solitude → sam kerr

sixteen → contracts + preparations

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

evelyn's fingers tapped nervously on her phone as she prepared to facetime maxine. the past week in australia had been a whirlwind, and there was a lot to catch up on. taking a deep breath, she initiated the call.

maxine's face soon appeared on the screen, a warm smile greeting evelyn. "hey girl! what's been happening on the other side of the world?"

evelyn chuckled, "a lot. you ready?"

the redhead nodded eagerly on the other side of the screen, propping her phone up against something so she didn't have to hold it anymore.

"well, let me give you the rundown. remember alanna and mackenzie, the two soccer players we bumped into last year?"

"yeah, what happened?" maxine's eyes sparkled with curiosity.

evelyn dove into the events of that day, recounting the surprise encounter with alanna at the grocery store, and how it led to an unexpected invitation to meet the entire matildas team. maxine's eyes widened as she absorbed the details.

"wait, you met the whole team? that's amazing! how did it go?" maxine asked, leaning in closer to the screen.

"it was great, max. they were all so friendly and welcoming. well, most of them." evelyn hesitated, preparing to delve into the less pleasant part of the story.

maxine's eyebrows furrowed, "most of them? what happened?"

"i ran into sam," evelyn admitted, her expression turning serious. "and, well, let's just say it wasn't a pleasant reunion. she wasn't supposed to get back to australia until next week, yet she rocked up at the club unexpectedly."

maxine's eyes widened, "sam? oh shit, how'd that go?

evelyn nodded, "it wasn't pretty. i knew she was holding onto a fat grudge, but i didn't think it was this bad."

maxine sighed, "maybe she's dealing with her own issues, or maybe she's still obsessed with you, and that's why she hasn't gotten over it yet."

"maxine..." the singer mentioned slowly, warning her that it isn't the time to be joking around.

the drummer grinned, throwing her hands up in surrender, "sorry, sorry. how did you deal with it?"

evelyn shrugged, "i refused to argue with her. she was drunk anyway, i'm sure she forgot most of the convo in the morning. and now, to add another layer, they dropped a bombshell on me."

maxine leaned in, "what bombshell?"

evelyn took a deep breath, "they asked me to be the matildas coach. apparently, the previous coach had to step down, and they needed someone last minute. somehow, they think i'm the right person for the job."

maxine's eyes widened in surprise, "you? is that even allowed?

evelyn chuckled, "honestly? i didn't think so. but apparently there's nothing against it."

"are you gonna do it?"

evelyn hesitated, her gaze distant as she weighed the unexpected offer. "i don't know, max. it's a big responsibility, and the timing couldn't be worse. i'm here for a limited time, and coaching a national team is no small commitment."

maxine leaned back, her thoughtful expression mirrored on the screen. "it's a unique opportunity, though. imagine the experience, the impact you could have on the team. but, of course, it comes down to what you want. i say do it though, we have nothing organised until after the tournament."

"yeah, it's just... complicated," evelyn admitted, running a hand through her hair. "i didn't plan for any of this when i came back to australia."

maxine offered a supportive smile, "life tends to throw curveballs. you've got the skills, and they believe in you. what does your gut say?"