An American in Munich
“Okay,” Hallie pushed the list across the small table “let’s go through this one more time.”
KAO rolled her eyes, heaving an obnoxious sigh as she picked up the worn piece of paper again.
Kaitlan had been in Germany for less than a week and Hallie was already grilling her. The German Goddess was concerned about Kaitlan’s ability to understand commands in the country’s native tongue, insisting that Coach Muller wasn’t going to allow English on her prestigious Bayern powerhouse.
“Hal, I don’t need to be fluent. We can’t all be the daughter of a warrior princess.”
The midfielder shot her friend a glare and shook her head.
“We’re in Germany, you gorgeous piece of American trash. The least you could do is learn a little bit of the language.”
Hallie grabbed the paper from Kait’s hands, earning a whimper of protest in return. KAO watched hazel eyes scan over the paper before looking up and taking Kaitlan’s gaze head on.
“Mann auf”
“Man on”
“Good, bis spater”
“See you later” Kaitlan grumbled, putting her head in her hands. She was completely over Hallie’s little lesson.
Hallie, sensing how done her friend was, decided to pull something out of her back pocket that she had been dying to use since Kaitlan stepped foot onto the Bayern pitch that afternoon.
“Ich bin in der Liebe mit Ana”
The older girl dropped her hands at the mention of the name. Hal’s eyes met Kaitlan’s with a smug grin plastered on her face, encouraging Kait to challenge her.
“What?”
Hallie leaned across the table so that her nose was almost touching her companion’s. Kaitlan watched chapped lips slowly repeat the phrase in her second tongue.
“Ich bin, in der, liebe, mit Ana”
You're in love with Ana.
“No I am not.” Kait matched Hallie’s stare with her jaw clenched tightly together.
Who was Kaitlan kidding? Of course she was in love with Ana Sasic.
Who wouldn’t be in love with her?
At twenty-five years old, the daughter of German legend Celia Sasic was a force to be reckoned with on the National stage. She had blazing speed, beautiful footwork that even the most veteran players wished they possessed and a command of the game most athletes could only dream of having.
Ana was everything Kaitlan wanted to be.
And it also didn’t help that Ana was absolutely gorgeous. With green eyes set ablaze with determination, dark skin that KAO swore she could melt into and not to mention legs that put even Hallie’s to shame.
“Look me in the eye and say that Kait” Hallie softened her tone.
Kaitlan shook her head, admitting defeat as she slumped back into the dining room table in their shared apartment. She couldn’t do it. Kaitlan Breanne Werry, All-American Tarheel, was in love with Germany’s princess and there was nothing she could do about it.
“I’ve only played with her for two hours Hal, and I’m already obsessed with her. Like I passed up an opportunity to send a perfectly on frame screamer, just so I could assist Ana on that sleeper.” Kaitlan pushed off from the table, standing up and pacing around the kitchen.
Hallie watched with amusement while KAO stormed around, throwing together a sandwich haphazardly in her lovesick angst.
“Like, who does that Hallie?”
A peanut butter jar slammed against the counter.
“I mean, sure, I’ve played against her for years but god damn playing WITH her is unreal”
Jelly was angrily smeared onto whole grain bread, tearing a piece of the bread with KAO’s forceful strokes.
Hallie attempted to stifle a giggle, but failed miserably when her giggle turned into a full belly laugh at the sight of Kaitlan taking a forceful bite of her sandwich while sinking down to sit on the floor. KAO emitted exaggerated groans and sighs through bites of her snack.
Kaitlan Werry was in serious like and it was fucking hilarious.
Hal got up from her chair at the table, taking about three steps to join her best friend on the floor. The redhead leaned into the brunette’s body, resting her head on Hal’s shoulder.
Kaitlan hadn’t become this unglued since they were kids and frankly it freaked Hallie out. KAO was the rock in their little tribe. She breathed logic into whatever meaningless argument the four other girls were involved in. It was Kaitlan that each girl went to when a significant other was giving them grief because KAO just knew what to do.
When the roles were reversed life felt off kilter but Hallie wanted to repay Kaitlan back for every time she had called the forward crying about something stupid Kellan had said. This was her moment to shine and Hallie would be damned if she let it go to waste.
So Hallie quickly brought out her phone and made a call to Natalie Mittag, badass forward and Hallie’s closest friend on the Bayern team.
Kaitlan watched Hallie slip into an effortless conversation in her second language with both awe and confusion. KAO finished her sandwich by the time Hallie got off the phone and met her friend with a raised eyebrow and a devious glimmer in her eye.
“Who was that and what were you plotting?”
Hallie got up and shrugged, casually getting herself a glass of wine. Kaitlan crossed her arms, completely unamused at the younger girl’s antics.
“That was Nat,” Hal sipped her wine for effect “and we’re going to get you and Ana together if it kills us.”