The two girls piled noisily into the backseat of Mallory’s Lexus and they pulled out of her driveway. Drusilla gave one last half-hearted wave to her pale faced mother who looked, well, kind of happy to see her go.
Buffy couldn’t blame the woman.
She sighed as she clutched her gym back closer to her, setting it comfortably on her lap. She peered out of the window, watching the last of Sunnydale suburbia pass by. She sighed again, nostalgia washing over but she forced it aside. She was leaving for the best, but she wasn’t leaving for good. She would be back in eight months.
Buffy’s nerves were set on edge about this thought. When she returned, would she be a famous soccer player? Or just another nobody athlete?
“So, guys,” Mallory’s cheerful voice cut through her reverie. Buffy smiled slightly at the brunette woman. She touched her own brunette hair and wished that hers was as pretty as Mallory’s. Popular athletes were usually good looking and though she wasn’t much of an exception, she still didn’t hold a candle to the two other knockouts in the car.
“Are you excited?” Though the question was meant for the both of them, Buffy could tell it was aimed at her. It wasn’t an ego-thing. It was just Mallory was staring at her in the rearview mirror when she asked.
“Yeah,” she said lightheartedly.
“Of course,” Drusilla purred.
Buffy took the moment to briefly observe Drusilla. As always, she was dressed entirely in black and Buffy wondered why such a beautiful girl would want to dress herself in such gloomy attire. Then again, she couldn’t exactly picture Dru wearing a pink bunny jumper.
She laughed out loud at the thought and was met by two questioning stares. “Nothing.” She pursed her lips but couldn’t help the amused smirk at Drusilla. She rolled her eyes and turned her pale face away.
Buffy tilted her head to one side, considering Drusilla for a moment. “Hey, Mallory?”
Mallory’s eyes glanced up at her fleetingly in the rearview mirror before returning hastily to the road. “Hm?”
“Is it possible that two players from the same team can be drafted? Or do they only choose one?”
Mallory smiled. “No, two players can be chosen. It’s unlikely. The competition usually hits so high that the two ‘best’,” She paused to use air quotes. “Well, let’s just say there aren’t two anymore. One ends up outshining the other.”
There was a frosty silence in the car after Mallory’s explanation. Even Mallory looked uncomfortable with how the conversation had gone. Drusilla looked pensive and Buffy was simply aghast. What did Mallory mean, ‘the competition hit so high?’ Did things get ugly? Or did people just step it up a lot?
The rest of the car ride was made in thoughtful silence as Buffy and Drusilla ingested this new information. Both were fully prepared to step it up but at what price were they willing to pay for their success?
Buffy thought about it. All her life she wanted to become a famous soccer player. This opportunity would make her or break her and she knew she couldn’t screw up. She couldn’t have friends because that made separation and losing all the more painful. She refused to get involved with boys. They were nothing but a distraction and no guy was worth her success. Besides, her relationship with Parker had taught her that guys were nothing but overprotective moms in a guy’s body. They didn’t think girls were capable of anything and well, she didn’t care much for getting into that again.
She also knew that she couldn’t make any enemies. She would keep to herself and would do her best to stay out of the drama that usually went on in sports teams. She couldn’t risk anything. Not now.
*****
They arrived in L.A. three hours later, the beautiful sun replaced with a gloomy sunset blocked by numerous skyscrapers that amazed Buffy. The only other time she had been here was to see her uncle Hank, when she was twelve. It had been an amazing experience. The city, the people and the liveliness had excited Buffy and made her sad to leave it all behind. But now, six years later, she was back and for a reason so different.
She was here to make her dreams come true.
“It’s so pretty, isn’t it?” Mallory drove carefully, winding through the busy streets. The streets were packed, mostly with taxi cabs and buses but there were a few sedans idling by curbs. Pregnant women were waddling their way to patiently waiting husbands inside the cars, hands resting protectively on their bulging stomachs. Buffy smiled softly. She hoped that one day; she would be that pregnant woman, going to her husband. Then Buffy grimaced. That would affect her soccer career so badly though. Pregnancy meant a lot of things. It meant quitting for a few seasons. People forgot about you and then you became the soccer mom. And while you were gone, there was this new awesome player who stole your limelight and despite your best efforts, you don’t hold a candle to their spunk.
Buffy mentally shook her head vehemently. Nope. No way was she getting pregnant. It may have worked for the Beckhams but not for her.
“It is,” Drusilla agreed, twirling a strand of velvety black hair between her fingers. She stared out the window, watching the people pass her by and the incredibly tall buildings tower over everyone.
Mallory chuckled, driving left and pulling into a luxurious hotel parking lot. Buffy peered up at the sign. The Hilton. Sounded elegant and looked even more plush and posh than Buffy had expected. She couldn’t believe this was where she was going to stay for eight months. It looked so expensive. It probably is, she thought with a grimace.
The hotel was beautiful looking from the front. The architecture wasn’t creative; it looked a lot like other rich hotels. Beige colored bricks were cemented neatly together. Wide bay windows with forest green curtains hung from the inside. Those cool revolving doors were spread out along the front of the building. All in all, it was posh and more than Buffy ever hoped to afford. Luckily, they had received cheaper rates because they were coming in as a team.
The parking lot was packed and Mallory didn’t look like she was heading to the valet. It took a while before they found parking, looping around several sections before they found an empty spot and pulled quickly into it. Unlocking the doors, Mallory got out and the girls followed suit. They followed her to the trunk where she opened it with ease, pulling out Drusilla’s suitcase first and then Buffy’s. Drusilla’s was noticeably heavier.
“Jeez, Drusilla, what are you carrying in here?” Mallory was breathless by the time she had safely put Drusilla’s suitcase on the cement ground of the parking lot.
Drusilla grinned. “I’d like to tell you that those were only my undergarments.”
Mallory rolled her eyes. “Here Buffy.” She rested the much lighter suitcase at Buffy’s feet. Buffy smiled in thanks.
Mallory looked like a true athlete today. She wore expensive jogging pants with the Nike logo wide down the pant leg and a matching sweater. She wore stylish Puma shoes and an Adidas hat. She didn’t look junky or lazy. She looked hot.
Buffy and Drusilla followed Mallory through the revolving doors of the hotel and straight to the check-in desk. Several people of the male variety stopped and turned heads at the three beautiful women but were soon slapped back to reality by more than jealous girlfriends.
Mallory tapped her well groomed fingernails impatiently as they waited for a clerk to come back to the desk. Buffy took the opportunity to survey her surroundings. The floors were made of complete marble and the ceilings were adorned by crystal chandeliers.
“Good afternoon and welcome to the Hilton. How may I be of service to you today?”
Buffy turned to look at the young man now seated comfortably in the office chair. He looked to be in his early twenties and his black hair was slicked back. Buffy was a little bit creeped out when his eyes turned to her, raking her body naked with his intruding gaze. She stuck her chin out defiantly and stared him down with fierce eyes. He turned his gaze back to Mallory reluctantly.
“We’re here to check in. We’re the soccer team from Sunnydale. I’m sure you were informed?” Mallory was smooth, and confidence oozed out of her being.
The boy, Warren from his name tag, looked blank for a split second but when Mallory raised an unimpressed eyebrow, he quickly turned to the computer in front of him. In a flurry of fast typing and numerous clicks, he turned back to her with an affirmative smile on his face.
“Yes, we should be expected a…” he paused to scan the names. “Mallory Walkman, Drusilla de Veer and a Buffy Summers.”
“Present,” Mallory said with a twinkle in her eye as she winked at the girls.
Warren nodded. “The group will be divided in a certain way and I was told to send you to a meeting where you’ll be informed of accommodations.” He finished, pleased with himself.
Mallory waited for a second before raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow quizzically. “And where is this meeting?” Her voice held an undercurrent of sarcasm.
Warren looked surprise, resentment flashing over being patronized for a second before being replaced by false sincerity. “Room 212. That’s in the north tower. The door will be unlocked and you can let yourself in. If I am correct, everyone else is there.”
It was Mallory’s turn to look surprised. “You mean we’re the last ones?”
Warren shrugged. “Suppose so, ma’am.”
Mallory nodded. “Thank you.”
Warren shrugged again and watched them go, Buffy trailing after them. “Maybe we’ll meet again,” he leered at her. This went unnoticed by Mallory. Buffy rolled her eyes.
As Drusilla walked behind Mallory, a cruel smile drew upon her lips. Warren may be of good use to her…he seemed interested in Buffy for sex, probably of the forced kind, and if anything happened, she supposed she could count on him for some…assistance.
*****
They entered the room quietly and were shocked at the crowd already waiting inside. Though they knew to expect people to be in there, there were more people than the three girls had expected. Like them, other kids had brought their coaches which just added to the crowd.
The “meeting” was held in a hotel suite. The hotel had been courteous enough to allow the team to use the suite for a bit of time in order to sort things out. Mallory spied an empty space near the couch and they walked to it. Standing there, Mallory nodded to them and walked to the front where the other coaches were standing. A male coach stood in the middle of them and looked annoyed. Buffy winced. She had a feeling they had disturbed the group.
He cleared his throat and nodded to Mallory. “Welcome, Sunnydale. Thank you for deciding to join us,” he said with sarcasm evident in his voice. He was a big thing. His upper forearms were well muscled and he looked fit. His athletic build made him look to be about thirty but Buffy figured he was in his forties, judging by the aging in his face.
“Oh it was our pleasure,” Mallory shot back, a relaxed smile on her pretty face.
The guy rolled his eyes. “My name is Ethan Rayne and I will be your coach. You will no longer be playing for your hometown. You are now official members of the Los Angeles Slayers,” he said in a rough, chipped British accent. The kids in the room laughed nervously at this declaration. This was a major thing for every teen in the room. Buffy sensed they were all like her. They all had dreams of making it big. It was too bad only a handful, if they were lucky, could make it.
“Now, you will be training in the arena. This hotel serves only as a place to stay. Do not abuse your privileges here. Privileges can be taken away, if necessary,” he paused. “You will all attend Hemery High School. We may consider private schooling but that is yet to be determined.
You will play in this team. Scouts will come for the final game and they will select players they see fit to play in national leagues. From there, you are own your own.”
You are on your own.
Faith had said the same thing. In the end, it was you and you only. You couldn’t rely on anyone to pick you up. You were there to become your own man or woman. Faith had shown her that; she had died and left Buffy. But Buffy had been lucky enough to find Mallory. But still, if she got drafted, even Mallory wouldn’t be by her side like she was during this.
“Now, we agreed that it would be best if ladies and gentlemen were not paired together so we’ve decided you just stay with your own team. If you are a group of three, then you will be placed in a room where you are accommodated as such. Other than that, living arrangements have been decided.
Now, you are to be awake every morning at five o’clock for training. You are to meet us at the Central Sports Arena. You are not forced to come with your team or coach. You may come alone. All that matters is that you are present during practice. We practice from five to eight thirty. School begins at nine so you’ll shower and change and go directly to school from the Arena. School ends at two o’clock. You will return directly here for another three hours of training before going back to the hotel for homework or whatever you choose to do. We have dinner at seven in dining hall two.” He paused again.
“We are scheduled to play Miami in two weeks,” he saw a hand rise and nodded toward it impatiently.
“Isn’t that the first game of the season?” A boy with brownish blond hair asked, confused.
Ethan nodded. “Exactly. Los Angeles and Miami are opening up the soccer season which means we must not lose!”
The group snickered. What a pep talk.
Ethan’s eyes flashed in annoyance. “Is something funny?” he snapped. His lips were pursed together.
The group instantly quieted down. There was a chorus of “No, sir” and he smirked. “Right then. Moving on,” he thought for a moment.
“Ah yes. Positions.”
Buffy’s ears perked up. On her Sunnydale team, she had been co-captain with Drusilla, since no real captain could be determined. They had been forwards. She loved the feel of going up the field and scoring a goal with a fellow teammate, even if that meant Drusilla.
“During your first practice tomorrow, you will each be publicly tested for each position. We will then determine which position is best suited for you and we will let you know the following practice. We would now like you to take this opportunity to mingle while we get your room keys together.” He turned to the coaches and the teens looked at each other uncertainly.
“I said mingle!” came a barked order from Ethan. The group jumped. They instantly picked themselves up, to the concealed amusement of Ethan, and bumped awkwardly into each other.
Buffy left Drusilla standing by herself to walk around. She had no intention of mingling, but she had to look like she was doing something.
Then she felt a light tap on her shoulder and turned around to face a striking dark haired teenager, with a nervous smile playing on his face. She almost giggled at his overly sized forehead but he looked so eager, she didn’t have the heart to reject him.
“Hi!” he said. He had a nice voice, deep and manly.
“Hey. I’m Buffy,” She stuck out her hand awkwardly.
He took it with ease and shook it with a relaxed hand. “Angel.”
She smiled. “So you play soccer, huh?” Stupid question, Buff. No, he’s here for the circus, Buffy thought dryly.
Angel grinned. “Yep. Been playing since I was ten.”
“What position do you play?” She was curious to see what kind of competition she had for her position.
“Midfielder.”
“Cool. Well it was nice meeting you Angel,” she smiled at the nervous boy. He nodded excitedly and turned to the girl behind him.
Angel seemed genuinely nice. And plus, he wasn’t out for her position. That was always awesome.
She turned away from Angel to walk elsewhere, back to Drusilla maybe when she walked straight into a solid wall of hunky six pack.
She stumbled back and was about to fall when a hand shot out and caught her by the wrist. “Well hello, kitten.”
The rough, sexy British accent brought her back and she stared at the guy in pure awe. He was salty goodness, sex on legs. He had bleached blond hair that so couldn’t be his real hair color and he was clad in black. Adorning his upper torso was a leather duster, over top of a slim black tee shirt. He wore black jeans and Nike sneakers. But then Buffy remembered her promise to herself; no friends and no boys. That meant no Angel and no Sex on Legs. Or whatever his name was.
“Sorry about that,” she said coolly. She forced herself to keep her usually confident expression on her face, though she was practically trembling inside with desire.
He titled his head to study her. She was bloody beautiful. “No problem, luv.”
Buffy nearly shivered at the pet name. “Well, see you around.”
He looked like he was about to say something but she had already strode away, her long legs encased in dark jeans. His own eyes darkened with lust as his eyes undressed her. Damn, he thought, licking his lips.
Buffy felt his eyes on her as she walked away and she knew she was in trouble. A possible “friend”, a damn sexy guy and an evil loony out for blood, for her roommate.
Things were about to get interesting.
TBC
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Okay so I'm back and there's a few things I would like to say before you read Chapter 2. Firstly, in relation the issue with the text, I will contact the mods afterwards. For now, just read without clicking and you should be all right.
Secondly, I realize that I said I would post a chapter per day (out of the already written chapters) however I will go to once a week posting instead (meaning that chapter 3 will be posted next week, not tomorrow). This will increase the effectiveness of my lovely cliffhangers. :P
I've decided to post every Friday from now on, since we all love our Fridays. Maybe I can make it a bit more special *wink wink* LOL Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter.
Thirdly, many hugs and thanks go to Christine (who goes by serendipity here) for beta-ing this chapter. You're the BEST! :)
Fourthly, special thanks go to immortalangel08, PhotographyNut, nmcil, serendipity and cordykitten for reviewing! Love you all! And thanks a lot cordykitten for letting me know about the chapter problem.
Okay so my boring little lecture is over. Off to reading! Enjoy and review please! Very much appreciated and are always replied to!
Secondly, I realize that I said I would post a chapter per day (out of the already written chapters) however I will go to once a week posting instead (meaning that chapter 3 will be posted next week, not tomorrow). This will increase the effectiveness of my lovely cliffhangers. :P
I've decided to post every Friday from now on, since we all love our Fridays. Maybe I can make it a bit more special *wink wink* LOL Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter.
Thirdly, many hugs and thanks go to Christine (who goes by serendipity here) for beta-ing this chapter. You're the BEST! :)
Fourthly, special thanks go to immortalangel08, PhotographyNut, nmcil, serendipity and cordykitten for reviewing! Love you all! And thanks a lot cordykitten for letting me know about the chapter problem.
Okay so my boring little lecture is over. Off to reading! Enjoy and review please! Very much appreciated and are always replied to!
Chapter End Notes:
Mhmmm....I think I know what you're thinking.....REVIEW! :P Hope you liked and have a nice week everyone! I'll see you all next Friday!