Tiana's Story

Chapter 43

3 days til the final.

Not much is happening today. Well mom decided to let me go to the beach with my friends. I'm gonna try surfing for the first time today. As I walk down towards the towels where my friends are sand in my feet a ball come flying towards me. I take a good touch keeping it still in the air. I look where it came from and see some women. I volley the ball with some great contact and it flies over towards the women. They look shocked. I shrug it off and continue walking towards the towels.
"Hola." I say to my friends. I place my towel on the end next to Ramiro's. I see a ball.
"Before we hit the waves whose up for some no bounce." I suggest. The other three are in. I grab the ball. We make our way down to the wet sand. I start I kick the ball up. Ramiro chucks him self onto the sand keeping it up. Pedro has good control and gets it to isa. Isa volleys the ball towards me. I realise Ramiro isn't up yet. I do a foot stall while Ramiro quickly gets up. I flick the ball up and head it towards him. He messes about and passes it to Pedro with his but. Pedro controls it on his thigh then let's it drop down onto his foot before passing it to isa. Isa does a few round the worlds before giving it me. I control it on my neck and balance it. I move my head round so the ball is on the side of my head and my head is tilted. I drop the ball down do a few round the worlds and give it to Ramiro. It carries on for a few more minutes. That's when I realise people are watching. I ignore them but when Pedro drops the ball by accident I look. It's some of the uswnt. Including Alex Morgan. I look at them before going back up to the towels. My friends rush after me.
"What's up?" Isa asks. She sits next to me.
"See that woman there. Alex Morgan." I say and they nod. "She slapped me a few weeks ago." I can feel all their anger radiate off of them. Ramiro starts to walk over to them. I stand up and try to push him back but he's too set. "Pedro please stop him!" I beg. Pedro sighs before going up to Ramiro who is already half way there. Ramiro says something to Pedro. I can see Pedro sigh. Pedro doesn't stop him. Pedro joins in. They walk towards the uswnt. Lemme remind you of this though. Ramiro is 16. Pedro is 15. Ramiro is 6ft 5. Pedro is 6ft 3. They both have six packs. They are both well built. They walk up towards the women knowing full well they're quite intimidating. I can't hear the conversation but I can tell the women look mad, annoyed and angry. But not at my friends. At one point Ramiro points at me and isa. Isa is staying with me. All the women look at me. I look away. At that point I notice a woman come over towards me. I look at isa begging for her to help me but she just shakes her head. The woman kneels down so she's the same height as me as I'm sat down. That woman is Ali Krieger.
"Hey my names Ali." She says softly.
"Tiana." I reply.
"Nice to meet you. I would just like to apologise. What Alex did to you was not acceptable. I hope you know that Alex did suffer punishment." She says this to me and I just look at the ground and nod.
"Th-thankyou. And uhm what I said to Alex was also not acceptable. I know it's not an excuse but life has been very hard recently. Just a few months b-before the World Cup my mother died. And m-my dad died a few years before her." I say and I can tell ali is staring at me with sympathy.
"The 2019 semi final. When Alex uh did that celebration. It was uh the day before my d-dad died. The last game I ever watched with him. And she did that celebration. Sorry it kinda just made me miss him. And uh it was me either shout at her or cry and I was not gonna cry infront of her." I say this and this is when I look up. I have a few tears in my eyes. I take a deep breath trying to control my breathing. I just have a sip of water.
"Your a brave girl Tiana. You've been through a lot. Do you mind if I explain what you said to me to Alex?" Ali says to me and I smile.
"Thanks. Go ahead. " Me and Ali smile at each over before she walks away. I can tell Ali saying something to the group of women. They all look at me sympathy in their eyes. I grab my board.
"Isa I'm going to hit the waves." I say. She nods. Isa goes on her phone. I start to walk down to the sea but the sand burns my feet. I start running. When the cool water hits my feet it feels amazing. I lay on my board. I paddle out. I wait for a good wave and I catch it. I catch a few more good ones. I look out and see a huge wave coming. I know if I catch this it would look and feel amazing. I go up. But the wave isn't right and I lose my balance. I fall. I hit my head and my world goes blanc.

Isa's POV.

I just finished up looking at Instagram. Ramiro and Pedro are still busy talking to the us team. I look out to the water and I see Tiana surfing. I see Tiana look at a wave and I silently shake my head. That's not a good surfing wave for an amateur. She might hurt herself. But before I can shout at Tiana to stop she takes it. I hold my breath. And like I knew she fell. She hits her head on a rock. I don't see her after that.
"RAMIRO! PEDRO!" I yell tears through my eyes. I run towards the water. The boys look at me confused. I'd go but I can't swim. I know I live in Spain but still.
"SHES GONE UNDER! S-SHE HIT HER HEAD AN-AND.." I start. Ramiro is already in the water. I'm crying my eyes out. Pedro is hugging me while looking out. He can't swim either. Some of the us team are also out there. Pedro is rubbing his hand in a circular motion on my back.
"IVE GOT HER!" Ramiro shouts out as he runs onto the sand with Tiana in his hands. Ramiro places Tiana on the ground. He checks if she's breathing. She's not. He starts giving cpr. While some of the us team are gathered around others have gone to go find help. Eventually a few lifeguards gets here one with a defibrillator in his hand.
"Step aside son." One of the men says. Ramiro sits down. Next to us. Head in hands. Crying. I'm crying into Pedros shoulder. Pedros crying and wiping his tears. While that's happening a lifeguard comes up to us.
"Your her friends?" She asks us. We nod.
"Do any of you know how to get into contact of her parents?" She asks. We shake our heads.
"We don't know her phone password." Pedro says distraught.
"Wait I've got viv and Beth's number. Which one shall I call?" Tobin announces.
"Viv. Beth's in camp." I say. She nods and goes somewhere private to tell viv that her daughter is currently on a beach and lifeguards are trying to get her back to life.