The Heart of the Stars

by Nicole Shay

  Olivia heard the whisper just as she was turning to leave. She spun around and looked around for a moment before catching sight of someone under the bleachers. Her whole face lit up when she saw it was Imogen. Without even thinking, she sprinted over and pulled Imogen into a hug. “Hey,” she whispered, then pulled away, growing shy. “Ugh, sorry. I smell gross, don’t I?”

  “I’m used to it” Imogen said with a smirk. “So what’s the deal with Julio?”

  Olivia bit her lip, embarrassed by the whole situation. “God, you saw that?” She sighed, shaking her head. “I wasn’t going to say yes to him, but Maeve and Kerrie kind of spoke for me and he’s too nice of a guy to back out of a date from so I…” She shrugged, unable to explain any better. “I couldn’t exactly tell them I was already dating someone because they’d ask who and…”

  “Well… it’s only fair I guess..I mean I never officially asked you out” Imogen stated although since yesterday she sure felt like Olivia was hers.

  Olivia quirked an eyebrow, a smirk finding her lips. “Then do it now.”

  Imogen continued to stare intently into the girl’s eyes, the smile not leaving her face.

  “As long as you don’t hate me too much….are you still sure you want to be asked out?” Imogen asked playfully.

  Olivia giggled, feeling completely at ease with the girl. “Yes, I’m sure.”

  “Well okay then you asked for it.” Imogen began as she got down on one knee hoping to make the girl laugh some more, the smile still blaring on her face. “Olivia McBray….will you go out with me?”

  Olivia couldn’t control her laughter at all. She covered her face, trying to control herself. “You’re literally the biggest dork ever,” she said. “Who knew.” She looked at Imogen’s position and laughed again before playing along. “Yes, Imogen Sloane. I will go out with you.”

  An even bigger smile crept onto Imogen’s lips making her face even brighter. “God, I thought you’d never say ‘yes’, my knee was starting to hurt!” She quipped.

  Olivia rolled her eyes, grabbing Imogen’s hands and helping her up, but really just ended up in Imogen’s embrace. “Sorry, did you want me to kiss it?”

  “Yeah I think you need to kiss something else first….my lips seem to be in critical condition, it might be too late. You might want to get over here now” Imogen said as she pulled Olivia closer.

  The striker bit her lip, trying to hide her smile. “You’re such a loser,” she pointed out, leaning into Imogen as she met the midfielder’s lips.

  “You said ‘Yes’ to this loser...never forget!” Imogen matter-of-factly stated.

  Olivia laughed, unable to kiss Imogen because of the words that were coming out of her mouth. “I don’t think I want to forget,” she winked before leaning in and pressing her lips to Imogen’s before the other girl could say another word.

  “Huh I guess Imogen isn’t joining us” Lilith said as she looked down at her phone.

  “She’s been acting so weird lately, like, mood swing much?” Chloe said as she took a sip of her oversized lemonade that she bought.

  “Yeah I don’t know, when I asked her to come with us , she said she was running errands for her parents..” Lilith replied still in obvious disbelief.

  “She’s probably got a boyfriend behind the scenes you know? Hey maybe it’s that guy from the indoor gym she was telling me about!” Chloe stated suddenly excited that she could be right.

  Lilith laughed “If Imogen was dating someone we’d know, she’s not good at keeping secrets..”

  Chloe just shrugged as the two rounded a corner of the mall.

  “Oooh look at this!” Chloe exclaimed as she excitedly pointed to something knocking into someone as she did and knocking some of her drink on the person.

  “Oh my bad! So Sorry!” Chloe said but jumped a little as she met Maeve Thenard and Elaine Strongman’s meanest faces.

  “Should really watch where you’re going,” Maeve glared after inspecting the soda stain on her clothes. Elaine just opted for giving her typical mean face to the two they’d run into.

  “Whoa okay sorry ….hey I think the stain really improved the outfit” Chloe snarkily replied motioning to the girl’s drenched clothes.

  “Watch your mouth Chloe,” Elaine warned, glaring at the other keeper.

  Suddenly growing serious Chloe stared right back “You don’t scare me Strongman, you think you’re hot shit don’t you?”

  “Pssst Chloe..let’s go” Lilith cut in hoping to stop whatever was to come next.

  “Running away so soon?” Maeve quirked an eyebrow.

  “Maeve.” Elaine said in a soft warning tone.

  Ignoring Lilith’s suggestion Chloe let her hot-headedness get the best of her “Can’t take it Strongman? I would think you of all people would be able to handle a measly someone like me?” she mockingly stated.

  At this, Elaine’s resolve started to wear thin. “Oh, don’t worry Chloe. I take can your ass any day. It’s just that unlike you, I know the time and place to do it and it’s certainly not here. I know my timing.”

  Feeling played Chloe furiously bit her lip and clenched her fists.

  “Chloe, come on just walk away” Lilith calmly said as she started to push her friend away.

  “Gonna let her take away your pride like that?” Maeve challenged, wanting the tension to finally explode.

  “Maeve,” Elaine growled. “Let it go.”

  “No, I’m done with the bullshit,” Maeve snapped. “You want to fight, Chloe? Then fight!”

  “You know what? I’m done with this,” Elaine rolled her eyes.

  “Huh?” Maeve asked, turning around to face her, but Elaine was already walking away. “Elaine!” she called after her.

  Elaine kept walking.

  “Where are you going?” Maeve asked, frustrated, she turned to look at the other two. They were just as dumbfounded as her.

  Seeing opportunity Lilith grabbed Chloe and pushed her in the other direction before Maeve could notice they were gone as well.

  Elaine knew it was somewhat wrong of her to leave without making sure Maeve didn’t start anything, but she couldn’t help it. She was so tired of the rivalry following them outside of the pitch. No matter where they seemed to go, it always followed. No one could forget it existed. But she had something else on her mind as she drove away from the mall, or rather someone. And she felt it was her job to be with that someone as much as she could because their time together was always, and would possibly always, be limited.

  She pulled into the driveway, noticing only one car was there and immediately recognized it as Ornella’s. She smiled, knowing for at least a few hours she could forget the rivalry and the dirty words and looks and tackles exchanged and only focus on Ornella. Not Ornella from the other team, but Ornella, her girlfriend. She hopped out of her car and jogged over to the door, hitting the doorbell.

  Ornella was nestling in for a ‘Teen Mom’ marathon when she heard her doorbell ring. Frustrated that she was being taken away from her guilty pleasure, she reasoned that the only person that would be okay to interrupt her junk TV would be her other guilty pleasure :Elaine. She opened the door to her towering girlfriend, her steel blue eyes seeping into her soul.

  “Babe? Hi!” She squealed as she squeezed the keeper.

  The gesture elicited a soft chuckle from Elaine as she wrapped her arms around the small defender. “Hi Nella. Did I interrupt? Were you busy?” Suddenly, Elaine was wondering if it was a good idea to come at all.

  “Don’t be silly, come on come cuddle with me!” She giddily said as she guided her to the couch.

  A wide smile broke onto Elaine’s face as the silliness of her girlfriend. “Alright, what are we watching here?” she asked as she sat on the couch and quickly pulled Ornella towards her.

  “Teen Mom and I know!...But before you judge, just watch a little first, it’s crazy..”

  “So this Latino guy just knocked up his seventeen year old girlfriend and-”
Ornella began but was interrupted by Elaine’s laugh.

  “You’re so cute,” she smiled. “I’ll watch it with you, no questions asked. If you like watching, then I guess I’ll give it a chance.”

  “Not that I need any more drama in my life” Ornella said shifting the mood a little.

  Elaine quirked an eyebrow at her. “What are you talking about?”

  “Eh nothing, the usual, and I know it has nothing to do with you but Imogen’s just been really weird lately and I don’t know, I just miss my best friend is all..”

  “She’s been through like three different moods the past few days since the party?” Elaine guessed.

  “Yeah? Olivia too?” Ornella guessed right back.

  Elaine nodded. “It was kind of weird, cause she’s been in the really good mood as if it was out of no-” Before she could continue, she was cut off by Ornella’s exclamation.

  “No way! Imogen was in a really good mood yesterday and today! But she’s been not discreetly hiding something or other...I wonder-” Ornella said as a smirk grew across her freckled face.

  Elaine cut Ornella off immediately. “That’s not possible at all because-” She turned to look at the TV for a second and then laughed. “Hey, the Latino guy looks like Julio!”

  “Who’s Julio?” Ornella questioned turning her attention back to the TV.

  “He’s the reason for Olivia’s random happiness,” Elaine explained. “She’s supposed to be going out with him this weekend. He works at some indoor soccer gym she always goes to. Which is why whatever you’re thinking isn’t possible.”

  “Oh my god..wait, did you say Julio? Oh geez” Ornella said as she smacked her head.

  “That’s the guy this girl on my team, Allie, is going out with! What a dog….” Ornella finally muttered.

  Elaine’s head snapped towards Ornella. “Wait, what did you say babe?”

  “Julio? Mr. Indoor soccer gym guy? Yeah he’s playing more than one girl” Ornella stated.

  Elaine’s jaw set. She wasn’t one to get in the way of who dated who and who hooked up with who - she’d be a hypocrite for doing that, anyway. But when it came to the people she truly cared about, she grew protective. She’d known Olivia ever since the girl walked into the first varsity practice as a freshmen, nervous and shy. Olivia was like her younger sister and she wasn’t about to let someone play her for his own enjoyment.

  “He’s dead.”

  CHAPTER 6

  “Can it be like this all the time?” Olivia mused.

  Imogen was all smiles the whole night but the smile faded a little at the girl’s suggestion.

  She wished more than anything that they could do ‘this’ all the time and it their relationship could be ‘normal’ but it wasn’t and that was just fact. Despite Imogen’s head instantly being unsettled she put on her best face, one full of hope for her and Olivia.

  “It could be!” Imogen stated.

  Olivia smiled, leaning up a little to kiss Imogen’s cheek. “One day.”

  Before either of them could say another word, there was a knock at the door.

  Olivia’s eyebrows knit together in confusion. “Who the hell is at my door? Wait here babe,” she instructed Imogen as she hopped up and went to answer it.

  Before Olivia could reach the door she heard it open and a familiar voice filled the hall. Imogen instinctively jumped behind the adjacent reclining chair hoping the visitor wouldn’t see her.

  “We need to talk.”

  Olivia jumped in surprise. “Elaine!” she exclaimed, her eyes wide. “What are you doing here?”

  “I told you, we need to talk kid,” Elaine repeated. “It’s important.”

  “Now?” Olivia almost whined.

  “Yes now,” Elaine rolled her eyes as Olivia let her in.

  “Oh...what’s up?”

  “Were you busy?” the keeper asked, walking towards Olivia’s living room.

  The younger girl rushed to keep up with her, knowing Imogen was still in there. She jumped in front of the taller girl. “Well, uh...I was just watching movies and having dinner.”

  “This is more important.”

  Olivia frowned. “Will you tell me what’s going on?”

  “Are you still going out with Julio tomorrow night?”

  “Um…” the striker looked down, rubbing the back of her neck. She didn’t like talking about it at all, especially not with Imogen in hearing distance. “Maeve and Kerrie kind of gave me no choice.”

  Imogen felt her breath hitch at the sound of Julio’s name. Unsure what this was all about she continued to listen intently.

  “Olivia shut up, you’re into him,” Elaine reasoned.

  Olivia mumbled something that sounded like “Sure.”

  Elaine shook her head. “Well, you’re not going out with him tomorrow night.”

  Olivia’s head snapped up, eyes wide with attention. “What? Why?”

  “You remember Allie Long?”

  Olivia thought for a moment, “Oh…rival?”

  Still not over the fact that she was even in this situation, Imogen gave a deep sigh as she heard her good friend’s name come up in the conversation.

  Elaine nodded. “She’s the one that gets a yellow practically every time she plays for obvious reason.”

  “She almost kicked me in the face!” Olivia pouted.

  “Yeah whatever, focus here,” Elaine snapped and Olivia shut up. “Look, I heard that she was on a date with Julio last weekend. He apparently promised her they’d go out again this weekend.”

  Olivia’s eyebrows raised as she stood there in silence, taking in the information. Finally she said, “Oh.”

  Elaine sighed, putting a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry Ollie, I know you liked him. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

  Imogen was getting increasingly anxious as the conversation continued between the two. Does she really like him? she wondered as she was ready for Elaine to leave now.

  Olivia’s lips formed into a tight line. “Mmm. I get it Elaine.” She wanted to know what Imogen was making out of all this, if she was friends with Allie and if she believed what Elaine was saying about Olivia’s feelings, but she’d have to wait until Elaine was out of the house.

  “So you’re not going tomorrow, right?” the older girl asked, almost condescendingly.

  “Of course not,” Olivia assured her, relieved. But then a thought occurred to her. “Wait! Actually…”

  “Olivia…” Elaine said, knowing the look on the striker’s face wasn’t one of any good.

  “I mean...I could teach him a lesson,” Olivia shrugged, a mischievous smile on her face.

  “No,” the keeper said immediately, crossing her arms. “This is going to go wrong and I know it.”

  “Aw, come on Elaine!” Olivia pleaded. “He has no idea I know any of this! I could totally do some damage.”

  “Absolutely not,” Elaine shook her head. “You know something’s going to go wrong.”

  “It won’t!” Olivia promised. “Come on Elaine!”

  “Olivia, I swear, it won’t end well!” Elaine argued. “Come on kid, he’s bad news. He’s not worth it.”

  “Well, I’m trying to teach him a lesson so he won’t do it again,” Olivia shot back. And to get Maeve and Kerrie off my back about being in a good mood about someone. They’d still think it was Julio, Olivia didn’t say.

  “Olivia,” Elaine let out an exasperated sigh. “Not this time.”

  Olivia frowned. “Come on, you’re usually on my side.”

  “I am,” Elaine assured her. “I always am. And I’m saying no for your own good, trust me.”

  Olivia crossed her arms, pouting. “You’re not my mom.”

  “I’m not,” the older one admitted. “but Olivia, you’re literally like my little sister. I’d do anything to make sure you’re okay.”

  “I’ll be okay,” Olivia rolled her eyes. “And stop being a sap, it’s weird.”

  Elaine chuckled, giving Olivia a
light nudge. “Whatever. I should go, but no trying to teach Julio a lesson, okay? Karma’s going to bite his ass one day.”

  “Yeah yeah,” Olivia mimicked, waving her away. “Bye Elaine!” She said as she practically pushed the older girl out the door.

  “Bye! Have fun with your pizza!”

  Olivia laughed, quickly shutting the door. She went back into the living room, wondering what Imogen was making of all of this.

  “Wow” was all Imogen could say as she stood up from the back of the recliner “I don’t even know what to say” with a look of disbelief etched on her face.

  “I don’t like him,” Olivia blurted out suddenly, walking over to Imogen. “It’s...a distraction, really.” She felt the need to explain herself because her teammates all teasing Olivia about Julio could be interpreted in different ways, and Olivia had to make sure Imogen understood the right reason.

  “Yeah, I get it” Imogen stated in understanding “It doesn’t make it any easier to hear though but yeah, I understand..So what are you going to do?” Imogen asked as she sat back down in her spot on the couch.

  “Well,” the striker started, sitting down next to Imogen, but sitting crossed legged and facing the other girl. The movie was now just background noise as Olivia began to explain. “I was thinking that I would go out with him tomorrow, but ‘coincidentally’, Allie would be there too,” she smirked.

  “Olivia…..are you asking me what I think you’re asking?” Imogen questioned assuming she knew exactly what was going through the younger girl’s mind.

  A wicked grin found Olivia’s face. “Only days into this and you already know what I’m thinking,” she laughed, but then nodded. “Please Imogen?”

  It was the first time that the nickname everyone else had given her came out of Olivia’s mouth. Imogen smiled thinking it couldn’t have sounded any more perfect with the girl’s raspy voice. She quickly turned her attention back to the matter at hand as Olivia’s eager eyes brought her back.

  She gave a heavy sigh, full of hesitation “Um, I mean Allie is my good friend, and you’re my-my uh, my girl” Imogen rushed out before continuing “And this guy is a jerk but do you really think this plan of yours will end well?” Imogen softly reasoned.