A Summer Surprise
April 21, 2004, USWNT training camp
"Lloyd."
The twenty-one year old midfielder jumped, eyes wide, and twisted around.
"Ma'am?" she squeaked out as the captain looked at her.
Foudy let out an exasperated sigh. "Do I look that old to you, little one? Don't answer that," she tossed over her shoulder to a smirking Heather O'Reilly. The nineteen-year-old dropped down by Carli and curled an arm around the older girl.
"You okay, Carli? Foudy doesn't bite." She paused thoughtfully. "Much."
"I'm...fine." Carli stared off in the distance. "Heinrichs wants me?"
HAO's gaze flicked over to the coach, April Heinrichs, who was tearing into Wambach for something or other - the set of Abby's shoulders didn't bode well, HAO thought. "Of course she wants you, she called you up."
"But...it's an Olympics year. I'm still with the under-21s..."
"So am I, and I really am under 21," HAO reminded the older girl. "You've had your birthday."
Foudy shook her head at the two. "Stop that. It's going to be fine," she soothed Carli. "You're here because you're supposed to be here. I don't see any reason why you wouldn't come to Athens with us."
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July 2, 2004
Carli Lloyd thought back on that first day in spring training camp with anger, She threw the letter down, chest heaving, and curled up on the bed in her dorm room. How could they? How could they??? Tears pricked her eyes, and a sob choked her throat.
There was a knock at the door.
"Go away, please."
The door opened. Carli curled up tighter, face buried in her arms.
"Lloyd."
Carli sat up, staring. Julie Foudy was in her room. Captain Julie Foudy was standing in her room, all the way across the country from where Carli thought she would be.
"Is there room for me on there?" Julie bent and picked up the letter, before sitting down on the college junior's bed.
"I said go away pl--" Carli's protest died away at the look on Julie's face. "It's not fair," she tried instead.
Julie pulled Carli into her lap, rubbing a hand over the back of Carli's head.
"HAO sent me to find you, kiddo. You're going to be okay. It's okay."
Carli stiffened.
"HAO made it, didn't she."
Julie Foudy drew back, looking her younger friend in the eye. "Coach picks who stays and who goes, not me, not you, not HAO. And if you're going to start in on HAO for it, I think you'll be needing a little attitude adjustment."
Carli squirmed. "No, please. I'll behave."
Julie chuckled quietly. "We'll see, little one."
Carli's cheeks flushed. "I'll be good. Really."
"Who are you trying to convince?" Julie asked.
Carli's blush deepened. "Are...are you going to..." she stammered. "You're going to whether I'm bad or not, aren't you."
"Shhh, sweetheart," Foudy murmured. "I saw how tense you got there. You were ready to fight HAO because Coach picked her and not you, or at least not both of you."
Carli dropped her gaze. "Sorry."
"We'll just have to see, won't we?" Julie whispered.
"W-what do I do?" Carli sniffled.
"Just come here, Carli Anne. I'll see to everything."
Carli squirmed as Julie nudged her to her feet. She jumped when Julie's fingers slid into her waistband, tugging her jeans down.
Julie helped Carli over her lap, the younger girl's shorts still up, and patted her bottom gently. "Easy, easy now, little one," she soothed. "I've got you, Carli. But you can't go around wanting to fight your best friends. You've got to learn that," she murmured soothingly.
Carli squirmed, burying her face in her pillow as Julie began to spank her. The smacks weren't severe, but they stung even through her shorts, and she couldn't help wriggling and kicking a bit as she cried. She blushed vibrantly at the thought of what would happen if any of her dorm mates happened by and found Carli being spanked like a child. That was unbearable.
"P-please, sorry," Carli whimpered.
"Who decides when we're done?" Julie asked softly.
"Y-you, ma'am," Carli sniffled, squeaking as Julie started to tug her shorts down. "O-oh...please, please don't, not bare..."
"Shhh, sweetheart," Julie petted Carli's hair. "Be a good girl."
Whimpering, Carli lifted up a bit to let her shorts come down, and let Julie settle her in position again. Six spanks to each bottom cheek and her tears were falling freely; six more to each sit spot, and three to each side of her undercurve had Carli sobbing softly.
Then Julie's hand stilled. She picked the younger girl up, cuddling her close. "What did you say, sweetheart?" she murmured, having caught something in the jumble of pleas slipping from Carli's lips.
"M'sorry Mama..." Carli repeated through her sobs.
"Shhh, oh, precious. It's okay," Julie soothed, gently pulling Carli's clothes back into place. "Mama's here, darling."
If Carli needed a Mama, then that's what she would be. Until Carli needed something else. But right now, Carli was still such a little girl, and Julie was happy with the role she'd been given.