USWNT 2.0

20

Kelley was sitting with her family. Her brother Jerry, her dad Dan and her mother Karen were right in front of her, when the oldest of them just noticed what was hanging at her daughter's wrist.

- Who gave you this magnificent bracelet ? she asked.

Her dad winked at her. He was the only one who knew that she was seeing someone. Kelley looked down at her bracelet, and her heart missed a few heartbeats. It was the bracelet Allie gave her in the end of the latest camp. She's been wearing it day and night since the middy almost died several weeks ago.

She struggled swallowing her saliva.

- One of my teammates, she answered.

The love of my life, she thought to herself, and this thinking just made her feel even worse. She missed Allie so much.

Her brother wasn't an idiot.

- More like your lover, he teased her.

She looked down at her hands, blushing. Her mom got excited ; Kelley's parents had known for a while their daughter was into girls, and it wasn't that big of a deal for them. She was allowed to love whoever she wanted to.

Karen smiled wildly.

- Which one is it ? she asked, more curious than ever.

Kelley hesitated. She didn't know where Allie stood anymore. She thought the blonde was returning her feelings, but she never said the three magical words to her. Maybe fear was taking over her ability to express her feelings, but Kelley was beginning to give up on the idea that the middy would once day be ready.

She sighed.

- You know, when you guys watched the match we played against Japan ? she started.

Her family nodded at the same time.

- Remember the girl who was foaled and then gave the camera a thumbs up ?

- Number 23 ? Jerry guessed.

- Yeah, Kelley said. That's her. But I don't know if she loves me back anymore.

She had now tree surprised faces looking at her in shock. Her dad thought she and that girl she was talking about with stars in her eyes were a couple or at least he assumed Kelley was sure about this.

- Allie Long ? Karen asked. She's so beautiful Kelley !

- I know, the brunette sighed.

- What happened ? her dad asked.

Kelley struggled to find the right words.

- She's got that heavy past and has got trust issues.

Her mother saw the distress in her daughter's eyes. It suddenly rang a bell. She grabbed Kelley's bag and took her phone out of it. Before the brunette could even say something, she had put the bag in its rightful place and handed Kelley her phone.

None of the three people staring at Karen seemed to understand.

- Kelley, baby, you should be with her right now, she softly said. You need to figure out what is really going on, because I am sure such a beautiful and smart girl as she seems to be wouldn't let you go on purpose. Go and talk to her !

- But you traveled all the way from Georgia to see me, Kelley argued.

- There's not point in you staying here with us when your thoughts are fixated on her, Karen said. I said, go !

Kelley kissed her mother's forehead before quickly waving at her dad and brother. She knew life was going by too quickly. She had to find Allie. She wanted to figure out why the middy had so much trouble to say "I love you". And yes, Kelley knew Allie returned her feelings. All the little details - like the looks she was giving her all the time, of the little attentions - seemed to lead in that direction.

She needed to breathe again.

***

When she got to Allie's room, it was too late : the blonde was already gone. Kelley ran to their rendez-vous spot, and then walked around the whole hotel to find her. But there was no sign of her. When she realized what other option she had, she felt all of her anger growing inside of her. She had to talk to Alex.

She knocked on hers and Kling's room. The tiny girl opened the door and seemed quite worried about who was coming to see Alex.

- Please don't knock her down. We need her on the field.

The brunette then went out of the room, as Kelley was coming in. Alex was standing right in front of her. She seemed to be quite tired and lost. But the Georgia girl didn't want to be to soft on her. So she just went straight at the point :

- Where is Allie ?

Her voice was colder than ever, and Alex just shivered.

- I don't know. Actually, I thought she was with Tobin.

- Well, she isn't.

Kelley suddenly felt quite worried about the middy. Where could she have gone ? The perspective of loosing her again was making her sick. So she just looked at Alex meanly, waiting for her to talk.

She sighed.

- Fine. She went to see her brother, Alex confessed. She didn't want Tobin and you to know, because you'd have stood on her way.

- Of course I'd have ! Her brother is a psycho ! Kelley exclaimed.

She then ran straight at where Alex's bag was lying, and searched for her keys. When she finally found them, she threw them in the forward's face. Tobin, who heard Kelley's voice, came into the room. She was surprised when she saw her two friends standing next to each other. In three words, Kelley explained the situation to her. Even though Tobin was still very mad at Alex, she knew Allie's safety was what really mattered.

Kelley gave Alex a little tap on the back.

- You're driving. Come on.

- We don't even know where she went ! Alex argued.

Tobin and Kelley gave her a death glare, and the forward just sighed, before joining her two... well, let's say, friennemies, in her car. Now that she was thinking about it, promising Allie that she wouldn't go after her was a bad idea, and so was keeping that away from the two valuable people in the middy's life.

She was driving downtown, while Tobin was trying to reach her.