Left behind

My food!

Chapter 2 let's go!

Walking into the Matilda's training facility I am met by Tony, my new coach. "Welcome to the Matildas Jordyn!" He greets, his Swedish accent mixed with a slight Aussie one. "It's great to have a player of your level here, now come on, let's boring stuff out of the way so you can meet your teammates." He says. I smile. "Why thank you, that sounds great!" I reply shake it his outstretched hand.

We walk into his office so that I can do any paper work that needs to be done. After that, we go to the physio so that I can get any checks done. After that we went to the kit guy so I could get my pictures taken in the keeper kit, and my call up announced, as my professional career is quite unusual I guess.

"Is this the last picture?" I groan. "Yes, it is Jordyn." Tony chuckled. "Thank fuck." I say earning a laugh. I hate pictures, and dressing up for that matter, all I want to do is play, and pictures slow that down.

After changing into the new warm-up gear they gave me, which is quite comfortable, I am finally able to meet the team. "You ready to meet them?" Tony asked as we approached the door. "Yeah..." I trail off. "You don't seem too sure." He points out. "I'm ready, just slightly nervous." Tony places a hand on my shoulder. "Relax, none of them bite, and they're all lovely." He says calming me slightly. He puts one hand on the door. "Just relax." He adds opening the door, through which we are met by the team.

"Everybody this is your new teammate, Jordyn Bloom." Tony says addressing the team. I shuffle out nervously behind him. "Hey, I'm Jordyn." I say nervously.

The team looks at me seeing just how young I look, until somebody says. "You're the professor!" Which starts a conversation throughout the group. "The professor?". "Yeah! It's her nickname, she's one of the best keepers in the game, men's or women's." Which adds a nail to the coffin. "But she's so young?"

Tony has enough of it and calls for a silence among the team. "EVERYBODY!" He exclaims shutting everybody up and making me giggle. "Jordyn is your new teammate, and as you should all know, you will treat her respectfully so the she can merge well with the team, she is the best keeper in the game, and I will not have her leave due to disrespect, understand?". "Yes sir!" The girls shout in unison.

He turns to me. "I'd say you should tell them something about yourself." Making me gulp nervously. "Well, my name is Jordyn Bloom, I'm uh, 19, and I'm a keeper, and called the professor I guess." I say. "Well, welcome to the team!" Sam Kerr says, I may not know most of them that well, but, it's Sam Kerr, I know of her.

After Sam says welcome I'm approached by most of my teammates. From Caitlin Foord, to our captain Lisa De Vanna, Mackenzie Arnold, Steph Catley, others, and well, Ellie Carpenter.

"Hey! I'm Ellie!" She greets to me holding her hand out which I quickly shake, noticing how it feels. "Hi, well, I'm Jordyn, which you knew." I laugh. She smiles. "Yeah, the professor. Why that nickname?" She asks. "Probably because I've already finished university...". "WHAT?" Ellie screams before looking around blushing slightly. "Sorry..."

"What happened?" Sam asks. "Jordyn is called the professor, because she already finished university." Ellie says. "Oh, not only that but because of my awareness on the field.". "Yeah, that's good but not as crazy as finishing University at 19! That's crazy!" She adds.

"So hold on, you're 19, and you've already finished Uni?" Sam asks. I nod. "Uh, yeah?". "What the fuck kid, what did you study?". "Engineering.". "OMG! you're like super smart." And that's basically how the rest of the first day went, getting to know my teammates and how camp works.

- - -

The first full day is well, not too bad. It starts off with breakfast like everything should be. I decide to eat salad and chicken for breakfast, it's not what everybody wants to eat in the morning, but it keeps me going and that's the important part.

Getting my breakfast was the easy part, but choosing where I'm gonna sit, is well harder, there's obviously the veterans table, and younger players table, along with the fun table, but my worries are drowned when a certain blonde calls my name.

"Jordyn! Sit here!" Ellie calls pointing to the seat next to her. I walk over to the table to join them. Ellie is smiling at me while the rest of the table looks at me. While walking over I don't notice a wet spot on the ground and end up slipping on it. "AHHH!" I scream as I slip falling on the ground. I lay there for a second as my teammates crowd around me. "You okay Jordyn?" Caitlin asks offering a hand. "Y-yeah?" I say embarrassed as I take her hand, my answer sounding more like a question. "Are you sure mate?" Steph asks looking at me. "Yeah, I'm fine." They all look at me to see that I'm fine but when my face changes they look concerned again. "What's wrong?" Ellie asks, noticing the change first.

"My foods ruined!" I say making them all laugh. "What the hell? I need food!". "Alright, let's get some food into you prof." Ellie says grabbing my hand and leading me back to the food station. I blush slightly at the way she just grabs my hand, but it feels nice, so i'm not gonna complain.

"Damnit, why did I have to slip?" I think, but say it out loud instead. "Because you weren't looking down." Ellie comments smirking. "Damnit, I said that out loud.". "Yes you did, and your blushing, which is kinda cute." She adds. "Now get some more food and hurry up, we don't have long to eat now." She says leaving me standing there speechless.

Damn, she's good. I thought.
- - -

The first training session was good. It started off with the bleep test, which everybody loathed, but it had to be done. The best part? Everybody expected me to do bad, but me? No, I had one of the best records for this test at Barca.

"Alright rookie you ready to lose?" Sam asked smirking. I shook my head. "Ready for you to be crying on the floor." I reply making the others laugh. "Oh Sammy, she really got you." Hayley Raso said putting her arm around me. "Thanks Ras." I say smiling. "Well, if the rookie wants to talk smack, let's see how she does." Sam smirks. "You're on." I reply.

The test starts and the other keepers are the first ones out. I'm going strong not really feeling any loss in stamina yet. I used to do some cross-country when I was younger, and running was a strong point of mine, partially due to my guardians, they will never be family to me.

"Damn rookie you really are good." Sam says dropping out, leaving Ellie, Raso, and I. "Shit!" Ellie yells dropping out leaving Raso and I.

Both of us get to 65 with no issue, but we're both feeling the fatigue. Eventually I drop out after stumbling slightly. "Damn." I say wiping my face off. "Cmon Ras, you've got this!" I call towards her as she completes the 67th bleep before dropping out. "Well, good on ya rookie, you're pretty damn good." Raso says putting her arm around me.

Hayley, Ellie, and I bonded over lunch. All discovering things about each other. Me and Ellie are not gay, which, isn't unexpected. Hayley is bi, which is cool. And we all enjoy cringey sitcoms just a little bit.

So that's how the three of us have gotten to know each other, and with Hayley being my roommate it helps even more.

"Alright ladies, it's gym time!" Tony says motioning all of us over. Some of us groan, but I don't really care, I can always improve my strength.

- - -

The gym session wasn't terrible, I partnered up with Ellie, and we chatted about our lives while doing sets. I told her about my bond with my Barca teammates, while she told me about her family, asking about mine, to which I didn't want to answer.

"How's your family?" She asked. I pause not really sure what to say. "Uhhhh... happy I guess?" I respond. Ellie shakes her head. "That didn't seem like a sure answer Jordyn.". "I mean, they don't really care." I respond. "They care right? I mean you're really kind, and good, and smart.". "I said they don't care at all Ellie." I say sharply.". "Ok jeez, sorry for asking."

Both me and Ellie stayed quiet for the rest of the gym session.

I feel bad but I don't like talking about my 'family' it's not a nice topic.