queen of hearts | yellowjackets

precrash - two

practice had ended, so maddie had made her way from the bleachers to collect the balls, misty claiming cone duty. just as she finished putting the balls back into the bag, she heard the sound of someone running towards her on the grass.

"hey!" came the voice. she turned to be met with lottie matthews - the girl she'd been watching earlier. her frizzy brown hair was styled into two bunches on either side of her head, her cheeks tinted pink from running. maddie knew the girl was tall but hell she was even taller up close. her soccer shorts displayed her long, toned legs. she looked at maddie with a smile playing on her lips. "mind if i keep one of the balls out? i was just going to practise a little more before i leave"

she'd never actually spoken to lottie much, only a few odd conversations here and there a few years ago. she knew that the girl was absolutely loaded, and also that she was one of the best players on the team.

"uh, hello?" lottie questioned, pulling maddie from her thoughts.

"oh, sorry, um, sure i guess" she stumbled over her words, causing lottie to flash her a grin.

"awesome" she replied, leaning over and picking a ball from the bag. "i'm lottie by the way, incase you didn't know" she offered with a smile.

"yeah i do, i'm..."

"maddie taylor, i know" lottie interrupted. her face dropped suddenly when she noticed that maddie looked taken aback. "uh, sorry i didn't mean to sound like a creep"

"no! no, you don't" maddie  "i just didn't think you knew who i was that's all. but then again you must know me, i'm jackie's sister after all"

"yeah, i know that but i mean i knew you before jackie"

"what? you did?" maddie questioned.

"we have like, three classes together" lottie confirmed with a breathy laugh.

"oh" maddie spoke quietly, feeling slightly embarrassed. lottie offered her a small smile before turning and throwing the ball on the ground.

"do you play?" she asked the blonde.

"i used to" maddie started "with jackie when we were kids, but i was more of a grass picker it wasn't really for me"

lottie's smile was bigger this time. "play with me?" she asked softly.

maddie pondered for a moment. she hated soccer with a burning passion. despised it, even. but something in her wanted to stay a little longer with the brunette, and if playing soccer was the way to do it then so be it.

"sure, but let's make it interesting" maddie proposed. lottie quirked an eyebrow.

"how so?" she questioned.

maddie grinned. "if i can get the ball from you, you give me a ride home. if i can't get the ball from you, then.."

"i give you a ride to the dessert place around the corner and you buy us both an ice cream sundae" lottie finished, beaming. maddie couldn't help but smile at the proposal. she held out her hand, which lottie took immediately - the two girls shaking on the deal. lottie grabbed the ball and distanced herself from madeline. "let's see what you got, taylor!"

maddie chuckled before jogging towards lottie, who kept moving back with the ball. she stopped when madeline got near her. maddie stuck her foot out repeatedly, each time missing the ball as lottie did some fancy flick or step over.

"show off" she grumbled, earning a giggle from the brunette.

another flick from lottie is all it took for the 'taylors never lose' attitude to rise from madeline. she did a false step before poking a leg out and snatching the ball from lottie, flicking it up in the air and kicking it with force towards the goal. the net rippled as the ball soared into the top corner.

"ha!" maddie exclaimed, jumping up and down, turning to see lottie with a bewildered look on her face. "good game, you fucking loser" she said, with a huge smile on her face. lottie couldn't help but smile back, the blonde's smile was infectious.

"no way, the girl who hates soccer is playing soccer?"

lottie and maddie turned to see jackie and shauna making their way over the field towards them.

"yeah" maddie replied "and being pretty fucking good at it too, matthews just got shown up." lottie rolled her eyes with a grin.

"it's the taylor in you" shauna beamed, looking towards jackie. jackie returned a smile, the two holding eachothers gaze for what seemed to lottie and maddie like a long time.

maddie had always suspected something between shauna and jackie. she mostly thought it was one sided and that shauna was hopelessly in love with her, but lately she's been getting the vibe from jackie too. she could tell her sister wasn't really in love with jeff, she wasn't completely herself around him. but with shauna, jackie seemed more than herself. she was genuinely happy.

"yeah, it is" jackie confirmed proudly "now come on mads, shauna's taking us home"

maddie looked at the pair before turning to look at lottie. "actually," she started "lottie is going to give me a ride"

this perked the interest of the two girls, who shared a confused look. "since when are you two friends?" jackie questioned.

"we have three classes together" lottie stated.

"yeah, and we're going for ice cream" madeline added, causing lottie's head to snap in her direction.

"uh, okay, cool. see you later then" jackie responded, walking away. shauna followed closely behind her, giving a wave to the two girls.

"we're going for ice cream?" lottie asked with a smile. "but i lost the bet?"

"i know, i still get bragging rights, but i want to go get ice cream with you, is that okay?"

lottie nodded profusely. "more than okay, let me go change. wait here okay?"

madeline smiled and watched as the brunette skipped off towards the changing room.