Better Than Milkshakes, Better Than Boys (girlxgirl)

[45]

States this year has been set up as a knockout tournament. The best 16 teams in the state have been sifted through a random draw, and our team is quite happy with the track we've been put on. We played the worst-ranked team in the first playoff game on day 1, and Mackenzie breathed a sigh of relief when she saw we wouldn't be playing West Chester unless they got to the final.

This week, our high-intensity tournament will be taking place, but we're not missing much at school. Back home, it's the events week, where students look at job opportunities and universities for post-high school, as well as attend workshops for job interviews and college transcripts. It's a great week for students from all years because seniors are given the chance to revise for their SATs as we submitted all college applications in the fall.

We breezed past the team from Pittsburgh with an easy 4-0 win, and whilst Reading Senior High was a much tougher battle, we put in a solid performance with a 1-0 win. Thank god for Freya being fantastic in the air, as a last-minute header from her clinched the win.

I think for the first time in our history, I actually hugged Freya and didn't just contribute to the group hug. She did really well, and I saw scouts from Stanford again at that game, so I think Freya is looking like she may be knocking on the door of the scholarship she's desperate for.

Back in the suite I'm sharing with Mackenzie for the remainder of the week, I drop on the double bed and sigh in content as my head hits the pillow.

I don't know how we got away with rooming together, what with it being common knowledge that we're in a relationship. I wonder if Coach is genuinely clueless about it or if she's just turning a blind eye because we're both girls and there's no chance of a pregnancy scare.

Not that we've been able to enjoy it.

For the three days that we've been here, we've barely been anywhere but the pitch and the hotel spa. If we're not playing a match, we're training. It's not as intense as we're used to, simply because we don't want to risk injury or go into a game tired. We're then eating as a team with a nutrition plan that Mr. Walker's wife drew up for us before returning to the rooms so exhausted most of us are going to sleep before 8 pm.

The school has gone all out for the girls this year after our budget was increased following a massive fundraiser last year. They splurged on a hotel where the top floors are specially designed to cater to sports teams, each room fit for three people, with a central hub designed for quick recovery, and it even has a physio suite.

We didn't have this last year, and if the week wasn't so full on, I'd definitely be enjoying everything a whole lot more. So far, all I've seen of the hotel is my bed and the ice bath.

I was hoping to find some time to revise in the evenings this week for my SATs, but so far, we've had no luck when it comes to the schedule. We played a game the first day, followed by another game today, on Thursday. We still have the semi-finals on Saturday, and if we're successful, the final will be on Monday.

A rest day between each game isn't ideal, but that's the way the tournament works for the State Championship, purely because of the number of girls teams across the state; there was just no easier way to do it.

I'm exhausted. My hair is still damp from the shower and my muscles ache despite the ice bath coach forced us to endure as soon as we got back from the game. I'm so tired I barely notice the bed dip as Mackenzie crawls in beside me, tossing her sweatshirt on the floor and dropping her head beside mine.

I crack open an eye and smile softly, dropping my arm over her waist and pulling her closer, enjoying the closeness between us. "Hey."

"Hey," She mumbles, brushing her nose against mine. "How was the bath?"