"Please come, Hope," Kelley practically begged as she and Allie made sad puppy faces at the keeper. The two had cornered her the moment she had walked into the cafeteria. 

Hope grimaced. "I don't know, guys." Kelley and Allie exchanged a look. 

"Please, Hope?" Allie asked, sipping her coffee. "I have an idea," Kelley added, giving the blonde a knowing look. "Bring someone with you."

Hope's frown deepened. "Who?"

"I'll give you a hint," Allie said with a small smile. "Her name rhymes with Harli."

"Carli?" the goalkeeper questioned, her voice dropping two levels in volume and her eyes going wide. 

"Nice, Hope. Got it on the first try." The two girls walked away giggling and left Hope alone, who simply proceeded to slip into the overflowing line. 

"Can I have a latte?" 

The tight knit woman with a sharp face and a scowl gave Hope a glare as the goalkeeper hobbled on a leg and a half down the cafeteria line. The woman's fingers were glove covered, but Hope could see the shirt stubby fingers that were mushed with oatmeal and crumbs of cinnamon muffins. The glower that rested on her face poked Hope in both eyes and the girl had a strange urge to reach her hand across the counter to yank up the sleeve of the beige cardigan that kept slipping off her right shoulder. 

The flustered women behind the counter rushed back and forth in order to serve the fifty or so students that were rapidly requesting coffee and egg sandwiches. 

The woman serving Hope was trying to balance eight kids while in the midst of keeping a pot full of oatmeal from burning. 

"Yes, honey," the lady chirped, handing a coffee mug to an older boy who was standing next to Hope. 

The guy walked off with his cup, leaving an empty space next to the goalkeeper. Somebody instantly filled the spot; one was lucky to even have a space in line, this morning was so frosty and given it had snowed even more overnight, everyone thought it would be a great idea to get the free warm coffee from the kitchen. 

"We'll have two coffees; actually, make one a latte please."

Hope's mouth fell open and she turned to her right. "You," she whispered. 

Unfortunately for her, Brian Hollins greeted her with a obnoxious grin. "Good morning, Hope."

"Morning, Hope," a tired voice said from beside him. 

If it was even possible, the girl's mouth dropped open even more and her eyes hardened with hatred. Carli smiled nicely at her, but the midfielder's eyes warned her to play nice.

"One coffee," the woman who Hope had ordered to said, handing Brian a steaming mug of joe. The man walked off to a table somewhere in the distance, leaving Hope and Carli waiting for their cups.

"Do you want to go to dinner tonight? Allie and Kelley invited me and told me to bring someone," Hope blurted out, going silent immediately after the proposition was stated. 

To Hope at least, it felt like everyone around the two had gone silent, even though the volume hadn't changed at all. 

"I would love to, Hope," Carli started. 

"Great!" Hope bubbled, smiling. She could practically feel the "but" coming,  yet chose to ignore it.

"But I literally just made plans for tonight."

Hope's eyebrows narrowed, "Wait, with who?"

Carli paused. Her eyes followed after the man that had walked away a few moments before and was sipping his coffee and staring at the two from a long ways away. The goalkeeper's eyes trailed and eventually rested back on the sight of the midfielder's counterpart. He winked at them. 

"You've got to be kidding me," she muttered under her breath. Carli turned back to her and smiled weakly. 

"Sorry, Hope. If you had asked sooner, I would've. But I can't cancel now," the brunette apologized. "Sorry."

Giving one last sorrowful glance, the midfielder turned and walked to join Brian at his table. Hope watched as the girl took a seat next to the gel haired man and touched his handing affectionately. 

"Sorry for the wait, honey," the woman behind the counter told Hope as she handed the recovering goalkeeper a mug of coffee filled with expresso and steamed milk over the ledge. 

"It's fine," Hope said with a sigh as she smiled at the lady and took her drink to the circular table next to Carli and Brian that sat Alex, Tobin, Christen, Ashlyn and Ali. The keeper took a seat between Ali and Alex, who both smiled at her. 

"How'd you sleep?" Alex asked as she swallowed a gulp of coffee. 

The other girl shrugged. "Pretty good, I guess. Hey, Alex,"

"Yeah?" Alex asked, tilting her head and waiting for the forward to respond. 

"Do you want to go to dinner tonight with Allie and Kelley?" 

The girl's smile widened and she tightened her ponytail. "Why not Carli?"

Hope looked down and the heart shape in her mug. Why not Carli? Why did she have to wait so long to ask? As a best friend should, Alex seemed to understand everything Hope was thinking without having to ask any questions. 

"You know you can tell me anything, Hope. I'm here for you," the forward whispered, glancing at the table next to them where Carli and Brian were deep in a conversation. Carli laughed loudly at some joke the man had said. Hope could feel herself blush. She loved that sound. She loved Carli's laugh. She loved Carli's smile. Why did she wait so long to accept that? Why did she accept it and realize it when it was too late?

Hope bit her lip next to Alex and looked away from the pair. "I know, Lex. I know."

Alex reached a soft hand over and gently patted her best friend on the back. "You're going to get her in the end, Hope. I know it."

The goalkeeper swallowed the lump forming in her throat. "Thanks, Lex. I really hope so." 

-

a/n: boomshakalaka i love jealous hope and loving alex

*passes paper heads of harli and o'long over to you on a plate with chicken nuggets and french fries that are not actually french*