Look at us. We can't be doing this.

256 3 0
                                    

BIt of a time jump here, plus there's gonna be quite a few of these too.

*****************

July 2012.

A lot has changed since '07, Kelley are still together obviously, and we both were on the FC Gold Pride together along with Ali Riley and we had won the 2010 WPS Championship. Sadly the league folded earlier this year, but Kelley and I are on the USWNT Olympics Squad, so that's a good thing I guess.

Also Kelley is no longer a forward, since she switched to right back when called up to the senior national team.

"Feed me some of that, Tess." Abby Wambach asked as I snorted some of this cocaine we managed to get.

Yeah, Abby and I became close friends and you know, we developed an addiction to cocaine. We're in LA before we head off to London and Abby and I are currently flying down the 405 at six in the morning. I fed her nose and I took a swig of my beer.

Suddenly she stopped in the middle of the road and looked around us before looking at me, "Man, this is fucking crazy. Look at us. We can't be doing this."

She had a point, if anyone found out our careers would be dead in an instant. "You're right."

"Let's just gather the stuff we have and throw it out the window."

I did exactly that and we drove off. Later at the hotel everyone was just waking up as we entered, and we quickly lied and said we were up early before everyone else. Kelley walked out the elevator and smiled when she looked at me. No one on the team really knew we were dating, except for Alex and Christen. Everyone else has a hunch that we're together in some way but they don't push the issue.

Hope walks in next along with Rampone and sits next to Abby, giving me a glare in the process. Hope and I don't get along, and never will. It doesn't affect the team dynamic though, which is a good thing.

Abby and I went back to our things we did to keep us of the drugs, I had no clue what she has, but I went back to my beer.

**************

Today was the big game. After weeks of playing hard against some of the best players in the world representing their respective countries, the US has made it to the final.

"Ready for this?" Abby asked me and I nodded.

"That's the spirit!" Rapinoe exclaimed and everyone chuckled. I did my usual routine that I've done since college, and we headed out.

I had a massive sense of pride flowing through me as we stood for the national anthem. I knew my dad would be watching from home and that he'd be proud even though we don't get along. I knew my mom, some of my uncles, and my grandparents who have all passed on, are looking down on me with immense pride knowing that I'm here, representing the Red, White and Blue.

We all got in our positions, sadly Kelley is on the bench, but it is what it is. The crowd was extremely loud and deafening as the ref blew his whistle, signalling the start of the game.

I took off down the field with the ball, pushing past the Japanese defenders. I could hear my teammates cheering me on, and I felt a surge of adrenaline as I took the ball and shot it past the goalkeeper into the back of the net. The crowd erupted, and I pumped my fist in the air, feeling on top of the world.

But Japan wasn't going to give up easily. They fought back hard, and it was a back-and-forth game. Every time we scored or tried to score, they answered with a goal attempt of their own. I could feel the sweat pouring down my face, my muscles burning with the effort of keeping up the pace.

Finally, the game came down to the last few minutes. The score was tied at 2-2, and it was all up to us to make the winning goal. I received the ball from a pass and dribbled past the defenders, my eyes fixed on the goal. I could hear the crowd roaring, urging me on, and I took a deep breath and shot the ball with everything I had.

It flew through the air and into the back of the net, and the crowd went wild. I fell to my knees, tears streaming down my face, as my teammates mobbed me in celebration. We had done it – we had won the gold medal for the United States.

As I held the medal aloft, I knew that this was the proudest moment of my life. I had worked so hard to get to this point, and it had all been worth it. I was a champion, and nothing could ever take that away from me. Kelley hugged me so damn tight that I couldn't move.

"We did it!" She yelled and I laughed as she let go and ran to our other teammates. I gave our head coach a big hug as well, then some of us paraded around the field with the flag.

I looked up at the stars and kissed my medal and held it up in the air.

"That's for you mom, grandpa and grandma, and Uncle Dave, Jim, and Larry."

The quiet and crazy life of Tessa Hartman and Kelley O'HaraWhere stories live. Discover now