USWNT - High School

Chapter 24

Hope's POV

"So that's pretty much it." Kelley let out a relieved sigh, after having given me the tour of the house, my house.

"I like it." I said genuine. "I guess my taste haven't changed then." I added, trying to make a decent joke. Kelley forced a smile, but obviously didn't find it that funny. Either I'm very bad at telling jokes, or there's something more to that story.

Kelley has been visiting me every single day at the hospital, and she seems to be acting different than Carli or Ashlyn. She's also younger, so we were never in the same class. We apparently only met last year, when she joined the soccer team. I must say I find it strange how close we seemed to be from just being friends for that period.

Then again, I don't believe we were just friends. At least I know I can't even in a million years have wanted to be just friends with this girl. She's gorgeous for one, confident and independent, she doesn't let anyone mess around with her. I guess I'm attracted to that, and I can't see how I couldn't have been before. I clearly still have the same taste.

"You hungry? I can make you something, or maybe order in?" Kelley stated moving towards the kitchen, hinting me to follow.
"It may be wiser that we just order in, I'm really not good at cooking." She admitted, as soon as she started looking around the empty kitchen. I couldn't help but smile, liking how chill she was being for once.

"I've heard McDonalds is pretty good?" I suggested, remembering how Ashlyn had been talking it up the other day.
"You've heard?" Kelley asked thinking I was joking, then seconds later froze at her own words. I saw a great deal of panic in her face.
"Shit, I didn't- I just, you used to love it and-" she started again, but I stopped her with a hand movement. I was glad she joked, it made me feel more normal in a sense, believe it or not. It was just better when they weren't tip towing around me that's all.

"Kelley, it's fine. Let's go get McDonalds." I smiled, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. I know we both felt it when we stood this close, my touch did something to her. I looked at her and she looked back at me. It was like she was searching for something inside of me again, someone, that very same way she has been several times before. She misses the old Hope, and I'm not sure she'll ever be able to fall for this one.

**

We got the food and decided to bring it back home. I think she once again had been disappointed when I hadn't recognized the building or anyone there, apparently I used to spend quite some time there.

We decided to watch a movie and Kelley had suggested She's The MAN, explaining how it's always been a favorite of mine.

"Kelley, can I ask you something?" I couldn't stop my thoughts from wandering away from the movie, and I found my head spinning with questions about everything but that.

"Sure." She mumbled, intensely watching the movie herself. She knew this one by heart, that was for sure. I noticed how she would laugh right before something funny happened, and speak some of the lines in unison with the voices. It was quite entertaining.

"What was I like before?" I asked her, seeing her eyebrows frown in confusion for a second before she caught on to my question.
"Like, how am I different from the old Hope?" I added, making sure she understood my question, even though I knew it was strange.

"You're not- you're still you." She almost whispered, as if she was more trying to convince herself with those words than me.
"You used to be more mean. Like fierce and mysterious. It would often come off as mean, but you never wanted for it to do so." She started speaking, and it showed how much passion she had towards this other me.
"You seem more open and willing now I guess. Not so full of secrets. But that might also be because I know things now that I never knew before. Things you didn't want me to know." She didn't look at me, she kept her gaze at the bowl of popcorn.

"Why didn't I? Want you to know, I mean." I asked, wondering why I was holding back before, when I obviously cared a lot.
"I've been asking myself that a lot lately." She mumbled out, letting out a short laugh.

"Kelley, what were we?" I couldn't stop myself from continuing. I was too curious about my relationship to this girl, it was a mystery.
"What do you- uh, what do you mean?" She cleared her throat and suddenly looked somewhat uncomfortable. I wanted to stop asking, but I couldn't get myself to.

"Relationship wise, what were we? I refuse to believe we were just friends." I spoke honest, and I saw her panic. She was afraid to tell me, that's for sure. But still, something inside her seemed to calm down at the thought.

"We were- God, I don't think anyone ever knew what we were. Not even the two of us." She shook her head with a tiny smile on her face. We sure were pretty complicated.

"But I-" she started, now finally looking up and into my eyes. Those beautiful familiar eyes.

"I love you." When she spoke those words, and her eyes met mine, it was like something went off inside me. Something good, something familiar. Something I've been wanting to hear for a long time without knowing.
"Loved. Maybe, I don't know." She quickly adjusted her words, looking like she was embarrassed that she got caught up in the heat of the moment.

I felt things inside of me that I didn't know I could feel towards a person, and there was so much more than knowing someone for two weeks. This was deeper than that.

"Kelley." I spoke her name, and for the first time knowing how much lies behind saying that simple word. How much it meant to me, how much I had wanted her to say those words to me. How much I loved her.

She kept her eyes at me now, looking into mine like she too saw something new inside of me. Like she saw all that had been there before. I felt my head ache from wanting me to know all this information, and all the emotions got overwhelming almost.

"You've said those words before, haven't you? When I was in a coma. I remember." I spoke the words carefully, like something in me was afraid I'll hurt her with them.

"Kelley, I remember."