call it what you want

2. a very lasso birthday

Vic woke up on Ted's couch, blanket pulled up to her chin. She rolled over a little rubbing her eyes.

"Mornin' sleepyhead." Ted came into her sight, already dressed for work. "How'd you sleep?" She grumbled into the pillow. "I'm taking that as good."

—

After getting dressed in ripped jeans, an oversized AC/DC shirt, and a brown bomber jacket, she met Beard and Ted in front of their flats.

"Hey coaches." Beard looking at her and Ted.

"Mornin' Beard." Vic yawned leaning against her cane.

"You guys wanna get some breakfast?" Beard stuck a thumb behind him. Vic shook her head, she would always get nauseous when she was nervous for something, the first day of school, everytime before a soccer game, whenever something exciting happened.

"Could go for a drink though." Vic spoke, her voice still semi-groggy.

Ted nodded before getting a little more pep in his step. "You know what today feels like?"

Vic looked up at him from between Beard and Ted. "First day of school."

"First day of school. That's right. I remember you would always get so nervous before the first day of school, you would get shaking like a chihuahua in Alaska." Ted laughed, messing up her hair.

After the quick coffee stop Ted asked Beard what he was feeling.

"Little nervous." Looking at Beard you couldn't see this at all, he was always cool and collected, when he wasn't you really knew something was wrong.

Ted nodded as Vic took a sip from her hot chocolate. She hated coffee but didn't want to be left out of the pit stop.

"Well heck yeah. No such thing as 'last day jitters'." As soon as Ted finished speaking Beard grabbed the back of Vic and Ted's shirts stopping them from walking out into traffic.

"Not used to that yet."

—

In the locker room after training Ted was trying to gather the boys attention to no avail.

"Shut it!" Vic called as loud as she possibly could, the boys fell silent, Beard tapped her back as a 'good job'.

Ted began after giving Vic a nod of thanks. "Now, we got Crystal Palace coming here on Saturday. Anything we need to know Beard?"

"Lot of speed on the outside."

"Okay anything else?"

"Lot of speed. Vic anything?"

She stepped forward holding a notebook in her free hand. "You guys fucked them up pretty good earlier in the year so we're not gonna go in a mess with the game plan too much." Roy stood up causing Vic to call out without looking up from her notes. "Roy, sit back down, we're not done yet." At her words the boys began a chorus of 'ooo's', she saw Roy pause for a second then sit back down.

"Okay, with the speed issue I want," V paused, scanning the names she had written down. "Sam and Jamie," She looked up pointing her pencil at the 2, "you guys seem to be the fastest so I want you guys to man the ball." Sam nodded along with the plan, Jamie scoffed. "You have something to say Jamie?" The room went silent. "Say it, c'mon we're all a team here." She put more emphasis on the word team just to rub it in his face.

Jamie looked up at her. "I was just gonna say I'm gonna be having the ball anyways so, won't be needing Sam." A couple boys laughed at this, mainly Isaac and Colin. Vic just tilted her head, not giving him a reaction he oh so wanted. Being team captain for 4 years on her old teams she played on gave her a sense of knowing when people just wanted attention and she knew how to combat it.