WM Day 10 - Friday

It's Friday.

Tiff wakes up you and your team. You start with a quick warm up, then you get a light breakfast, then a final team huddle in the locker rooms before you put on your game uniforms.

Tiff recaps yesterday's planning meetings briefly. The main concern with Team Green is the small group of military girls that all know each other. Their soccer technique isn't perfect, but they have excellent synergy and are extremely tough.

There's a sense of relief because the waiting is over. Now you just have to play.

You put your uniforms on and head out onto the field, where there are tons of cameras, and the bleachers are full. These are all FUTA employees and their guests... live viewership is limited while FUTA is still in this early stage.

At least half an hour of group photos, individual photos, and pre-game interviews go by before you're finally walking out there onto the field.

It's another beautiful, sunny day... but hot.

The game starts out full throttle and rough. Green Team is aggressive and focused. There's precision in everything they do... they have their playbook memorized, and they stick to it religiously.

The military girls aren't afraid to get rough, and it's making for a good show. Even the small live audience is pretty loud.

You see Michelle watching. Tiff might be your coach now, but Michelle will always be your real coach. You don't want to lose in front of her.

Yeah... that wish does not come true. The game gets started, and you're at a disadvantage right away. Green Team seems... really organized. You're confident in your skills, and you and Lara are both way better than anyone on Green Team, but they're so coordinated.

It's hard to blame it on any one thing, and you try to adapt as the game goes on, but you just weren't prepared for this. They're rough, but... neat. It's crazy, and it's hard to play against.

In the end, it's 3 to 1. That was a beating.

You find yourself not very upset as you walk off the field. It was an honest loss, you think... and it's making you think about what you need to do better as a captain and stuff. Maybe things that you could've done better in this past week. You can learn from this.

As you see Shep jogging to the Moxxi and Lulu for her victory interview, you hear one of the FUTA camera girls mention that Blue Team also lost. Adella didn't win either.

Yikes. What a game. The FUTA people seem happy at least because they got a good show, but this isn't a great start for you.

As you climb onto the bus that will take you to... wherever losers go, you honestly and openly apologize for the team, taking ownership of the loss. They're disappointed, but they aren't mad. Green Team was tough. Beating them would have been hard, and... you just need some time to think. And to talk to Tiff, but apparently Tiff won't come to the place where losers go. Coaches can't go there. So it'll have to wait until next week.

You sit down in your seat on the bus. This is a surprise. Things had been going well for you lately. You'd started getting a little cocky.

You messed up, but that's OK. Everyone messes up. You have to try to do better.

You and the other girls sit on the bus as it leaves the Soccer Camp area, going onto a gravel road that you never noticed before. Two other busses are coming as well... one for each losing team.

You drive through the forest, but Lara notices something and looks out the window. You turn to look too. There's a sign up ahead. It's yellow, but it has words on it in big, friendly letters:

WELCOME TO

CAMP CRYSTAL LAKE

EST. 1935

"Another camp," Lara says.

"What?" You don't understand.

But in a minute the bus pulls up, and you see it all: it's a summer camp. The Soccer Camp is modern and pretty nice, even just the cabins and showers, but this place... it's a wreck. It looks like something from the early eighties.

But it's on the lake, which is pretty. There's a sand volleyball court, and a basketball court... no sign of soccer. Some cabins that are a lot like the ones at the Soccer Camp, just shittier.

The busses stop.

You all get off, finding four young women waiting for you wearing the shorts and t-shirts of camp counselors. They each have their name written on their t-shirts. Meg, Claudette, Nea, and Kate.

Meg is sporty and looks like a runner. Claudette is Black, very cute, and wears nerdy glasses. Nea looks grumpy and has a beanie on, but she'd probably be pretty if she smiled. Kate is obviously the hot one, with long, red hair and the look of a popular cheerleader.

Kate steps forward as all the losers gather around.

"Welcome," she says. "So you'll all be here until Monday morning. No drills or anything. No cameras. You're free to just relax. I guess the punishment part is that it's... you know." She turns and gestures at the camp. Yeah. The punishment is that it's not the Lodge.

And you had to give up your phone when you got on the bus. No phones, no air conditioning... probably no TVs. So there will be no creature comforts, but it might be very relaxing actually with no cameras and no social media pressure or anything.

You go into the cabin assigned to your team, finding it dusty, creaky, and kind of horrible... the beds squeak, and there's no privacy in the shower, which is supposed to be for six people but is just tiny.

Gross... this place sucks. You spend a few minutes with your team, giving them the pep talk that they need, then you get the hell out of there and find Adella, who is looking for you.

She pulls you behind a cabin and puts her arms around you, groaning.

"This fucking sucks," she says, looking annoyed. You know exactly how you feel. You two were so dominant, and then... well, you let things distract you from soccer. That's what it comes down to...

"It's OK," you tell her. "We can come back."

She nods, scowling. "Are you OK?"

You smile. "I'm fine."

She looks down at you for a moment, then comes in for a kiss. That's pretty nice. You kiss her back, squeezing her body against yours and getting into it.

She slides her hands down your back to your hips, then to your bottom... you know that's her favorite part of you, and she gives a squeeze. You laugh, and she starts kissing your neck, sucking hard to leave obvious hickies. You giggle uncontrollably, and someone clears their throat.

You both stop and turn to see Meg standing there, holding a phone.

Blushing, you cough, embarrassed. "Hi," you say.

She just holds out the phone. Puzzled, you take it. You recognize the voice on the other end... it's that woman from last night. Jane.

"Riley?" she says.

"It's me."

"Is Adella with you?"

"Maybe," you say hesitantly. "What's up?"

"Look, Annette's house is actually pretty close to that camp. If you go to the dining hall's south corner, turn right, and go straight for about ten minutes, you'll see the back deck."

"Uhh..." you say, ignoring Adella, who is trying to duck in to listen. "So?"

"So, I'm housesitting for her tonight. If you want to sleep in a real bed, come over."

Jane hangs up on you.