Blood on the Pitch

Chapter Three

Madison stared blankly ahead of her, sitting in the waiting area of the police station.
She had just finished questioning, the rest of the team and the coaches were dismissed after only an hour or so. Sophie and Madison had been at the station for hours, going in and out for questioning and asking for a description of the body.
The body.
God, Madison couldn't stop thinking about it.
The way her hair was covered in red, sticky blood.
Everything was covered in blood.
Apparently her throat had been cut so deep she was almost decapitated.
Madison vomited again after she found that out.

"Hey,"
Madison jumps as the hand makes contact on her shoulder, she looks up, sighing in relief when It's Sophie.
"Hi," she gives a weak smile.
Sophie passes the girl a cup of coffee, "Your dad looks like he's about to pop a vein in there,"
Madison nods, "Yeah, anything to do with violence against kids tends to send him over the edge," Madison sips the coffee, taking a sip, cringing at how bitter it is.
"Oh shit, that's mine," Sophie switches the cups over, Madison notices the slight red on her lid from Sophie's lip gloss.
"Who the fuck drinks black coffee?"
"I do," Sophie laughs as she sips it.
"That's disgusting,"
"Well sorry I don't add like an entire cup of sugar and cream to the point it doesn't even taste like coffee anymore," Sophie playfully teases.
"At least mine tastes good,"
Sophie smiles, but it drops into more of a frown, "Are you holding up okay?"
Madison takes a deep breath, "As good as I can after seeing my friend murdered,"
Sophie nods, wrapping her arm over Madison's shoulder, catching the girl off guard.
Sophie Parker wasn't one to give tons of physical affection. Outright rejecting anything other than the occasional fist bump or huddle during games.

Madison leaned into the touch, sighing as she focused on the warm feeling in her palms from her cup of coffee.

"Are your parents here?" Madison asks.
The blonde shakes her head, "Why would they?"
"Because. They always call the parents if there is any questioning or anything going on, since we aren't 18,"
Madison watches as the colour seems to drain from Sophie's face, she retracts her arm, fiddling with the rings on that hand.
"Soph, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I just, my dad works long hours and I don't want him thinking I was arrested or some shit,"
Madison shakes her head, "They would have said if you were," Sophie nods, this seems to calm her down slightly.

"Madison?"
"Hi, dad,"
Her father, Richard, kneels in front of her.
His deputy badge so shiny Madison can almost see her reflection.
Richard Walker was one of the nicer police officers, one who a lot of people respected.
He was a hard worker, one who wanted the best for the town. He could be a bit overbearing at times, but Madison didn't mind.
"Are you holding up alright?"
Madison nod, "Yeah, I'm alright,"
He nods, turning his attention over to Sophie, "Are you alright?"
The blonde nods, "Just another day in Twilight's Grove," she attempts to joke, her tone falling flat. She looks back down at her hands, avoiding the older man's gaze.
"Well, it looks like I'm going to be stuck here for a while longer," he begins, turning his attention back to his daughter. "Are you going to be okay to drive home?"
Madison nods, clasping her hands together to avoid her father seeing how bad they were shaking.
"Sophie, we tried to get ahold of your parents, but there was no answer,"
Sophie nods, Madison catching her mumble "Makes sense,"
"I can drive her home,"
Her dad nods, "Okay, be safe, please. No funny business or messing around, okay?"
"Got it,"
"Okay, I love you, see you at home,"
"Love you too dad,"

The father daughter duo hug briefly before Madison makes her way to the exit.
Sophie feels her heart tug as she sees Madison and her father, whether it was of awe or bitterness, she didn't know.
Madison leads the girl out to her car, unlocking the doors, both the girls get in rather quickly.
"What a fucking day," Sophie mumbles, digging into her pocket.
Madison leans her head against her steering wheel, "You can say that again," she glances over to Sophie.
"What are you doing?"
The blonde looks up, "Shit, sorry, is it okay if I smoke in your car?"
Madison nods, "Yeah, go ahead,"
Sophie rolls down Madison's window as the brunette starts her car, glancing as Sophie lights the smoke, inhaling deeply before she blows it out the window.

Madison begins driving, trying to ignore the shaking in her hands and the images in her head of Laura's dead body. Instead, she tries to focus on the now toxic smell in her car, the smoke that mixes with the smell of Sophie's perfume.
Not the metallic smell of blood mixed with the decaying flesh-

"Hey, where did you go?"
"What?" Madison looks over, Sophie is staring at her with concern on her face.
"You just zoned out, I said your name like three times,"
"Sorry. I'm just...thinking,"
"About Laura?"
"It's so weird. She was so alive yesterday," she begins, tapping her thumb against the steering wheel. The guilt had fully sunken in like a brick "I mean, she was so nice, and was living her life. I can't help but think that if I had just driven her home-"
"Hey," Sophie places her hand on Madison's thigh, making the brunette shudder slightly. "You can't do that to yourself. You can't blame yourself. The only person at fault is the asshole who did it,"
Madison sighs, "I know, I just, I wish I could have done something. I feel like as her captain, I should have tried to insist for her to let me drive her, or maybe if she would have waited five minutes-"
"There are a million what if's Mads. This isn't your fault,"
Madison nods, taking the turn into the trailer park.
"Thank you, Soph,"
Sophia shrugs, "You would say and do the same for me,"
Madison smiles, "Yeah, I would," she pulls into the girl's driveway. Sophie tenses and feels her breath get caught in her throat as she sees her dads busted pickup truck parked in their driveway.
"I'll see you tomorrow, be safe, please,"
Madison's voice draws Sophie out of her slight panic, she looks over, "Thank you for the ride. Bye,"
"Bye,"
Madison waits until Sophie gets inside, tilting her head at the girl's hesitance and how her fathers frame towered over her when she opened the door.

But looking at her watch, Madison drove home.