Venus Vs Mars

Chapter 11

With two days left of training camp, August was coming to a close and football Preseason was right around the corner. The ending of August also became a reality check for Massy. Come February she'd be wearing a Team USA Soccer jersey, her nerves rattled at the fact that she just wasn't representing a school mascot, or a popular city, she was representing a country. With her finally going public with the decision, a lot of hype began to circulate around the oncoming Rookie.

The sun beat down on any and everything it touched, heat waves rippled off the bright green field. The last 30 minutes of practice consisted of the guys standing around talking, catching and throwing footballs, and running random plays. It was way too hot to continue the scrimmage they had been doing for a good three hours already.

Collins and kicker Brad Wing standing on the 30-yard line dressed in cut off Giants jerseys and white loose-fitting shorts that hung to their knees, bright blue tape wrapped around their ankles and cleats. Massy standing in between them, sunglasses in her face, a black sports training bra, the same white knee-length shorts, her white under armor tights peeking out the bottom, and a pair of all-black Nike air max

"Man it's hot as hell, we need to be inside." Collins complained as he rubbed the back of his head looking over his shoulder at the media snapping photos of them practicing.

Massy held a football in her left hand, extending her arm out in front of her. "I woke up this morning, and the sun was sitting on my damn shoulder." Massy added for a dramatic agreement that it was indeed too hot to be outside. Even standing in one spot made you sweat.

"You the popular kid on the block now man." Brad also looked back shaking his head at the unusual amount of paparazzi that stood behind them, all three of them knew they were there snapping photos of Massy.

Massy refused to look back, or give any type of attention to them, keeping a poker face she hid behind her jet black aviators. She shook her head. "Man, s**t is ridiculous, rookie this, rookie that, does she deserve the PT she'll get, is she coming off the bench, is she even worth the wait and time Team USA put on her!" Massy said mocking just a few headlines and stories that she saw once she went public with the signing to the team.

"That's what happens when you first pick like that, all that hype." Brad said.

"You just gotta make sure you deliver all that hype tho." Collins added finally taking his attention from the paparazzi.

Looking through the face mask of his helmet, taking breaks from catching nonstop footballs Odell took multiple glances at Massy. Not only admiring her but making sure Collins and Wing were at a reasonable distance from her, not that they would try anything, half the team already knew that Odell claimed Massy as his prey and the other half could care less who he was hunting, they were ready to play football. Massy knew Odell had grown fond of her, and whether Massy wanted to admit it or not, she was growing fond of him too.

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"You got two Nike commercials, and a Nike photoshoot to do for ESPN, and under armor." Massy's father spoke in a teacher-like tone as he explained her jam-packed schedule that she would soon be following.

Multiple extremely important papers lining her kitchen counter, emails, and text messages caused both her iPhones to light up as they laid face up so she could quickly glance at them. Massy and Bo both looked towards the door as the bell went off, she stood up straight from the counter and slowly walked to the door trying to remember if she had made plans. Odell stood on the other side of the door looking down at her and her extremely casual outfit, after getting out the shower she opted for a pair of sweats and a white sports bra, clean white ankle socks on her feet and her hair sitting on top of her head in a bun.

"What you doing here?" Confusion covered her face.

"We're supposed to go get food." He said back expecting her to have known since she offered.

Massy eyes widened. "Ooooooooh, I forgot."

"You got the memory of a goldfish." He said, his face scrunched up.

Massy paused looking at her nail on her index finger, putting it in her mouth she eagerly bit down at the hangnail she had been trying to get for an hour now. "What?" She said pulling her finger from her mouth and looking up at him.

"Exactly." He said back calmly.

Massy took a step back from Odell, her hand still on the door, she looked over at her dad who was going to town typing out a message on his phone.

"Coach Dad is here going over scheduling."

"We can go a different time, it's cool." He said understanding what she was going through at the moment, due to his mother doing the same to him whenever his schedule got hectic.

Massy thought for a moment, she could either send Odell on his way, and have to tell her dad why she sent her friend away, or she could let him in and get it over with, her friendship with Odell had surly blossomed, he had managed to get closer than Massy would have liked him too. "Nah, you're already here, just come on." She pulled the door open wider letting Odell in.

Bo looked up from his phone once he heard the door close, he looked at Massy, then at Odell. Massy expected him to jump straight into questioning her but instead smiled before Massy could open her mouth to introduce the two of them, Bo put his phone on the counter.

"Boy if you were a shade darker, out of shape, and bald, I would have thought you were yo daddy!" He said laughing and shaking Odell's hand. 

Odell laughed through a confused face. "You know my pops?" 

"Aye next time you talk to him." Bo put his hand on Odell's shoulder. "Ask him to tell you about all the s**t him and Shaq, use to get into when Bo and Nate would take road trips down to LSU!" He said to Odell with a smile. 

"Bo?... Bo? I've heard that name before." Odell frowned squinting his eyes, he then smiled. "You're Bo!?" 

"In the flesh!" Bo smiled c*****g his head to the side and putting his hand on his hip. 

Odell scratched his head in shock. "Wow that's crazy, I gotta call my pops after this! What college?" Odell asked still in shock. 

"University of Florida." Bo said with confidence. 

"Gators." 

"You damn right. Boy, we'd put y'all Tigers in that Samp y'all ain't know how to get out! we'd have y'all chest-deep in that Gator Swamp!" Bo said, more excitement started to fill his voice, Massy knew he was about to start up with never-ending stories, and she knew she had to save herself and Odell before it was too late. 

"Hey, dad." Odell and Bo both looked at Massy. "before you start to relive college, can we finish this?" 

Bo let go of Odell's shoulder and turned back around. "Yea, yea, yea." 

Odell walked around the other side of the counter making sure he was out of the way, he pulled out his phone scrolling through it but still caught bits and pieces of their convo.

"Where I leave off?...... January 23 is your first match against Ireland, over in San Diego, y'all hosting it. By you coming in this year, doing it this way Mas, you got a lot of heat on you. You got to put a fire under their ass." Odell looked up from his phone listening to Bo speak, there was no wonder she called him "Coach Dad" he was all business with her. 

"As soon as the regular season is done, you going straight into the Olympics at the beginning of August. You gone be over in Brazil for pretty much the whole month." Odell looked at Massy over his phone, but kept his head down, he could tell anxiety was kicking in more and more, and instead of Bo realizing it and helping her transition into something so heavy he was scaring her word by word. 

"You got a lot of pressure on you Mas, you're a rookie coming into this big season, this ain't no regular season they have every year, this is an Olympic season. WE KNOW why you got so much hype on you, but you got to show everyone else why you got so much hype on you." Odell began to feel uncomfortable as he watched her helplessly looked down at multiple papers filled with dates, games, World Cups, Semi-Finals, Olympic trials.  It took every muscle in Odell to not go over to her a console her. 

Bo looked down at his phone checking the time. "I got to get outta here, gotta get these plays together for tomorrow." He shoved his iPhone back onto his belt clip, and walked over to Massy and kisses her on the forehead. Massy didn't budge, she just continued looking down at the papers on the counter. 

"Love you baby girl." He turned walking backward and pointed to Odell. "Aye, Junior, take it all the way this season." 

Odell nodded his head forcing a smile on his face. "Yes, sir." 

"I'ma have ya jersey on!" He yelled turning around and opening the door. "O-Dell, that boys good." He randomly said sounding like a sports commentator as he closed the door. 

Bo shook, rattled, and rolled Massy's anxiety up and just like that he was gone without fixing it or even knowing what he did.