The Hive

1

"Why did we have to go again? I'm bored." Hallie stretches over the center console as Natalia drove. She glared at her momentarily before Hallie turned her attention to Joan.

"Can we get something to ea-"
"Goddamnit Wally we're almost there! We just recruit her and leave. Fucking Christ."

Hallie Cornwallis was her full name. No one really called her Hallie, usually Corn if they were trying to be funny, or Wally. So she climbed into the front seat to sit in Joan's lap. "Careful there Joan she bites." Natalia mumbled, rubbing her neck. Joan only sneered, "Ya Joan, I bite." Joan herded her back into the backseats as they pulled up, ignoring the use of her first name, Mary Joan.

"She was your pick, superstar. Come on."
"What? Can't get her to sign with us yourself?" Natalia teased as she climbed out of the car, leaving Joan by herself.

"You want me to play Seek for who now?" Natalia looked at him, watching him stare at the matching silver crowns above both their right brows. "We want you to play for the Hornets." "Do I have to get a little..." She tapped her eyebrow. Natalia opened her mouth and, dropping her usually press voice, said, "If you earn it." The girl raised an eyebrow, nodding along before she looked between them.

"And what's in it for me? I don't even like Seek." Warned by a quiet hand on her shoulder, Wally kept her mouth shut as Natalia spoke. "We noticed you and your little sister are close." "Weird but okay...? Wait are you blackmailing me?" Natalia groaned, looking very much like she was regretting her recruitment choice right about now. Yet she fixed that press smile real quick. "When your sister graduates high school she'll have a full ride scholarship at Harrington College waiting for her."

And the woman thought it over. Wally couldn't remember her name but only that it was Russian. She didn't care much for outsiders. Her history with Harrington was long and complicated and this twenty something year old would never have that. Even more infuriating she had to come along and recruit someone when she won't even be allowed to play until next season.

"Fine. When do we start practice?"

"So what do you think? About Sasha." Natalia jumped onto the bed, spreading out and forcing the other two to take the other bed. "Alina is going to get tired of that attitude real quick." Natalia nodded, knowing it was her responsibility. Though she wouldn't take any of the damage for her mistakes, Joan and Wally would.

"She's got nice hands. And eyes. Real pretty green." Natalia frowned, sitting back up, "I have green eyes?" Wally smiled, getting up from the bed to drape her arms around Natalia's shoulders, "I know and they're beautiful." She nodded, planting a soft kiss on her lips as Joan flicked off the light. Natalia lifted up the blanket and Wally climbed in, settling in beside the taller offense player.

"She's set to come to join us a week before the semester begins. Ten days from now." Wally nodded though she cared little for this new woman. She cared much more for the giant poster covering the yellow and black walls of the common room.

It was of this year's lineup. She stopped, looking at Natalia up front with the silver crown above her eye and then Joan behind her with a one in the exact same place. Her hand quietly moved to Alina, right beside Natalia up front, and then to her gold crown tattoo, tapping it before she smiled and turned away. Next year. This year she was finishing her senior year of high school. Her team would wait.

"Just you wait kiddo." Joan teased, using Wally's head as an armrest. She shoved her off,
"We're the same age, asshole." "Whatever. I'm hungry. Ask Alina if she wants to go to that new place with the chicken strips you like."

She already knew the answer was no. Alina rarely left the depths of the Hornet stadium. She had more important things to do, like paperwork upon paperwork upon paperwork, especially now with the school year quickly approaching. The gold crown above her eye was envied, but it came at a price.

She knocked and entered as soon as Alina gave her the go ahead. "Hey Wally," Wally smiled, moving over to the desk. She kept her eyes away from the papers, knowing better than to look at things she wasn't supposed to. Instead she moved around the desk and sat on the edge of the office chair.

"The girls and I are thinking about going to Telly's. And uh," she let her head fall to her shoulder, Alina watched her out of the corner of her eye. Wally could see the sigh forming in her chest. "we were wondering if you wanted to come?"

She sighed. "I'm a bit busy at the moment darling," and that was that. Alina only ever called her darling when she was saying no. She stood up anyway, giving her a bright smile.

"That's fine! Maybe another time!" Alina smiled but said nothing else and resumed to her paperwork. Wally took the cue to leave and left her office, resting against the wall just outside as she composed herself. The others didn't need her upset.

"Alright let's head out." Natalia shouted, as soon as she saw Wally without Alina's by her side. One of the other hornets looked at her as she passed but he knew better than to ask to tag along. Coach believed they were destined for greatness. He was only here to be a stepping stone on that path. Wally would gut him if it meant Coach would tell her she was doing a good job.

The car ride was short. It always was. They frequented Telly's because the staff let them eat in the reserved room and knew better than to ask questions about tattoos and new members when the family-owned business was getting paid two hundred dollars each visit.

"The usual?" The waiter, Laurence, asked. Natalia gave him a nod and he left, closing the heavy doors behind him.

"Alina never comes out with us anymore." Joan shrugged it off, taking her water from the recently returned waiter as Natalia and Wally drank their soda. "She's busy." Was all she said. It didn't do anything for her mood. "I'll show you some attention later," Natalia said quietly. Joan groaned but Natalia only smiled, "Don't be like that I have love to share! Alina makes time for us but she's starting to play for real this time. We've all got college to worry about now but Coach is giving her more responsibilities."

Wally only nodded. She'd heard this speech a million times before and she could see her chicken strips quickly approaching. Natalia quieted as the waiter, Laurence, returned but picked up the little slip of paper under her Cesar salad. "Go Hornets!!" Was written in blue pen, Natalia flashed her press smile and he quietly left once again. She tossed the paper aside but Wally tucked it away in her pocket for safe keeping. The other girls said nothing of it, knowing it'd likely end up taped to the ceiling above her bunk later.

"Are you excited? I can't wait." Wally looked up but found her looking at Joan. Of course she was. What did Wally have to be excited about? They were the ones starting at Harrington after spending so long beneath it.

"Excited to work my ass off at defense when the other team inevitably gets past you? Hardly." Natalia laughed and kicked her under the table as Joan smiled. Wally liked them like this.

They had been exempt from summer practices the last few days due to leaving the state to get Sasha, who Natalia had apparently seen some talent in, meaning they had time to relax. Wally could barely remember a time when she didn't have a bruise or a scrape or a cut on her body. The ache that had settled in her bones was as familiar as her girlfriends.

Though she loved the ice. The thrill. The adrenaline. The way her hands sometimes found themselves looking for her skates or a racquet. She couldn't help it, she needed to be on the ice always it seemed, but here she could afford to relax.