"Just Friends."

"I'd Die For You."

It may have taken half an hour, but Kelley finally realized what she really did, and the panic attack struck. She had really tried to trip Christen, and while all of her teammates were at the hospital with the striker, Kelley was just taking angry shots at the empty net.
'I did it on purpose. . . '
Each shot that came off of her foot got harder and angrier, until she finally gave up and gathered all of her stuff, heading to the hospital with the rest of her teammates.

• • •

As Kelley arrived at the hospital, the soft cast was just being put on Christen's wrist, and appointments with the Orthopedic Doctor were being made to get the hard cast on. The defender approached the crowd of girls who were all whispering and watching as Christen tried her best not to move her arm in any way at all, and she received dirty looks from all of her teammates. An ashamed look washed over Kelley's face as she made her way to where Christen was seated in a chair, the doctor finishing up putting on the temporary cast and walking away. She didn't expect Christen to forgive her, but she did want her to know that she really was sorry.
Christen was staring down at her feet, her face solemn.
"Pressy...?"
The striker quickly looked up and rose to her feet, the sadness turning into anger.
"Don't call me that."
Kelley gave a small nod of her head, that same ashamed look staying,
"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I knew I wouldn't be able to get the ball, and took a cheap shot at you."
Christen shook her head, letting out a laugh,
"You're not sorry. Kelley, I looked right into your eyes after you did it. You showed no sign of regretting what you did. You meant to trip me."
A ping of guilt in Kelley's gut made her sick to her stomach, her face growing pale,
"I'm sorry, Christen. . ."
The striker rolled her eyes and began walking over to where Julie had been standing and chatting up a storm with Morgan,
"Just go home, O'Hara."
With a nod of her head and slump of her shoulders, Kelley made her way out of the hospital and back to her dorm room on campus.

• • •

When Kelley had reached her dorm room, she walked inside and threw all of her soccer equipment. Her anger was directed at the actions that she had taken at practice. She didn't understand why it made her so jealous to see Christen with Julie. After all, that's why she tripped Christen; she'd seen her hanging out with Julie.
Panicky thoughts raced through her mind, and she became completely overwhelmed. The next thing she knew, she was punching the wall of her bedroom as hard as she could. The adrenaline that had come along with her anger distracted her from the pain of her bloody knuckles and hole in her bedroom wall.
A few hours later, Kelley was completely disappointed in herself, and what better to distract her from Christen than a vulnerable Ali Krieger? Ali had walked in the door with her mascara running down her cheeks, upset from something that Ashlyn had done.
Well, the first chance Kelley had gotten, she grabbed Ali by her waist and pulled her against her body, angrily locking her lips with the older girl. And, of course, Ali didn't reject it. She encouraged it.
The night ended with Kelley in Ali's bed.

• • •

Of course, Christen had insisted on Julie staying with her, again. The blonde didn't mind. Honestly, she had been hoping that the striker would ask her to stay. Everything felt right, when they were together. It felt like the whole situation with Kelley wasn't even happening.
Christen and Julie both felt the same way. All they wanted to do was be in the presence of each other, and not have to worry about anything else.
So, when Julie had told Christen how she really felt, the striker was all smiles for the rest of the night. It had made Christen forget about all of the day's events.
It made her forget about Kelley.
Julie had waited for just the right moment to bring it up, though secretly, she didn't know exactly when the right moment was. But, her confession had come right after their rom-com movie marathon. Sounds cliché, and it was. Christen had been cuddled up against Julie's side the entire time, and their hands had been locked together, Julie being careful of Christen's wrist.
As soon as the last movie had ended, the blonde's heart had started racing. Thoughts of every outcome of the situation made her head hurt.
The older girl had become tired as she laid her head in Julie's lap and sleepily looked up at her with a lazy smile, and Julie took that as her chance.
"Can I tell you something?"
The striker nodded from her lap.
"You have to promise not to think of me any differently, okay?"
Christen arched an eyebrow, a bit confused, but agreed anyway.
JJ took a deep, shaky breath and began pouring her heart out,
"I think I'm in like with you, Christen. And I say, 'like,' because I really don't know if it's, 'love.' All I know is that every time I see you, my heart starts racing and I get butterflies in my stomach. Sappy, I know. But it's true. Every time I see your smile, it lights up my world and I fall for you just a bit more. I always want to be at your side, and never away from you. Every thing feels right, when I'm with you, and I love that feeling. I understand if you don't feel the same way, but I had to get it off my chest."
Christen looked up at Julie with red cheeks and a huge grin, leaning up and, bravely, placing a soft kiss on the defender's lips before returning to the position that she'd been in before.
"Does that tell you how I feel, or must I do more?"
A smirk appeared on Christen's face as Julie became the one that was blushing, the blonde's words coming out quietly, "That works."