There's More to Soccer Then That

Chapter 20

-Tobin's POV-

The next few days were actually fairly... Laid back. I thought it would have been stressful for us all. But the girls were taking their recovery well, and their health seemed to be doing just as well. I lay downstairs at the poolside, Kelley and Morgan laying on either sides of me. Julie, Hope and Alex swim around in the pool, and Carli is speaking to coach Ellis over off to the side. We're enjoying the warmth of the morning, simply relaxing. I glance over to the entrance of the poolside from my sunglasses, slightly expecting to see Jade coming out. I keep checking every few minutes, and each time I don't see her, I become saddened. But I know she's simply resting, as she promised me that's where she'd. A rigid breath escapes my mouth as my bare tan legs are clashed against by icy water. I let out a deep scream as I practically fall out of my seat reaching for a towel. "ALEX!" I shout, a smirk on my face even after my angry tone of voice. Laughter erupted from all of us as I stood and pretty much sprinted to tackle Alex in the pool.

-Morgan's POV-
I swim in the pool, relaxing as the cool chlorine filled water hits against my skin. The water allows my body to feel light, and it's honestly one of the best feelings, since my body is still recovering. I can't help but giggle as Julie and Kelley attempt to jump on each other's backs. Hope and Carli sit on the side with their legs dipped in, then there's Alex and Tobin. Tobin is holding Alex bridal style, they seem to be playing some type of game. I watch for a few moments, paying attention to what is happening. "Green." Alex says. "Wrong." Tobin replies, dunking the forwards head under the water, resulting in laughter from both. "Blue." Alex tries again, only to find herself underwater once again. "One more chance Al." Tobin says with a mischievous smirk. I lay back against the wall of the pool, slightly intrigued by what might happen next. "Uuuuhhh.... Red?" With that, Tobin cheers and suddenly flips Alex backwards into the water. I giggle as they both laugh, and then they continue with their thing. I glance around, feeling a slight hint of loneliness creep into my mind. I decide to get out, putting my hands on the concrete before lifting myself out. My bare feet hit against the warm stone beneath me, as I approach to grab my towel. I wrap it around my body and grab my phone that's sitting on a side table before waving to Ellis. "I'm going inside." I say simply, and coach nods to me before I walk past her, heading inside.

I hit the elevator button, and wait a few moments until the little light above the doors shines. The metal doors open- and I'm slightly surprised to see a familiar black haired forward landing against the railing. "Scarlet? The heck are you doing?" I say, quickly getting inside and spamming the close doors button so none of the others would see her out of bed without crutches or her wheelchair. "I was just- I wanted- I was..." She tried 3 different times to defend herself before she simply fell silent, looking down at her feet. I chuckle softly and stand next to her, leaning my shoulder against hers. "It's okay. I won't tell." I told her, waiting for the elevator to land on our floor. "Why are you going back to your room?" She asked me, adjusting her posture so she was only slightly leaning against me, even though her left arm hugged against her waist like her stomach was in pain. "I got kinda lonely so I thought I'd come inside and just rest. But I think I got a different plan. Did you get lonely too?" I reply, watching the doors finally open. She hops out, gripping the walls to keep herself up. She nodded as we continued making our way down, but I felt concerned watching her struggle in pain, even though I knew she could do it. "Yeah... It was weird laying around with no one bugging me or there to make me roll my eyes or laugh." She explained, making me chuckle. I helped her open the door, then allowed her to walk in before I hesitated. I hadn't talked to her since the incident. I hadn't had the chance to see how she was recovering. I hadn't even gotten to thank her for saving my life. "Morgan, you alright?" Her voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I realized I was frozen looking at the doorway. "Oh, yeah. Sorry. Uh, it's alright if I hang right?" I reply, a bit of shyness in my vocals. "Of course, you're my best friend of course." We share a smile before I nod and make my way in, closing the oak wood door behind me. I then approach and sit on the bed beside her, after she scooted over and indicated she wanted me to sit there. I lay back, and rest my head to the pillow as I just want to hug my best friend. I had missed her, and had been so scared to loose her. Before I knew it, I was hugging her closest arm and hiding my face within her aqua and grey two toned long sleeve shirt. Tears from my blue optics are absorbed within the fabric of her shirt, and I simply break down when I feel her other hand soothingly rub the back of my head like she had always done. She let me cry, until I felt the need to speak. "I was so scared to loose you." I began, my voice coming out only when I let out sobs. "Without you, I don't know what I'd do. You're irreplaceable. I would have never gotten to thank you for saving me. God why'd you save me-" before I could finish that sentence, she shushed me. "You don't need to explain yourself to me. With me around, you can cry all you need. I love you Morgan. I accept you for you." Her words calmed me, even with the amount of tears that covered my reddened cheeks. "You don't need to thank me. It was my way of saving myself from the life of guilt I'd have to live with knowing I could have saved you." It was silent for a few moments before we finally sat up and hugged each other. I thanked her again, for everything really. "It's okay babe. I'm here for you no matter what. I'm like the floor- I'll be here to catch you when you fall." With that we both laugh, and I was about to ask her to play a game when all of a sudden the hotel phone rang. I pressed speaker before saying "Hello?" It was the secretary at the front office. "Yes I have a visitor named Lance Armstrong here. He says he's here to check in on Ms. Scarlet Jade. Should I send him up?"