Saving The Day

36

"You have carried this team on your back, and now to leave before the World cup? I mean that's insane right?" Alexi Lalas states as he lightly slams his papers on the desk talking to other reporters with him. We just finished out last end off game in Jersey. Against Mexico, which we beat 3-0.

"Now Jill Ellis has almost a month to rethink who her Goalkeeper is going to be at the World Cup. Unexperienced Alyssa Neaher and Ashlyn Harris? Over Holland Reed." They argue, I wish I could tune this out but it's what they're playing on our TV in the locker room. I've avoided talking to anyone after the news, some players are upset at me that'd I risk myself so early coming on to the world cup. I put my headphones on, tuning out everyone around me as they change and take showers. I was the first one into the locker rooms after the game, as others cooled off and signed autographs.

I've made this deal with Jill, I'll be going to the world cup but I'll be playing arguably the most important games, the most threatening. I'm grateful I'm still being allowed to play, but I'll also be doing excessive recovery as much as possible. Not much goalkeeper work, mostly recovery. The team doesn't know though, it's bad enough how much disappointment they have on me right now, they won't say it but I can feel it. Actually Carli, Becky, Jill and Dawn are the only ones that know. As we pack up, and head out of the locker rooms. We step out of the building, on our way to the bus. Fans outside cheering and stretching their hands out to be high fived by their idols. I smile, at them as I high five all the hands I can get too. Getting on to the bus, I sit in the back of it. Normally I don't do that but I want to stay away from the team as much as possible.

"Holland" Someone taps my hand, and I open my eyes up. It's Carli, should have known it was her. She helps me up, and I tag along behind her. The team outside grabbing their bags and waiting. When I got off the bus, they turned away and started walking. The team who said wouldn't let me go through this alone.. has.

I head up to my hotel room, that I'm sharing with Carli. No one wanted me to be their roommate at the time, not Chris or even my best friend. As I lay on my bed grunting, because of the pain on my shoulder.

"Here" Carli throws an ice pack on my shoulder. I thank her, and I turn over in my bed as I hold it agaisnt my shoulder. As I stare at the roman numeral on my forearm, I start to tear up. Carli immediately comes over to my side, rubbing my back. She hands me pain meds, and I take them. Swallowing them, and I reach over to my lamp for my water bottle.

"Let me know when the pain comes back, I've been informed about your recent addiction to the medicine" she tells me covering up my shoulder with the blanket. Ever since I started taking higher dosage of pain medication, I've grown into them. I'm not a full addict, so now my drugs are controlled.

"Thank you"

"For what?"

"Being here" I tell her as I shiver, and she pats my shoulder getting up from my bed. I hear her bed dip, it's silent for a min.

"We're a team Holland, means we're family" she tells me

"Doesn't feel like it" I respond quietly, and I feel sleep take over.

................... Time Skip

At the meeting, without Holland.

"What's going on with you guys?" Becky asks the team as she takes the floor, as Jill and the others stand by to hear what the Captains have to say of the matter.

"We're just upset"

"About what exactly? Decisions that aren't yours to make? No.. what you should be upset about, is your yourselves. This is your fuckin teammate, a person who not only carried out for us when she was in pain. Who didn't give up on us even when she wanted too so bad, who even has the right too say she's done" Carli spits out, as some players cowardly sinks into their seats. Carli didn't wake Holland up, knowing well enough she needed all the rest she could get. That and she really needed to scold the team.

"I want you all to think about how shitty you've made her feel" Becky closes the meeting, while both captains walk out the conference room.