Mark My Words

7 | "I Don't Flirt"

Copyright © 2018. All Rights Reserved.

A habit of Joanna's happened to be taking longer than necessary in the locker room to get ready for practice. She rarely ever got out onto the field before stretches started, and once skipped warm ups entirely. Considering this was just the fourth practice, it was a safe bet assuming Joanna's routine hadn't changed.

Rosalie pretended she needed something from her locker across the school before heading for the locker room that day. She walked slow the entire way, and purposefully forgot her locker combination so that opening it would take longer. Ray was on the bench lacing up her cleats by the time Rosalie had her shirt off and bra straps looped down.

Rosalie tugged her sports bra on over it before unclasping her usual bra.

"Supergirl?" Joanna's voice sounded not far away. Rosalie looked to the end of her row of lockers, and found Joanna leant up against the concrete column, grinning. She nodded her chin down, and Rosalie and Ray's eyes dropped to the edge of Rosalie's boy shorts.

"I told you—I like Lena," she said.

"You... told her," Ray repeated, skeptically.

"What? Lena Luthor is a perfect human being," Rosalie argued, and Ray's eyebrows shot up to her hairline. "Objectively speaking," she added, flinging her bra into the locker. She tugged on her cutoff shirt as Ray shook her head and stood up.

"It's like I don't even know you," Ray said, walking away. "Obviously you and Kara are related."

She glanced over her shoulder at Rosalie, who laughed while Joanna lowered onto the bench and began tugging on her shin pads. "See you on the field, slowpoke," Ray said.

"Whatever," Rosalie said, smiling.

Joanna watched after Ray before turning back to Rosalie. She waited until the locker room door shut, echoing in the silence. "So, Miss Punctuality, running late, are we?"

"I just wanted to make sure you're acclimating to the team," Rosalie said, and it came out fast enough for anyone to know that it was rehearsed. Rosalie masked her wince behind her hair as she leant down to grab her shin pads and socks.

"Sure am, Rosie," Joanna said, clapping her hands on her thighs. "And you know what? I call bullshit. What do you want?"

"You want the blatant truth, or for me to sugar coat it?"

"I kind of like the sugar coat option. Be sweet on me," she cooed, and Rosalie pursed her lips and willed her blush to fade.

"Fine. I was wondering if you've made any friends in class? I noticed you hang out with the football guys a lot," Rosalie said, sitting down and forcing herself to maintain eye contact.

Joanna's eye twitched, and Rosalie noted it from her cheekbone piercings. Her eyes were a caramel brown, but they darkened in the shadow of her furrowed brow. "I guess. Why, you jealous, Captain?"

"Depends. Have you made any girl friends?"

Joanna leant back with an impressed smile, licking her teeth before turning her devilish grin back to Rosalie. "I heard gossip's just wild around Bradshaw. Know of any girls crushing on me, Rosie?"

Rosalie shrugged. "Maybe. Depends if you're crushing on them."

"I'm crushing on all of them. Maybe one in particular," she said, kicking a leg up and wrapping her arms around it. She settled her chin on her knee and dropped her eyes low to where Rosalie was rolling up her socks.