The Last Defender, page 16
“Your August assist was insane,” she said quickly, and then Hailey was there, and Tessa tapped into the game.
CHAPTER NINE
The second Mexico game was more challenging. But, Tessa reasoned as she sprinted down the pitch after the ball, it was the good kind of challenging, with them pushing the edges of the Mexican defense, pushing them further, and scoring well placed goals. Beniliya was back in the 10 position, and she grinned as Ru scored a goal off her assist, leaning into her with a smirk.
“They don’t just keep me around for my good looks,” she said, and Ru punched her in the shoulder, and Tessa told her she was a nerd.
And then, Beniliya scored a goal, with an assist by Ru. As play resumed again, they passed the ball around the midfield, until Beniliya played a beautiful through ball; Ru tapped it, split the Mexico defense and led Tessa in stride. Tessa looked up for a split second, and then shot; her ball shot past Santiago’s left shoulder and whooshed against the netting. Tessa leapt up in excitement until Ru pounced on her, gently pulling her ponytail.
“Don’t tell me I never did nothing for you, Tessie!” She said, gleefully.
“You’re a princess, Amy.”
“That’s what I like to hear.”
“Stop flattering her, and let’s get back to work.”
The Mexican women really pushed them this evening. Cheryl played defensive mid for the most part, and Becky and Selena did everything they could to keep the backline as solid as possible. The only time that faltered what when Lucy messed up a pass to Becky from outside the box, and she missed Becky totally. Mexico’s forward - the one Tina had slept with that one time - snagged the ball, and had an opportunity on goal that was completely empty. Lucy was still sprinting towards it, and she was already ready to look disappointed. That mistake was definitely going to ruin Lucy’s clean sheet. If the Mexican striker had just one-timed the shot, Mexico would have been up. Instead she took one touch before shooting. Thank god she did that, since that brief moment allowed Becky to get back into play and kick away the ball. Lucy kept the shut out.
It was goddamn miracle.
And yet, at the end of the match, Fiona still looked unhappy. "Well, that's not as good as I wanted it," Fiona hummed once they had warmed down and were waiting in the locker room for their debriefing. "I wanted consistency."
"We won," Willow pointed out with a frown. "Isn't that consistent?"
"You didn't win as well," Fiona disagreed with a sharp look at Willow. "You were barely even dangerous."
"But -"
"The only person that did well today was Beniliya." Beniliya looked up, surprised. "You’re doing well in the 10 position. Tessa, you were dangerous and I liked it, but you got sloppy near the end. Amy, please just continue, though I want you connecting more passed.” Her gaze flicked over them respectively, landing on Becky at the end. She allowed a quick smile. “Becky - Lucy owes you dinner." Becky grinned.
"I know," she said, smirking, nudging Lucy. Lucy shoved her away affectionately.
"You were a little bit miraculous," Lucy conceded with a long suffering sigh.
"We're lucky to have you," Selena agreed with a small smirk.
“You’re a goddess among women,” Tina agreed, her face mock serious. Becky sent her a glare as she stripped off her shirt.
"Stop sucking up," she tsked.
"I would never!" Tina protested. Fiona rolled her eyes and clapped her hands, commanding their attention again.
"You're free tonight," she told her team. “A well earned night off, if you ask me.”
"Party time!" Kenni and Beniliya cheered, jumping up from the benches and immediately doing high fiving. Fiona allowed herself a rare smile.
"Don't let Dawn hear that," she warned them as she opened the door.
"But it's almost Cheryl's birthday!" Kenni protested.
"We have to celebrate," Tina agreed seriously.
“I didn’t say you weren’t allowed, I just said don’t let Dawn hear that,” Fiona assured them. “Good night ladies!” With that, and a chorus of “Bye Fiona!”s she left.
Tessa loved the parties they had at camp - they usually had half the team, lead by Kenni, wearing outrageous and very sexy outfits, and the other half, lead by Beniliya, wearing jeans and swaggering around the bar. They got their usual giant table, and Tessa sat between Amy and Cheryl, with August and Demetria squeezing in on their right. August and Demetria spent most of the evening on their phones - it turned out there were Important Wedding Things that needed to be discussed, but thank god they weren’t consulting Tessa. Amy chimed in every now and then, craning to see August’s phone and teasing her about her wedding date, but Tessa tuned out.
As the night wore on, and Tina bought her a whiskey sour with a “you gotta try it man,” Tessa found her attention drawn to the other end of the table where Belinda was sitting. Alyssa was sitting on one side of her, and Sherry was on her other, and they were both giggling.
"What do you think they're talking about?" Tessa asked Amy under her breath. Amy looked up from her phone and frowned.
"What?" She asked.
"The three of them," Tessa asked, with an exaggerated head nod in Belinda’s direction. Amy frowned.
"Want to go over there and talk to them?" She asked, confused. She started shifting, as if to make room for Tessa to get up, but Tessa shushed her.
"No!” She hissed. “I just want to know."
"You’re acting weird," Amy complained. Tessa made a face.
"It's the whiskey," she said, turning back towards Cheryl. Cheryl was watching her suspiciously.
"You know we shouldn't drink anyway," Cheryl chastised.
"One drink won't hurt anyone," Tina complained, sliding into the seat next to Cheryl. Amy raised an eyebrow.
"That's your third, Tina," Cheryl pointed out. Tina’s grin widened.
"Who’s counting?" she asked with a shrug.
"Me," Selena called down the table, and Tina gestured her away.
"Rude," she called back.
"I can’t believe you talk to Selena like that," Cheryl hissed. Tina’s dopey grin widened.
"Please - I'm basically her daughter now," she said, her voice full of bravado.
"Doesn't that mean that she'll be more annoyed with you?" Ru asked, quirking her eyebrow. Tina shrugged.
"Well, I mean, sure, but it also means she lets me get away with it."
"That's only because you have the body of an Olympian," Willow called down from where she was sitting across from Selena. “Your body is like biological perfection.” Tina flicked her hair in mock pride.
"I know," she said.
"Why are your genes this amazing?" Cheryl agreed, poking her in the bicep.
"Because I'm a literal angel," Tina informed them, grinning.
"Can I have your babies, Tina?" Beniliya called down from where she was sitting next to Willow. Tina shrugged.
"Of course,” she agreed, “as long as I don't have to mother them."
"You and me would make one beautiful baby, right?" Beniliya asked with a wink. Tina made a face.
"I don't know, I think Kenni and I would be the best," she disagreed. Kenni, who’d be in a deep discussion with Krieger, looked up confused.
"Kenni?" Beniliya asked, covering her heart with her hands in mock hurt.
“What’s happening with me?” Kenni demanded.
"Don't you think we'd make amazing babies?" Tina asked Kenni, standing up so Kenni could see her over the length of the bar. Kenni pursed her lips, considering it, before she narrowed her eyes at Tina.
"Are you hitting on me?" She asked, suspicious.
"No,” She said, waving the concern away, “I just think our genes could make a perfect child." Kenni shrugged.
"You have a point," she agreed. Beniliya made a face.
"I can't believe you’re hitting on my wife," she grumbled. Kenni grinned at her and held out her hand across the table, which Beniliya took and squeezed with a smirk.
"Beniliya, please,” Tina scoffed. “She's all yours, I just want her DNA and my DNA to create a super baby."
"That baby would be the biggest drama queen in the world,” Krieger pointed out. Tina stared at Lis in horror.
"Oh wow,” she said, proving Krieger right in her dramatic reaction. “Hurtful."
"You would be outshined," Cheryl pointed out dryly.
"Oh my god, good point,” Tina realized, sitting down heavily. “No Kenni-Tina-Superbaby would show respect to me. I need some other genes. Sorry, Kenni, you're out."
"How rude," Kenni commented, though she was grinning. Tina scanned the table until her eyes landed on Belinda. Belinda, Alyssa and Sherry had not been paying to the conversation for the last five minutes, engrossed in something on Belinda’s phone.
"Callahan!" Tina shouted. Belinda looked up, surprised.
"What?" She called back.
"I want to have your babies," Tina told her. Belinda gaped at her.
"What?!" She demanded.
"I think we would make a good baby," Tina called back. Belinda laughed, but before she had a chance to weigh in on the topic, Roma chimed in.
"Two women can't have children, Tina," she pointed out, her face totally serious.
"Wow, THANKS Captain Obvious," Tina said with an eye roll, gently punching Roma in the shoulder. "If we could though, I think I would like the SuperTina-Belinda baby."
"Tina-Belinda is a terrible double barreled name though," Belinda pointed out. She had left her space on the other end of the table to squeeze in next on Cheryl’s other side, so they could resume talking in normal voices instead of shouting.
"Mh, the kid doesn't have to have my name,” Tina decided. “Everyone just needs to know it's my kid." Belinda’s forehead furrowed.
"Are you making me a single mom?" She asked, amazed. Tina grinned sheepishly.
"You're the most qualified person I know,” she explained. “Your dogs look amazing."
"So you're having me have your baby so that my parents can raise it?" Belinda asked, with a small snort.
"First of all, it's a her, thank you very much, and second of all, i mean they did a good job with you, right?"
"You're the worst."
"Mh, I know,” Tina hummed leaning over Cheryl to kiss Belinda on the cheek. “By the way, are you coming to see the Cardinals with me in November?"
"Only because you asked so nicely."
"I'll buy you dinner," Tina added with a wink. Belinda laughed.
"Now you really have me."
"August, Amy? You want in?" Both August and Amy scoffed.
"No thanks," Amy said while August replied:
"I'd rather die."
"Why are they so dramatic?" Tina asked Tessa. Tessa laughed, but before she could answer, August cut in.
"Remember that one time I invited Miss Tina here to a UCLA game last year?" She asked their end of the table. Tina cleared her throat.
"First of all its Ms. Tina," Tina said, holding up her hand, "and secondly, I have some decency."
"You’re terrible," Cheryl chided, shoving Tina playfully. Tina grinned broadly.
"Thanks."
"Also, doesn't Fiona have friendlies planned for us for November?" Tessa asked, frowning.
"No, we have World Cup Qualifying at the end of October, and then Brazil in December," Belinda cut in.
"So we have November off?" Tessa asked, excited.
"You do have to keep training every day,” Roma cut in again. August stared up at the ceiling for one long second, as if the ceiling would give her patience, before she gave Roma a dangerous smile..
"Thanks Princess," she said, her voice heavy with sarcasm. "I would have never done that without you."
"I'm just saying -" Roma started, but Selena but a calming hand on her shoulder, and Roma huffed to go sit with Lucy, her husband and Willow, who were now crowded around a phone in the corner of the bar.
"What are you doing for November?" Tessa blinked at Belinda. She was used to sliding into the background doing these team disputes, and Belinda smiled at her, noticing her, and Tessa found herself surprised. On the pitch, Tessa was a dynamic, extroverted player, but during these night outs she preferred to hold back and remain in Cheryl’s shadow. It was rare that someone caught her out on that. She smiled back at Belinda tentatively.
"Honestly, I haven't much further than qualifying,” she admitted. She turned to Cheryl. “Cheryl, am I doing something in November?"
"I'm spending November going to every single Damien game," Cheryl replied, refilling her and Tessa’s water glass from the jug at the center of the table. Tessa made a face.
“Is it even Basketball season?” She asked, surprised.
“I’m disowning you, Jacobson,” Cheryl told her, her face mock-serious.
"Well, that doesn't sound fun,” Tessa hummed. She turned to the other end of the table. “August?"
"Luca's still playing,” August replied, not looking up from her phone, “but I'm not going to every game. We could totally do that trip down to Crater Lake." Tessa chirped up.
"Demetria?" She asked, looking at her hopefully. Demetria made a face.
"I'm not up for it." She admitted. Tessa’s face fell.
"Why not?" She demanded.
"Stu and I are going on a trip together."
"Ugh, you're so boring," Tessa complained.
"You could always come hang in California with me," Belinda offered with a small smile.
"And come to Stanford games!" Tina called in agreement. Tessa tried to dampen the excitement in the pit of her stomach - this was just a friend, offering another friend, a great way to spend the month of November.
"Oh. Well -" She started.
"Tess, you're going to a Tar Heel game with us," Hailey called, leaning across the table dramatically to get Tessa’s attention. Tessa blinked.
"I am?" She asked.
"Yeah, we promised we'd be at the first round game."
"We did?"
"Did you not read the email chain?" Hailey asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, why didn't you cc Cheryl in it if it was important?" Tessa asked, pouting. Hailey laughed.
"You're the worst," she teased.
"I'll make sure she's there," Amanda called from where she was sitting next to Krieger.
"Amanda, you're a Savior."
"And you're a wreck."
"Some other time then." Tessa grinned at Belinda, and she smiled back, and Tessa noticed that her heart was beating faster again. She breathed out steadily and looked away. Belinda Callahan's small, tight lipped smile was going to be the death of her.
"You need to be less obvious," August was sitting on her bed at 8am, hair up in an unwashed and untidy mess, frowning at her screen. Tessa yawned and threw her pants into her duffle bag.
"What?" She asked, stretching.
"When you look at Belinda Callahan, you look like you want to fuck her against the table." Tessa paused what she was doing and stared at August in horror.
"What?!" She demanded.
"She's rewatching the Switzerland game,” Tina explained, coming back inside from her phone call from the balcony and sitting down on August’s bed with a small bounce.
"Why are you doing that?" Tessa asked, making a face.
"I didn't score," August explained matter-of-factly.
"You just scored in the last two games we played!?" Tessa pointed out, as always, confused by August.
"I know, but I didn't score against Switzerland, and I gotta know why. I didn't do anything different against Mexico, and I got a brace. I can't be caught off guard by different teams like that."
"I think that's how soccer works, August," Tessa pointed out.
"Don't be snippy," August snapped. Tessa rolled her eyes.
"I'm not," she muttered, returning back to her half-assed attempts at folding.
"Anyway,” August said after a minute, and Tessa internally sighed; “back to the fact that after Callahan scored that goal you were like, salivating."
"You're making this up."
"I'm not."
"Well, how should I look then?” Tessa asked, dropping her jersey and turning around to face August, raising an eyebrow. “Should I look at the ceiling and sigh in exasperation?"
"Look like when you see me score."
"Relieved?" August scowled.
"Rude," she mumbled.
"I don't see it, August,” Tina murmured. “I think you're being paranoid."
"I'm NOT!" August hugged.
"Look, she looks the same when Willow scored," Tina pointed out.
"No, she doesn't. Look at the way her eyes linger?"
"You either have a really fucking high quality stream, or you're making this up," Tessa mumbled.
"Leave me alone,” August sniped back. “You're just grumpy you can't visit her for a Stanford game."
"Who says I can't? I only have to be at one Tar Heel game."
"Do you think the Tar Heels have a chance?" Tina asked, trying to move away from the Belinda conversation. Tessa snapped up the chance.
"I don't know,” she admitted thoughtfully, going back to folding her shirt. “They're having a pretty bad season so far."
"I didn't know you were capable of criticizing your favorite team," August mumbled. Tina flicked her.
"August," she warned.
"I'm sorry, I'll stop,” August grumbled, shutting her laptop. “I think I have a hangover."
"You had like one drink last night, August," Tina said, scrunching up her face skeptically. August yawned.
"Yeah, but I didn't drink any water," she mumbled.
"Your body is so damn delicate," Tina sighed, poking her skeptically. August swatted her off.
"We're not all fucking amazing at everything, Tina," she grumbled. Tina grinned.
"Do you know that Willow recently told me she hated me because of my body?" She asked conversationally.
"I'm not surprised," August replied dryly.
"Rude."
"Your physiology is very frustrating for anyone who isn't you."
