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“Allliiiii…. Want another drink?” Pinoe yelled across the room as she was making her way over to the defender.
“Hah no thanks Pinoe, I’m still trying to finish this one.” Ali replied as she was laughing at the midfielder dancing her way over to her.
“Come on, this is the last night we get to have drinks together until you get back.” Pinoe pleaded to Ali. “Chug that one real quick so you can have this one.” She said with a big smile.
“Leave her alone gumby. We don’t need her throwing up and feeling like complete shit on her 10 hour flight tomorrow. “Abby said to the pressuring midfielder.
“Oh whatever, she can handle it.” Pinoe responded, “Hey Harris, tell them your best friend can handle a few more shots and if she feels like shit tomorrow, well… it’s okay.” She laughed out as Ashlyn walked up with Tobin and Whitney.
“Dude, no Pinoe. That’s the worst feeling in the world as you are stuck on a flight across the world.” Tobin answered to the group as Pinoe pouring everyone shots and then yelled for Alex and Kelley to come drink with her.
“Hey, I am right here you guys!!” Ali replied at her teammates discussing if she should drink or not more.
“YES!! SHOTS…SHOTS…SHOTS!!” Kelley yelled as she looked at Ali. “This squirrel is going to get the warrior princess SMMMAASSHHHEDDD” She danced and sang to a laughing Ali.
“Alright, alright, guys leave her alone! Here, I’ll take it for Ali.” Alex said as she grabbed the shot Pinoe was trying to give Ali. The defender then mouthed a “Thank you” to the young striker as she winced at the taste of the vodka.
Ali went to the kitchen to go grab a drink for Alex to help take the taste of the vodka away and to show her gratitude for her taking it for her. Ali was returning with drinks in hand when she just stopped to take in the whole room.
They were at her brother’s, Kyle, apartment celebrating. She wasn’t expecting this or any of her friends to be here. She thought she was just having a last night out to dinner with Kyle and Ashlyn, but instead she came back from dinner to a surprise going away party for her. Instead, she walked in to the whole USWNT team there to celebrate her going to play for Frankfurt for another season and to say goodbye. She hasn’t really seen any of the team that mush since the last camp a month ago, but now she gets to spend her last night in the states with them. She just couldn’t believe that she was so lucky to have these great people in her life who would change everything they had going on in their lives to come and spend her last night with her.
Ali walked back to her group to hand Alex her drink as she joined in laughing at Syd, Pinoe and Kelley all in a little dance off to see who has the better moves. Everyone was laughing and having a great time when they heard Ashlyn yell for their attention.
“HEY CAN I GET EVERYONE’S ATTENTION FOR A SECOND!!” Ashlyn yelled as Lauren turned the music off so she could speak.
“Hey guys,” Ashlyn began, “I just wanted to say a little something. Tonight we are here for one reason, to wish our very own warrior princess a good luck on her adventure in Germany. Why can’t she just stay here and play with us in the states beats me, but I know she will be doing some great things over there.”
Ashlyn then turned to look at Ali and continued, “Ali, you are my best friend and even though it will be so hard to not have you here to go on hikes or coffee dates with for months anymore, I am so proud and excited for you to have another great season for Frankfurt. They obviously know how lucky they are to have you there to play because they keep trying to steal you away from us.”
“THAT’LL NEVER HAPPEN!! KRIEGS IS AMMMEEERRRIIICCCCAAAANNNN FOREVER!!” A very tipsy Pinoe sang/shouted out that made everyone laugh and cheer with her.
“But seriously, I just wanted to say good luck to you and I know I can speak for us all when we say that we will miss you. And, we can’t wait to see you at camp in 3 months and to tell us all the secrets that Germany has up their sleeves for the Olympics this upcoming year.” Ashlyn laughed as she continued on.
Ali laughed as she stood up to give her best friend a hug and then say a few words.
“Seriously, thank you to you all. All of this is just beyond unbelievable. Thank you for coming and seeing me off on my last night. It’s a bittersweet feeling because I love you all so much, but I do love Germany and playing there.” Ali paused for a moment before she continued on. “Thank you Kyle and Ashlyn for making my last day the best and then for planning this. For getting my most favorite people ever all in one room for this last night. I’ll be back in a few months and see you all at camp. Maybe by then, can someone please teach Abby how to dance and can someone PLEASE beat the baby horse at Monopoly Deal.”
Alex and Abby jokingly scoffed at Ali’s requests as everyone filled the room with laughter. Ali then got a little serious as she continued on, “But really, thank you all so much. I truly love you all and I will miss you so much. You are the best and I can’t wait to be back in 3 months for camp. Thank you and I love you all.”
“To Kriegs!” Alex held up her cup and said.
“TO KRIEGS!!” The rest of the team said and they continued until about 2 in the morning, when everyone decided to head back to their hotels and call it a night. Ali made sure to get all her goodbye hugs and I love you’s from everyone before they left and after helping her brother clean up a little around the apartment, she headed for bed.
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“I shouldn’t have decided to go back to Frankfurt to play. I should’ve just stayed and played at Washington for the whole season. They don’t need me over there.” Ali stated as she, Kyle and Ashlyn were waiting for her flight to be called.
“I agree! Well okay then that settles it. Let’s go home!!” Kyle said in a pleased voice and he was about to stand up to leave.
“Kyle, no shut up!” Ashlyn laughed as she grabbed him before he moved. “Alex stop. You know you love Germany and they love you. As much as I want my best friend to stay and go back to Washington with me I know that you need to go back there. Germany is so good for you and you love it. It may seem hard at times, but you’ll be back for camps and then you’ll be back to play half the season with the Spirit. These 6 months will go by fast.”
“You promise?” Ali asked as she knew that Ashlyn was right.
“I promise princess!” Ashlyn said with her one dimpled smile.
Flight 1345 Frankfurt, Germany now boarding.....
“Well, this is it I guess. Time to say goodbye.” Ali said as she heard the intercom announce the boarding of her flight and got up to get ready to walk over.
“I love you BB. Be safe! Call and text every chance you can no matter the time. I am so proud of you!!” Kyle told his sister as he pulled her into a tight hug.
“I love you too. I’ll miss you and I’ll be looking forward to seeing all your crazy youtube videos. Take care of mom and dad for me love.” Ali said as she was wiping away her tears after her hug with her brother.
She then turned to look at Ashlyn and began to cry again as Ashlyn pulled her into a hug.
“Hey now, don’t cry. You’re going to ruin your mascara.” Ashlyn laughed as she was holding her best friend. “Listen, everything will be okay. I’ll see you in at camp and we will skype like all the time duh.”
Ali pulled away to, again, wipe away her tears before she spoke. “I know, I’m just going to miss you, Kyle, my family, and the gals. But, I’ll be back soon at camp and we will talk every day. No getting any new girlfriends while I’m gone Ash!” Ali said as she lightly smacked her best friend when she rolled her eyes at her.
“Well, I should get going. I love you guys and I’ll text you when I get there.” Ali said as she gave Kyle and Ashlyn one last hug goodbye.
“Hey Alex one more thing.” Ashlyn started before Ali walked away. “Here, I wrote you a little letter that you should read when you get bored on the flight. I love you and be safe. Bye Alex.”
“I love you too. Goodbye Ash.” Ali said after she hugged Ashlyn one last time before she boarded the plane.
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After Ali finally was able to get to her seat after the long wait of everyone else getting seated, she decided to rip open the letter from Ashlyn. She laughed as she recognized the familiar scratch of the keeper’s handwriting and began to read:
“Alex,
I know I told you to read this when you got bored on the flight, so knowing you, you probably opened this once you found your seat in the airplane. Typical princess, just so stubborn. Anyways, I just want you to know how much I am already missing you and you haven’t even left it. You’re in your room packing up and I am just thinking about how much I am going to miss walking into the apartment to see you in your room or our coffee dates. I know I am going to miss you, but Germany is where you need to be right now. I’ll be counting down the days to camp and when I can see my best friend again. But until then, I may have hid a few things in your bag when you were out with Kyle earlier this morning getting coffee. Before you freak out and panic the whole flight of what I could have put in your bag, don’t worry. It’s just a little small something for when you feel like you need that little piece of advice or something from home. Just some letters of how to help you with a feeling or situation when you don’t know what to do. Some “Open when” letters I guess you could say. You know, “Open when” you are mad, or when you are missing your family, or the gals, or more importantly me! But seriously, please actually follow those rules and don’t just open them up right when you get to your apartment. I mean, there is open for that, but only open that one up and not the others that I have planned and wrote unless they apply to the situation. Anyways, have a great flight and know that I will miss my best friend more than anything in the world.
I love you Princess and miss you already.
Sincerely, your best friend!”
Ali just smiled as she read the letter over and over thinking about how dorky but how amazing her best friend really is. She finally put away the letter and put her headphones in to listen to some music and close her eyes as she began the first hour of her 10 hour journey back to Germany.
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As Kyle and Ashlyn got into their car and left the airport there was a comfortable silence between them until Kyle finally spoke up.
“Please tell me that the letter you gave her was you confessing your true feelings to her and that you wished she would have stayed and that you love her! Please don’t just let the love of your life go to Germany for 3 months without knowing you were in love with her…” Kyle said as he tried to multitask by looking at the road and Ashlyn at the same time.
“Nope. I told her that I will miss her and that I can’t wait to see my best friend in 3 months at camp. There’s nothing more to it. I don’t and won’t ruin anything by admitting my feelings to her. I love her way too much to do that. So, we are best friends at that’s it Kyle.” Ashlyn replied back.
“But Ash, that’s not true. You’re…” Kyle begun to say before Ashlyn interrupted him.
“We’re best friends and best friends only. Nothing else Kyle. I love Ali but she will never need to know my real feelings. I love her and care for her more than anything but she’s my best friend. And that’s all it will ever be and I’m truly okay with that as long as she’s in my life. Seriously, it’s okay and what’s best.” Ashlyn said in a half smile as she tried to cheer up a semi disappointed Kyle.
Kyle just nodded as he turned on the music and drove them back to his apartment from the airport. Ashlyn just looked out the window as she knows that she wishes she could have told Ali her true feelings but that it was best she didn’t. They were best friends, and best friends only…