Goal!: The Final Chapter!

Chapter 23

Later that same day...

After practice Maire walks home alongside Axel.

"Rough day, a boy?" said Maire, while walking aside Axel. "Ever since I touched a soccer ball, I never felt the same. I know that I felt worthless in a wheelchair, but now I feel even more worthless since it's hard for me to catch up on soccer. It also feels like the clumsy and dopey side of me never left."

Maire grunts.

"I guess I'm going to be nicknamed Zero again, since I can't seem to do anything right without a fall," said Maire, who was disappointed.

While walking, the sound of a twig being stepped behind them is heard, both Maire and Axel turned behind only to find Tobin following them from behind.

"Seriously, don't you ever get tired of listening to me and Axel's conversations?" said Maire, as she joked.

"Uh... No..." said Tobin, with a sheepish grin.

Maire shook her head.

"Not the answer that I was looking for." said Maire

"But, would it be the answer, if I told you to get some ice cream with me?" said Tobin, inviting Maire out for ice cream. "There's an ice cream shop close by, we can go there if you like to tell me what's bothering you."

Maire squints her eyes.

"Are you going to plant a Jordan on me too?" said Maire, asking Tobin.

"No." said Tobin

"Alright, I'll accept your invitation." said Maire

"Yes!" said Tobin, doing a little celebration dance. "I'm the best!"

Maire just rolled her eyes, as she continued walking along with Axel and Tobin to the ice cream shop.

At the ice cream shop, Tobin tries to pay after getting their ice cream but Maire quickly outsmarts her first.

"You are such a pain in my-." said Tobin, as she playfully exclaims while being cut off by Maire.

"Rear? Yeah, I know I get that a lot." said Maire, chuckling.

"So how does it feel to eat ice cream with your twin?" said Tobin, asking her.

Maire looks at Tobin, in a confused way. However once finally realizing why Tobin said that, was because they were both Geminis.

"Oh right, because we're both Geminis." said Maire

"Yep." said Tobin

Maire shook her head, with a sigh.

"Come on, Five, what is not to like about moi?" said Tobin, playfully.

"Tobin, no offense but you and I both know that no one is going to replace my twin." said Maire, as she admits. "That and you and I have nothing in common."

"First of all, I know nobody is going to replace your twin." said Tobin, as she goes over the list with her fingers. "Second of all, we're both childish, creative, playful, competitive, quick-witted, and like going with the flow. Third of all, we also like to be social, and have many hobbies."    

"Why do I get the feeling that you're lecturing me." said Maire, with a sigh.

Tobin chuckles.

"Figured it out on your own, didn't you." said Tobin, raising an eyebrow at her, as she looked around.

"Don't worry, nobody here knows about you playing for the USWNT." said Maire, as she tells her. "This city isn't that big, or small either."

"I wasn't talking about that." said Tobin, as she straightens the dollar. "Here. This belongs to you."

"Nope." said Maire, who didn't want the dollar.

A disappointed Tobin looks at Maire and gives her the dollar that she owes her, Maire flicks the dollar back to Tobin across the table that they were sitting in.

"Ohh so you want to play huh." said Tobin, flicking the dollar back to Maire.

Maire flicks the dollar back to Tobin again.

Both Tobin and Maire continue to flick and slide the dollar back and forth to one another, while excusing herself to get more napkins Tobin puts the dollar on Maire's sweater hoodie.

Realizing that Tobin put the dollar on her hoodie, Maire takes the dollar and holds it. Once seeing that Tobin left her snap back on the table, Maire tucks in the dollar on one of the snapback's folds and hides it there. Maire puts Tobin's snapback back into its place, before Tobin can arrive back.

Tobin comes back to the table, she is happy to see that she outsmarted Maire without her noticing (in which she didn't). Tobin decides to change the subject.

"So are you going to finally tell me what is really bothering you." said Tobin, asking her. "Five you know I'm like a big sister to you, and I treat you like a little sister as well. I just want to know what is going on with you? So can you please help me understand. I can tell that you have a lot to say."

Maire finally decided to talk.

"Okay, I'll admit it. Ever since my surgery and me coming back from Europe, would be a lot different than what I would imagine. But, I guess it wasn't at all of I expected." said Maire

Tobin looks at Maire.

"I know how you feel, and that's how everyone feels after getting injured for the first time. But you have to admit your journey doesn't stop here, it keeps going." said Tobin, continuing with her conversation. "Maire, you're just saying this and feeling this because this is your first injury, and I get it you're scared of everything not going back the way it was. This is one of the challenges that we soccer players face, you however already have two major ones that impacted your life. So, don't let that get to you."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but you're right. Thank you." said Maire, thanking Tobin for her kind words.

"You're welcome. That's what identical twins are for?" said Tobin, before deciding to change the subject. "So... how are things going on with Gael and Trisha?"

"What do you know about that?" said Maire, questioning her.

"Well, let's just say that I might've heard it from somewhere." said Tobin

Maire raised an eyebrow at her.

"Okay, so I've been hearing things, and I wanted to know if it was true." said Tobin

"It is." said Maire

"I knew it." said Tobin, as she exclaimed.

"And I blame myself for their long distance relationship." said Maire

"Five, even if you think that way Gael wouldn't ever blame Maire for his break-up with Trisha." said Tobin, as she admits. "That and besides, Leah and him are a way better looking couple, then him and Trisha-"

Tobin widens as she spills out that she knows about Gael and Leah's relationship.

"What? Did you just say?" said Maire, as she captured the whole thing.

"Lea-Uh. Man, and I really did say that I was going to keep it a secret." said Tobin, slapping her forehead once with her right hand.

"Wait, Tobin, how did you know Gael and Leah were dating?" said Maire, questioning her. "Where did you hear this gossip news from?" 

"Uh... well..." said Tobin, nervously playing with her hands.

"Tobin." said Maire

"I may have heard it from Mana Iwabuchi, who heard it from Katie McCabe, Kim Little, Stina Blackstenius, Manuela Zinsberger, Caitlin Foord, Lia Walti, Frida Maanum," said Tobin, continuing with the conversation. "Laura Wienroither, Rafaelle Souza, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Teyah Goldie, Lina Hurtig, Anna Patten, Vivianne Miedema, who heard it from Beth Mead."

"I should've guessed it." said Maire, as she stated.

Tobin chuckles at Maire's response while finishing her ice cream.