 

"Why?" 

"I don't know. I was afraid she'd hate me." 

"Tatumn she would never hate you!" 

"Britney, I took her out to dinner at a semi-fancy restaurant. I thought that was asking enough, you know? I was going to do your idea, but it didn't work out.  I thought maybe we would hang out after, but she seemed tired and wanted to go home." 

"You missed an opportunity." I told her. "A big one." 

"What?" 

"Bring her back to your house and watch a movie!" 

"Why does a 16 year old have better ideas than I do?" She laughed. 

"No idea. And I've only had 1 boyfriend in my whole life." 

"Only 1?" 

"I rejected guys left and right from 8th grade to sophomore year. This year no one dares go near me." 

"Makes sense." 

"Listen, I'm sorry for bringing this up. I shouldn't have. I didn't mean to upset you. I never mean to upset you. And I want you to know I support you 100% in your decision to ask her or not. All I'm saying is that I see the way she looks at you, the way she laughs with you, the way she cares about you, she'd never ever hate you in a million years. But I'm going to take myself out of this, because it's not my place." I told her. "Not my place." 

"I just...." She turned away from me and put her hand over her eyes. "I just don't know." 

I put my hands on her shoulders and turned her around to me. 

"Look at me." 

She didn't. 

"Look at me." 

She looked up, her eyes teary and mascara running a little bit. 

"It's going to be okay." 

She collapsed into me unexpectedly, and I had no idea what to do. She's an adult after all. 

As I was internally panicking, Ella opened the door and we made eye contact, but I made a weird motion with my hand and shook my head, so she nodded at me and left. 

Tatumn peeled herself away from me, and I took a paper towel and helped her clean up her makeup. 

"We're gonna say I got a call from Bailey. Got it?" I asked her. 

"Yep." 

"Good. You're okay, Tate. You're gonna be fine."