Today is the day before the Brazil game. We had a light training session this morning then we got the rest of the day off. Christen, Alex, and I decided to go to lunch. After we got back from training the three of us took our bags up to our rooms then met in the lobby. We then left the hotel and went to some place Christen knew from her time playing here. Once we got there we ordered our food and talked.

"So how was Sweden?" I asked Christen.

"It was good. I missed everyone though." She says and I nod.

"How'd you do it?" Alex asks while looking at me.

"Do what?" I say.

"Be away from your family for all those years."

"I'm not close to my family so when I left for Spain when I was a teenager I didn't really miss them that much. And on the days I did I would just do stuff to divert my attention."

"What did you do to pass the time?"

"Well I learned 2 new languages, got my degree, messed around with a ball, explored the town, or played video games."

"So before you left America you knew four languages." Christen says/asks.

"I knew three. I had to learn another one when I got to a different country when I was 15."

"You left home at 15?" Alex asks and the both look shocked.

"Yep." I say and I can tell they want to know more, but thankfully they don't push the subject.

"Well damn. What did you get your degree in?"

"Marine Biology."

"Is that why you free dive?"

"No I started free diving when I was like 13."

"Wait we are in California next camp. You know what that means Cairo." Christen says with a smirk.

I chuckle. "Yes I do."

"Are you going to show us?"

"I'm a woman of my word. If I am on the team next camp then yes I will show you guys what I do when I free dive." I say and they nod. Our food arrives and we start eating and talking about life until we leave the restaurant. It's nice to have actual friends.

After my lunch with Alex and Christen I took a nap and when I woke up I got a text from Jill telling me to come see her in her room. Once I got there I knocked on the door and waited for her to open the door.

"Hey Cairo come on in." She said when she opened the door then motioned me to go sit down. "Okay so you're in the starting 11 tomorrow. "

"Awesome...is there a but coming?"

"But you will be playing right center mid."

"Thats fine. I've played there before."

"Which team?"

"Both actually. The coaches decided to try me in different positions and I like playing so I didn't protest."

"Where all did the they put you?"

"Everywhere but goalie."

"Good to know. Well that's all I have for you." She says and looks at her watch. "It's dinner so lets head down there." I nod and we walk to the elevator and stepped on and mad our way down and to the dining room.

At dinner I learned that there is team bonding tonight and it is in the conference room. After I threw away my trash I went and took a shower then went back to the conference room. I sat between Ash and Christen. And apparently we are playing truth or dare. Great.

"Ali truth or dare?" Kling asks.

"Truth" Ali says.

"How many orgasms has Ash given you in one sitting?"

"RAH" I say.

"10" Ali says.

"Damn" I say to Ash and slyly high five her.

"Cairo truth or dare?" Ali says.

"Truth" I say.

"What is the weirdest thing you've seen while diving?"

"Well there's a couple things. In Italy there is a statue called Christ of the Abyss. It's something you don't expect to see while diving. In Egypt there is an entire city called Heracleion that is submerged underwater. The city submerged due to bad soil so it literally just sank into the sea. But there is some stuff I wish I'd never seen."

"Like what?" Moe asks.

"You really want to know?" The team nod. "Sometime I'll be diving on either a ship wreck or a plane wreck and you'll see dead bodies in the exact position the person or persons was in when they died."

"Persons?" Carli says.

"Yeah. I was diving on a ship wreck one time and while swimming through it I came across two lovers in bed holding hands. It was both very beautiful and very sad."

"Ash truth or dare?" I say after a prolonged silence.

"Dare."

"I dare you to cover your eyes and kiss whatever body part I put in front of your mouth." She closes her eyes and I put my foot in front of her and she kisses it.

"Well that was gross...Kling truth or dare?" Ash says

"Dare" Kling says.

"I dare you to be silent and say nothing from now until your next turn."

"I'll go so she can't talk" Kelley says and Kling flips her off. "Cairo truth or dare?"

"Dare" I say.

"I dare you to kiss the person on your right." Well that's Christen and she is like my best friend and she is also Tobin's girlfriend who is another one of my good friends. Now how do I get out of this situation? Wait...she didn't say where I had to kiss her

"Okay" I say and see Tobin's jaw clench. I lean over to Christen and kiss her cheek then look at Kelley and smirk. "You didn't say where I had to kiss her."

"Cheeky little shit" Kelley says and I look at Tobin who discreetly nods at me basically saying thank you.

"Alex truth or dare." I say

"Dare" She says

"I dare you to put ice cubes in your bra and leave them there until the melt."

"Well that is just torture, but okay" Rose goes and gets the ice bucket and gives it to Alex who grabs some and puts them in her bra. I didn't really pay attention after that. I just leaned my head on Ash's shoulder and rested my eyes.

After team bonding is over I take Tobin back to my room and we sit down for a minute till Christen comes into the room so I talk to them. "I'm sorry if me kissing you made you uncomfortable Christen. And I'm sorry if me kissing Christen upset you Tobin."

"Cairo it's fine. You kissed her on the cheek so no harm done." Tobin says and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "Just don't kiss her on the lips."

"Got it." I say and we chill in the room until we head to bed.

- - - - -

Today is the final game against Brazil and we have to win or else Australia wins the Tournament of Nations and I'm not about to let that happen. Right now we are on the bus and Lindsey is talking to me so my nerves ahead of my first start don't get to me. Why does her talking to me always calm me down?

Once we get to the stadium I drop my bag off, grab a ball, go to the closest end-line and start my seal walk. While I'm doing my seal walk I think about everything that has happened. I never expected to be playing for the National Team let alone start for them too.

When I finish my walk I go back to the locker room and change into my kit then make my headband and listen to music until Jill speaks. After Jill's speech the starters went to line up in the tunnel. We held hands and walked out with the little children and the one I was assigned was a very cute kid. When we went out onto the field and the national anthem played I noticed I was stood between Tierna and Tobin. After the anthem both teams shook hands and then I went to my position and waited for the game to start.

Finally the ref blew her whistle and all my nerves went away. In the 6th minute I played a ball to Tobin who ran toward the end line then crossed it in front of goal. Alex tried to get a boot on it, but the defender impeded her and no foul was given. In the 12th minute Julie received a cross from Pinoe and hit it right at the keeper who made the save. In the 16th minute Brazil was on the attack and their winger put a cross into the box, but it only got as far as Tierna. Tierna tried to clear it, but the ball went into the back of the net for an own goal.

After Tierna's own goal she looked very down on herself so before the game restarted I jogged over to her, as did Becky, and I cupped her face so she would look at me.

"Hey look at me." I say and she does. "You are fine Tierna. It happens to everyone. Hell it's happened to me five times." The three of us all laugh. "I know it's a shitty feeling to have and I know what you're probably thinking, but Tierna you deserve to be here. You deserve to be in the starting 11. You are a fantastic center back who I would love to play along side in the NWSL and on the National team for years to come. You have 10 other players on this field and 13 on the bench who have your back no matter what. Alright?" She nods. "Alright...take a second to breathe and then let's go win this game and win this trophy." Tierna smiles, nods, and goes back to her position. Becky has this look on her face that makes me think she is proud of me for some reason and as I'm jogging back to my position I look at the bench and see Carli smiling at me.

6 minutes later Pinoe forces a difficult save from the Brazilian keeper and I got the ball on the right flank. I crossed the ball back into the box and it fell to Crystal who hit the ball just over the bar. In the 33rd minute Pinoe crossed the ball toward the box and Alex got a head on it and it fell to Lindsey. Once Alex flicked the ball to Lindsey I saw her look up so I held my run to give her an option. Lindsey played the ball to me and I hit it on the volley and it went in. After it went in I walked to Alex and Lindsey and hugged them both. They congratulated me and then the team arrived and someone jumped on my back so I turned my head and saw it was Pinoe and she was screaming.

Nothing happen until the 49th minute when I passed the ball to Tobin who chipped it to Alex who then had to get it out of her feet and she did so she shot it, but it went straight at the goalie who had come out. In the 53rd minute Julie scored after Tobin crossed it to the back post and she ran onto it and blasted it into the net. In the 61st minute I played a pass to Alex and she took the ball into the box, but couldn't get a shot off so she waited and saw Lindsey and Tobin making runs so she passed it back to them. The pass missed Lindsey, but Tobin was there and she struck it low and hard into the far bottom corner to make it 3-1.

In the 75th minute we won a free kick and Pinoe took it and barely missed and that was her last action of the game as Carli came on for her and ran straight to me.

"Hey Jill wants you in Pinoe's position. You know what to do." She says and I nod.

A minute later we won another free kick and Carli told me to take it. I stood there watching the Brazilians line up and they looked nervous. I then look at our team who are waiting for the whistle to blow. Right when the whistle blows I give the signal to go and Alex takes off. I kicked the ball toward the 6 yard box and the keeper stood there thinking the ball wouldn't be reached by any of the Americans. Big mistake. Alex runs onto it and gets a foot on it and the ball goes into the goal. After she scored she ran over to me and we had a group hug celebration.

Nothing really happened after that and once the whistle blew the whole team celebrated. Alex was right next to me so she pulled me into a hug. Christen came over to me next and hugged me. And before the trophy ceremony Lindsey came over and we talked until the trophy presentation.

After the trophy ceremony as I'm sitting in my locker Becky comes over and sits in front of me.

"I'm so proud of you Cairo." She says.

"For what?" I ask confused.

"You calmed Tierna down. You knew she was hating herself for that own goal."

"Anyone else would've done it."

"That may be true, but you took it upon yourself to do it. That's what a leader does Cairo." She says and stands up then looks back at me. "Great job today Cairo." I nod then change into my clothes and put the medal in my bag.

Once that's done I go and wait on the bus. Lindsey comes on a minute later and sits next to me and lays her head on my shoulder and pretty soon she falls asleep. I lean my head on the top of her head and rest until we get to the hotel. Once at the hotel I wake Lindsey up and we walk out of the bus and up to our rooms to change before having to come back down for recovery. After recovery the team goes to their rooms and I pack my stuff and then go to sleep.