I sat in the changing rooms brushing through my hair before I would ask Steph to braid it. She'd help me with my hair before every game and if she was too busy, I'd ask Caitlin or Lia.

"Steph." I call the girl and she nods, ushering me over. I grab my comb and my hairties before running over to her and sliding onto the ground.

"Woah, calm it." She laughs at me while I turn around to face away from her.

"Helloo, Caitlin." I wave at her while she walks over to sit down inbetween Steph and Lia.

"Why're you so chirpy?" Caitlin asks, laughing at me.

"Can a girl not be excited to see one of her best friends?"

"I've made the best friend list?" Caitlin asks with an amused smile.

"Well, if you don't want to be on it I can cross your name off."

"No, no. I wanna stay on it. Who else is on this list?" Caitlin asks me.

"Rachel, Kristie, Steffy," I look up at the girl doing my hair and she smiles back at me, "Beth 'cause I can't escape her so I might aswell put her on there, you and Lia." I answer.

"I'm honoured." Caitlin rests her hand on her heart as she speaks while Lia smiles beside her.

"Me too." Lia smiles. Lia and I had grown close aswell, but it was more on default since she was always around Caitlin as the two were dating.

"I'm nearly done." Steph tells me when she sees me getting fidgety, knowing I was growing restless of having to stay still for so long. She'd grown to know me really well. She was good at reading people.

"Elena, can you not braid?" Caitlin asks me.

"No, never learnt." I shrug.

"It's easy, you can learn from a youtube video."

"Nah, I don't want to." I brush her suggestion off as Steph ties off the second french braid she'd done and placed the two infront of my shoulders to let me see them.

"But it's easier than having to get other people to do your hair." Caitlin says and I feel myself grow annoyed.

"I said I don't want to, Caitlin." I snap at the Australian as I stand up. I see the shocked look that Steph and Lia are giving me. I've never gotten angry infornt of the team, but they didn't get it. I had reasons behind why I didn't learn to do things like braid my hair. They wouldn't understand it though.

I shake my head and turn away. Steph tries grabbing my hand to pull me back to them, but I yank my hand away and walk to my cubby before pulling my phone out and ignoring everyone around me. I needed to calm down before I let my anger out onto the pitch.

The girls and I that were starting stood in our positions. Manu was in goal, Noelle, Lotte, Lia and Katie made up the back line, Kim, Jill and I made up the middle line and Beth, Viv and Caitlin made up the front.

Caitlin had tried to appologise to me when we were walking through the tunnel, but I had just told her to focus on the game and brushed her off. I could hear Lia telling her it was okay behind me as I walked quicker onto the pitch.

As I stood in position, I scanned over the United starting players. I noticed a few familiar faces and then one that made my stomach drop. I didn't think I'd have to face her for a while. Not until the Olympics, considering she'd most likely be chosen to represent her country.

Ona's eyes met mine and I could feel a wave of nausea hit me. 'Focus on the game, Elena.'

The ref blew the whistle and the game started. Millie Turner scored an own goal in the first 3 minutes. She stood with her head in her hands and I ran over and pulled her hands away from her face. I told her it was okay, we all made mistakes and she nodded. I also told the same to Mary, seeing her beating herself up for not stopping the ball from going in.

The game continued and it was safe to say the team was growing frustrated. United was keeping the ball close in their posession and we were struggling to get it off them.

Ona intercepted the ball from Lia, who had just about gotten the ball back in our posession. I clench my hands in anger and frustration as I speed up and try tackling Ona, but she pushes me away from her. I fall onto the ground, but get up again and push her as I get the ball from her.

As I turn around to pass the ball, Ona slide tackles the ball from me, but in the processes I get pushed to the ground. I land on my ass and clutch my right ankle, having twisted it on the impact.

"Seriously?" I ask her as I look up at her.

Ona only shrugs as she walks away, but is stopped by Katie, who begins yelling at her and doesn't let her get past until the ref breaks them up and gives Ona a yellow and then one to Katie for wasting time.

"Elena, are you okay?" Kim asks me, holding her hand to help me up.

"Yeah, I just needed a moment. I twisted it, but I'm fine." I say as I shake my legs off.

The game continues, the exact same as it had until half time was called and we all walked off the pitch.

"Elena?" Steph calls me as I walk past the bench to walk inside. I ignore her and keep my eyes set on the Spanish player walking a few metres infront of me.

Just before she walks into the away changing rooms, I grab her wrist and pull her down a side coridoor.
"What was that about, Ons?" I ask the girl.

"No, you do not get to call me that anymore. You lost that right." Ona says as she pushes me away from her, despite my strong grip. "And it's just the game." She says before she walks away.

I silently curse myself before I walk inside to the changing rooms. I grab a drink quickly before I make my way back out to do some quick excersizes.

"Elena." Steph stops me from walking any further away from the benches.

"What, Steph?" I ask her in a harsh tone. I shake my head and cover my face with my hands. "Sorry. I didn't mean to get angry at you."

"It's alright. I just wanted to ask if you're okay after the collision with Ona?"

I take a moment to think, but then nod. "Yeah, it's just the game." I repeat the spanish girl's words. "I need to prepare myself for the second half, these guys are good."

"Alright, but I'm here too." Steph reminds me, but I just walk to the sidelines and begin warming up again.

The game starts again and we manage to keep the ball in our posession. Thankfully, in the 51st minute, Katie passes to Lotte and we manage to score, making us 2 points ahead.

We're awarded a corner kick so, Katie goes up to take it. We get into position by the goal, but the whole time we prepare ourselves, Ona stands in front of me and holds her hand out behind her to keep me away from her, but I just grow annoyed and pull her by the arm to the side. Ona gets angry and pushes me back. I push her back until she lands on her ass this time. She stands up and swears at me in Spanish. I see the ball coming straight towards me, but as I jump up to header it, Ona pushes me away and headers it away from the goal.

"Elena, you had that." Beth says as we run away from the goal.

"She's the one that's fucking around with me." I say.

Not long after, Jonas subs me off for Jordan when he sees me getting more angry. I sit down next to Steph as I watch the match.

"What's up with you and Ona?" Steph asks me, seeing us push and shove one another.

"Nothing." I shake my head.

The game ends with the score 2 nil to us. I spend minimal amount of time in the changing rooms before I go sit in Steph's car, waiting for her to come and join me so we can go home.

I hadn't acted like myself today and I was scared I'd made a wrong impression on my teammates, but nothing seemed to be going as I hoped it would. It was like my past was just on it's way to come and haunt me.

Once Steph had arrived, I made sure to turn away and look out of the window so that she'd know I wasn't in the mood to talk, which she respected.

My mind wondered of to memories I had pushed away into one of the shadowy corners of my mind that I hadn't looked back on in a really long time.

"Come here, Mi vida [my life]." Ona calls me over to the bed where she lays as she watches me place my guitar down after teaching myself a new song.

I skip over to the bed and lie down on it beside her. She pulls me closer to her and I giggle when she places her hand on my waist. She knows how ticklish I am, she does it on purpose.

"I love watching you play the guitar." She runs her fingers through my hair, relaxing me as I rest my head on her chest, listening to her heartbeat.

"I love you, Ons." I emphasise the 'you' as I look up at the girl, smiling as I push her hair out of her face and press my lips to hers in a soft slow kiss. The moment seems as though it lasts for hours, but when we pull away, I know it's only been a small moment when I see the silver moon in the same position in the night sky. "I don't want to leave."

"I know, but you have to go back to Houston." Ona tells me, still playing with my hair. "I'll come visit you this time."

"I'll introduce you to my dad." I tell her with a wide smile.

"I can't wait." She kisses my forhead.

If only I knew how stupid I was back then to introduce her to my dad.