The emotions were high after Australias first win on home soil in the World Cup. They played a very. VERY. physical game against Ireland and won 1-0 off a penalty kick. The post game celebrations started off lively still riding that post win high, but then the mind set quickly turned to what they could improve upon, with such a short turn around in the World Cup tournament you had to switch your mindset quickly.
Caitlin found herself lost in her own thoughts while her teammates around her discussed the game. She was happy with winning. Sad for Katie. And absolutely fuming over Rueshas actions. She couldn't quite figure out how to balance out her own emotions right now and in turn could only focus on her locker in front of her until she felt Alanna hit her shoulder and give her a concerned look which Caitlin just shrugged off for now.
Macca and Alanna were the only two on the team that knew about her and Katie. Keeping secrets from those two was near impossible. They knew something had happened between the new couple within moments of seeing Caits face just because she couldn't wipe a smile off her face. So she had told them the whole story, but made them swear not to tell anyone else.
Caitlin thought she'd be able to keep the relationship under wraps for a while, but Ruesha ruined that for them. And that's where she finds herself. Hearing a distant conversation going on and Raso calling out her name repeatedly. She knew her and Gorry were talking about Katie. She could hear her name being repeated with the words dirty player. A lot of them mimicking Irish accents and bad tackles to make fun of Katie and a few of her teammates.
"Cait! Hello earth to Caitlin!"
"Yeah sorry what's up?"
"The hell did you do to Littlejohn to make her want to punch you after the game?" Raso laughed, " if anyone was going to get in a fight I thought it would be me and McCabe."
Caitlin tried to play it off, " yeah not sure really. Guess I pushed her a bit too much during the game." Yeah that's a decent excuse she thought to herself.
Thought she convinced Raso too to move on, but she just kept going.
"Those Irish girls are just firey. Is McCabe that aggressive at practice too?"
Caitlin was irritated now. Everything about today was getting under her skin. And now she felt like she needed to stick up for Katie. She wanted to tell Ruesha off. Wanted to really stick up for her girl and she hadn't because of the cameras and all the fans. So now that she couldn't process emotions she was only left with taking it out on her teammates.
"Yes Katie is aggressive, but that's her nature on the field. She's very sweet normally." Caitlin said, voice a little agitated which caused Alanna and Macca to give each other a look of worry.
"Don't get upset Foordy. I know she's your friend, but girl had it out for me today. But I think could have taken her. She's not as mighty as she thinks." Raso said flexing her muscles making other girls start laughing.
That was the final straw for Caitlin.
"She's not just my friend Haley! She's my girlfriend. We've been dating for a little over a month now. That's why Ruesha went for me after the game. She thinks me and Katie got together before they ended. We didn't, but she's too damn hardheaded to hear Katie out. I know Katie plays rough, but I really don't want to hear you talk about how my girlfriend is a dirty player anymore okay. She's aggressive, she's rough yeah I know. But until any of you actually get to know her I don't want to hear another word. Got it?"
"Cait... I'm sorry. I hadn't realized."
"It's okay ras, long day, I'm mad at Ruesha not you. Didn't mean to take that out on you."
"I promise next time we play I'll go for Rueshas ankles and not Katie's." She said jokingly as her and Caitlin hugged it out.
A few of the other girls who had been involved in the conversation shared their apologizes, but all had been forgotten. Caitlin did have to promise to share the full story of how they got together tho to some of the players that she had known a while. There was no escaping that now that Caitlin had spilled the tea.
"Didn't realize little Cait could get so angry" Alanna joked as her and Macca walked along side Cait back to their hotel.
"I just couldn't stand hearing them talk about her anymore. They don't know the real her."
Caitlin caught them giving each other another look, "and would you two stop with the looks! What is going on!"
"We just know something that you haven't admitted yet."
"Which is??? I'm irritated enough today. Stop with the games."
"That you loveeeeeee her" they said in a way that was purposefully meant to make fun of Caitlin. And it worked. Her cheeks turned bright red.
"Our Cait is in L O V E!"
"Would you two shut up. Everyone is Australia can hear you!"
"Well they can't, but they are about to" Sam, who came out of nowhere, said as she took off to where the team was meeting for a post game meal in the hotel and blurted it out before Caitlin could stop her.
Caitlin felt 13 years old getting outed for her first crush, but this team was her second family and everyone cheered when they heard Sam's announcement. Which in turn just made her blush more, but she was happy that they all knew now. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous to tell them in the first place. But she knew now that no matter aggressive Katie played, they would all accept her into their extended family because Caitlin loved her. And they loved Caitlin.
