Beyond the Armband (O'Hara/Sonnett)

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As Captain of the Starr's Mills High School Girls' soccer team, it is Kelley O'Hara's job to know everything about her teammates in order to know how to best motivate them. The knowledge has served her well as the team has remained undefeated during her 3-year tenure as the Captain.

Lately, she has noticed that one of the team's defenders Emily Sonnett isn't performing up to her usual level of play. Nor, is she acting like the outgoing and entertaining personality they've all come to know and love. Kelley pulls her aside after practice one day in order to try an ascertain what may be affecting the young player.

Taking a spot on the school bleachers, Kelley can tell that there is definitely something going on with her when Emily doesn't make eye contact with her but instead looks down at her feet and hands.

"What's going on Sonny? I know something is wrong."

"It's nothing Captain, I'm okay, I should go, I can't be late for work."

Kelley watches as the defender collects her belongings and heads into the school to shower and change.

A few days later and Kelley is sitting with her sister Erin at the local Waffle House awaiting their breakfast when she sees Emily propped up in a booth with her eyes closed. She decides to watch Emily and see if she is just resting on her break.

As they eat, Kelley sees Emily reach for her phone to shut off an alarm and get back out of the booth, presumably returning to work. Kelley can't shake the feeling that there is something wrong. After they finish eating, Kelley drops Erin off at a friend's place and then circles back to the Waffle House to watch and wait.

Hours later, Emily emerges from the restaurant and makes her way over to a car in the back corner of the lot. Kelley watches from afar as Emily opens the door to the backseat, removes her shoes and climbs in, shutting the door behind her. Kelley gets out of her car and walks over to Emily's. She is shocked by what she sees in it. Emily is curled up with a pillow and blanket asleep in the back seat, surrounded by wrappers, garbage and clothes. She now has a better idea of what may be going on with the player, from the looks of things; she's been living in her car for a while.

Kelley returns home and asks to speak with her parents, Karen and Dan. They sit down at the kitchen table.

"What's going on Kel? You wouldn't ask to speak with both of us unless it's something serious. You're not pregnant, are you?"

"Sorry to disappoint you Mom, I haven't decided to switch teams, I'm still gay. But I do have something possibly serious that I need your input on. Do you know the Sonnetts?

"Yes, we see them every Sunday at church with their daughters, although for the past few weeks there has only been one of the girls with them."

"Can we please keep this conversation between us, it pertains to Emily and maybe why she hasn't been around her family lately."

"Of course, Kelley. You've piqued our interest; now can you tell us what's going on."

"I think they kicked Emily out of the house. Just listen before you respond ok?"

Karen and Dan both agree, so she continues.

"For about the past month or so, Emily hasn't been herself on or off the field. I pulled her aside and tried to speak with her about things, but she brushed me off. This morning Erin and I went for our monthly sister trip to the Waffle House for breakfast and I saw her sleeping in one of the booths. Her alarm went off and she went back to work but it didn't sit well with me, so after I dropped Erin off, I went back and staked out the place. At the end of her shift, I watched her walk to her car and climb in the back seat. I went over to see if I could talk to her and found her asleep and her car covered in wrappers and clothes. I didn't know what to say to her so I came back home, to ask you guys what I should do about it."

"What we are going to do right now, is to go find her and bring her back here. It's not safe for her to be sleeping in her car and we have a guest room that's currently being underutilized."

"Thanks, Mom."

Kelley and Karen head out to locate Emily, while Dan prepares the guest room for her. They drive to the Waffle House and there is no sign of her car.

"She probably couldn't stay here without the car being noticed. Let's check around the area."

They drive around for a while with no luck locating the car or Emily, so they return home, empty-handed.

"Kelley, you should head to bed now, hopefully, she will be at school tomorrow and you can talk to her then."

"Yeah, night Mom, Dad."

Kelley heads up to her room and puts some music on before falling into a restless sleep. She needs to know that her friend and teammate is okay.

The next morning Kelley makes the drive to school early and in the corner of the lot spots, Emily's beaten up car. She walks over to it, to see if by chance she is inside but she isn't. Kelley heads into the building earlier than she ever has in her entire scholastic career and the halls are mostly empty aside from a few teachers and custodians. She drops her bag in her locker before making the rounds with no sign of Emily. The last place she thinks to check is the locker room, she heads that way and sees some clothes laid out and hears a shower running. She takes a seat and waits to see if it's Emily. Sure, enough it is. Emily comes out and gets herself dressed and Kelley watches on.

"Talk to me Sonny, please tell me what's going on. I know about you living in your car. I want to help you, what can I do?"

"There's nothing you or anyone can do. There are only a few weeks of the school year left and once it's over I'm out of here."

"Sonny, please, it's just you and me here; we've known each other since we were little, your one of my best friends and I should have realized before now that things were going on with you."

"You really want to know what happened?" Emily looks at her with tears streaming down her face. "I told my parents that I liked girls and they kicked me out, told me that they never wanted to see me again and that I was a disgrace to the family."

"I'm really sorry Em, but why couldn't you just tell me that?"

"Because you have the perfect family and I'm sure that they would accept you if you were gay."

"You're right about that, I' m gay Sonny, they know and accept it, even if they may not be always happy about it."

"You're gay??" Emily stares at Kelley wide-eyed.

Kelley smiles at her, "Yep, and I like rainbows and unicorns."

Emily laughs at her.

"Now that we've established, we both bat for the same team, how about we play hooky today and head back to my place to chill. There is no pressure, but I already spoke to my parents and they made the guest room ready for you. Please let me do this for you, Sonny, it's my duty as your Captain and friend to look after you."

"Are you sure it's okay? Because honestly, I would love to sleep in a real bed. My back has been hurting non-stop."

"Yep, grab your stuff. I need to stop at my locker and get my bag, but then we can go home."

"Um Kelley, I don't think I have enough gas to drive to your house and I don't get paid for another few days."

"It's okay, I gotcha. Now c'mon before we are spotted and get in shit for ditching,"

When it comes time for graduation that year, Dan and Karen cheer for both Emily and Kelley as they make their way across the stage to collect their diplomas. Karen also has no issue with making it known to the church community exactly why Emily was staying with them and shaming her parents for their actions.

Kelley goes on to play soccer for the Stanford Cardinals, while Emily earns an academic scholarship to the University of Virginia. They spend as much of their time off together as possible and Kelley ends up proposing to Emily on the day she received her degree in Sociology. 

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