Matilda's Imagines

Suspicious

Y/n could feel it.

The energy was off.

Training usually meant Kyra yelling dumb nicknames at her across the field, Macca kicking balls at her shins, Caitlin trying to bribe her to behave with chocolate, and Mini shooting her "mum eyes" from across the pitch every time she got distracted.

But today?

Crickets.

Everyone was acting weird. Kyra wouldn't even roast her hair like she normally did, and Alana kept looking at her like she was a bomb about to go off. Even Caitlin was too nice, sneaking her her favorite muesli bar with this guilty look.

Y/n paused mid-drill, narrowing her eyes as she watched the rest of the team whispering to each other. Mini caught her stare and immediately called for a water break.

Suspicious. Very suspicious.

Y/n jogged over to her little circle of chaos—Kyra, Macca, Caitlin, Alana, and Mini—who were all standing a bit too close together, pretending to talk about warm-downs.

"I know that look," Y/n said, pointing. "That's the 'we're hiding something from the ADHD gremlin' look."

Kyra snorted. "Gremlin? Rude. You're more of a—"

"What are you hiding." Y/n crossed her arms.

There was a silence. A long, guilty, 'we've made a mistake' kind of silence.

Then Mini sighed and gave her the mom-voice. "We're going inside to the medical room after training. For flu shots."

Y/n's entire soul left her body. "WHAT?!"

Macca tried to distract her with a sticker sheet. "Look, we got the sparkly ones you like—"

"You lied!" she spun toward Kyra. "You all lied!"

"Technically we just didn't mention it until now," Kyra mumbled, stepping behind Caitlin like a human shield.

Y/n began walking backwards slowly, arms raised like a warning. "Nope. Not happening. You can't make me. I'm a child. I'm 16. I have rights. I want my lawyer!"

"I am a lawyer," Alana said, arms folded.

"Exactly!" Y/n snapped. "Do your job!"

Mini approached, calm but firm. "Y/n."

Everything stopped.

That tone. That soft, serious mum tone.

Mini stepped close and gently placed her hands on Y/n's shoulders. "I know you're scared. And it's okay. But you're not alone. We'll be right there with you. Every second."

"I want backup."

"You'll have it."

"I want four people holding my hand."

"Done."

"I want chocolate."

"Already in Caitlin's pocket."

"I want a sticker on my forehead."

"You'll get two," Macca promised, grinning.

"And I want Kyra to apologize for being a sneaky traitor."

Kyra held up her hands. "I deeply regret my sins."

⸻

Inside the club's medical room, Y/n sat in a chair flanked by her bodyguards: Mini to her left, Kyra and Caitlin to her right, Macca standing in front with her arms crossed like a bouncer.

The nurse walked in with the needle, and Y/n immediately looked away, digging her face into Mini's shoulder.

"Okay, Y/n," the nurse said kindly. "Just a pinch."

"ONE—" she started.

Poke.

"That's it."

Y/n blinked. "...That was it?"

"See?" Caitlin grinned, handing her a mini chocolate bar. "Told you you'd survive."

Macca stuck a sparkly frog sticker right in the middle of her forehead.

"You're our brave little gremlin," Kyra said proudly.

Y/n rolled her eyes, but she was smiling now. For once, getting a needle didn't feel terrifying.

Because this time, she had people who stood beside her. Held her hand. Called her a gremlin and gave her chocolate.

This time, she had family.