this is me trying

Chapter 2 - Consciousness

I made my way to my first training. My first training with my second club. I had high hopes. I had high hopes that this endeavour would be a good one. It would be worth it. It would all be worth it.

When I arrived, I was taken to my locker, and I saw my name and number printed so clearly, and so beautifully. It was as if it was always meant to be. And it has always meant to be. It has always been Valtersen and 22.

"Hey," I heard a voice say behind me. I turned around to see a curly haired, short but slim girl behind me. When I looked at her face, I knew who it was. "I'm Hayley," she said. It was Hayley Raso. She too only just signed with the club over the break, and we would be one of few newbies to City this season. I remember her face. I remember her face from the Norway against Australia game in the world cup in 2019. I remember playing against her, and us winning in a penalty shootout. I remember the whole thing, and I knew she would too.

"Eva," I replied back, smiling. She put her hand out, wanting to shake it, but I couldn't. I don't like doing that. It doesn't feel right. I feel bad not taking it, so instead, I loosely place the top of my fingers onto hers, shake it slightly, and let go. She smiled softly, realising my quirk. Realising that shaking someone's hand was not my most favourite of activities. Realising I didn't like it.

"So," Hayley continued to say, "your first day too right?"

"Yes," I replied, nervously."

"It'll be good, I reckon," she said, her Australian accent sounding very strong against my Norwegian one. I speak English, majority of the time, and that is very normal if you grow up in Scandinavia. English is drilled into us, and so although I do have a Norwegian accent, it isn't particularly strong and my English is quite good.

"I hope so," I said, staring at the training shirt I was about to put on.

"I know so," Hayley replied, confidently.

I soon got changed, wearing my new City gear, and went into the meeting room. There, for the first time, I saw everyone. I saw all the girls. All my teammates. I didn't know where to go, or who to go to. I was standing there, awkwardly, in the door frame, until Hayley put her arm up.

"Eva," she called out. She waved me over, towards the back, where she was sitting next to another face I recognised from the World Cup but couldn't quite place the name onto.

"This is Alanna," Hayley said. "She's new too."

"Eva," I said, smiling at the other Australian, introducing myself.

"Oh, I remember," Alanna joked.

"Sorry," I laughed, knowing what she was alluding too.

"It's all been forgotten," Hayley said, reassuringly.

"Or has it..." Alanna added, smiling at me, before turning to face the front once again as our manager just walked in.

As our manager, Gareth, spoke, I sat there, picking at my fingers, and trying to crack my knuckles. It was an unconscious habit. Both of those were. Sometimes my brain worked so fast that I had to fulfil its needs somehow. I could never just sit still. It was impossible.

We soon got out onto the pitch, and we all embarked on our first training session of the season.

In the locker room afterwards, all the girls came up to me, introducing themselves. I was standing beside Hayley through most of it, and Alanna too.

Steph Houghton, the captain of our team, at one point, came into the locker room, after one of her recovery sessions. She was currently in rehab from an injury she sustained at the Olympics, and so she wouldn't be with us for the first few months. She put her hand out in front of me, and Hayley, after introducing herself.