The Hive

11

The first two of the finals, semifinals Alina had corrected. Wally didn't really care about the distinction. In her mind she was already being introduced on the rink next season. The crowd would go wild and she'd have her girls by her side.

"Wally." Wally shout up, hitting her head on the bus window. Natalia laughed. "We're back sleepy head, come on." Wally groaned, reaching her arms out. "Legs don't work. Carry." Natalia rolled her eyes but let her jump on her back once they were off the bus.

"Two more games." She mumbled, though they technically hadn't made it to finals she already knew they would be there. "Less than a year." Natalia said, even quieter, thumb brushing Wally's tattoo. "Less than a year," Wally repeated. Less than a year until she stepped on the court. Less than a year.

For now though, she had to listen to Natalia rant about mythology for the second to last game of the season. "So then Freya has got a chariot, get this, pulled by cats isn't that insane? I mean-" 17 opened his mouth to say something, likely for her to quiet, Wally shot daggers at her and she closed it. While she, Alina, and Joan loved to complain about her rambling, no one else could. Besides, Wally rather enjoyed it. A while after she'd gotten here, whenever Coach punished her she'd tell her myths as she patched her up. That was later on of course, the first year and a half or so was spent alone with strangers much older than her. Now she had her girls. That was enough.

The Trojans lost. They didn't lose without a fight. They started fights whenever they could, getting yellow and red cards back to back. It only disadvantaged them, because as they sat players for injuries, they also got to score penalty shots letting them win with a seven point gap, three broken toes, a sprained ankle and wrist, and a fuckton of bruises.

That didn't matter. After they beat the Bulldogs the next week they'd come home with a trophy. The week between her and the game crawled by at a snail's pace. It went a little quicker, mostly because without the light of day offered by going to the athlete's dining hall two or three times a day and watching practice twelve hours a day, she tended to lose track of time. Everything blended together.

"Hands still hurt?" Natalia asked, inspecting the small scars that had formed from the blisters. Wally had yet to find what Quinten used. "Not really." Natalia nodded, turning her hand over, "Quinten's are still fucked." Sasha glanced at Wally who quickly looked away. She reminded herself she shouldn't feel guilty and moved her stare back again.

They all stayed in Alina's room. Their mattresses were laid out around her king sized bed, except usually it became some sort of mess of legs and arms in Alina's bed. One night? Day? Wally still didn't know, there weren't many clocks down here either. One of the times they were sleeping Sasha even joined them, tucking herself under Wally's arm.

They were jolted up by a shrieking bird, he alarm that practice was in half an hour. Wally watched Alina cross the room to a calendar with birds on every page and cross off another day. Finals were tomorrow. Maybe the days had moved a little faster than she'd originally thought. All they had to get through was today and then tomorrow they'd be preparing for their trophy.

Practices flew by and Wally found herself combing what little hair Joan had, due to her undercut, over to one side. She stood her up and looked her up and down, "You look lovely." She said quietly, standing on her tiptoes to kiss her forehead. Joan squeezed her tightly, the bandages around her knuckles from a brawl with the Trojan goalie brushing her back.

"I have to go check on everyone else. Remember I'll be watching. Go kick some ass." Joan nodded, tilting her head up to kiss her on the lips as she jogged down the hallway toward the locker room, the noise of people entering the stadium slowly making it's way through the thin layers of congregate that separated them from the Hive.

She went to Natalia's next. She had her arms around Alina, whispering something in her ear. Wally knocked twice and the two pulled apart momentarily to look at her before they opened their arms.

Wally quickly joined them, "You guys are gonna do great." She started, trying to remember her usual pep talk. She wasn't that great at them. "The Bulldogs aren't shit and you've beat them before. It'll be a breeze. In a month or two it'll probably come out they cheated anyway." The girls laughed and Wally smiled right back. "So I want you to keep your head high and don't take shit from anyone. You're going to do great. I love you guys." They nodded but didn't leave quite yet and Wally took the silence as an excuse to leave.

She caught Sasha in the hallway and pulled her into her own room. "What's this?" She asked quietly, glancing at the open door. Wally prodded it shut with her foot. "For good luck." She said quietly, kissing her lips ever so gently, "And if I see you giving it your all, well I may just let you guard my goal." Sasha wheezed, doubling over as she laughed. Wally couldn't help but laugh along with her, glad it'd eased the tension in her shoulders.

"That was the most ridiculous- good god Wally. Guess I have to try my best now huh?" Wally nodded, looping her arms over her shoulder to play with her shirt. She sighed, glancing at her door again. They had a half an hour until they were supposed to be changed but Coach had made it clear a long time ago you were to be there before then. The earlier the better.

"I guess I should go," Sasha reached for the door handle, turning it but not quite opening it yet. Instead she grabbed Wally's shirt and pulled her close, kissing her quickly and whispering an, "I'm sorry." Before she took off down the hallway. Wally stood there a moment, unsure of what her apology was for. Maybe for her hands? Wally had made sure to check on her between practices and she'd already apologized for it before.

She simply nodded, though Sasha was long since departed, and made her way to the locker room for the pre-game strategy talk.