Like Real People Do - Jill Roord

Nice Suit

Jill's POV

Eventually, we'd left the restaraunt and walked to the nightclub which was virtually just next door. Everything felt so much bigger and more connected in London, it's nothing like what I was used to. Normally, we'd have to drive around to go from restaurants to nightclubs but everyone found it so normal to have it all so close by; they had it all on their doorsteps. 

Kim had pulled me over to sit with her, seeing as she was the captain, I figured she wanted to more formally welcome me to the team though this setting wasn't exactly formal. But I guessed Arsenal were more like a family than we were back in Munich. "So Jill, I shall keep it short and sweet so you can get on with your night," Kim sighed, "I just wanted to say that we're all really excited about you joining Arsenal and I think you'll love it here, I really do. This team is like a family though so we'll all look after you, if you look after us."

I nodded along to Kim's speech, it sounded like the perfect ideology to me. 

"And if you ever have any problems concerning anything; housing, players, training, the management or whatever it could be, just come to me and I'll do my best to sort it."

"Thanks Kim," I smiled, "I can tell you're a great captain."

Kim looked rather embarrassed to be receiving the compliment, "I do try," she sighed, "I'm a bit like the mum around here, sometimes the girls hate it but I know they appreciate it deep down," as Kim said this she was looking to one person in particular.

"I'm sure they do," I assured her. 

"Now you go and have fun, try and say hi to all the girls," Kim advised me, "Some of them are a little trickier to handle than others but I like I said, we're family."

I nodded and found myself besides Jen Beattie, who'd clearly been drinking for a while longer than myself but as I looked around to the team, I could see that they were all family. In Germany, we all had a very professional relationship which wasn't necessarily a bad thing but I knew I'd enjoy this much more; I'd always been someone who loved being close to others because I needed companionship, so this team seemed perfect. 

"Hey, I'm Jen," she introduced herself to me, rather firmly shaking my hand. 

I smiled back at her, it really did feel like the first day of a new school but I was more excited for what was to come than nervous. Tonight, I was also learning that this team loved to drink which wasn't something I'd ever done really; obviously I'd been drunk before but I'd been someone to get smashed at every party. "I'm Jill."

"I know," Jen nodded, "You're the newbie."

I laughed, "Yeah," suddenly I remembered my entire conversation with the girls before dinner, it had left me rather curious, "Is that Hunter Putellas?" I asked, pointing at the tall brunette dancing with Leah Williamson. 

Jen sighed, "Yep, that's her. Why? Have you seen her on Instagram or something?"

The truth was I had, Hunter and her sister had millions of followers between them but it made sense seeing as they were two of the most influential names in women's football, but that's why I was so confused about this apparent controversy surrounding the Putellas sister. 

"Not really," I denied the fact seeing as it was too embarrassing to admit I'd been stalking my new teammates before arriving, "I've just heard a lot about her."

"Oh that's strange, I swear everyone's seen her on social media," Jen furrowed her eyebrows, looking so intoxicated that her train of thought was easily lost, "What've you heard?"

I shrugged, "Not much, just that she's a great player."

"In what sense?" Jen giggled to herself, "I shouldn't have said that, forget I said that. But yeah, she's great on the pitch."