The Last Defender, page 8
“That is kind of flirty, Harry,” she pointed out.
“It wasn’t meant to be,” Tessa said with a small pout. “Why can’t one friend write to another friend and include a wink emoji without you guys losing your shit?” August grinned.
“Amanda and Lis send each other wink emojis all the time,” she wheedled.
“I swear to -” Tessa launched herself at August, but Demetria jumped up and grabbed the phone out of August’s hand, giving it to Tessa with a conciliatory smile.
“We’re kidding, Harry,” she promised.
“We are?” August demanded, her voice sharp. Demetria gave her a soothing look.
“Leave her alone, August.” August rolled her eyes and rolled back on the sofa, pulling out her own phone. Demetria grinned at Tessa and passed her the refilled bowl of chips. Tessa accepted the food and switched her phone to silent, and not a moment too soon, because Belinda replied.
Belinda Callahan, Forward: are you taking credit for my shot on goal
Tessa: yes
Belinda Callahan, Forward: so i blame you for the fact that Lucy caught it?
Tessa: we didn’t practice with a keeper, so that was clearly the problem
Tessa: next time we’ll drag Benton with us; she loves playing keeper for Tessa Pick Up Games
Belinda Callahan, Forward: next time?
“Are you texting Belinda?” Tessa’s head snapped up, biting her lip guiltily.
“Perhaps,” she grumbled. “How did you know?”
“You didn’t hear me when I asked you something,” August said with a pout. Tessa lowered her phone and tilted her head.
“What did you ask?”
“Whether or not we wanted to go to Crater Lake some time after the season ends.” Tessa scoffed.
“You want me to know what I’m going to be doing in September?” She demanded, raising an eyebrow, incredulous. August snorted.
“Good point.” She turned to Demetria. “Demetria?”
“I’m down.” She pulled out her phone and smirked at Tessa. “Ben and Tessa could go fishing or something.” Tessa sighed dramatically.
“You guys better check in with Lexa,” she reminded Demetria and August. “She usually has several planned excursions for me for the post-season.”
“Will you be staying here? In the post-season, that is,” Demetria asked, looking over at Tessa. “We can really make that room your room if you want.” Tessa shook her head.
“No, probably not,” she admitted with a sigh. “I’m going to go home for a bit, but then Ellis has all those new friendlies ready for us in December? That trip to Brazil?”
“Ugh, yeah,” August agreed making a face. “But you can come to Orlando with me after, right?”
“Ugh,” Tessa groaned, sliding off the couch in a very childish move to get out of the intense stare that August was fixing her with. “You know I hate third wheeling with you and Luca.” August laughed and prodded Tessa with her foot gently.
“New Years in Cali then?” She asked instead, raising an eyebrow. Tessa looked up, grinning.
“That I can commit too,” she agreed.
“You could even see your girlfriend after,” August added. Tessa sent August a glare, while Demetria gently pushed her shoulder.
“August, meanness doesn’t suit you,” Demetria chided.
“What?” Both Tessa and August stared at Demetria. “It’s the only thing that suits her!”
“But I wear it so well!” August protested simultaneously, talking over Tessa. Demetria laughed and threw up her hands.
“You’re both so dumb. Come, it’s almost time to pick up Cheryl from the airport.”
“And Ru,” Tessa added, sitting up. Demetria rolled her eyes again and offered Tessa a hand to get up off the floor. Tessa accepted it, and Demetria pulled her up.
“And Becky and a bunch of other people,” she amended. “Whatever, let’s go. I want to see you cry when you see Cheryl.”
“I don’t cry!” Tessa protested. Demetria grinned slyly.
“One day you will,” she promised. “You’re always so sappy about it.”
“Well, Cheryl treats me right, unlike this asshole,” Tessa nodded at August, “so I’m just always excited to see her.” She walked into the hallway and slipped in her shoes.
“She’s also a bit excited to crush her on the field,” August told Demetria gleefully. Tessa smirked.
“Heck yeah!” She bounced on her toes, waiting impatiently for August to tie her shoes. “I feel like we, as a team, have some good energy right now.” August made a face.
“You’re just saying that because you had sex recently,” she teased.
“August!” August made a face and sighed dramatically.
“Luca is the world’s worst sexter okay, it’s not my fault, it’s just the truth.” Tessa clamped her hands over her ears.
“I don’t want to know this, August,” she insisted, screwing her face up in childish dismay. Demetria opened the front door for them and ushered them out.
“Why are you so innocent, Tessa?” August asked, pulling at Tessa’s arm gently. Tessa let go of her ears and stuck her tongue out at August.
“I prefer sheltered, thank you very much.”
“Ugh,” August murmured, shoving her lightly. Tessa pouted.
“For that,” she decided, putting her hands on her hips, “I’m driving with Demetria.”
“You were going to drive with Demetria anyway,” August pointed out, going to her car. “She lets you chose the songs on the radio.”
“And she’s nice to me,” Tessa amended, waiting at Demetria’s car door.
“Rude!”
“The car is unlocked,” Demetria told Tessa as she slid into the car. Tessa did too, smirking at August, who just rolled her eyes and slid into her car, starting the motor and revving it when it took Demetria more than 3 seconds to start her own car.
“I can’t wait until Becky is here so she can deal with some of August’s moods,” Demetria muttered. “I’m so bad at controlling both of you.” Tessa just smiled and settled back into the car. She switched on the radio; it was already at her favorite station. She smirked, and pulled out her phone.
Belinda Callahan, Forward: Any exciting plans for the weekend?
Belinda Callahan, Forward: other than winning the game tomorrow obviously
Tessa grinned, and typed out a response.
Tessa: we’re playing so Cheryl and Ru and Becky are flying in now-ish to go out 2 dinner w us
Tessa: read an article about some vegan burger joint she wants 2 go to so that’s where we’re off 2
Belinda Callahan, Forward: are you excited
Tessa: y e s I’m v v v v v excited
Tessa: And ru ofc but cheryl brings me presents.
Belinda Callahan, Forward: presents?
Tessa: ya like last time she brought me chocolate from salt lake city which was insane
Belinda Callahan, Forward: she knows how to keep you happy
Tessa: ofc ofc she’s the best
“Stop texting,” Demetria commanded as she pulled onto the interstate, “and entertain me.” Tessa immediately lowered her phone.
“Okay.” She looked at Demetria expectantly. Demetria smiled indulgently.
“Why is Lexa dragging us to some vegan event?” She asked.
“It’s not a vegan event,” Tessa corrected absently as she thumbed the ridges of the sleeves of her sweater. “It’s a vegan burger place, and it’s because she wants me to eat better, but I love burgers, so this was her compromise.” Demetria frowned.
“I don’t like it,” she admitted. Tessa’s brow furrowed.
“Vegan food?” She asked, surprised.
“The combination of vegan and burgers,” Demetria corrected. “Vegan food to me should be an Tina smoothie and some kale.” Tessa made a face.
“I prefer burgers to that thank you very much,” she decided. Demetria looked over at her slyly, watching Tessa flick her phone up in the air.
“Were you texting Callahan?” She asked.
“Oh -” Tessa looked down at her phone - “yeah, yeah I was.” Demetria changed lanes to speed ahead of a small car before switching back into the right lane.
“What’s she like?” She asked as she glanced over her shoulder to merge.
“Callahan?” Tessa asked, surprised.
“Yeah,” Demetria said, shrugging, before explaining: “I’ve only ever met her briefly.” Tessa nodded - she sometimes forgot that Demetria had only been capped recently. For some reason, Demetria was always a staple in her mind. She shrugged, and tried to describe Callahan.
“She’s kind of -” Tessa blew out air, frustrated - “well, shy isn’t the right word.” She stared out of the window for a second, trying to gather her thoughts before she turned back to Demetria, shifting in her seat. “She’s a Cali girl, but you know, she’s kind of nervous?” Demetria laughed.
“I think I know what you mean,” she admitted. Tessa grinned and then twirled her phone in her hand again.
“She’s also really funny,” she admitted. “She has a good sense of humor. And a very good laugh.”
“And she’s an insane striker,” Demetria added, almost thoughtfully. Tessa grinned and nodded.
“Yeah,” she agreed, biting her lip thoughtfully.
“You know, if I didn’t hear the way you talk about August, I would think you liked her.” Tessa rolled her eyes.
“I do like her,” Tessa said with a pout. “She’s cool!”
“Have you told Cheryl about her?” Tessa shifted in her seat and sighed.
“Not yet. I meant to. I really did, but then Cheryl had some problems with her knee -”
“Is she okay?”
“Yeah it was nothing but then her mom got sick and suddenly it’s now.” Demetria frowned.
“You need to tell her,” she warned. Tessa fidgeted and sighed, watching the markers on the road flash by.
“I know,” she murmured.
“I’m not saying this because of any moral imperative,” Demetria added quickly, “but rather because if you don’t, August will.” Tessa’s head snapped up.
“Shit, you’re right,” she muttered.
“Gotta get her before August does.”
“You’re so wise.”
“I know August.” Tessa smiled, and looked down at her phone, and then slipped it into her pocket, figuring out what she was going to say to Cheryl for the rest of the relatively short drive to the airport.
“Speaking of August,” Demetria said, gesturing at the small black car that just zipped by them. Tessa smirked; she could just make out August’s silhouette flipping them both the bird as she sped past them.
Tessa loved Portland airport; it was a weirdly tiny airport that still did international flights, so it was a great place to leave from. It was also a great place to greet friends at, because it never took them any time to get through customs, and you could hang out in the baggage carousels with them. Tessa waited excitedly, bouncing up and down with Demetria and August as she tried to see over the heads of other passengers.
“Their flight just landed,” August told Tessa as they wandered into the arrivals hall, and Tessa nodded absently, bouncing up.
Tessa spotted Cheryl first - with the combination of her height and her hair, she was unmistakable. Tessa jumped up and yelped, running towards Cheryl and launching herself into Cheryl’s arms. Cheryl laughed, delighted, and picked up Tessa happily, twirling her around.
While Tessa clung to Cheryl, burying her face in Cheryl’s shoulder and wrapping her legs around her waist, Cheryl calmly walked to the baggage carousel, greeting Demetria and August over Tessa’s shoulder. “I love you too, Tess,” she said, poking Tessa when Tessa nuzzled her neck happily. “You okay?” she asked as Tessa finally let go. Tessa smiled, grabbing Cheryl’s hand.
“I just missed you a lot,” she said happily.
“I missed you too, nerd.”
“What about me?!” Ru demanded, throwing up her hands. She had clearly been pointedly silent the entire way to the package carousel, but Tessa had been too busy clinging to Cheryl to notice. Tessa scrunched up her face.
“Why are you?” She asked. Demetria burst out laughing and Ru gave Tessa her best mom glare. It was, actually, a really good mom glare, and Tessa grinned at her sheepishly.
“Love you, Ru,” she said giving her a quick hug.
“Don’t worry about her,” August said with a snort, “I appreciate you,” as she threaded her arm through Ru’s.
“And I’m so happy you’re here,” Demetria told Becky, who laughed in delight.
“What did you bring me?”
“Always with the presents?”
“Always.”
“I brought you some fudge from the beach.”
“Fuck yeah.”
“You can’t have any tonight, though.”
“Why not?”
“You’re sleeping with me in the hotel and I don’t want to deal with you hyper.” Tessa grinned and held out her pinky finger.
“Deal.”
Dinner was a loud affair; Cheryl and Demetria had a long conversation about whether or not vegan burgers counted as healthy food while August forbid Tessa from having a chocolate smoothie (“she gets too hyper”) and Ru confiscated Tessa’s second serving of fries and democratically sharing it with the table, to Tessa’s loud protest. August easily controlled the conversation, teasing Cheryl when Cheryl texted Damien once too often, and gushing over the pictures of her son that Ru brought out.
After dinner finished, Demetria volunteered to drive them all back to the hotel they were staying in, while August promised to pick Tessa up in the morning before practice.
As Tessa sat in the middle seat, sandwiched between Ru and Cheryl, she grinned happily to herself. She loved it when Cheryl and Ru came to town. It was always moments like this, moments of actual inaction, when nothing great was happening, that filled her with joy. Cheryl playing with her hand absently, and Ru fussing about her haircut, and Demetria humming in the front seat - this is what Tessa loved.
After they checked in, and Cheryl directed Tessa to her queen sized bed and gave her some PJs of Tessa’s that she had found in her own house, Cheryl started her night time routine. Tessa watched her walk in and out of the bathroom as she slowly got ready for bed. She sighed, breathing out steadily, and then lay back on the bed.
“Cheryl, I have something to tell you,” she told the off-white ceiling.
“Ok,” Cheryl said, her voice slightly muffled from the bathroom. Tessa’s gaze remained transfixed on the ceiling.
“It’s serious,” she admitted.
“Oh. Okay.” Cheryl came out of the bathroom sat down on the bed and tilted her head, smiling at Tessa. She reached out her hand and gently held Tessa’s, a firm reminder that she was there. Tessa’s gaze shifted from the ceiling to Cheryl.
“The other week when Chicago was in town,” she began, “their striker was insane.”
“Yeah I know!” Cheryl said, her face lighting up. “She’s on the National Team with us! She usually hangs with Tina and Kling and -”
“I slept with her.” Cheryl blinked. She tilted her head and frowned.
“Was it that night you got drunk?” She asked, concerned. Tessa bit her lip, and nodded.
“Yes,” she admitted.
“Was she drunk too?” Cheryl asked.
“Yeah but like - we weren’t that drunk,” Tessa explained quickly, sitting up so she could look Cheryl in the eye as she desperately tried to explain the situation. “It was - it was more the rush of it, you know? Like she was just such a good player, and that day on the field it was like she was on fire? It was so wonderful, and then we went to one of Valerie’s favorite bars and she was laughing and she was a good pool player and it just - it just all came together?” Cheryl was nodding thoughtfully.
“That makes sense,” she hummed. Tessa stilled, suddenly excited.
“Has that ever happened to you?” She asked, hopeful. Cheryl gave her a sad smile and shook her head.
“No.” Tessa deflated again.
“Oh.” Cheryl shifted on the bed to grab Tessa’s other hand though, looking into her eyes earnestly.
“But that’s not a value judgment, Tess,” she promised, her voice serious. “You know I love you, even when you do make bad life decisions.”
“I don’t -” Tessa tried to argue, by Cheryl interrupted her, raising an eyebrow.
“You slept with a member of your team,” she pointed out. Tessa made a face.
“And then we did something mature!” She argued. Cheryl raised both eyebrows as her mouth opened in a small ‘o’ of surprise.
“Wait, you talked about your feelings?” She asked, incredulous. Tessa grinned and nodded happily.
“Yes!” Cheryl squeezed Tessa’s hands in delight.
“Tessa! I’m so proud!” She gushed. “You should have led with that!”
“Really?” Tessa asked, raising an eyebrow, and smirking. “I should have said hey Cheryl I talked to a girl I banged like an adult?” Cheryl grinned.
“Yes,” she decided. “That’s exactly what you should have said.” Tessa couldn’t stop her grin from widening; Cheryl’s acceptance, and even endorsement, of Tessa’s behavior, was a wonderful confirmation. It made her feel - lighter? She giggled.
“Now I know for next time.”
“You know, during the London Olympics she and Kling and I used to hang out a lot. While you were off mooning after August.” Tessa shot Cheryl a glare, and Cheryl just squeezed Tessa’s hand, continuing. “It was super fun. She’s a good egg.”
“A good egg?!” Tessa asked, smirking.
“Well, you know,” Cheryl replied with a shrug. “She’s small and nerdy. I’m so happy you like her!” She got up from the bed again and started changing into her PJs too. “She used to play for Jennica’s team, right?” Tessa frowned, watching Cheryl.
“I don’t know what team Jennica played for,” she admitted.
“We can Google it later,” Cheryl decided, sitting back down on the bed and grinning in excitement. “Tell me more about you and Belinda.” Tessa made a face.
“There is no “me and Belinda,” She said with a shrug. “It’s more like...we’ve been texting a bit I suppose?”
