through the silence

unlikely comfort

From Hayden's POV:

It was 6 p.m. when my alarm went off, pulling me from my thoughts. I quickly got up and headed to the bathroom to get ready. As I glanced at my phone, I saw a message from Sydney:

**Sydney:** "Hey, do you want me to pick you up so we can get there together?"

**Hayden:** "Yes, that would be amazing, thanks Syd!"

**Sydney:** "I'll be there at 7."

**Hayden:** "Alright, see you then."

Somehow, knowing that I wouldn't have to arrive alone eased the pressure weighing on my chest. Having Sydney by my side made me feel a little less nervous about the evening.

I quickly did my makeup and put on the outfit I had picked out earlier. Time flew by, and before I knew it, Sydney texted me to say she was outside. I grabbed my purse and hurried out the door.

"Hey, thanks for picking me up, Syd!" I said as I slid into the passenger seat.

"No problem! It would be silly for us to drive separately when we live so close. Anyway, how are you feeling about tonight? Excited?"

I was definitely excited, but the nerves were hitting me harder than expected. "Yeah, I'm excited! It's always fun to see what people are like off the pitch."

That wasn't entirely a lie. I was curious to see the team in a more casual setting, but I was also way more anxious than I was letting on.

About twenty minutes later, we arrived at the restaurant. It was small and cozy, with a charming wooden exterior. Sydney walked in first, and I followed closely behind, almost sticking to her like glue. It didn't take us long to spot the team since the restaurant wasn't very big. The captains and a few other players were already seated, though a few faces were still missing.

As we approached the table, Jill waved us over enthusiastically and motioned for us to sit next to her. She seemed like such a sweet person. Maybe she could be a new friend—I couldn't rely on Sydney alone forever, right?

A few minutes later, the rest of the team arrived, and conversations started flowing all around. Sydney was chatting with Jill and Leah, who were sitting nearby, but I wasn't really paying attention. I was too caught up in my own thoughts until Sydney's voice snapped me back to reality.

"We did that once, didn't we, Hayden?" she said, turning to me.

I blinked, confused. "What?"

"The latte art class we took a few years ago," Sydney added, smiling.

"Oh, right! That was pretty fun."

After that, I started joining their conversation, but it didn't last long as the waiters began bringing out our food. I had ordered pasta with a side salad since I'm vegetarian. The meal was delicious, and I was starting to relax when suddenly, Katie McCabe called out across the table, "Who's down for a round of shots?"

We had the day off tomorrow, so I didn't blame anyone for letting loose, but I wasn't comfortable drinking that much around new people, so I declined. To my surprise, Sydney accepted the offer. And what started as one round of shots quickly turned into several.

An hour later, Sydney was clearly tipsy. Wonderful. She was supposed to be my ride home. I sighed, pulling out my phone to order an Uber when I felt someone approach.

It was Jill.

"Hey, is everything alright, Hayden? You don't seem like you're having much fun," she said with a concerned look.

"Oh, it's nothing really," I said, giving a small smile. "It's just that... well, Sydney was my ride home, and she's a bit drunk now, so I'm ordering an Uber."