Grumpy boo

“Why are you holding your jacket?”

“Huh?”

Ashlyn repeated her question.

“Why are you just holding your jacket?”

“I’m not that cold.”

“Well, why did you even bring it?” Ashlyn queried the midfielder again.

She know how shirt and jeans is Tobin go to attire whenever they went out. But she noticed that her friend recently always bring a jacket or a hoodie holding it in her arms hardly ever wear it. They were trailing behind the rest of their teammates on their way back to the hotel after the team's dinner. So she thought this was the best time to get the answer for her friend’s puzzling behavior.

Tobin doesn’t answered. She was busy staring at Christen’s figure ahead of her happily joking and laughing about something that Ali’s said. The forward is wearing her favorite short dress that show off her long smooth legs. Well, unknown to her teammates, its Tobin favorite dress too as it really accentuates Christen’s figure beautifully.

She was brought back to present when she saw the forward start to wrap her arms around herself. It doesn’t take a genius to understand that universal sign.

Tobin walked faster to catch up with the pair and offered her jacket. “Here take this.”

Christen smiles gratefully when Tobin drape the jacket around her shoulder.

“Thanks.” She said and continue her conversation with the defender never missing a beat.

“Hmm..okay. Now I get it. You gotta take care of your girl.” Ashlyn said when Tobin fell back into steps beside her.

Tobin shrugged off her shoulder again.

“It’s not too weird right?” Tobin asked suddenly.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean does it seem weird that I want to take care of her? Like when she's cold I want to make sure she’s warm; when she’s sad I want to be the one she turned to and when she’s happy I want to be the cause of that?”

Ashlyn eyes widen at the heartfelt confession coming from the midfielder. Oh god…Tobin really didn’t know. Maybe I should give her a hint or something. The keeper thought to herself.

“Erm..Tobs, I don’t think that’s weird at all.”

“You don’t?”

“Nope. That’s how I feel about Ali.”

“Huh..but Chris and I…we are not...we’re just friend.” Tobin stammered back.

“You sure you guys are just friend?” Tobin nodded her head.

“Ok let me ask you this. Did you guys ever slept together?” Tobin eyes widen when she heard the question.

“Of course not!” She replied back vehemently.

Christen stop walking and turn back around when she heard Tobin’s distressed voice. She raised her eyebrows questioningly. Tobin just gave a small smile and shook her head signaling that it’s nothing. The forward nods, turned back around and continue walking ahead.

Wow! They can even communicate without saying a word? Ashlyn is now more determined to help her friend sees what’s clearly in front of her.

“Relax…Don’t get your panties in a bunch. What I meant is that have you guys slept on the same bed together?”

Tobin blushed and just nod her head. “Yeah, sometimes. But that’s nothing new, I do that all the time with you guys.”

“Hmm..Oookay…so let me get this straight. About what you said earlier, do you feel the same about Alex?”

Tobin shakes her head. “What? Are you crazy..its Alex!”

“Yeah but Alex is your friend too. I mean she's your bff. Did you see the differences here?”

“I guess.”

“Well my friend, I’m sorry to say this to you but both of you are not just friend.” Ashlyn enlightened her friend.

“No really we are.” Tobin insisted.

“Tobin…really.... either you continue whatever it is you guys doing without labelling it or you can just come clean with her and asked her out. And don’t wait too long caused I know for a fact that Press got asked for a date already. She may decide to accept it if you wait long enough.”

“Wait are you telling me that someone asked her out? Who? Is it someone in the team? How come she didn’t tell me?” Tobin asked agitatedly.

“Don’t worry about it. She told Ali that she was not interested. Maybe she’s just waiting for the right person to ask.” The keeper hinted.

“I guess so.” Tobin slumped her shoulders sadly.

Ash rolled her eyes when the midfielder didn’t get the hint at all. “Oh god I’m talking about you, idiot.”

“Did she said that?”

“She didn’t have to. You told me yourself you feel something for her and from what I can see from her reaction earlier, she’s totally into you too. We all know how introvert the girl is and she only chose to open up to you. Did you see her do that with anyone else?” Tobin shakes her head.

“Then that’s your answer. What you just need to do now is just woman up and go stake your claim before it’s too late.” The keeper advised.

When they neared the hotel lobby entrance, they heard a few commotion in front of it. Oh the soccer's fan here...

“Just think about what I said, okay? Now I need to save my princess.” Ashlyn remind her before grabbing Ali by the arm and walk alongside her into the hotel.

Tobin saw Alex, Hope, Syd and few of her teammates walked straight pass the entrance ignoring the waiting fans as they were prohibited from engaging with them. But for some, they do stay back to sign some autograph. That includes Christen. The forward once said that it’s the least they could do to appreciate the fans.

Tobin just smile and wave her hands when she passed the fan but chose to wait for Christen once she reached the hotel lobby. She watched as one guy appear from the side saying something that made Christen blushed red. The forward said something back in reply, gave a small shakes of her head while smiling politely and walked towards the lobby. When she saw Tobin, her smiles widen further.

“Hey..you don’t have to wait up for me. Unless you just want your jacket back?”

Christen made a move to remove it but Tobin just put her arm around the forward’s shoulder pulling her closer to her side.

“Nah..just want to walk you to your room. So…what did that guy say?”

“Hmm..nothing.” Christen shrugs off her shoulder.

“If it’s nothing why did you blush so hard just now?”

“He just asked me out for a coffee.”

Tobin heart stopped.

“Like a date?” Tobin asked curiously.

“Yep.”

“So what did you say to him?”

“That I’ll think about it? He's cute. Why not right?”

“Oh…if you really want to..I mean yeah why not. Just want to make sure you are being safe. That’s all.” Tobin replied back glumly.

Few seconds later Christen let out a small chuckle.

“You know I’m kidding right?” She nudged the gloomy midfielder.

When Tobin didn't reply she took Tobin’s right hand which dangle from her shoulder and linked their fingers together.

“Don’t worry. I’m only gonna went out with someone that you approve okay?” Tobin let out a relief smile.

“What if I don’t approve anyone at all?” The midfielder tease.

“Well then I’m gonna be single forever then.” The forward replied back cheekily.

“So you want to come in? Whit doesn’t mind.” Christen invited the midfielder when they reached her room.

Since the last camp, they were both hardly spend any time apart unless they needed too. Tobin even spend most of her time either enjoying her coffee with Christen or just lounging on the forward’s bed whenever they have the day off from training. Most of the night, they would even find themselves snuggled together on the bed sleeping together. But that apparently will not happen tonight.

“Erm..maybe I should stay in my room tonight. I don’t want Alex to get the wrong picture, you know. She already complained she hardly see me anymore. She’s not gonna be happy if she knows I just spend the last night of the camp hanging out here with you.” Tobin explained.

What she didn’t want the forward to know is that she also need to distance herself a little bit from her. She need the space to think about her earlier conversation with Ashlyn too.

“Oh..okay.” Christen replied back. Her smile dimmed a bit.

She turned to open her door, but turn back to face the midfielder at the last minute.

“Just don’t forget to text me when you reach your room.” Christen remind the midfielder.

Tobin rolled her eyes. “It’s not even that far.” She then continues to point her finger down the hallway.

“It’s like 5 doors away. I don’t think anything can happen to me within this few steps.” Tobin jokes.

The forward crease her eyebrows. “Fine. Whatever.” She just states blandly before going in and close the door on Tobin's face.

“Watt..what did I say?” She ran through her words in her mind while walking back to her room.

When she went into her room, Alex was lounging on her bed already changed into her pajamas.

“What’s up Toby? I didn’t expect to see you tonight.” Alex said in greeting.

Tobin just shrugged her shoulder. Her mind still busy thinking about what happen earlier. She pulled out her phone and quickly text Christen.

Tobin: Hey..I’ve reached my room. 

She waited for the forward’s reply but none came.

Tobin: Chris? U okay?

Fifteen minutes later, not a peep from the forward. Usually Christen will spend some time before sleep to read her book. So she really thinks the girl is purposely ignoring her text.

Tobin: Chris..R u mad a me? I’m sorry. Please say something

Still there’s no reply. So she resorts to texting the forward’s roommate.

Tobin: Is Chris asleep?

Whit: Nope she's reading a book. Y?

Tobin: She didn’t reply my text.

Whit: U want me to ask her?

Tobin let a few seconds passed before she texted Whit again.

Tobin: If you don’t mind. Can u?

Whit: Ok.

Seconds ticked by before Whit’s reply her back.

Whit: She said she don’t feel like it.

Tobin: Just like that?

Whit: Yeap.

Tobin: R u sure?

Whit: Yes. That’s what she said.

Tobin: Is she mad at me?

Whit: Tobs, u r like few doors down myb u should just ask her face to face?

Tobin: But I don’t want Alex to get mad.

Whit: About what?

Tobin: Me spending more time with Chris.

Whit: Did she tell u that?

Tobin: Erm.. no.

 Whit: Then where did u get the idea that she’ll get mad at u?

Tobin: I dunno.

Whit: I think u need to ask her.

Tobin: Who?

Whit: Alex dummy! Ask her whether she ok with you spending time with Chris.

Tobin: Now?

Whit: Yes.

“Al, do you mind if I go see Chris tonight?”

Alex turned from the tv shows to face her roommate. Her eyebrows rose.

“Why would I mind?”

“Well you complained that I’ve spend too much time with her?”

Alex shakes her head. “I didn’t say that.”

“You did.”

“I did not.”

“Yes you did.” Alex sighed.

“No I didn’t. I just told you that we hardly spend time together anymore and I miss our time together. So since we are roommate now I just thought it’s a perfect time for us to do something together. But if you want to spend time with your girlfriend I understand that too. I know the feeling. I felt the same way about Serv when we first met each other. We hardly able to leave each other side.”

“Erm..Al..me and Chris we are just friend.”

“No you’re not.”

“Yes we are.”

“No you’re not.”

“Yes we are.”

“Can we not start this again, Tobin. You hardly said a word to me since you came in to the room. Cause you’re busy texting with your girlfriend.”

“No I’m not.” She answered before Alex can continue.

“Really I’m not. I think she must be mad at me or something. She didn’t reply my text. I’m just texting Whit.

"Does it have anything to do with your question earlier?”

“I don’t think so. I just told her I need to spend more time with you tonight. That’s all.”

“Oh god, Tobs. You are an idiot.”

“What..no I’m not.”

“Yes you are. Stop, listen to me, please. You guys have been inseparable for the last few days and suddenly on our last day here you want to spend more time with me? After this we’ll be busy with our club for a few weeks if not months and you will not be seeing her until our next camp. You are making me look like a bad guy here.”

“No I didn’t.” Alex sighed again.

“Yes you do. You are telling her that I’m more important than her. That’s a big no in a relationship. Friends don’t trump over girlfriends.”

“But we are not…” Tobin tried to deny again.

“Oh god why is this so hard. Let me make it simple for you. Just imagine that tomorrow Press went out on a date with some cute guy. They were laughing and joking around while having a candlelight dinner. On their way back he put his arms around her, maybe leaving a small kiss on her cheek and they went back together to his house. She stayed the night and comeback with a hickey on her neck. What will you do in this situation?”

Tobin hand turns into a fists and a dark cloud pass on her face. The guy that asked Chris out earlier comes to mind.

“Well I’ll be damn if he even dare breathe near her! Oh…he thinks he can put his hand on her? I’ll break his little fingers first!” Tobin said loudly before storming out of the room.

Alex looks on shockingly at the retreating figure.

“Who's he? I thought it’s just an imagination?” She said aloud in the empty room.

Tobin stomped angrily towards Christen's room. She rang the bell a few time before Whit open the door. Looking at Tobin's stormy face she just shakes her head and slide out of the room.

“Nope I don’t want to know. I’ll just stay in your room tonight.”

Tobin walked into the room and glared unhappily at the figure lying on the bed. When Christen continue to ignore her, she rush to her, grab the book away from the forward’s hand and throw it across the other bed. Christen look up in shocked. She was really not expecting this. Tobin continues her pacing back and forth in front of her.

“You will not go out for a dinner with that guy! I will not let you! Don’t even think of letting him put his arms around you or even dare follow him home. If I see any mark on your neck I will kill him!” She rambled on angrily.

“Tobin, can you please calm down.” Tobin was getting worked up and it concerned her.

“Calm down! You can’t tell me to calm down! I’m not gonna calm down! Not when he plans to put his move on you tomorrow. You will not go out with him. You hear me?”  Tobin raised her voice again.

Christen not knowing what else expected from her just nodded her head.

“Okay. Okay I will not go out with whoever guy that you talk about. I didn’t even know who is he?” She replied back trying to sooth the worked up midfielder.

The midfielder just shakes her head and continued her ranting under her breath.

“Come on. Come sit here please.” Christen asked softly. She pats the space beside her.

Tobin takes a deep breath and shakes her head again. “I’m too antsy to sit still.”

“Well I’m getting colder. Whit likes to pretend we are polar bear and as you know I’m not good with cold temperature. So can you please come here? I need my cuddle buddy.”

She hoped Tobin’s protectiveness will kicked in when she said that. She waited with a bated breath while Tobin looks at her suspiciously but she slowed down her pacing. Few minutes later, Christen’s eyes widen in shocked when Tobin turned and crawled on top of her rather than just sit beside her. The midfielder hug her tightly around the waist while settling her head on the juncture of her neck.

Well….I can work with this too, Christen thought to herself. After Tobin settled down, Christen rub the midfielder’s back soothingly. She waited until she can feel Tobin’s breath turn calmer before she starts her questions.

“Now that everything calms down again can we start over?”

Tobin nodded her head.

“Tell me what happen when you reached your room.”

“Well you didn’t want to reply my text.”

Christen’s body tensed up but she remained quiet.

“Then Alex called me an idiot.” The midfielder continues.

“Why?”

“Just cause.” Tobin replied shrugging her shoulder.

“Hmm, okay.”

“Then she said you gonna go out on a date with some guy and have a great night with him. I don’t really remember the thing I said to her. Just that I walked here after that.” She started to explain in a rush.

“But didn’t we talk about this earlier? Something about me being alone forever?”

“Yeah, but then you were angry with me so I thought maybe you will change your mind. But I get it.”

“Get what?”

“Why you didn’t reply my text.”

“You do huh?”

“Uh.. huh.” Christen smiles at the childish response.

“So, care to enlighten me?”

“Well that’s one of the reason Alex called me an idiot earlier.”

“Really? She called you that?”

“Yeap. She said that we are supposed to spend our last day here together because we will miss each other too much when we went back to our own club.”

“But I thought she wanted you to spend it with her?”

“That’s the other reason why she called me an idiot. She said that she understands why we are inseparable and she doesn’t mind. She also didn’t like it if I made her looks like the bad guy.”

“It seems like she’s really doesn’t mind us spending time together.”

“Nope.”

“So basically you are just being stupid.”

“Yeap…wait..uh…that’s not..what…” Tobin leaned back to protest. Christen just glared her eyes and the midfielder’s pout make an appearance.

“Now, let’s talk about the guy that I’m supposed to go out with.”

“Ughh, let’s not.” Tobin whines.

“Well it seems important enough just now that you stormed in here and throw away my book?”

“Aw….I’m really sorry about that. It’s just something that Ash and Alex said earlier. Can I tell you about it later? Don’t think I’m ready to talk about it yet. ” Tobin replied back sheepishly while playing with the hem of Christen’s shirt.

Tobin can feel the forward nodded her head but Christen remind the midfielder again. “You really need to control your anger.”

“I know. I'm sorry, Chris. I really do.”

“Make sure it doesn’t happen again.” Tobin just shrugged her shoulder.

She can’t promise that. She knows how passionate she was and sometimes it reflects on her behavior. The forward knew this too and doesn’t press on the matter further.

“I’m really sorry, for being stupid and let it all out at you just now.” Tobin apologized again.

“You are not forgiven that easily but I can let it go for now. You need to make it up to me in another way.”

“Okay.” Tobin agreed wholeheartedly.

“Now can you take back my book? I like to return back to the chapter before you threw it away.” Christen said nonchalantly.

“But.. I’m here.” Tobin replied back childishly.

“Well, it’s Harry Potter. The one that you lend to me.”

“Oh…okay.” Tobin eyes lighten up and she jumped up to get the book.

“Which chapter are you on now?”

“Well..it’s the one with....”

They continued talking about the book, laughing and joking throughout the night into the wee hours in the morning. Both doent’t mind losing their sleep as long as they can spend every last minute together before going their separate ways. Well... they can catches back on their sleep on the plane back either way.