FK Day 10 - Ease up

You call a timeout and lay it all out for everyone else. No one likes it, but they are all getting the same vibe as you. Tiff agrees. You pull back and play conservatively. No one cards out, but you steadily lose ground until time is up with a tied game. The shootout that follows is tense, and Shep clutches it before you or Lara manage to.

It doesn't really feel like a loss. You outplayed their strategy, and judging by how happy the producers and FUTA people are, you gave them exactly the show they wanted.

You feel a little bit of relief. It could've been worse, but you wonder if you could have turned it around... oh well. As the other team goes for their winners interviews, they're already pushing your team off the field to the showers. Everyone is going to get straight onto their busses that will take them where they're going. For your team, that won't be the Lodge.

You shower in a daze and then board the bus, finding yourself next to Elena. The taller girl is quiet and subdued, and hard to read. The team doesn't seem upset with you, and Tiff definitely approves of the call that you made. How does Elena feel?

"You OK?" you ask her.

She gives you a big, friendly smile that is kind of at odds were steely, sexy dom side.

"My pride hurts," she says.

That's fair. So does yours. You just have to rest up over the weekend and come back stronger. You see it now: this isn't just about soccer. FUTA is soccer, but slightly different, slightly askew from the competitive stuff that you have all done up to this point. The team that adapts to that change the fastest will be the best team.

During the drive, you share your thoughts with Elena, who agrees.

"You're right. You sound like a captain," she says.

"Is that a problem?"

"It's the weekend," she says. "I'm the captain now."

Oh... right. The look she gives you gives you a tingle, but you're arriving. There's a sign up ahead.

WELCOME TO

CAMP CRYSTAL LAKE

EST. 1935

"Another camp," Elena 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.

As you put your things down, Elena touches your arm.

"Julietta's team lost too," she whispers to you.

You saw that. Julietta's probably taking it pretty hard.

"Console her," Elena says.

You realize that she just gave you an order. You wish you had won. You could be at the Lodge right now, being rewarded by Amelie... but you're here. When you talked to Amelie about how to handle Elena, Amelie basically said that you needed to do what felt right for you.

Right now you have a lot of feelings about today. It's really chaotic... not knowing if your call was right or wrong, and wondering what Amelie or Julietta is thinking or whether or not it's a good idea to be doing this with Elena.

Maybe that's why you enjoy Amelie taking control of you so much. It makes things simple.

"OK," you say. "I will." Elena smiles approvingly.