pinky promise - jamie tartt

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"Oi, so we're all going to this funeral as a team,"

Tate nodded at Isaac's words, arms crossed uncomfortably over her chest as she stood beside Dani. The rest of the team was huddled around the locker room, perched on the center platform, or at their stalls.

Isaac had summoned her to the locker room the moment they learned about Rebecca's father's passing and when the funeral was going to be held, declaring she needed to be present as well. His exact words had been crowd control, and she knew he meant he needed backup when talking to the team.

"So that means ties, shirts," Isaac narrowed his attention on Jamie at the mention of needing to wear a shirt, which made the star player scoff, as if he hadn't forgone a shirt at the previous year's charity benefit. The memory made the corners of her lips curve upwards in a faint grin, though the mood of the room kept her otherwise somber. "And no trainers."

"What?"

She knew she should have expected the protests, but her brows still knitted in confusion at the instant reactions.

"Well, what if they're like, really nice Yeezys?" Zoreaux asked, and it took everything in Tate not to hide her face in her hands in disbelief.

"What color?" Isaac had the forethought to ask.

"Bright red," Zoreaux grinned, as if that was anywhere near an acceptable answer for funeral attire. Both Tate and Isaac shot the goalkeeper unimpressed looks, and he finally sighed, relenting. "Okay, I'll wear some dress shoes."

"Where do you get dress shoes?" Dani asked from his spot beside Tate, becoming the next victim of her disbelieving stare.

"I don't have time to stand in line at midnight and wait 'till morning to buy new shoes," Colin complained, as if that was the average process one went through in order to get their everyday shoes.

"You don't have to do that for shoes like these, mate." Jamie interrupted before Tate could, his voice flat and clearly annoyed with the dress code Isaac set. "Nobody wants them."

Tate glanced around the room, stunned but the displeased faces looking back at her, and shot each of the boys a pointed glare.

"All of you will be sending me a picture of what you're wearing for pre-approval, you know."

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New Message from Callum Brooks:

Give Miss Welton my condolences, please. And if you need to talk about anything, I'm here. I love you.

Tate read the message twice, then a third time, before typing a quick response.

Message Sent to Callum Brooks:

Thank you. Talk later.

It was the longest text she had sent to him since they had taken their break, though he had messaged her near daily. He had gone back to acting the way he did at the start of their relationship, when everything had been all sunshine and rainbows—before he started going back on every promise to help her with something or getting annoyed with her whenever she had obligations to the team.

She had thought that was what she wanted—the old Callum—but she wasn't so sure anymore.

"Ready, mi amor?" Dani asked through a wince as the team bus rolled to a stop outside the funeral venue. Tate nodded, shoving her phone into her purse as she stood. Higgins stepped off the bus first, and she stood, ready to follow him.