The Hive

3

Wally tripped 14 and carried he ball quickly toward the net where she launched it with her racket, skidding to a stop as the buzzer buzzed and the lights lit up red. She saluted her as she did a showy spun and returned to her offense position as the court reset.

Seek was a game played on the ice. Lacrosse on ice people called it, but it was more than that. It was a full contact sport played thirty minutes at a one with a fifteen minute break in between. Two small goal boxes sat on either side of the football field sized rink and lines had been painted on the ice, most importantly the half court line she stood at now.

The ball went up and Natalia caught it in her net, passing it to Wally without even sparing a look toward her. They'd played this game a thousand times before and even if her aim was off, Wally was fast enough to catch it. And catch it she did. She skated across the rink, passing it to Natalia who slammed it into the goal.

Scrimmage didn't last long and when they were done the team sat on the bleachers, waiting for Coach's daily criticism on their performance. She went through the rows until she reached Sasha who was torn apart. "Your form was sloppy. Every time I looked to you your eyes were anywhere but the rink. You're about as fast tortoise in the air, and you need to work on your stance. You're guarding about a fifth of the goal with that stiff pose."

They showered and changed. As Natalia, Joan and Wally prepares to leave, Sasha stumbles in. Bruises were up and down her body, whatever Coach had used it's been brutal but she'd been sure to spare the face. She didn't need her players looking damaged at their first game. She looked at them a moment, "What the fuck?"

The women had no sympathy for her. "Shower up and come meet us in the common room for lunch... or eat whatever's in the kitchen." Joan said coldy, Sasha nodded and grunted with every step as she walked toward the showers.

"Joan?" Joan looked up, Wally squeezed in between Natalia and her on Natalia's giant bed.

"Yeah?"
"Do you ever feel bad for them?"

She paused a moment, letting her head fall back into the pillow. It didn't take her long to answer.

"Of course not. Why should we suffer and they not?"

Wally opened her mouth to continue the conversation but Alina opened the door instead. She smiled softly, "I was looking for Natalia but this is better." Natalia pushed them all closer and closer to falling off the bed so Alina, despite being half a foot shorter, could spoon her. Wally didn't mind, she got to hold onto Joan a little tighter and she couldn't see that as a bad thing.

August came and went. Classes started. In between practices the team was out and about going to classes as Wally sat alone in Natalia's big bed with a jug of apple juice doing her online school work. It was more comfortable than being alone in the suffocating black and yellow of her empty dorm.

A knock came from the door. She rolled off the bed, more annoyed that anyone care knock at all. If you couldn't walk in you shouldn't be asking to be allowed entry at all.

Sasha stood outside, holding her stomach. "Something's wrong. They said you were in here and not to bother you." "So you came and bothered me anyway?" Sasha frowned, looking desperate. Wally sighed and looked back at her open laptop and then stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind her.

"Lie down." She pointed to rug on the floor. Sasha begrudgingly did, pain painted all over her face. She hadn't been at morning practice but she could tell it hadn't gone well by her new bruises on her arms. She lifted up her shirt enough to reveal her stomach and felt around tentatively. No organs seemed out of place. Maybe a little hurt from the force, but nothing that wouldn't heal. She felt her lower ribs for cracks for breaks, pressing down ever so carefully before she clapped her hands.