Her hair looks great, right? And what’s this? Is Dylan Cassidy actually tuning into a sporting event?
Dylan 5:05 PM
Yeah, yeah. Wren’s talked so much goddamn soccer around me that I finally decided to give in. But I’m rooting for Freedom. They are the more consistent team.
Lily 5:05 PM
Of course you are.
Lily rolled her eyes, sliding her phone back into her bag as she entered the suite, finding her mom and Nell talking in theirseats. She joined them, sliding into the one next to her mom. A few minutes passed before her phone vibrated with another text.
Mama 5:15 PM
WREN’S HAIR!!!!! Tell her I think it looks incredible. Watching from home with Liv, Pat, and Sean.
“Who ya texting?” Her mom sing-songed over her shoulder, craning her neck while trying to see Lily’s phone screen, which Lily quickly switched off, glaring at her.
On the list of annoying parent-y things her mom did, this was the number one thing, “Ew, Mom, privacy, remember?” She huffed. “It’s just Mama. She’s watching at home with everyone and was texting about Wren’s hair.”
Nell leaned forward in her seat, looking around her mom. “It’s fabulous. And please tell her I said that.”
“A compliment like that from you? I think Wren would literally shit herself,” Lily joked. Nell’s intimidation factor had never quite worn off with Wren, who still actively avoided eye contact with her whenever they were in the same room. Lily didn’t get it because Nell was so cool. Yeah, maybe she was a little out there, but that was part of what made her so interesting.
“Language, Lily,” her mom scolded her.
“She’s nineteen, Sarah, let her curse if she wants to. Plus, it’s a sign of high intelligence.” Nell winked at Lily.
“There is literally zero concrete evidence that backs that up.”
Lily smiled, listening as her mom and Nell bickered about the correlation between cursing and intelligence. She still didn’t really understand why they had broken up—they were basically the same person and seemed genuinely happy when they were together. But when she had asked her mom about it, she had gone on a long-winded explanation about howevery relationship, romantic or platonic, has a lifespan, and how different relationships can teach you different things about yourself, how not every relationship has to end in a big blow-up or a happy ever after, and sometimes relationships change shape and all of that. To be honest, Lily had kind of tuned her out towards the end of her soapbox. Selfishly, though, Lily was really,reallyglad they had remained friends. Nell felt like family, and it would be weird if she suddenly wasn’t part of their lives.
The players from each team walked onto the field, taking their positions to start the match. Lily spotted Wren instantly. Freedom had won the coin toss, handing them the kickoff.
“Wren’s hair is definitely different,” her mom commented, and Lily immediately picked up on the fact that she was using herI think you made a mistake, but I’m not going to say anythingtone, which was so obvious.
“I’m with Nell. I think it’s cool, but yeah, it’s different,” Lily said as the referee blew the whistle, starting the game.
Freedom and Pride left it all on the field for the entirety of regular play, leading the teams into heated extended play. Two minutes before the end of the first half of overtime, Sydney stepped up to take a corner kick for Pride. Lily watched Wren position herself, looking so focused. So locked in. So in her element.
“Oh, I have a good feeling about this,” her mom said, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees. Nell paced next to her, her hands on her hips.
Sydney tapped the toe of her boot to the ground, her signature move, before stepping up and launching the ball in a perfect arc. Lily sucked in a sharp breath, fists clenched, as Wren jumped, getting just enough of her head on the ball to flick it past the Freedom keeper’s hand into the back of the net.
The roar that filled the stadium was deafening. Wren sprinted away from the goal, her fist in the air as she collided with Sydney, jumping up and down in joint excitement. Lily’s stomach clenched—the discomfort of her jealousy. It was stupid. She shouldn’t be jealous. Wren and Sydney were celebrating what was objectively a freaking amazing goal. And besides, Sydney was straight with a boyfriend. But that didn’t stop the uneasy feeling of watching them together that was currently working its way through her entire body as she cheered for Wren.
Pride managed to hold on to their lead for the remainder of overtime, securing them the title of NWSL champions.
Back at Nell’s, where Lily and her mom were staying, Lily struggled to sleep.
After the post-game interviews and on-field celebrations had concluded, Lily had found Wren in the crowd. She tackled her with the biggest hug, squeezing her as hard as she could, wanting to transfer every ounce of pride she felt directly to Wren.
Wren’s excitement and wide, toothy smile were forever burned in her memory as Wren whispered in her ear, “I did it,” the words vibrating with adrenaline and pride.
After all the commotion, the two of them went their separate ways, Lily going back to Nell’s while Wren was no doubt celebrating the win with her teammates.
Lily flipped over in frustration. She couldn’t sleep—not for lack of comfort because this was one of the most comfortable beds she had ever slept in—but because she couldn’t turn her mind off. Wren had said she would text her goodnight, but that text never came. Lily knew that realistically, Wren was still probably enjoying post-win partying with her teammates, and she quietly hated herself for being annoyed by her success.
She reached for her phone from the bedside table, opening up Snapchat, tapping her way through video after video of Wren’s teammates’ celebrations, looking to see if she could spot Wren in the background. When she got to Sydney’s account, that’s where she found Wren looking progressively wasted in each passing clip, the last one of Wren being helped onto the bed in their hotel room by whom Lily recognized to be the Pride’s keeper, Julie Jacobson, and center back, Henley Adams.
