Life can be Crazy

13

POV: LEAH

"And that's why I dissapeared", I finished my story to Carli.

"Wow kid, you haven't had it easy, have you", she responded

"You could say something like that yeah"

I told her the whole story, and it was a relief. Now I need to get myself ready for my appointment with Rose, even though this already felt like a session. I just have the feeling like Carli understands me. Maybe she doesn't understand my choices, but she understands ME and that's enough.

"I need to eat and then get ready, I have somewhere to be", I told her as an excuse for getting out of her room.

"Alright, be safe will you? Call me if you need anything"

"Thanks Carli, you don't know how much this has helped me"

She hugged me and with that I was out of her room. I left the hotel and I took a bus to Rose. I arrived but I was doubting whether I should go in or not. If I go in now, there is no going back.

I went in, I need to do this.

After a couple minutes of waiting, she came out of her office.

"Leah, good to see you"

"Hey Rose, long time no see"

"So, where do you want to start?", she said and with that we were busy for two hours. I told her everything. About how my nightmares about my brother still haunt me, my mom who was arrested, the abuse and shouting while she was still at home, the drinking, my encounters with the USWNT, my problems with Ashlyn and Alex.

"Don't you think you need to talk with Ashlyn and Alex?", she said

"Well, obviously", okay, enough with the sass, that's not helping so contain yourself

"I recommend you do, it will give you closure", she advised me while she ignored my annoyance

"I just can't. They broke my trust, Ashlyn most of all", I told her sadly

"Just try to talk to the group, that way nobody is completely left in the darkness. You can try and talk to those two alone at a later time. Now everybody will keep annoy you until they know what's going on"

I guess she's right. I need to talk to them. I can do this.

Back at camp

I arrived back at the hotel and I entered the lobby. I messaged Jill to come and meet me here.

"Hey Jill, you think it's possible to arrange a meeting here? It's for me, I'm ready to talk to the group. I think it will help the group morale"

"Of course, Leah, wait here ten minutes and I'll get everybody down here"

POV: ASHLYN

"Hey babe, Jill just planned a meeting out of the blue, you know what it is about?", Ali asked me

"No clue, we'll see soon enough"

We made our way down and while we walked, we met up with some teammates.

"You guys know something! You look like it, I can smell it", Kelley asked us. That squirrel is always ready to go full on detective mode.

"KO, calm down and shut up, you give me a headache!", Pinoe yelled and it made everybody but her laugh. Sometimes she can be a handful, everybody loves her though.

We entered the meeting room and Jill was standing up front next to Leah. So that's the reason

"Hello everybody, take a seat, Leah has a few words she'd like to share", Jill started off and so everybody sat down. It went from noisy to dead quiet in less than ten seconds. A new record.

"So, I think everybody knows about my mother. Thank you Ashlyn for sharing that information"

Wow, she's not going easy on me, good to know. I shrinked a little in my chair but luckily she went on quick after that.

"I've had a hard time but I want to share to you guys I'm back and ready. I dissapeared because I needed some time and space to think and I didn't get that. Now, I've had a lot of time and I'm going to my therapist again. I've also had a nice talk with Carli that helped me very much, so thank you for that"

Carli smiled and nodded. Good that she was there for Leah when I wasn't.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry you guys were worried for two months and I'm sorry I didn't reach out to you guys. I know I haven't made it easy for you but I hope now you understand where I'm coming from and we can leave this behind us. I just hope you forgive me so we can kill our opponents with the best soccer we can play"

Carli got up and went to her. She gave her a hug and soon everybody but me and Alex followed. The two of us knew she wouldn't speak to us and we didn't want to make it akward, so we kept sitting in our seats.

POV: LEAH

That felt nice. I can be around the girls again without them asking questions. We can just goof around again.

"Hey Tobin", I called out to her

"Yeah?"

"Want to go prank someone?"

"Hell yeah!", and we were off to do some shit again. I missed this.

"I missed you Tobs"

"I missed you to kid"