The Heart of the Stars

by Nicole Shay

  The shorter one nodded, taking in the words her teammate was saying. It wasn’t what was on her mind, but she’ll take it.“I know, it’s just...I feel like I’m letting you guys down. I feel like I’m letting Elaine down.”

  “You’ve never been in this position before Olivia, you’re still learning. Stop being hard on yourself.” Justine smiled. “We’re having fun tonight, got it?”

  Olivia laughed. “Yes ma’am!”

  They arrived at the restaurant and immediately found Maeve and Kerrie who waved like mad women at them until they took their seats.

  “Wow guys way to embarrass me,” Olivia rolled her eyes.

  “Only the best for you, Captain!” Maeve teased, giving her a light shove.

  As they browsed the menus and filled the air with chatter (and occasional screams from Maeve), Olivia was able to forget about what happened earlier at the indoor gym. She was enjoying the moment and not letting anything faze her tonight because she was sure that was the least she deserved in the past 24 hours.

  Feeling strange ever since her interaction with Olivia earlier that day, Imogen welcomed the invite to go to dinner with Lilith, Ornella, and Karen. She immediately forgot about the run in as the stress and pressure dissipated with every laugh. No one was talking about soccer, Olivia, or yesterday’s game, which were the last things Imogen wanted to think about.

  “Hey Nella where were you today? I texted you to go to lunch!” Lilith asked as the four friends made their way into the restaurant.

  “I went to that taco place outside of town..my phone must’ve been turned off- sorry!” Ornella replied hoping to end the conversation there.

  “What’s a little squirrel doing so far away from their tree?” Imogen quipped.

  “Hah just getting my mind off of yesterday you know” Ornella stated not lying but definitely keeping Elaine out of the equation.

  “Ah right, anything to do with yesterday, I’ll gladly like to forget about” Imogen said as she walked into the restaurant door.

  “-Oh well doesn’t look like that’s going to happen tonight…” Karen remarked as she looked over to see Olivia and her friends sitting at a table on the side.

  Olivia and the other girls were busy laughing at some joke Maeve cracked when Kerrie’s giggles stopped short. “Oh oh.”

  “What?” Justine raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong Kerrie?”

  “We’ve got company,” she said, her eyes trained on the door as Karen was already looking at them.

  All Olivia’s feelings of frustration and the strangeness that accompanied thoughts of Imogen found themselves back in Olivia’s system as she scanned the girls that walked in and noticed the rival captain in the group. Great, she thought as the weird feeling returned.

  “Damn it,” Maeve groaned. “I just wanted a nice night.”

  “And we’ll still have one,” Justine said, turning away from their rivals that had entered. “I doubt they’re going to sit anywhere near here.”

  Olivia’s eyes were still on Imogen as she barely processed what Justine was saying.

  Imogen cringed as the hostess brought their group over to a booth across from Olivia’s table.

  Not tonight was all she could think as she sat down and hid her face behind the menu hoping a confrontation could be avoided.

  Olivia’s eyes snapped to Maeve, knowing the girl was ready to say something. “Don’t.”

  “Come on Ollie, they’re right there. No refs to tell us to stop arguing...just a little chat,” Maeve argued.

  “Maeve,” Kerrie frowned, not happy with her best friend’s idea.

  “No Maeve,” Olivia said firmly, trying to use her captain title as authority even off the field. “Don’t get us in trouble tonight. You can get your revenge when we play them again.”

  “Aw come on, if this was yesterday after the game, you’d be so willing to do it,” the other striker pointed out. “Why not tonight?”

  For some reason, Olivia didn’t want to share on her morning activities. Whatever exchange that happened between her and Imogen was to stay between her and Imogen, at least in her mind. Her teammates didn’t need to know. Now that she thought about it, she hoped Imogen didn’t say anything to her teammates either. That was the last thing she needed. “It’s not worth it,” Olivia said simply. “Just try to enjoy dinner,” she pleaded.

  Maeve sighed, looking back at her menu. “Fine, I’ll save it for the field.”

  Olivia visibly relaxed, realizing the way she took control of the situation helped. Maybe she could do this captain thing. “Good because I’m starving!”

  “Look, Thenard is about to burst over there, she so wants to start something…” Ornella pointed out.

  “Oh my gosh she looks like a two year old asking for a second ice cream cone or something..” Karen added as she looked over to the table.

  “Not tonight guys, I’m so tired of fighting, let’s give it a break for one night...please?” Lilith asked just wanting to go back to the non-soccer related night that was happening before they noticed Olivia and co.

  “Imogen, you’re being quiet, you ok?” Ornella asked.

  “Yeah I’m good, a little freaked out to be honest.”

  “Ok spill” Lilith quickly replied knowing when something was seriously bothering her friend.

  Imogen kept her voice at a level that she hoped Olivia wouldn’t hear “Fine….Well I ran into Olivia this morning at this indoor soccer place..we had a few choice words for each other, but then before I leave she just lets out this confession about being captain, and it being hard. it was almost civil you know? Weird huh?” Imogen finished still in shock about the interaction.

  Before anyone could get a word in the table turned their attention to the quick scuffle of a chair as Maeve purposely got up and walked over to the table.

  “Maeve!” Kerrie called after her, eyes widening.

  “Oh my god,” Olivia gaped, exchanging a glance with Justine before returning to Maeve to see what was about to happen.

  “Heard Olivia’s name...Talking Shit about her when she’s right next to you huh? Pretty low if you ask me..”

  Ornella scoffed at the forwardness of the girl “Actually no we weren’t.. you can go back to your table now and leave us alone…”

  Justine’s eyes widened. “Olivia go get her now.”

  Olivia nodded numbly, getting up from her chair. She did hear her name too, and she knew what Imogen was saying - exactly what she didn’t want the girl to say. She made her way to the booth and grabbed Maeve’s arm gently. “Maeve, let’s go.”

  Maeve wasn’t going to move. “Olivia, I got it.”

  “No, you don’t.” Olivia said firmly. “Come on, let’s go eat.”

  “But Ollie--”

  Olivia’s jaw set. “Maeve.”

  Maeve hadn’t heard Olivia talk like that before. Sure, she had on the field or when she was mad, but this was different. This was almost like her name had become a command. She looked at Olivia in surprise, and saw the piercing blue eyes pleading with her. “Fine.” She managed to get out of Olivia’s grip, storming back towards their table where Kerrie and Justine tried to calm her down with quiet words.

  Olivia relaxed a little and looked at the girls until her eyes fell on Imogen. “Sorry. Maeve’s kind of...eager,” she explained, running a hand through her hair.

  Olivia’s retrieval and comment left a range of reactions at the table. Ornella and Karen both resorted to shaking their heads, Lilith gave a reassuring ‘It’s not a big deal’, and Imogen just nodded too scared to open her mouth for fear it would just provoke Olivia.

  It was awkward to say the least but the whole table let out a unified sigh of relief as the girl rejoined her table.

  Olivia walked back to her table, sort of surprised Imogen didn’t say anything at all. She found her seat again and immediately turned to Maeve. “What the hell was that?” she hissed.

  “Ollie, I couldn’t help it,” Maeve explained. “I heard your name an
d--”

  “My name,” Olivia interrupted, her voice low so the other girls couldn’t hear the conversation going on. “Not yours. I can take care of myself, and tonight I don’t want any fights.”

  Maeve frowned. “I was just looking out for you.”

  Olivia sighed, patting her shoulder. “And I’m glad I have you to do that, but choose your fights wisely, okay? This one’s not worth making a big deal out of.”

  The waiter arrived to take their orders and Olivia rolled back her shoulders, trying to let her worries go. It wasn’t easy when she felt a pair of eyes on her. She didn’t have to look to know who they belonged to, and that kind of scared her. How was that even possible? She didn’t look back, just smiled at the waiter and gave him her order.

  Imogen couldn’t help but watch Olivia as she ordered her food. It was a new thing for Imogen to see her ‘enemy’ outside of the soccer pitch and it was almost like studying a new species or something of the like. She wondered why Olivia stopped her teammate from starting something, or why she felt like almost breaking down in front of her that morning. She shook her head knowing that one day was not going to change anything. As soon as it was time to play against each other, all of the hurtful exchanges would come out, this Imogen was sure of. She was tired of fighting considering she had been doing it for a majority of her soccer life yet she didn’t know any other way to interact with Olivia’s school other than outright hating it and everyone associated with it.

  Just as meals were arriving to Olivia’s table, she saw a tall girl walk in. She laughed as the girl searched for them.

  “Psst Elaine!” Maeve called out like an idiot, causing the girls at the table to laugh as Elaine whipped her head to face them. She glared at Maeve for being loud. She quickly made her way over as the girls laughed harder at her glare.

  “Got a little lost there, Strongman?” Olivia asked in between giggles, patting the spot next to her.

  “Shut it McBray,” Elaine rolled her eyes, not even realizing who was across from them. “You’re lucky I’m even considering joining you idiots with Thenard over here.”

  “Well at least you weren’t here earlier…” Justine said before sipping her drink. Maeve nudged her side.

  “What’d she do? Embarrass herself? Oh wait...she does it all the time,” Elaine smirked, then realized the air had changed at the table. “Wait...what happened?”

  “Look across the table,” Kerrie murmured.

  Elaine looked at her strangely, but did as she was told. She immediately recognized Imogen, as well as the other girls from yesterday. She almost fell out of her seat when she saw Ornella. “Shit,” she hissed.

  Ornella’s head jerked up as Elaine’s name was called out by the Thenard girl.

  “Oh great… just what this party needed..” Karen remarked with a roll of the eyes.

  “The real captain of the team…” Ornella murmured as she didn’t take her eyes off of her passing girlfriend.

  Imogen bit her cheek to keep from commenting. She had gotten herself and her team in enough trouble for one day, she didn’t need things going awry at that diner as well.

  Ornella gave a knowing look as Elaine turned to face her, but the girl’s reaction was lesser than what she really wanted.

  “Yikes Nella, she really must really not like you or something, I think she just mouthed ‘shit’ to you..” Karen stated.

  Ornella bit her upper lip as the afternoon lunch with her girlfriend was done with and now she was supposed to go back to hating her for absolutely no reason other than their schools are rivals.

  Looking disappointed Ornella turned back to her food as she pushed it around her plate aimlessly.

  “You okay Nella?” Imogen asked worried about her freckled friend.

  “Yeah, just tired is all..” Ornella said not daring to look over to Elaine for the remainder of dinner.

  Elaine saw the look in her girlfriend’s face and immediately felt bad. She turned back around to face her teammates before she got up and walked over there to comfort Ornella. “What did you do?” she asked Maeve.

  Maeve shrugged, not meeting her gaze. “I kind of heard them talk about Olivia...so I went over to say a few things.”

  “When she really should’ve just stayed put,” Olivia glared at her.

  “Olivia had to go and get her,” Kerrie filled in.

  Elaine looked at Olivia with approval and then back at Maeve. “This isn’t the time to start anything, Maeve.”

  “I know...but that freckled girl knows how to talk,” she frowned.

  Ornella. Elaine tried to remain indifferent at how Maeve was talking about her girlfriend. “Don’t think about this the rest of tonight, got it? We’re here to eat and have fun. Don’t ruin it.”

  “I heard it all from Olivia already,” Maeve sighed. “Can we not talk about this anymore?”

  “Gladly,” Elaine nodded. “So, what did you losers order me?” She fought every instinct she had to look at Ornella. Instead she sent her a text.

  Sorry babe. Took me by surprise.

  Ornella felt her phone buzz and she instinctively knew it was Elaine. She opened the message and found it to be not so comforting. She replied not wanting to sound pathetic.

  It’s fine, a secret’s a secret.

  She unenthusiastically replied not at all impressed with Elaine’s explanation of ‘Took me by surprise’.

  Elaine felt her phone buzz again and made sure none of the girls were watching her before she checked it. She frowned. This wasn’t the Ornella she was used to texting. Her guilt only grew knowing she wasn’t comforting the girl at all.

  Meet me in the bathroom in 5.

  She sent the text and then looked at the other girls at her table. “I’m going to go to the bathroom real quick.”

  “Okay,” Justine shrugged as the others kept talking.

  She stood, careful not to make eye contact with Ornella and went to the bathroom, checking herself in the mirror as she waited for her girlfriend.

  Ornella looked at Elaine’s message and sighed.

  “Be right back” she stated as she got up from the table.

  “Is she alright?” Karen whispered to the table as the their freckled friend looked to be headed for the bathroom.

  “I don’t know” Lilith shrugged “If she’s not back in like 10 one of us should go check on her.” she added equally worried about her friend.

  Ornella made her way to the sinks where Elaine was leaning against the countertop.

  When Elaine heard the door open and saw her little girlfriend walk in, she looked at her and said, “I’m so sorry.” Elaine wasn’t one to apologize over anything. Actually, it took a lot for her to apologize. It was surprising to even her that Ornella made her apologize so easily.

  “It’s okay..I get it..I just wish I didn’t” Ornella began. “I wish we could just be like any other couple...where something like this would make me upset but we’re not like any other couple, and although I want to feel upset, I can’t because-because no one can know about us..” Ornella rambled obviously letting out words that had been on her mind for awhile. She didn’t dare look into Elaine’s steely blue eyes but she was sure they had rested on her the whole while she was talking.

  “Now I’m sorry..” She continued when she realized Elaine wasn’t saying anything.

  Elaine stayed quiet the whole time Ornella spoke. She wanted to listen to everything the girl had to say because she had the right to talk. Elaine was the one who suggested the whole thing to begin with, not Ornella. She was asking so much of the girl and was glad she was coming through for Elaine and that she was still there. She frowned when Ornella apologized, taking the smaller girl’s hands into her own.

  “No. Don’t be sorry. You don’t have anything to be sorry for,” Elaine stated. “I know I asked a lot from you when I suggested all of this. And it’s so hard to keep this from everyone, especially when all I want to do sometimes is tell people about how my date with my adorable girlfriend went
.” Elaine managed a little smile. “but we’re both still new at this, and one day we’ll be able to tell people and not care. For right now, I’m just glad you haven’t walked out on me yet, Ornella.” She was amazed at how much she was able to open up when it was just the two of them. Imagining her doing this with anyone else was impossible.

  Ornella allowed a grin to grace her face and she pulled her girlfriend closer for a hug. Her head fit perfectly underneath Elaine’s chin, and it was all she needed to feel better about their relationship.

  “I could never walk out on you” she said as Elaine cradled her in her strong arms. The two broke apart fast as they heard the door to the bathroom swing open.

  Ornella switched the sink on and pretended to wash her hands as Maeve walked in giving Elaine and her the strangest stares.

  Elaine cleared her throat. “Maeve.”

  “The hell is taking you so long?” Maeve asked, but her eyes went to Ornella and her body straightened.

  “What? I’m done,” Elaine shrugged, trying to remain calm.

  “Well your food’s getting cold,” Maeve stated matter-of-factly.

  The keeper resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Is that why you came to the bathroom?”

  “No, I have to pee too,” Maeve shrugged, still not comfortable with Ornella around.

  “I’m going out, calm down. Go pee.”

  Maeve shook her head and went into a stall, but not without glaring at Ornella first.

  Elaine closed her eyes and shook her head before walking over to the shorter girl. She kissed Ornella’s forehead softly so it didn’t make a sound. “Sorry about her,” she mouthed, looking down at her girlfriend.

  Ornella just nodded in pained understanding, she squeezed Elaine’s hand before leaving the bathroom.

  She sat back down obviously in a more solemn mood.

  “Hey Nella is everything alright?” Imogen asked.

  Ornella forced a smile on her face “Yeah yeah! I’m fine!” she said hoping she was able to convince her friends that everything was indeed okay.