Love & Reason Keep Little Company (Freen x Becky)

Chapter 3

"Seng! Save it for the competition!" Coach Yaya bellowed with her whistle clenched between her teeth.

Moments earlier Becky had received possession of the ball and Seng had torn across the gym to deliver a punishing bump to the much smaller girl, sending her crashing to the ground.

"Sorry, Coach!" He called out, his expression blank as he stared at Becky before moving back into position.

It was Wednesday afternoon and their first practice since Becky and Freen had hooked up. Seng - who was on the opposing side in the 5vs5 match they were busy playing, had taken every opportunity he got to go after Becky.

"You okay, nong?" Engfa held out a hand to help her up, glaring at Seng's back.

Engfa was playing on his team, but it was the second time he'd floored her friend and she wasn't happy about it.

"Coach should bench that sorry mush-"

"It's fine, phi." Becky stood up and dusted herself off. She rotated her left wrist a few times, trying to shake off the stabbing pain running up the length of her forearm.

The start of the indoor season was coming up at the end of the month, and the last thing she needed was to have done any kind of permanent damage.

"He's bitter is all."

Pak Nam was a small town in Bangkok, and they didn't have enough players to form separate girls and boys lacrosse teams. As it was, there wouldn't have been enough players for a standalone boys team if they didn't let the girls play.

Becky, Irin, Engfa and Charlotte were all juniors, but they'd been on the Diversity team since sophomore year. Seng, Noey, Heng, Billy, Dew and Saint made up the rest of the ten-player first line team and a handful of sophomores and freshman acted as the second line for substitutions.

Nothing short of an actual broken bone would make Coach Yaya play any of the second line in league games.

"You okay, Rebecca?" She shouted over, concern etched on her usually severe features.

Yaya would never admit it out loud, but Becky was one of her favourite students. She taught AP History too, and Becky was the only one in the junior class that showed any kind of enthusiasm for learning anything that wouldn't be on the exam.

"Fine, Coach." Becky waved at her with her injured hand, only wincing slightly.

"Okay, hit the showers, people!" With a glance at her watch, the coach blew her whistle. "And, Seng, come back with a better attitude tomorrow! Rebecca over here."

Engfa gave her shorter friend a pat on the back before pushing her towards their coach with a mumbled, "Good luck."

Becky limped towards her, finding her right ankle sore to put down. Yaya looked even more pissed to see her limping. She crossed her arms with a heavy sigh.

"Coach."

"What's going on, Rebecca? Seng's been on your ass all game. Why has he suddenly got it out for you?"

Becky had put little thought into what the coach might say to her dating Seng's ex. She wasn't thinking at all when she'd offered to be Freen's fake girlfriend. Coach Yaya discouraged relationships between the team, though that didn't stop them from happening.

While there were no written rules about dating a teammate's ex, there were unwritten ones. Coach Yaya was all about team unity. Anything that could disrupt that was frowned upon.

"Well?"

"I'm dating Freen Sarocha Chankimha." Becky answered in the same quiet voice she would answer her parents when she was in trouble.