Chapter 2
"Hey honey, how was your first day?" Erin's mom asked excitedly as soon as she stepped inside.
"It was good mom, I made a few friends who are on the soccer team, and everyone seems nice."
"That's great Erin, how was soccer?"
"Pretty good, I'm the only keeper, so it looks like I'll be on the team." Erin smiled, grabbing an apple off the counter.
"Well good, I'm glad you had a good day, I know this move was hard for you Erin."
Erin gave her mom a sad smile. "It's okay mom really, yeah I miss Toronto, but I really do think I'll like it here and we'll go back soon enough when I have to go up for the National team camp anyway, I've got some homework to do though, call me down when dinner's ready?" Erin asked picking up her bag.
"Of course." Erin's mom gave her a kiss on the cheek before she walked up the stairs to her bedroom.
That night Erin laid in bed and couldn't get Ella out of her mind. Not only for the reason being she was beautiful, but she was also a mystery, and Erin was determined to get to know the story behind those beautiful blue eyes.
As it would turn out, Erin was not the only one with somebody on their mind, Ella could not apprehend why, but the keeper made her nervous. All night long the forward found herself dreaming of these dark brown eyes.
Ella sighed as she walked into the living room the next morning. She carefully placed a pillow under her slumbering mom's head on the couch, and cleaned up her mess from the night before. Ella placed a couple advil and a glass of water on the coffee table before walking out the front door.
The forward put her headphones in and jogged towards her favorite coffee shop. Ella was consistently the only customer at this time in the morning, so she was shocked to see a car parked beside the small building.
Ella jumped slightly when she was met with the same dark eyes from her dreams the night before.
"Oh, hey Ella." Erin smiled, sipping her coffee.
"Um hey..." Ella spoke in almost a whisper.
"Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Oh um yeah I'm fine, just uh.. surprised that someone else is here this early, I'm usually the only customer at this hour." The forward had a raspiness to her voice that Erin loved.
"Oh, well it's nice to know I'm not the only early riser around here."
Ella just smiled as she ordered her coffee and a bagel. She looked over at Erin quizzically wondering why she hadn't left yet, she had her order already.
"Do you uh.. want a ride to school?" Erin offered.
"Uh you don't have to...".
"I want to. Really." Erin cut in, she didn't understand why Ella didn't want to go with her.
"Um.. alright, thank you." Ella smiled shyly, when she got her coffee and bagel, Ella began walking towards the door when Erin put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.
"Do you want to sit for a little bit? We have a bit of time before school."
"Um sure, yeah."
Erin pulled out a chair for Ella, and the keeper could have sworn she saw her blush a little before sitting down. She sat across from the forward and eyed her over her cup of coffee.
The keeper had so many questions however she didn't want to scare Ella away, so she listened to Meghan and kept quiet for now.
After a few minutes of silence, to Erin's surprise, Ella spoke up.
"Meghan said you've been called up for a full team camp in Canada?" The forward asked quietly.
"Uh yeah, I go up to train with the team in Montreal after school ends."
"That's awesome, I've only seen you in a practice situation, but you've got some serious talent, I bet you'll make the world cup roster." Ella sat up a little straighter, opening herself up for conversation.
Erin gave a small smile before responding, she was glad Ella seemed to be becoming more comfortable.
"I'm not sure about that, but I'm young so I've got time, it will be a great experience to train with the senior team though." The keeper watched as Ella picked at her bagel, clearly thinking about something.
"Are you okay? It looks like something's bothering you, and sorry if I'm overstepping at all, I know you don't really know me but I'm a good listener if you ever need to talk." Erin gave an encouraging smile, hoping that she wasn't freaking out the forward.
Ella looked up at Erin and momentarily the keeper thought she was going to share, but then the forward averted her eyes from Erin, staring down at her feet.
"It's nothing really...uh we should get going." Ella said quickly standing from her chair.
"Oh yeah okay." Erin said walked towards the door, Erin unlocked her car and opened passenger door for Ella before walking around to get in.
The drive was soundless, and Erin could feel the nervous energy radiating from Ella. The keeper turned up to radio a little and sang along quietly.
Ella looked over as soon as Erin began singing. The forward was blown away but Erin’s voice and for a moment all the nerves in Ella rid her body as she surveyed the girl next to her.
Erin moved her eyes off the road momentarily and found Ella’s eyes fixated on her.
A blush ran up Ella’s cheeks as she averted her eyes, looking out the window to her right.
Erin put her eyes back on the road, and continued to sing, though she found it difficult to pay attention to the song with thoughts of the mysterious girl beside her running a hundred miles per hour through her head.
They pulled up to the school, but neither girl rushed to get out of the car.
“Thank you for the ride” Ella spoke so quietly, Erin barely heard what she said.
The keeper just smiled warmly, looking over at Ella, pondering what could be going through her mind.
Ella looked up and the girls eyes met. Everything disappeared as both girls momentarily got lost in one another's eyes.
The moment was broken when a car honking somewhere in the parking lot startled them both. Ella immediately realized how long they had been sitting their and quickly got out of the vehicle, leaving Erin alone.
What just happened? The keeper asked herself as she watched Ella’s retreating figure pacing towards the school.
Erin sat in her car until she heard the bell, and quickly raced to get to her class on time.
After a boring English lecture, Erin walked into the change room to find Ella already there changing, she was standing in only a sports bra and a pair of spandex. The keeper did not want Ella to catch her staring, so she quickly turned away, changed, and left for the weight room without taking another look towards the forward.
Erin was halfway through her set of squats when she felt her legs begin to give out, before they collapsed on her she felt someone come up behind her, helping to lift the bar back up.
The keeper turned to find Ella standing next to her.
“You shouldn’t be doing that much weight without a spot, don’t want you getting hurt before our season starts.” Ella said, looking worriedly at Erin.
“I know I wasn’t thinking, I’ll ask next time, thanks for saving my butt.” Erin laughed, rubbing the back of her neck, a bit embarrassed.
Ella smiled, ‘“Could you spot me for my squats?”
“Yeah of course.” Erin was just happy that Ella had seemingly moved past their awkward moment from earlier that morning, and jumped at the chance to keeper talking with her.
Erin watched, stunned as Ella added more weight to the squat rack, she added an extra 45 pounds per side from what Erin was doing.
“Seriously?” Erin gaped.
“What?
“That’s some serious weight… I don’t want you getting hurt either.”
“That’s what a spotter is for.” Ella stated carelessly before positioning herself.
Erin settled herself behind the forward, threading her arms under the shorter girl’s shoulders and holding on tight.
Ella found herself nervous again, at the close proximity of the keeper; her body pressed up against her own.
“You okay?” Erin questioned.
“Huh? yeah uh I’m good.” Ella stammered, quickly lifting the bar with little struggle and pushing out five good reps before slowing down a bit. The keeper tightened her grip a little when she noticed Ella struggling. When Ella finished, Erin made sure the bar was set before releasing the forward from her hold.
“I can’t believe how much weight you can handle, that was impressive.”
Ella just shrugged, “I don’t believe in days off, if you want to be the best at what you do, you have to work for it.”
“That’s a great mindset to have.” The keeper smiled, class was almost over so her and Ella walked to the change room. Ella noticed Erin’s hand would occasionally brush hers as they walked beside each other, something that would usually put her on edge. With the keeper however, Ella found it oddly comforting.
As they were changing, Ella looked up just as Erin was pulling a t shirt over her head and caught a glimpse of a tattoo on her ribs. She couldn’t make out what it said before the keeper pulled the shirt down and looked up, noticing Ella’s gaze.
“Why do you always do that?” Erin asked without really thinking.
“Uh I.. I didn’t.. do what?” The forward was blushing and there was no way to hide it now.
“You always look away as soon as I look at you, like you’re scared of me or something.”
“Sorry I didn’t.. I just…”
The keeper slowly took a few steps closer to Ella , “You don’t have to apologize Ella, and it’s okay for you to ask me whatever it is you’re thinking.”
“What’s your tattoo?” The forward blurted, she began stuttering as she recounted what she said. “I mean, you don’t have to tell me if it’s personal or something but I…”
“Ella, you’re rambling again, it’s fine really.” Erin lifted her shirt on her left side to reveal the tattoo high up on her ribs. “It says forever and always, from my favorite book that my mom would read to me as a kid.”
Without thinking, the forward reached out and ran her finger across the lines of the ink, as she traced the script she whispered, “I’ll love you forever I'll like you for always, as long as you’re living my baby you’ll be.”
Erin got goose bumps at the feeling of Ella’s warm hand on her skin, she didn’t want her to stop. Ella left her hand where it was, looking up at the keeper momentarily before realizing what was going on. The forward retracted her hand as a blush hit her face. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to.. I have to go.”
Before Erin could respond she was gone. The keeper didn’t know what she expected to happen, but it was not that. Every time she thinks Ella is opening up she closes herself off just as quickly.
That night Erin once again found herself lying awake, thinking of those same eyes. She could still feel the touch of her hand on her skin where her fingers had traced the tattoo. I’m not going to give up. Erin thought. I don’t just want to know her anymore, I need to.