"Elena, get up."

"But I don't want to." I groan turning away from the Australian trying to wake me up.

"We need to leave for the game." Steph pulls the blanket I had over my body off me.

"No, it's cold." I try grabbing at it, but she shakes her head. "I don't wanna go."

"Why?" Steph sits on the edge of my bed as I rub my eyes and sit up from the nap I'd just had.

"I don't think I'll be able to play and even if I do, I'll probably mess something up." I say to the girl in a low voice.

"You're not going to mess anything up, and I don't think I'm playing so, I'll be right beside you if you don't either." Steph gives me a few moments to compose myself before she holds her hand out for me to take. She pulls me up and tells me to grab my things so we can drive to our grounds.

We make it in no time at all, but still later then the other girls. Half of them are already dressed in their home kits whereas the other half are chatting to one another on the bench infront of their cubbies.

"Elena!" Beth calls me over to the far side of the changing room. "Guess what?"

"Hmm?" I hum in question.

"You're starting with Daan and Jill." Leah cuts in before Beth can say it, making the blonde glare at her.

"Wait, really?" I ask, surprised.

"Yup, Jonas came in earlier and told us, but you and Steph hadn't arrived." Beth tells me.

"Who else is starting?"

"Lisa, me, Lotte and Katie make up the back line." Leah tells me.

"Me, Viv and Caitlin are at the front." Beth finishes.

"That's so cool. I can't believe I get to start." I say to the two blondes.

"Believe it because we gotta be out there in twenty minutes." Leah tells me to get changed and I do before I make my way over to Steph, who's talking to Caitlin and Lia.

"Steph, guess what?" I practically jump as I speak.

"I'm guessing it's good since you're happy." She pokes my belly button and I recoil.

"I'm starting."

"Really?" Steph asks me, the same shocked expression I had on my face just a few minutes now on hers.

"Ay, well done!" Caitlin says to me, holding her hand out to high-five which I do.

"I don't think I'll play a full 90, but I didn't expect to start." I say, sitting down inbetween Steph and Caitlin since they moved up to give me space. Caitlin wraps her arm around Lia and pulls her closer, making my stomach churn. They're a cute couple, I suppose. "Can you help me with my hair?" I ask Steph and she nods, telling me to turn around. I turn away from her and towards Caitlin and Lia. "Your dinner was really great." I tell the two, mainly Lia since I never had the time to tell her that.

"Thanks." The swiss player says.

Steph finishes my hair in a matter of minutes. She'd pulled it back into a ponytail and then into a braid. Perfect to keep it out of my way. "Your hair's a nice colour." She tells me as she taps me to let me know it's done.

"Thanks. It's the same as my mum's." I say, looking down at my hair. My hair was a brown with red undertones you could mainly see in the sun. I loved my hair.

I stood in position with Daan on my right and Jill on my left waiting for the whistle to blow to start the game.

Immediately after the whistle blew the game began and the cheers in the crowd had started. I kept my mind on the ball and nothing else.

City won the coin toss, meaning they were going to start. I was told by Jonas not to use my speed during the first part of the game and save it for when it became more heated so that was what I was doing.

In the 27th minute, Chloe passed to Ellen who didn't hesitate to boot the ball in the back of the net past Manu. I groaned as I got back into position.

The game was tough, but half time was called. I ran off the pitch and Steph immediately stood up from the bench and pulled me into a side hug. "You're doing good, Elena."

"Thanks." I smile up at the aussie.

I follow the team into the changing rooms and begin swallowing down my drink. I take a moment to stretch my legs. We needed to at least equalise with City. I'd be able to do help the team.

The game restarted and it carried on just like before half time until Daan passed the ball straight past Georgia and towards me in the 50th minute, but as I run for it, Kiera speeds up in the same direction, making me speed up. Just as I reach the ball, she barely kicks it away with her toes but in the processes of stepping forward, she manages to push me to the ground by accident. I groan as I felt the impact of her shoulder knock the air out of my lungs.

"Sorry, Els, are you alright?" She asks me as I sit on my knees with my body curved over them as I try to catch my breath. I only nod as she keeps a hand on my back. "Do you need medical?" She asks me as I feel Beth's hand on me now.

I shake my head and stand up. "I'm fine." I say, though I was still catching my breath.

"Indirect kick to Arsenal." The ref tells me and I nod.

I turn back to look at Jonas and he nods to let me take it. I place the ball down on the sidelines and take a deep breath as I look up to my team. We hadn't practised these set pieces, or atleast I hadn't.

Leah was the closest to me, but I could tell that if I passed it to her, Kiera would come running forward and take it from her feet. She was good on the ball like that.

I could see an opening near the goal and I knew exactly who to pass it to to get it in there. I take a few steps back. The ref blows the whistle and I hold my hand up, taking a moment before I run forward and kick the ball over everyone's heads and straight to the number 19 forward near the goal. Caitlin volley's the ball in past Roebuck with ease and my face lights up with a smile.

I run off towards Caitlin and high-five her while the rest of the team come running around us.

"Well done, Elena. On your first game." The aussie congratulates me.

"Thanks." I smile as my teammates all congratulate me aswell.

Not long after, I'm called off the pitch and Lia takes my place. Jonas shakes my hand and tells me I've done well with a proud smile. I go and sit down on the bench next to Steph, who hugs me.

"This calls for a celebration." Steph gives me a squeeze with the arm that's around me.

Despite the game ended with the score as 1:2 to City, everyone was still extremely happy to walk off that pitch and come congratulate me. I caught up with a few of my England teammates like Chloe, Ellen, Kiera, Georgia, Lucy, Hempo and Alex.

We made our way back inside to the changing rooms and after I showered and pulled on my number 2 Arsenal pants and hoodie over my body and dried my hair with the hairdryers, I was called into an interview.

"Hi, Elena, thank you for coming." The interviewer held his hand out infront of me and I shook it with a warm smile.

"No, thank you for wanting to speak to me."

"I wanted to ask you how it's been training with Arsenal for these past few weeks?"

"It's been good, the girls are welcoming." I reply with a short answer. I didn't want to get into too much detail and I certainly didn't want to talk about how I still had a home sick feeling in the bottom of my stomach that made me wanna get a flight back to Houston.

"And your assist on Foord's goal today, how did that make you feel?"

"Amazing, for sure. It always feels good being able to score a goal or assist one and so being able to do that on my first game with this club made it even better."

"Thank you, Elena." The interviewer finishes and shakes my hand again.

I walk back into the changing rooms and are welcomed with the girls chanting my name. Caitlin comes and grabs my hand, pulling me forward to stand in the middle of the girls, who begin jumping around me while still chanting.

"Girls." I chuckle. "Caitlin was the one that scored the goal, not me."

"But you assisted me and it was your first game with us." Caitlin argues, lightly pushing me back to the middle of the circle when I try stepping out.

"Yeah, own it, Elena!" Beth says, poking me in my side which makes me laugh.

I guess I could get used to this place with these people. It wasn't the same as Houston, but maybe it could be better if I gave it the chance.