Breaking the Grid

Long

The buzz of the Arsenal training ground was already picking up as I stood near the main entrance, the early morning chill hanging in the air. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, rubbing my arms for warmth as I waited for Alicia to arrive.

It wasn't long before she came striding toward me, her ever-present clipboard in one hand and a vest in the other. "Morning, Becks," she said briskly, holding out the vest. "Here, put this on. You're expected to look official today."

"Thanks," I muttered, taking the vest and shrugging it on. It was a little snug, but I managed, tugging at the sides to adjust it.

I heard Alicia's laugh almost immediately, soft at first but growing louder as I turned to look at her. "What's so funny?" I asked, rubbing at my eyes, my voice still thick with sleep.

She gestured at me, barely able to keep a straight face. "Your vest. Look at your vest."

I glanced down and groaned. It was inside out, the seams and tags glaringly obvious. "Brilliant," I muttered, reaching up to fix it.

Alicia's laughter only grew as I struggled to pull the vest off. "It's not good to mock people, you know," I said, giving her a pointed look.

"I'm sorry," she said, though her grin gave her away. "But seriously, what's up with you? You look like you've been awake for a week."

I sighed, finally putting the vest on correctly. "Me and Leah had a long night," I said, rubbing the back of my neck.

Her eyebrows shot up, her grin turning teasing. "Oh? A long night, huh? What were you two up to?"

"She wanted to watch movies," I said, rolling my eyes. "Which was fine, except she couldn't decide which one. So, of course, we ended up watching four, back-to-back. I didn't get to bed until 3 a.m."

Alicia shook her head, chuckling. "Leah Williamson, wearing you out with movie marathons. Sounds about right."

"Tell me about it," I muttered, running a hand through my hair. "I didn't even like the last two."

She smirked, patting my shoulder. "Well, you'd better wake up fast, Becks. It's media day, and they're expecting you to charm the cameras like you always do."

I groaned. "Don't remind me."

Inside the training ground, the media setup was in full swing. Cameras lined one wall, staff darted back and forth with clipboards, and the players began to trickle in, each greeted with enthusiasm. I leaned against the wall, waiting for the chaos to settle.

When the door opened and Kyra walked in, I felt my heart skip slightly. She looked effortlessly cool, her Arsenal jacket slung over one shoulder and her signature confident stride turning a few heads.

Our eyes met briefly, and for a second, I thought she was going to come over. But instead, she broke the contact and walked straight to Alessia, her laugh audible even from across the room.

Ouch.

I reminded myself that no one here knew about us, so her not acknowledging me wasn't exactly surprising. It didn't make it sting any less, though.

"Becks!" one of the staff called, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I pushed off the wall and made my way to where Leah and Kim Little were standing near a camera setup. Leah greeted me with her usual bright smile, and Kim offered a small nod and a polite grin.

"Hey, Kim," I said, smiling as I stepped closer. Though I didn't know her well, I appreciated her quiet, steady presence. I reached out and gave her a quick hug, which seemed to catch her off guard but earned a soft chuckle from Leah.