Emma's POV
"LAST SET." Vanessa Powell, the Arsenal women's High Performance coach, shouts from the middle of the UCLA weight room.
We're in LA now for the knockout stages of the Challenge Cup.
We play Sky Blue in our first knockout game.
"Good on this side Sharky." My wife says as she and I put weights on the leg press machine.
"Sweet." I say as I finish weighting up my side of the rack.
Once the correct amount of weight is on I sit down in the machine and do my final set of 8 reps.
"How much weight is that?" I hear Daan ask from next to me.
"450 pounds." Jessie says as I finish my reps.
Once I finish my reps I get out of the seat then I put the weights up.
"How?" Jordan asks then she pokes my legs.
"Stop it." I say and smack my cousins hand.
"Is that your max?" Katie asks.
"No." I say. "Before the marathon I maxed out at 500."
"Damn."
"Alright Ladies." Vanessa says getting everyone's attention. "The bus will be here in two hours so go shower and get some breakfast then meet back here at 9 so we can head to training."
Everyone nods then Jessie, Shadow, and I lead everyone to the women's soccer locker room where we'll be showering.
Once in the women's soccer locker room all of us shower and change into warm clothes since it's not gonna get above 60 today due to a cold front.
"So where's breakfast?" Lisa asks after everyone's dressed.
"Come on Shadow." I say then my service dog runs to me.
Once Shadow is with me I clip his leash onto his harness then myself, my wife, and my service dog start walking out of the locker room.
"Follow them." Jordan says then I hear our teammates follow my wife and I.
Jessie and I lead everyone out of the Acosta Athletic Complex and across campus to our favorite dining hall that the athletes use.
"Is it always this cold?" Leah asks.
"No." I say. "Only in the mornings is it close to being this cold, but never a full day."
"What kind of breakfast will this place have?" Jordan asks.
"Anything you want." Jessie says. "It's where the athletes eat at so the food is made to eat as you come in."
"They also have a buffet if you don't wanna wait." I say as we get to the Emma Harris dining hall.
"Wait why is it named after you?" Jordan asks.
"It use to be named after a racist and after the summer of 2020 they changed it to my name after the whole athletic department pushed for it."
"Well that's sick." Rinsola Babajide says.
We signed Rinsola from Liverpool after the Euro's ended.
"Very Sick." Jordan says as we head inside.
"Do my eye's deceive me?" I hear my favorite cook here say making me smile. "Emma Harris is that you?"
"It's me Mama D." I say then Debbie, otherwise known to the athletes as Mama D, comes over and hugs me.
"How you been baby?" Mama D says.
I love old black women.
They always make you feel like your their child.
"Well I got married last month so I'm doing pretty good."
"I saw that." Mama D says then she turns to Jessie. "And there's your beautiful bride and my favorite Canadian."
"Hey Mama D." Jessie says with a smile as she hugs Mama D.
"I assume you ladies are here to eat." Mama D says as she looks at me.
I nod then I sign something to her.
Mama D has a deaf son so she knows sign language.
"I got you Baby." Mama D says and nods then she looks at my teammates. "Y'all come tell us what you wanna eat."
Everyone nods then they get in line.
"We can get anything we want?" Cora Stone asks.
"Get anything your stomach desires." I say with a soft smile.
Cora smiles then she joins Leah and Jordan in line.
Cora is an 18 year old from Peckham in South London who plays in every position except goalkeeper and she's fucking incredible in every position.
She's very shy and doesn't really talk much, but from the little she's talked we've deduced she's had a very rough life.
We also think her parents abused her whenever she asked for things because whenever she asks for something she always flinches after she asks.
I don't know how anyone could treat her so bad because she's such a sweet girl.
Most of us think her parents abused her because she's gay.
"Come on Sharky." Jessie says and grabs my hand. "I'm hungry."
I chuckle at Jessie's antics then my wife leads me to the back of the line.
"You two want the usual?" Mama D asks when we get to her.
"Yes please." My wife and I say in unison.
"I'll get it started." Mama D says.
Jessie and I nod then we head to the drink area of the dining hall.
"I'll get the coffee's you get the smoothies?" Jessie questions.
I nod then I kiss my wife before we split up and head to our respective stations.
Jessie and I had breakfast together everyday together when we were at UCLA so we know what each other likes here.
When Shadow and I get to the smoothie station I make myself a blueberry smoothie while also making a strawberry banana smoothie for Jessie.
Once the smoothie's are done being blended I pour them into cups, wash the dirty blenders in the sink, leave them out to dry, then I head over to the table my wife is sitting at and sit next to her.
"One Strawberry banana smoothie." I say and hand my wife her smoothie.
"Thank you." Jessie says then she pecks my lips. "Here's your coffee."
I take my coffee from my wife then a few seconds later Mama D comes over with a tablet.
"Here you go Emma." Mama D says and hands me a tablet.
On the tablet is the bill for all our food so I get out my wallet, grab a credit card, then pay for everyone's food.
"Thank you." Mama D says then she walks away.
"Did you just buy everyone's food?" Jordan asks.
"Maybe." I say as Mama D returns.
"Waffles and bacon for Jessie." Mama D says as she sits Jessie's food in front of her.
"Thanks Mama D." Jessie says.
"And we have the Emma special for Emma." Mama D says as she place my food down in front of me.
"Thanks." I say.
"And some sausage for the doggy." Mama D says then she sets a plate of sausage on the floor for Shadow.
"Thank you."
"Of course." Mama D says. "Holler if you need me."
"What's the Emma Special?" Viv asks after Mama D leaves.
"4 pancakes covered in syrup, 4 eggs sunny side up, 5 pieces of bacon, 4 scoops of hash browns, and two biscuits covered with sausage gravy."
"You eat all of that?" Steph asks.
"Everyday for four years." I say.
"And you're that ripped?" Kim asks.
"Mhmm." I say then I start eating my food.
"How?" Jordan asks.
"Have you seen how much she works out?" Leah questions.
"She also has a very good metabolism." My wife says
I eat until all my pancakes and eggs are gone then I take a break to drink.
"Hey Cora." I say to get the 18 year olds attention. "What's Olive doing today?"
Olive is Cora's girlfriend.
They met in school and now they live together in Jessie and I's apartment building.
They're a very cute couple.
"She's getting some training in at the UCLA pool while we're training then we're gonna go on a date before the knockout draw tonight." Cora says with a smile.
Olive's a swimmer who's apparently going to be one to beat at the Olympics in Paris in two years.
"When's her next tournament...or meet...or whatever they call swimming things." Jordan says making Cora giggle.
"She has the European Aquatics Championships in London from the 11 to the 21 in August." Cora says.
"Well I know what were doing for team bonding during those days." Kim says.
"Really?" Cora asks with a smile.
"Of course." Lisa says as all of us nod.
Cora smiles then she returns to eating her food.
I also return to my food and eat in silence until I'm finished.
Once everyone is finished we throw our stuff away then Jessie and I grab our smoothies to drink as we walk around UCLA to show our teammates where we went to college.
"BYE MAMA D." Jessie and I shout.
"BYE BABIES." Mama D shouts. "COME BACK SOON."
Jessie and I nod then we walk out with our teammates and Shadow.
As we're walking around UCLA I feel Jessie grab onto my hoodie which makes me a bit sad since I know what she's doing.
Ever since I collapsed last year Jessie has had major separation anxiety so she always needs to feel me or touch me to feel safe.
She's working on being able to be away from me, but it's a slow process.
When she's with Canada she'll take the kids with her along with clothes of mine that smell like me so she can always have a piece of me whenever she needs me.
I really hate that I caused Jessie to have anxiety.
"You okay?" I whisper.
"Mhmm." Jessie mumbles. "I just like being near you."
I smile at Jessie then I lean down and kiss her head.
Once we reach Jessie's building she briefly talks about her degree then we walk to the building I took my classes in before I explain my degrees too.
After we've showed everyone the campus we head to the bus then get on and head to the place we're training today.
When we get to our training place l I sigh then we all get off.
"Welcome to Edgewood Christian Academy." I say as I look at my old High School. "Home of the fighting Elks."
"This is your old high school?" Jordan asks.
"Yep." I say as we walk to the front doors of my old high school.
Once at the front door I press the buzzer.
"Yes?"
"Arsenal women coming to train at the Practice facility." I say.
"One moment." The same secretary from when I was in school says then the door unlocks. "Come in."
I open the door then lead everyone inside my old high school
"This place is so..." Jordan says.
"White." Leah says as everyone looks at the interior.
"In more ways than one." I say as we get to the front office.
"How can I help you." The secretary says then she looks up from her desk at me. "Oh."
"We're here to train at the practice facility." I say.
The secretary nods then she hands me the keys to the indoor practice facility.
"Thanks." I say then the one person I didn't wanna see comes into the room.
"Hello Emma." The school principal says.
"Sup."
"Always were a disrespectful little shit." The principal mumbles.
"How's your husband?" I ask causing the principal to clench her fists. "He enjoying prison?"
The principal's husband was my high school coach who raped me.
"Oh shit." Katie says.
The principal goes to say something then she huffs and walks back to her office.
"You always were a cunt." I say as the principal stops in her doorway. "Guess you haven't changed a bit."
"You deserved to get raped." The principal says as she turns and looks at me.
"You've said that before." I say. "You also said you're husband wouldn't go to jail, but he looks like he's gonna die in there."
"He's already dead." One of the secretaries says.
"Good." I say. "He deserved it for raping 20 young girls."
"Go train before I change my mind." The principal says.
"Resign before I ruin you're life." I say. "Ms. Scarlett."
My old principal's eyes widen then she quickly hurries into her office and shuts the door.
"That's what I thought." I say then I turn around and lead everyone out of the front office and towards the indoor training facility.
"Her name's Ms. Scarlett?" Jessie asks.
"No." I say. "Ms. Scarlett is the name she goes by at her Sex club."
"How do you know she goes to a sex club?" Lisa ask.
"If you piss me off then I'll find any and everything out about you that I can so I can ruin your life." I say. "She stood by her rapist husband so I collected all the info I could on her and now at the drop of the hat I can ruin her."
"Remind me not to piss you off." Jordan mumbles.
"Were you the only person of color here?" Viv asks.
"Myself and my childhood friend Aaliyah we're the only people of color." I say as we get to the indoor training facility.
Once at the indoor training facility I open the door then we all head inside.
"Holy shit." Alex Scott says.
My old high school has an indoor grass training pitch.
"Told you this place is rich." I say. "Now let's get started."