5. Kelly

Kelly

I inhaled deeply as I exited the plane. Paris, I couldn't believe it. My whole life I'd wanted to go to Paris. Not that I could ever afford it before. Or now, but fortunately the U.S. sports committee was paying my travel. Going to the International Games was going to be an incredible experience, but getting picked to go when the Games were in the City of Love? That was living the dream.

After going through customs, I checked my phone to verify where I was meeting the rest of the team. Everyone else had connected in Dallas and flown together, but since I was in Colorado, I'd requested the direct flight option from there. I was exhausted due to being too excited to sleep on the way here. I was sure I'd crash sooner or later, but for right now, I was moving on pure adrenaline.

"Mesdames et Messieurs" a voice intoned over the intercom. "Bienvenue à Paris"

I couldn't help but smile. I'd taken French in high school and while I was far from fluent, I could at least understand the greeting. After getting my bags, I went in search of the coffee shop where the rest of the team was waiting for me. They'd gotten here a little over an hour ahead of me, so the coaches had decided that they'd all wait so I could travel to the sports complex with the team.

Altogether there were twelve of us on the team, as well as two coaches. We'd be staying in the so-called "village" that was serving as athlete's housing, getting the full International Games experience.

I heard my team before I saw them. They were loud. Boisterous. Everything the French hated, judging by the chiding looks they were getting from bystanders.

"Kelly!" My teammate Erika was the first person to notice my arrival. She'd been a good friend back when we both played at Kansas State, and she greeted me with a hug. "You made it!"

After greeting the rest of the team we made our way out to where two vans were waiting to pick us up. Of course I somehow ended up in the same van as Betsy Stephens. When I turned around to try to find the buckle of my seatbelt I saw her glaring at me from the seat behind me.

Betsy and my paths had crossed many times over the years. I wasn't sure if we'd somehow gotten off on the wrong foot or if it was hate at first sight, but she irritated the shit out of me, and she felt the same as I did. Every time we played against each other we seemed to get into some kind of altercation, and even at the qualifying games when we were on the same team she'd managed to give me a nice goose egg on the forehead.

It was too bad that she was such a jerk. She was pretty, with thick wavy hair the color of chestnuts, big brown eyes, and a mouth that was a little too big for her face. Her thick lips drew a person's gaze before anything else, or my gaze anyway. Like all of us on the team, she was trim and fit, with strong legs and a curvy ass. Not that I'd ever noticed.

I pressed my nose against the window of the van and took in the sites as we drove towards our destination. Everything looked so old and full of history. When I saw the Arc de Triomphe, I couldn't help the little squeal of excitement that crossed my lips.

"Is a cat dying somewhere?" Betsy mumbled loud enough for me to hear it.

I swung around in my seat and sent her a glare. "I know it's hard for someone like you to understand, but some of us find joy in life. Sorry, not sorry."

She rolled her eyes but didn't respond, likely because we had a coach in the vehicle with us. We'd both been called in after our altercation at the qualifying match and told in no uncertain terms that we were on the same team now and there would be no in-fighting unless we both wanted to sit out the Games.

I was scared to death that the coaches would do something crazy like force us to room together to learn to get along or something, but to my relief, I was assigned to room with Claudia, another girl on our team.

My relief was short-lived. I'd just started unpacking when I heard a commotion in the hallway.

"I'm sorry Coach, but I can't do it," someone said loudly. "I'm a Christian. Her lifestyle is unnatural! What if she makes a move on me while I'm sleeping?"

Claudia and I moved towards the door, listening.

"Eve, I won't tolerate homophobia on our team," Coach Roberts said firmly.

"You're trampling on my religious rights!" Eve said loudly. "I'm going to sue you for emotional damage. I'm going to sue the U.S. Games Association. I'm going to the press!"

Claudia and I exchanged a look, then stepped into the hallway where the rest of the team was all standing outside their doorways, watching in avid fascination while Eve ranted at the coach.

Everyone except Betsy. She was leaning against the wall next to her room, face red with embarrassment, looking like she was about to throw up.

Coach Roberts took a deep breath, obviously trying to be calm, and asked the group, "Is someone else willing to switch with Eve?"

"You'll have to room with the nasty lesbian," Betsy added, her voice thick with sarcasm.

Looking around, I could see that one other person was sympathetic to Eve, but the rest of our teammates looked appalled at what was going on. Suddenly Eve turned to me and announced, "I hear you're one of them lesbians Kelly. Why don't you room with her?"