Chapter 268 Our Shared Bedroom:>>12

• It was late in the evening when our bus finally arrived at the hotel. Travel weary, I gathered up all of the snack wrappers, my MP3 player, water bottle and book and stood as the interior lights came on. All around me Jen's teammates from the Hellcats were doing the same, all wearing the same tired and slightly dazed look I'm sure I had on. A few rows in front of me, Jen was standing up, her headphones still in as she hoisted her bag over one shoulder.
• We were in Tennessee for a soccer tournament. The Hellcats had won in their division and had been invited to a tournament with some of the top teams in surrounding states. It was no surprise, really, as the Hellcats had worked hard for their success and played with the determination and precision of some professional teams. Not bad for a group of high school to college aged girls. They still all kept their hair long and in ponytails when they played, just to present opposing teams with a unified front that betrayed their toughness.
• I had been invited to go along mainly due to my being Jen's brother and because everyone on the team knew me as one of their most dedicated fans. The coach and I knew each other from my workplace, so when the tournament came up, I was one of the first he asked to come along. I was able to get the time off from work without much trouble; in fact, many of my coworkers were big fans of the team themselves.