Fine Line

Set backs

It was a chilly day, with a whipping cold wind, a lot colder than it had been in recent weeks. Ella always seemed to feel the cold though but not quite as much as Alessia would. She giggled as she looked over to see the blonde sporting her puffer jacket, her hands tucked in its sleeves as she gingerly jogged over towards the pitch with Lotte. The defender trailing off half way to speak to the training staff.

"Christ Less, you cold are yuh?" Tooney couldn't help herself, she loved to wind her best friend up.

"No but you are" she replied with a smile. Ella hadn't realised but her question was through chattered teeth.

"Nah, I'm made of hard stuff me!" She pulled her arms up tensing her biceps.

Alessia laughed before adding "Hard stuff she says, you swear you cut your bloody finger off last night!"

Ella sighed dramatically.

"Alessia. If I've told you once I've told you a thousand times, it's through to the BONE" she pointed at her bandaged finger.

She and Ella started to jog lightly to warm up a bit while they waited for the others.

"Tooney it's literally just a nick, I've seen deeper paper cuts" she giggled.

"Then why'd the doc tell me I nearly severed mi ligaments. A millimetre deeper I would've been hospitalised"

Alessia laughed loudly.

"And the Oscar goes to" Alessia teased, playfully pushing Ella's shoulder.

"Don't expect any sympathy from me next time you walk into summit or fall over" Ella chuckled.

"Oh when do you ever give me sympathy" the blonde arched her brow, scoffing in fake annoyance.

"All the time!" The midfielder was quick to reply.

"Like when?!" Alessia chuckled.

"Like yesterday when you dropped that mug in the middle of the food hall and went bright red"

"Ella you laughed at me" She giggled.

"Right, so? What's your point?" Ella replied bluntly.

"So? How is that sympathy?" Alessia laughed.

"Well did you laugh?" Ella replied, running backwards infront of Alessia.

"Yeah but-"

"There we are! Bet you didn't feel as embarrassed then" she laughed, turning around just before they reached the group of players.

Ella was full of energy. Buzzing for the training session ahead of them. It was a big game coming up, it was knock out time. She felt great, playfully focused. The brunette would always work better with a smile on her face, when she was thoroughly enjoying football. She knew other players liked to get their game faces on, even in the small 1 on 1 drills or the mini games they played, but Ella always felt better when she was relaxed.

****

"Oh nice strike Tooney!"

Ella could hear Alessias encouragement over the others from the side line of their mini game as she buried a ball into the back of the net.

They were playing a 5v5 on rotation. Play would be continuous, the staff picking players to come out and join at random points, forcing them to think on their feet and change their tactics based on who's playing.

The midfielder always thrived in those situations. Liking the task of breaking down the other teams, finding pockets of space that to anyone else were practically non-existent.