Madison's Journey

Part 24: Madison's POV

A/N: Sorry this took so long. No real excuses just didn't have much inspiration to write. Will probably do some editing before any more chapters will be posted, but we'll see.

I flinch as Kelly picks me up after my assist in the second scrimmage. "You just keep doing that and you'll be just fine." She tells me. I look up at her with wide eyes, 'She thinks that I'll be able to do this? No, she's lying. She's just saying that to be nice. No one even wants me here.'

We win the second game and head back to the hotel for dinner. It goes by quickly and soon enough we are sitting in the middle of another meeting. This meeting is about the kinds of things she is looking for from us individually in this camp.

"We're coming off of a not-so-great run at the Olympics, but we have almost two years till the World Cup and I will only be taking the best of the best. The fact that you are here today is a good step one, but you will need to keep it up. Alright, that's it for today. Pick a room and do some bonding. Breakfast is at 7 tomorrow." Coach leaves with the rest of the training staff.

"Bonding in the newbie's room!" Kelly yells. Everyone voices their agreement and I don't even try to argue knowing that it would be a losing battle.

"Oh, come on guys. Do we have to?" Mal complains, "You always leave the room a mess that we're going to have to clean up."

"That's the point." Mal groans but follows as everyone makes their way upstairs. Everyone stops by their room first before coming into ours. We all get situated in the small room and try to come up with something to do.

"Truth of dare!"

"Never have I ever!"

"Two truths and a lie!"

"Since we took over their room let's let Mal and Madison choose," Sauerbrunn suggests.

"I-I don't-t c-care," I tell everyone.

"Ok, then let's start with truth or dare, then we can move on to one of the other one's later if we get bored." Mal decides.

Sounds of agreement ring throughout the room. "Alright, Mal you start," Becky tells her.

"Ok, Kelley truth or dare?"

"What kind of question is that? You know I'm going with dare."

"Lick your elbow."

"What? That's so easy." She brings her arm up to her face and tries to lick it. When it is more difficult than she originally thought she tries to go at it from the other side. After a few more seconds she brings her arm back down, "That's impossible!"

"What!? I thought that it was easy?" Alex asks her. "You do remember what the punishment for not completing a dare is don't you?" I tense up at the word punishment.

"Why do you want to torture me, Mal?"

"Hey? What do you want from me? It's not like I have been waiting to do this to you since last camp or anything. I also didn't make you pick dare, you did that all on your own."

Kelly pouts to Mal before turning to Alex to beg, "No Alex don't make me keep trying! I don't want to have to be the one to ask!"

"Then you better keep trying." Kelly goes back to trying to lick her elbow. When the rest of the girls finally have enough of laughing at her they decide she can stop without doing whatever the punishment is.

"Alex, truth or dare?"

"Let's go truth."

"Have you ever skipped out on practice?"

"WHAT! No, I could never." She states with fake offense. "Alright, alright of course I have, but so has everyone else in this room that's no secret."

"Tobin truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"I dare you to give someone who doesn't live in your house a foot massage."

"Come here Ali."

"Why me?"

"Because I trust that you have somewhat clean feet. At least compared to everyone else." As she starts she turns to me. "Madi truth or dare?"

"O-oh uh t-truth."

"Which player did you look up to the most before joining the team?" I look down and blush a little. I think through my answer carefully before answering.

"C-chris-sten," I start.

"What? Madi, how could you? I've never. You betray me so." Tobin interrupts. I shake my head.

"C-chris-sten and T-tobin. Eq-qually."

"Ah, kid!" Tobin leans over and pulls me into a hug. I flinch, but she doesn't let me go, "I knew there was a reason I liked you." She pulls me over into her lap and places her chin on the top of my head. I go rigid and resist the urge to lean back into the comfort that she is trying to provide.

"So what was that like? Did you know they were going to be there when you showed up on their doorstep?" Mal asks me. I shake my head.

"I-I c-couldn't-t believ-ve what-t I w-was s-seeing. I th-thought-t I was-s dreaming-ng."

"Hurry up. Ask your question." Long complains from the other side of the room.

"Allie, chill. She's fine. The whole point of this is to get to know each other better," Ali chastises.

"Ya, whatever."

"S-Sydney-y, t-truth o-or dare?"

"Let's go dare."

"I-I dare y-you t-to..." The game keeps playing for a while and everyone had gone at least once when it gets back to me again. It comes from Long.

"Madison, truth or dare?" I go with truth again, cause I don't trust what anyone on this team would make me do.

"Is it true that you're a foster kid and that you've been to juvie?" I freeze. 'How did she know that? That's sealed, she shouldn't know that.'

I open my mouth to answer when Christen stops me, "You don't have to answer that Madi. That's not anybody's business but your own."

"But she has hasn't she? As her new foster parents, they would have told you if you were bringing someone dangerous into their home."

"She's not dangerous!" Tobin exclaims.

"So then you admit she's a foster kid?"

"I didn't say that."

"So she's not."

"Allie, it's really not any of your business." Klingenburg tries to interject.

"But I thought that this was meant to get to know each other better?"

"It is, but..."

"Y-yes," I say, just wanting everyone to shut up. "I-I a-am a-a f-fost-ter-r k-k-kid-d. A-and y-yes I-I'v-be b-been-n t-to to j-juv-vie."

"Madi..." Christen says quietly.

"You see, she admits it. She is dangerous. We shouldn't be welcoming someone like that on our team. Coach should have told us before letting her in." I wrap my arms around my knees and press my forehead into them. I squeeze my eyes shut as tight as I can and try to keep my breathing under control.

I hear a buzz of noises going on around me but I can't make out what any of it is. I lift my head a little when I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"You're ok kid. Everything is going to be ok." The voice pulls me into a hug and I don't have the energy to fight it so I sink into it and drift off somehow knowing that the voice was telling the truth.

A/N: Let me know what you think and if there is anything you might like to see out of this story.