The Hive

8

Neither of them brought up Sasha's kiss but Wally still felt obligated to tell the others. Their relationship wasn't exactly considered normal but they still had general rules.

So she brought them all into Alina's room and sat them on the bed. As soon as they were settled, she took a few steps back so she was closer toward the door and blurted, "Sasha kissed me. I didn't let her we were at practice and I was asking her to join us and then she just-"

Natalia and Joan nodded, watching Alina stand. "Did you like it?" She asked, she was definitely the jealous type. It was the reaction Wally was most worried about. The trio would never hurt her if they had a choice, but Wally knew what anger could do to someone.

"I-I don't know." She answered truthfully, Alina nodded, taking her face in her hands. She kissed her carefully as her hands moved down to the pockets of her jeans. "She's one of us now. I don't mind it. As long as you remember who you were with first," Wally looked past her as Joan and Natalia, the overall agreement was yes.

"So you don't mind if I get involved with her..?" The girls shrugged, "Save some got us, I suppose. But otherwise," Alina trailed off and Wally nodded, kissing her forehead before she left the room with a mission.

She knocked on Sasha's dorm, she allowed her entry. She pushed the door shut and looked at where she was doing some history project on the floor, she knelt down beside her and kissed her. She froze and leaned away, "You have girlfriends." Wally rolled her eyes, hooking her fingers in her collar to pull her forward again.

"And they said I could. Now are you going to kiss me or not?" Sasha's eyes went wide before she quickly nodded, kissing her quickly at first before she pushed her to the floor, Wally didn't mind.

She did mind the hickeys on her neck as she looked in the mirror the next day. She cursed as Joan left, "That was quick." Wally flipped her off and reached for her concealer.

They had a home game that day. Wally watched from the bench, taking notes. She'd quickly gained a reputation over the years. No one knew who she was and whenever Coach or another player was asked about her they pretended she didn't exist. The press waited for the day her identity would be revealed and people loved to get videos of her face, usually of very poor quality given the bench was up against the wall with a ledge guarding them from anything that may be thrown. You couldn't get a picture unless you came from the side, where two security guards stood on either of them, or zoomed in across the rink.

Next year, she thought, she wouldn't be the girl on the bench, she'd be Hallie "Wally" Cornwallis, number four.

So time moved quickly. It always did. Soon everyone headed to the winter banquet and Wally was left alone. Sure she could've went as someone's date but Coach wouldn't allow her reveal. So she stayed in the Hive. Alone.

After the banquet there would be no more games until mid January. The Hornets didn't go home for Christmas. They didn't celebrate at all. Instead, they practiced.

That's when she found it. She'd grown accustom to letting herself into Sasha's room at her connivence, now she entered as she held a binder close to her chest, scribbling something down as her desk. "Whatcha doing?" Sasha laughed and closed the binder, sliding it aside with her other work. Wally reached for it but Sasha quickly grabbed her hand and stood. "I know I'm late. Let's go," She said, pulling her toward the door. Wally nodded and went through with night practice.

She left fifteen minutes early, letting Sasha do drills by herself as she excused herself to get them water she hadn't exactly forgotten on accident. She took off her skates quickly and threw her armor to the ground, soon finding herself sprinting barefoot down the hallway.

She pushed the binder open.

11/07
Coach Hart broke two of a player's and her wrist for disobeying. Then forced her to play.
11/08
Coach Hart broke a player's finger as she failed to block a goal during a game
11/10
Coach Hart locked a player in the rink and forced him to spend the night there

The binder was full of similar events. Pictures of xrays, likely stolen from Kayla's office, paper clipped in here and there.

The binder hit her square in the chest, knocking the wind out of her and forcing her backward against the wall. Wally pushed her to the floor, placing a foot on her chest as she picked up the binder. "You has no ri-" "You're going to listen to me."

She waited for her to interrupted again. She didn't. Wally slammed the binder down beside her head instead, "What is this for? What good is this information to you?" Sasha shook her head, "I want this to end."

A little more force and Wally could break a rib. She didn't.

"Then quit. Know you'll be dead with in the week."

"I don't want to see you hurt anymore. I want this place shut dow-"

"Even if you do get this shut down, know that I'll be someone to go down with it. You won't survive the week and your family the month."

"You don't have to stay here. We can leave."

"You don't understand. You have all this dirt on them but I've killed for them Sasha. They die. I die. My life is not in my hands and if you weren't so fucking selfish you'd think about the consequences of your actions."

Wally took the foot off her but made it clear she wasn't to get up. She wasn't sure if she kept it on there any longer she wouldn't break something. Sasha was so stupid. She didn't understand anything. She was going to die.

"If you were someone else I would report this immediately and then I'd have to kill you. And I should. I really should. But I'll give you a day to burn it. Throw it in the furnace or just light it on fire but you have to get rid of it or the consequences will be heavy. If I find you've kept it, well I promise I'll make it quick."

She stared down at her a moment longer. She was trying to help. Sure. But that help would end in the death or imprisonment of too many. She prayed she'd do the right thing.