Divided

Chapter 3

***Chandler's POV***

I quietly slipped on my Saucony running shoes, Nikes didn't support my shins well enough, and stepped out of my dorm to avoid waking Ana. I was wearing my North Carolina practice pinney and shorts given to me by the coach before my arrival. She told me the team conditioned and practiced before the official start of preseason over the summer, but she said I could stay home and condition there, due to the great distance between the campus and Ohio.

I made it to the shared bathroom that was down the hall of my dorm. I looked in the mirror as I pulled my hair into a tight and high ponytail; I tugged at the ends to secure the placement on my head. I divided it into three sections and began braiding; it reached the middle of my back even pulled up this way. I held it in place with my plain black Lulu Lemon headband.

I could feel my heart beating through my chest. This was the first day of official preseason; I had to show everyone I was worth their time and the money they paid for me to be here. I looked at myself in the mirror; "Be brave. You are the best at what you do. College level is no different, college level is no different." I repeated many times in my mind.

I unlocked my phone screen to see the time, 6:30 am. Our first practice was 7:30-11:00 am then 2:00-5:30 pm. Two-a-days would be brutal but it was worth it to build a great team. I gripped my stick I used for practicing and placed my nike backpack on my shoulders as I began my walk to the stadium.

Being a freshman on campus and not having access to a car was stressful, but the walk helped clear my mind.

I arrived in the locker room of the stadium at 6:50, and three other girls where there as early as me. I smiled as I introduced myself. "Hi, I'm Chandler King." One tall girl that I recognized extended her arm and I shook responsively as she spoke.

"Hi I'm Morgan Grimmer." This was her third year and she was center midfielder. Her hard work was admirable and she ran to every single ball in her power. I always noticed her generating the majority of offensive plays when I watched the previous year's footage. She was #7.

The other two girls had headphones in and I didn't want to bother them, but I didn't recognize either. One was possibly left wing, but that's all I could figure.

I sat on a bench and focused on my breathing. This had just gotten so real so fast. It was about to be my first practice on the team I had dreamt of joining since I was a little girl. My palms were beginning to clam up. Morgan sat on the bench next to me and spoke as if she read my mind.

"Don't worry, I was in your position when I was a freshman too. Just stay with me on the runs, and in drills know that I will always be in the middle." I smiled. That did make me feel a lot better.

"Thanks, hopefully you're not too fast. I'll definitely try and stay with you." She smiled back as more players entered the locker room.

I introduced myself to many as I put on my shin guards and then rolled up my white socks to cover them. I put my goggles around my neck and my mouthguard in the strap of my sports bra as we walked onto the team to start stretching.

We started the practice with a run, and I stayed up in the very front with Morgan the whole time like she told me. She was as fast as I predicted she'd be, and I had to push myself to stay by her, but I was determined. In the drills I stayed focus, and built a strong passing game with Morgan. We clicked on the field, and I trusted her having my back.

After the practice ended I returned to the locker room and washed the dirt and sweat off of my face. I put my hair in a messy bun, and reapplied deodorant. We only had a couple hours before the next practice so I decided to stay at the stadium and ice and stretch my shins. I also wanted to talk to Don about taping my shins and hip with my muscle tape.