Chapter Text
Kelley rushed back into the DC United locker room, praying she had left her cell phone in one of the lockers. She saw it sticking out from one of the top shelves and grabbed it. It wasn't until she turned around to leave that she realized she wasn't the last one in the room. A pair of blue eye's looked in her direction.
"Good game" Hope said, looking away and throwing something in her bag. "You deserve to start. We play better when you're out there."
Kelley stood still. "That's all you have to say?"
"I complemented you. Usually when people compliment you, it's a good thing."
"It's not what you said, it's how you said it."
Hope sighed, trying to get the zipper on her bag unstuck.
"And how'd I say it?"
Kelley shifted her feet. "Like we were business colleagues or something. You ignore all my calls, texts and emails after everything went down this summer, practically throw your back out trying to avoid me these past two camps and all you have to say is good game?"
Hope stood up and shoved her bag into the locker door. Stupid fucking zipper. "What do you want from me Kelley?"
"I want to know why you didn't call me. I know how rough things can get with your family, I could have helped you through it."
Hope scoffed. "Yeah that would have been great. Hey guys, I know we have a history of alcoholism and drugs mixed with physical and emotional abuse, but maybe the girl I used to fuck can come over and help us all fix it. That would have been perfect."
"FOR GOD SAKES HOPE WHY DO YOU ALWAYS DO THIS" Kelley yelled slamming her phone onto the bench in front of the lockers.
Hope dropped her bag and sat down on the bench, putting her head in her hands. "Do what" she mumbled.
"Every single time you start to open up and connect with me, something happens and you shut me out me again. You did it when we were together and your doing it now, and don't you dare act like all I was was a fuck, it was much more than that and you know it."
"If this is about Jerremy, Kell, iv'e already told you i'm sorry a thousand times...."
Kelley cut Hope off, pointing her finger at the keeper. "No this has nothing to do with Jerremy. I excepted Jerremy because you were happy. I just wanted you to be happy, even if it wasn't with me. This is about the fact that you got arrested and you couldn't even reach out enough to call your best friend and ask for help."
"I couldn't call you."
"Yes you could have."
"You don't get it." Hope stood up, walking towards the defender. "I fuck things up. Every beautiful, sweet, nice thing I have, I always end up fucking it up. Hell it's in my DNA. I'm not adding you to the list of things iv'e ruined."
"I'm a grown woman Hope, not a China doll. You can't break me. I get to decide who I want to be around and who I want to have relationships with. You don't get to just take yourself out of the equation because your scared and hurting."
Kelley rubbed her temple. She was exhausted, cold, hungry, dehydrated and this was the worst possible time to have this conversation.
"Whatever Hope. Give me a call when you want to let people into your life again." The defender slammed the locker shut, grabbed her phone and left.