Emily I'm Sorry; Yellowjackets

seventeen

(Emily, I'm Sorry)
ACT ONE—CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

1996

"Alright, so here's how it's gonna go down. One final round for all of the marbles. Got five targets, five shots each. Mari you start us off." Coach explained.

"Uh just a thought...shouldn't we be saving the marbles?" Laura Lee suggested, and coach nodded, "Yeah in theory but lucky for us, the nut job who lived here before was apparently preparing for the apocalypse."

Mari took her first shot, it didn't hit any of the targets and of course Travis had a snide remark about that.

Clearly Emily breaking his nose wasn't enough to make him keep his mouth shut.

"The cans. You're aiming for the cans."

Mari turned over her shoulder, "Shut up!"

"Do you like being this way?" Natalie asked, her hands on her hips.

"If you shit the bed again are you gonna ask for another do over?"

Natalie shook her head in annoyance and Emily shot Travis a look. By Mari's fifth shot she had hit one of the cans.

"Hey alright, good job Mari!" Ben smiled and Mari shoved the gun into Travis' hands.

Travis hit the first three targets, but then missed the fourth and Natalie couldn't help herself, "So close, Flex."

"Don't fucking call me that!" The teenager spun around pointing his gun directly at Natalie. Emily  tugged on Natalie's sleeve swiftly pulling her away from the barrel of the gun.

"Travis." Ben shouted, "Put the gun down."

For a few moments he hesitated, before lowering it and turning back to the targets.

"Asshole," Emily muttered under her breath, Travis took his final shot knocking down another can.

"Alright yeah." Ben paused, "That's good shooting, Martinez, but don't ever do that again."

Natalie took the gun from him, "Don't choke, again."

Everytime the girl with the bleached blonde hair pulled the trigger, she flinched slightly. All Emily wanted to do was take away all of her pain, the blonde would take on everyone else's pain if she could.

No one truly deserved it. Not even assholes like Travis.

Cheers erupted around them and that's when Emily broke out of her thoughts, a smile pulling at her lips, "That was fucking awesome, Scatorccio." Emily nudged her.

"Thanks, Jensen." Natalie beamed.

Emily stood near Natalie, listening carefully to coach's instructions. "We're all relying on the three of you. Which means, you have to work as a team."

Ben looked between Travis and Emily, and the blonde scoffed.

"You need to set aside whatever issues you're having. No punching eachother." He looked at Emily for a moment.

"And certainly no pointing guns at each other." His second statement was clearly directed at Travis.

Ben handed the gun past Travis and too Natalie, causing him to stomp away.

Natalie shared a silent look with Emily before going after Travis.

"God please give me the fucking strength not to punch Travis again." Emily muttered, running after the two of them.

"Nat! Wait for me!"

The bleached blonde stopped moving but kept her eyes in the direction of Travis, "Wait! Coach said we should look for tracks and stuff on the trees like antler marks or whatever. Travis!"

"Look, the two of you can follow me or not, just don't slow me down."

Emily rolled her eyes, "Can't you just not act like an asshole for two seconds, please? We're all going through shit, Travis. I get it. I get that your dad died, which is really shitty. But you need to work with us so the rest of us can stay alive."

—

"Are any of these like maple syrup tree?" Laura Lee asked, looking around at the trees.

"What?" Taissa looked to her.

Ash hung back a bit walking next to Lottie, "Are you okay? You seem kind of...off?"

"Yeah—yeah. I'm fine." Lottie reassured her, gently touching Ash's arm.

"Don't eat that kind!"

Ash glanced at the commotion near by but didn't care enough to super pay attention.

"What about you? You okay?" Lottie asked softly, and Ash pressed her lips together.

"I'm really worried about Emily." The Jensen girl admitted, picking at the leaves on the nearest tree branch.

"Oh?"

"I know she isn't sleeping. I mean she barely slept at home. She has these horrific nightmares, and she'll never talk about them." Ash just spoke pretty freely not super worried about Lottie telling anyone else.

"I don't think Em, knows that I knew but she definitely used sleeping pills. I don't blame her either, but now she doesn't have them and I'm just worried."

Lottie gave the other teen a small hug, trying to comfort her, "I'm sure she'll be okay."

"What's the big hurry?" Taissa asked, as Lottie and Ash finally caught up with the rest of the group.

"Coach need a sponge bath?" Van smiled teasingly and a laugh escaped Taissa's lips.

Misty stomped away, "Misty wait—I'm sorry! Whatever."

Lottie spotted something on a tree and trailed away from the group, "What the fuck is that?"

She flinched away from the tree turning back to Ash who was staring at the symbol wearily, "I'm sure its nothing. Let's just go."

Lottie practically dragged the other girl away from the tree.

"Guys!" Jackie called out, "Look!"

There appeared to be some sort of small plane, trapped under vines and bushes.

"What—what is this doing here?"

"Holy shit." Ash murmured, "It must've belonged to the dead guy?" Jackie offered up.

"I wonder if this still works." Laura Lee pried one of the doors open.

"Guys this is it!" Jackie exclaimed standing in front of it.

Ash laughed, as Van spun the propeller, seconds later it came to life, as a result of Laura Lee pressing random buttons on the inside.

"Get out of the way!" Ash exclaimed, and Jackie shoved Van out of the way but suddenly froze. As though she was a deer in the headlights.

"Turn it off!"

"I'm trying."

Seconds before it would've run Jackie over it turned off, the blade slowing to a stop. Jackie gasped in relief still unmoving and Lottie stared at the roots wrapped around the wheel.

"It didn't want them to leave."