you're on your own, kid

Chapter 4 - Trouble

I walked into camp, and when I saw her, I ran up to my best friend.

"JJ!" I screamed. I jumped onto Jill's back, and she held my legs as I squeezed her neck.

"I. Can't. Breathe." I let go, laughing softly.

"Sorry." She put me down, and we interlocked arms, before waltzing down the foyer.

I caught Jill up on everything that had been happening in my life, and she did the same with hers. Neither of us had anything big to update the other with, but time always gets lost when Jill and I lay on each other's beds chatting away.

"So, what guy was it again?" Jill asked.

"Bar guy #1," I exclaimed, leaning back onto the bed and covering my eyes. I was updating her on the party that Lena and I went to; telling her all about the awkward kiss on the balcony.

"And it was bad...?" Jill confirmed.

"I don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"It just doesn't feel right."

"But I thought you found him attractive and he obviously likes you if he invited you around again." I knew she was right but somehow I couldn't find the words to explain what I meant.

"I just don't like him. At least like that." Jill looked suspicious but didn't question. She never normally did.

We trained the following day, and as we walked onto the pitch, I came up behind Viv, covering her eyes.

"Hello!" I exclaimed.

"Now, Mila," she said, already knowing it was me. "You are allowed to let me see." I chuckled at her monotone voice, which never gave too much purposeful humor.

"How'd you know it was me?"

"You're the biggest troublemaker around."

"Trouble!"

"Yes! Trouble." I pushed Viv slightly before running off to start the drills.

We were only set to play one game in this international break, and it was against Russia. We were aiming to qualify for the Euros that were to be happening in the summer of 2022 in England. We had won the previous Euros when it was here, at home, in 2017. That was the summer of a lifetime. I was only young but I had genuinely thought I had reached cloud 9. Nothing would ever top that summer. Until it may.

"How's Wolfsburg?" Daan asked me, as we walked into the hotel after training.

"Normal," I replied. "Arsenal?"

"Same old, same old," she replied. I smiled at my friend, who had always been a mentor for me and walked with her through to our rooms. When I first arrived in camp, Daan helped me, through it all. I needed her, and she was there. Jill was obviously always going to be by my side, but the levelheadedness of Daan was what I needed when I was a young player, still trying to find the ropes.

We had a few media responsibilities that day, and Jill and I volunteered each other for the Best Friend's Quiz.

"We'll do it!" I exclaimed, standing up, so giddy.

"Wow, perfect." Jill stood up, chuckling softly and we went to grab the whiteboards that lay on the chairs before being recorded.

"Hello, I'm Jill Roord."

"And I'm Mila Bakker, and this is the Best Friend's Quiz. I'm so going to win." Jill looked at me, laughing softly before Jill picked up the card to ask the first question.

"What is my favourite nickname?"

"There's just so many!" I exclaimed. "The one I call you or the one everyone calls you?"

"Not giving any hints!"

"Come on!"

"Nope."

I took a leap and wrote:

Jilldo (or JJ)

Jill looked at my whiteboard and nodded.