× Mercury

Fucking Niall.

I was alone in the locker room, stomping my cleats across the tiled flooring to my locker on the other end. My hip hurt like hell but I refused to pay any attention to the pain shooting down my thigh. I tugged my tank top off and stood in front of my locker and did the combination lock.

My hands were shaking with anger so turning the dials on the lock was nearly impossible - it didn't really help that the locks were pretty old and usually took me two tries to get it in the first place. After the fourth time, I gave up and released a frustrated sigh and sat on the bench, taking off my shoes, socks, and shin guards.

I probably wasn't supposed to leave the pitch without gathering with the girls and having Coach talk to us first, but I was so ticked off that I didn't even care (even though it was probably a really, really bad idea to get on Coach's bad side). The game ended with us losing and I wasn't in the mood to get lectured, no matter what punishment might come later.

By the time I had taken the quickest shower in my life, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, I had calmed down a bit. But only a bit. The girls started coming into the locker room when I was about to leave.

"Coach wants to see you," Emily said as she passed by me.

"I figured she would."

I waited for the girls to get through the door before leaving and walking back onto the pitch. All the boys were gone, probably went into the men's locker room to change. Coach Sharp was standing by the bench picking up her things when I got to her. I figured it was best to deal with Coach's wrath sooner than later.

"You were asking for me?"

"Yes," she said shortly, picking up her clipboard. "Follow me to my office; I need to talk to you."

I've known Coach Sharp since I was thirteen, so I thought I had learned all sides of her in those seven years. But as I stood there looking at Coach I realized that I may never know every side to her, because the look she was giving me then - face blank from any kind of emotion, lips in a thin line, eyes looking right through me - I was scared. I've never been afraid of Coach in my life, which was probably why I was so hesitant to follow her through the arena and to her office.

Leaving the field after the scrimmage game without talking to Coach Sharp shouldn't have created her stony look. Something else was going on...

"You took a pretty nasty fall on the field today," Coach was saying, her blue eyes landing on me. She was wearing a white fleece jacked that was zipped down to reveal a black shirt that matched her leggings. Her whistle lay flat against her chest as we continued down the hall. "Are you okay? How's your ankle?"

"Fine," I said callously. There was a nasty looking bruise on my hip but I wasn't going to mention that to her. I understood that Coach was just looking out for me - she was always looking out for me - but it was getting a little annoying, so I lied. "I'm fine."

Coach nodded, understanding that I didn't want to talk about it.

She got to her office and opened the door. Coach Mathews was sitting in one of the chairs across from Coach Sharp's desk and I froze in the doorway. I didn't pause because I momentarily forgot how good looking he actually was, but because he wasn't alone.

Niall sat in the chair next to the coach, looking bored as he scrolled through his phone. He barely even looked at me when we entered.

Just being in the same room with him made my blood boil.

"Please, sit," Coach said monotonously as she scooted up a chair next to hers.

I took a seat slowly, running down the list of possibilities as to why I was even in that room because like I had expected, it wasn't because I skipped out early.

"Coach Mathews has been keeping a close eye on you for a little over a year now. The reason he and his team came here this weekend was indeed to watch you play," Coach said as she sat up in her seat. "But, he also wanted to talk to you."

I looked at Coach Mathews and couldn't help but notice Niall slumped in his chair from the corner of my eye, staring at his phone. His blonde hair was damp and a mess from the shower, cheeks rosy from the humidity outside. He was wearing a grey tank top which really accented his biceps, so much so that I found myself staring.

"I think it would be an honor to have you join me and my team in London," Coach Mathews said with a kind smile.

And there it was.

I knew it was coming - I think I knew the entire time - but having someone actually say it out loud was a whole other level. I've always wanted to be recruited into a team, but I just imagined that team being professional, not a different country. Not a transfer.

"I'm not sure..." I said before he could bribe me into the deal. "I mean, I have friends here and my team. My grandma lives here, too. I just don't see it benefiting me at all."

"I knew you would say that," Coach Mathews said, his smile widening. "I have connections with people. Are you familiar with the Portland Thorns or the Seattle Reign? They know who you are and would like for you to try out for them."

My mouth fell open by his words. I was in shocked, and from the look on the coach's face told me that I wasn't hiding it very well.

"They'd have you do it right now, but they would like for you to finish your schooling first," Coach Mathews continued. "You'll have a full ride at University of Roehampton, a place to stay, and have all the classes you need."

"This is a big opportunity for you, Lynn," Coach Sharp put in from beside me. She had a smile on her lips, but her tone was sad. "I couldn't provide you with these associates."

I sat in my seat, not really sure what to say or what to think. I wasn't even sure I could speak. The guy slumped in the chair grabbed my attention.

"I'm not sure it's such a good idea," I told them, making Niall finally look up at me. "I don't think the players would like me joining."

Coach Mathews shook his head and laughed, his gorgeous green eyes sparkling. "I wouldn't put you in that situation. I made sure every player on the team agreed for you to join."

I looked at Niall again, confused.

"Even him."

"I didn't have much choice," Niall spoke for the first time since I entered the office.

"Yes he did," Coach Mathews argued. "I realize it's far away from here but you can take all the time you need to pack and what not if you decide to join us," he continued. "You don't have to make up your mind now, but do think about it."

"Do you not have a woman's soccer team?" I asked, still trying to wrap my head around the whole thing.

Coach Mathews sighed. "Unfortunately not. There are not enough girls there who fancy playing football."

"That's because they're stuck up little-" Niall started to say bitterly.

"Okay, Horan, that's enough," Coach Mathews said, obviously getting irritated with him. I had to bite down on my cheek to keep myself from smiling at his comment. "That's all I have to say, really. If you decide to go, I will give you more details of the school and on everything that you want to know." He stood up from his chair and went to the door, Niall following after him. "It was nice meeting you, Lynn Mercury," Coach Mathews said over his shoulder before exiting, the door closing shut behind him.

It took everything in me, but I looked over at Coach Sharp.

Her cold exterior she had on while she brought me to her office was gone and was replaced with someone who looked like they had just lost a family pet.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I asked softly into the silence.

For a long time Coach didn't say anything and I wondered more than ever what was going through her head. "Thinking about your father."

× × ×

I spent the rest of the day on my laptop.

University of Roehampton seemed perfect. It had everything I expected and more. They had the math classes I needed along with English and some others that might be pretty cool to take like photography or creative writing. I dug deeper and saw some insight of the dorm life and what the rooms looked like and what the activities were.

I opened up to a new document page on my laptop and started typing.

Pros and Cons to Joining the London Lions

PRO: Higher chance of getting into a professional soccer league.

CON: Friends. All my girls where in California. That's 5446.950 miles away, and I'm talking a straight shot to and from.

PRO: A chance to show the males how strong we females can actually be. That's always a bonus, right?

CON: Grandma. She was the only family that I had around; leaving her would mean she would be alone.

PRO: A new experience. This is London we're talking about!

CON: Lack of sun and the winter months. Living in LA meant sunshine and hot days. I wasn't built to survive harsh winters and gloomy weather.

PRO: Bugging the shit out of Niall.

CON: Niall bugging the shit out of me.

"What are you doing cooped up in your room like this?" Grandma asked, walking in and opening the blinds to let in what was left of the setting sun to shine through. "It's so dark and stuffy in here. I know my daughter didn't raise a vampire."

"Oh, Grandma!" I shouted, moving my hand out in front of me to block the light. The sun was setting just right that the rays were hitting me in the eyes.

She grinned at me but didn't move to pull them back down. "University of Roehampton," she read from over my shoulder. "Is that a rival school?"

I shook my head. I wasn't sure I was ready to tell her. She was the only family I had here and if I left for that school, I would be leaving her behind. The thought of it made me incredibly sad. But I knew I needed a second opinion and she was the best at weaving out the pros and cons.

"It's actually..." I stated but changed my train of thought. "I was actually offered to transfer there."

"Oh!" Grandma said excitedly. She took a seat on the edge of my bed and waited for me to continue.

I looked at her. She was an old woman, but she sure as hell didn't act like it. She still had her spunk and wit and she was extremely sassy, but kind when she wanted to be. Nona had never dyed her hair, explaining that she was proud to be old and that it was proof that she made it as far as she had. She had divorced years ago, and since I was in college and gone a lot, she would take up the oddest hobbies - sticker collecting, card counting, ultimate Frisbee, and yoga.

She was a crazy old lady, but I loved her to death.

Besides, I didn't have much choice. She took my brother and I in when no one else could, and for that, I was thankful.

I spun in the chair to face her as I tried to figure out a way to tell her the news. "The coach at that school came to watch me play yesterday and offered me a position on his team." I explained to her that it would be a full ride there and how I would have the opportunity to go professional if I joined. "It's a men's team, though. They told me they don't have enough girls to make a woman's team."

"Where is this school at? Washington?" she asked.

"London."

"London? London as in... Canada, London? As in the city in Ontario?"

I slowly shook my head. I knew Grandma knew which London I was talking about, and her reaction to it was the same that I had when I was first told about the transfer.

"It's crazy," I finally said, watching Grandma's eyes go big at my confession. "I'm not going to go, I couldn't leave you behind. And my friends and teammates are here, not to mention Coach Sharp and you. And there's this boy on the team who-"

"I think you should go."

I stopped talking with my mouth open mid-sentence, surprised. "What?"

"I think you should go, Lynn," she repeated, looking into my eyes. "It's a chance at your dream and you shouldn't let anything or anyone stop you, especially me."

Sitting in my chair looking at her, she looked so small. Her graying hair was up in a bun and her pale blue eyes were boring into mine. She had been there my whole life; she had been with me through all the tough and celebratory moments. She was there when my brother went off to Afghanistan and she was there when I just simply needed a warm hug. She was always a few miles away from me and she was always dependable. Just imagining her across the world alone was unsettling.

"Did you hear me, Lynn?" she asked. "Don't not go because of me."

I didn't realize there were tears until I reached up automatically to stop them from spilling over onto my cheek.

"I'll leave you alone to think about it, but please remember what your dad always told you," Grandma said, standing up and walking toward the door. "'There are far better things ahead then any we leave behind'."

I heard the door close and I shut my eyes.

I always wanted to go London...

Going back onto the computer, I ended up looking up the soccer team at Roehampton. They were the London Lions and the colors of the school were maroon and gold. I sat for a couple of hours as the sun finally set, watching videos of the team to see what I was getting myself into. I ended up on a twitter page of one of the players and I scrolled down their feed, reading some really ridicules tweets.

One user popped out on the player's follower list and I hovered over the hyperlink to his page, debating if I should even bother. I ended up clicking on it anyways.

Niall's profile pic was a grainy iPhone photo that I assumed was from a party. He was posing with a blonde girl in bunny ears with her tongue sticking out. He had a snarky smile on his face, showing his perfect teeth. His blonde hair was up in a stylish quiff and he had on a casual white shirt. I looked at the picture with a disgusted look on my face.

I scrolled down to read some of his tweets and stopped at the third one that was posted yesterday around the time of my game.

Obnoxious, irritating, and big headed all rolled up in one girl ! Get me out of here ..

I grinned. The two tweets after that were about the party and the scrimmage game we played together. But that third tweet was the only one that was obviously about me.

I stayed on twitter for a while and then found myself on Google again, looking up Niall. It didn't tell me much about him except that he was good at soccer, but I could have told you that through the videos I watched.

And the more and more I looked into the college and the team, the more I felt like I should be there.