USWNT - High School

Chapter 17

Ashlyn's POV

"She's not picking up." I turned back towards Ali, as I hung up the un-answered phone call with Hope's older sister. I've left about 30 voicemails at this point, but she's not returning any of my calls.
"She's probably just out, she'll get them soon enough. Come sit down." Ali patted the seat next to her, and I sighed before sitting down next to my girlfriend. I wrapped my arms around her and gave her a hug.

"You're my rock, you know that?" I said, as I kissed the top of her head.
"I wouldn't have been able to stay calm through any of this without you." I continued, now looking to meet her eyes. She smiled back at me, that heavenly smile that only exist on Ali Krieger's flawless face.
"I love you." She breathed out, stroking my cheek carefully as she spoke. For the first time today, I felt my face form a smile.
"I love you, too." I said back, meaning it with all my heart.

I leaned back in my chair, leaving my arm around Ali. I closed my eyes and rested my head against the wall behind me.
I kept thinking of Hope's family. You hear all these rumors about how bad it actually is, but you never truly believe it because Hope herself never talks about it. But then something like this happens, and there's not a single blood related person here or to even be contacted. She's eighteen years old, and she's been living on her own for years. I've known Hope since she transferred here in 9th grade, and she's been alone from then. Her sister stayed with her a bit more in the beginning, but overall she was alone. Besides, her sister is like five years older, she wasn't capable of taking care of a kid when they moved here at all.
I know for a fact that her father died, and I assumed her mother did too for a long time. But then Carli overheard a conversation once, between Hope and her sister. She just heard a few key words like 'she's back' and 'I don't have a mother'. But it was enough for us to question whether or not she is alive after all. Obviously that leads to a whole bunch of other questions like why she isn't in the picture, what happened, what is she back from, etc. Hope is honestly a mystery. You think you know someone, but even though she is one of my closest friends, she has a whole past that is unknown to everyone here.

**

Kelley's POV

"We should update the others." Carli suddenly spoke up, and I was startled by her sudden move. We had both taken our turns sitting next to Hope, spilling our hearts out there for the both of them to her. I've learned things about both Carli and Hope by this and it's a strange type of knowledge. I'd rather be without it honestly.

"I don't want to leave her alone." I said back, looking down at the older girl on the bed. I agree that we should inform the others, but I don't want to leave Hope's side, not ever again it felt like in that moment.
"Stay, I'll go." Carli stood up, looking like she could use some fresh air anyways. I probably could too, but I'll survive without.

"Maybe Ashlyn's right." Carli suddenly spoke up again, after I thought she'd left the room. She had stopped before she had reached the door, and turned back around towards Hope and I. I wasn't sure what she was talking about honestly, but didn't want to ask further.
"Did Hope ever-" Carli continued, but stopping herself as she took a step towards me. She looked somewhat nervous about asking.
"Did she ever talk to you about her past? I mean like, about her family and stuff." She went on, and I got a bad feeling from her question. I wish I could tell her that I knew everything, that Hope trusted me enough to tell me about that kind of personal stuff, but she didn't. I knew pretty much nothing except from the things everyone just somehow seem to know anyways.
"Not really, no." I answered honest, and saw quickly how that was not the answer she had hoped for. Carli sighed deeply.

"I think her mother is still alive." Carli said the words like they were poison in her mouth. She seemed so confused and horrified with the thought of it being true, by like she still believed it. I was beyond confused.
"Her mother? I though-" I stopped my sentence because I had to think. What did I thought? I suddenly wasn't sure what I thought about Hope's mother, because surely she had never been mentioned and I guess I somehow forgot to ever even think about it. Hope did tell about her father, and how he died in a car crash when she was young. But she never mentioned her mother, nor ever seemed to grieve a possible death. It's apparently an unsolved mystery for everyone.

"Why would you think that?" I asked, redirecting my question. I still wasn't sure how it could be possible for her to be alive though, seeing as she isn't even mentioned in the lives of her two daughters.
"Hope's never mentioned her death, but she openly grieves her father's passing. Plus, I overheard a suspicious conversation not too long ago between Hope and her sister. I was hoping she'd talked to you about it, but I guess not. There's so much we don't know about her, Kelley. I think she's been through way more than she's letting on to." Carli looked worried now, like she just now took in the seriousness of her own words herself. I didn't know what to say to that, or even think at this point.

It's true what she's saying, there's so much we don't know about her and now we may never find out. What if she doesn't wake up? I know we can't think like that, but it's the reality of the situation. All we gotta do is wait, but I'm just so damn tired of waiting. I've waited for Hope for a long time now, longer than I'll ever care to admit. I'm not questioning of she's worth the wait, I know for a fact that she is. But I am questioning if I am capable of doing it. Am I capable of being by her side through this, helping her through this, and still not ever get my feelings returned. At least not in the sense of her admitting to them. I know that's selfish to even just think, but you can't control your thoughts now, can you.

"She's gonna wake up, and then she's gonna tell us all about it." Carli suddenly spoke behind me, and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder for support. "Right, Hope?" She continued, before sighing and finally making it out the door to the waiting room.