When Hope first stepped on the concrete sidewalk in New York City, she could feel her heart beat three times faster. Home. The metal archway that was draped across the campus entrance looked the same as it had three years ago when the goalkeeper walked into the college life for the first time ever- rusted and falling apart. 

Parents and panicky freshmen were scattered across the campus green, exchanging kisses with their parents and looking around nervously. Sophomores and juniors were lugging their bags up to their dorms; they already knew their rooms, unlike the freshmen who had to get a tour still. 

Hope smiled at the admissions director as the woman handed her her apartment key and gave her a map, instructing her to walk across the herd of students to an area near the downtown where taxis sped through the street and pedestrians (most likely students as well) crossed, pulling their luggage behind them. 

Hope would be sharing an apartment with her friends and teammates Alex Morgan, Allie Long and Ali Krieger. Her smile widened as she neared the right room, hearing the voices of the three plus one very special person chatting loudly. A laugh sounded and Hope knocked on the door twice, stepping back to only be choked in a hug by her second most favorite person in the world, Alex. The forward's long brown ponytail swung as she squeezed the older woman, laughing through it all. Hope pulled away, looking around the large room before placing her suitcase near the coatrack. Ali and Allie gave her a three way hug, stepping back to give her space. 

Hope grinned at her girlfriend before embracing Carli tightly, planting a gentle kiss on the side of her head. 

"Aww," Alex swooned, knocking the two girls apart, who glared at her in return. The forward laughed again, bringing Hope's suitcase into her room. 

"I missed you," Carli whispered, resting her head against the woman's chest once the other three had left. 

"Oh, honey. I missed you more." 

Another knock on the door sounded and Hope sighed heavily, flashing her girlfriend a grin before opening it. Ashlyn Harris, the backup keeper for the team as well as Ali's girlfriend, had her long arm wrapped around a junior with dark brown hair. 

Hope hugged Ash, looking at the younger girl curiously. 

"I'm Steph," the girl chuckled, smiling at the tall woman with no sign of intimidation. 

"Carli, this is your roommate. I found her trying to find your dorm. Though I might bring her here," Ashlyn explained, looking at Steph proudly. The blonde goalie, walked inside the room, the smell of sea salt and wind following her as usual. "Where's Ali?" 

At the name, Ali spun out of the bedroom she was sharing with other Allie, and kissed Ashlyn furiously. Steph gagged under the romance, Carli and Hope both sympathizing for the younger one who had to endure the spit molecules of the kiss. 

Ashlyn and Ali had been so determinedly in love since the first week of freshman year that the friend group always joked that they would be the first to get married. Which, to be honest, they probably would be. 

Steph wedged her way out from Ashlyn's arm and gasped for breath, Hope, Carli, Alex and Allie, who had just returned to the commotion, all laughing at the girl's antics. 

"Have you guys seen Kelley yet?" Allie asked, once Ali and Ashlyn had broken apart. Alex frowned and shook her head. The freckled girl had texted the gang a few hours ago that she was rooming with a chick name Edith Bazley, a girl none of them had heard of. 

"No," Hope smiled at the blonde midfielder, locking hands with Carli. Allie shrugged. "Cool. She's probably unpacking with the Bazley." 

-

Kelley couldn't stop glancing at the big, red curls that laced her roommate's tiny nose and petite build. The girl had huge blue eyes and wore a pair of jeans and a flowered shirt. She looked exactly like the artsy version of Eleanor Tomlinson, it was starting to freak Kelley out. 

Shaking her head, the girl turned back to her suitcase and started aimlessly pulling shirts and pairs of ripped jeans out of it. Once most everything was unpacked and Kelley had put her bag away, she turned to Edith with a smile. 

"Do you want to go for a trip?" she asked. Edith's blue eyes widened as she looked at the girl in surprise. There was something different about the orbs that stared back at Kelley, who struggled to make out why she thought this. The senior jumped when she realized what it was; Edith's eyes were glazed with a cloud of light blue froth, and Kelley couldn't help but laugh a little as she saw how unobvious the blind girl was. 

"You see," Edith spoke softly, smiling in the exact direction of her roommate. "And yes, I would love to. Where are we going?" 

Kelley opened the dorm door, following the redhead out. "Visiting my friends."

"You miss them?" 

The girl nodded. "Of course. Every single one." 

-

a/n: and here we are... the sequel to all stars. if you haven't read all stars yet, i would recommend it because you'll be hella confused (If you read it, you'll be hella confused anyway so it doesn't really matter, but it would make me happy if you read it anyway)

thanks for all the love and support for all stars and as always, i'm always open to suggestions like ships or plot twists or deaths (hehehehehehe) or other stuff like that.

anna