──────── Chapter one, tighten up

𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴:
"(MY WAY - limp bizkit)"

     "Red card on eleven! Issued for violent actions and insulting language." The referee screamed, the whistle resting just below his mouth. Seraphina almost made it through the entire game. She bent the rules until they snapped.

     The portion of crowd that supported the yellowjackets booed at the final decision. Despite each one of them having a sort of malice towards Seraphina, they still wanted the yellowjackets to win.

    Seraphina looked down at the girl who cradled her knee, a drip of blood spewing onto the grass. She hadn't even tripped her that badly, "She can walk it off!" Coach Martinez yelled above the settled silence, partially provoking the other team's worried coach.

     "I will end this game, Bill." the referee yelled back, a hand resting lazily on his hip, the other holding the card high into the air. The girl, #16, stumbled over to the bench with her teammates help.

    Seraphina walked back towards the benches, Coach waved her over, "Listen, kid. The slide was on point. But, you gotta put a little less aim on the legs. You go for the ankles or the ball. Refs don't have fuckin' slow motion vision. You can get away with ankles."

     "Sure." Seraphina blinked as he gave her shoulder a shake. The girls on the bench were eyeing her like a piece of meat, or a rabid animal. That was for them to decide.

     The ball was passed around again, ending up in Tai's possession, "You know who she's gonna pass it too?" Coach questioned, his arms crossed. He saw the potential in Seraphina, so he would ask her questions about the game like he was training a killing machine.

     "Jackie." She mumbled. Seraphina was jealous of Jackie. Not because she was stunning, or charming. Because she was captain.

     Taissa passed the ball to Jackie right on cue, who headed the ball into the left corner of the goal, the goalie missing the ball by inches, then slamming against the ground. They had killed the opponent. Coach gave her a nudge as Jackie threw her arms in the air, the girls all joining in the middle of the field as they chanted.

     Seraphina did not join them. She squirted some water into her mouth from her plastic bottle. Yes, she was dying of excitement. No, she was not going to hug a bunch of sweaty girls. She was content next to her coach.

    Seraphina tied her shoes, a ripped up pair of adidas campuses. "Jackie, Coach wants to see you." Lottie told, hanging off of the doorframe. Of course he did.

    Jackie nodded, twisting through doorframe towards coach's office. Lottie checked herself out in the mirror, Van and Taissa squishing in beside her.

    "Does someone want to tell Kelly Kapowski to maybe worry less about prom and more about not fucking up nationals?" Lottie fluffed up her hair.

     "Don't worry. That's not going to happen." Taissa told, looking at Seraphina through the mirror. Van lifted a thick strand of red hair to her lips.

    Taissa spun around, sitting down beside the curly haired girl. "I have a plan."

    "Oh, great. Taissa has a plan." Seraphina huffed in a mocking voice, tying the other shoe. Taissa scoffed.

     "I presumed you wanted to win nationals. Guess not." Taissa hissed, smacking her thighs and standing up.

     "Wait. Tell me the plan." Seraphina stopped Taissa, who turned around with a smug smirk on her face that made Seraphina want to take it all back.

      "She's a sub for striker. You're a unit as center-back." Taissa plopped back down, "I want you to.."

     "Make her look bad?" Seraphina tilted her head. Taissa shook her head, folding her hands together on her lap.

     "I need you to make her unable to play. And before you bark up my ass, JV has a god-like striker that could sub in for Jackie instead of Allie." Taissa whispered.

     "You want me to cripple her?" Seraphina squinted. Allie was kind of a bitch, and would totally deserve it. But, that would mean Akilah, the "godlike striker" would have to trail to nationals with her.

     "No, just, like, maybe break her ankle or something." Taissa corrected. Seraphina rolled her eyes.

    "Ok, so cripple her. Cool. When would I even do this?" Seraphina questioned. Taissa was in thought for a moment.

    "Last practice with JV." Taissa nodded before walking off, leaving Seraphina to her thoughts. This was certainly not morally correct.

     "Now, this next act needs no introduction. So, let's all just make some noise!" The principal yelled into his microphone. The crowd began cheering as the soccer team ran out, gathering in a straight line infront of the crowd.

     "Seraphina!" Akilah called out, standing and jumping in the stands. Devon stood awkwardly beside her, scratching the back of his neck. The twins were weird. Akilah as bubbly and eccentric, while Devon was introverted and nerdy.

    Seraphina avoided eye contact like the plague. It was bad enough they were here, let alone putting her on blast for all of her peers to see and hear.

    The music was loud, per Misty's request, yet Akilah was louder. A few heads turned around to see her, Devon covered his head in his arms.

     Seraphina stood just beside the goal as the girls warmed up. She was studying Allie, every small thing she did before a long or short pass. Every small detail. Like how before doing anything aggressive she tightened her ponytail, or eyeing who she'd pass the ball to in a difficult moment. Seraphina's head faced the ground as she studied as a way to not make it obvious. The worst attacks are when they come from someone you don't expect it from. Though violent expectations followed Seraphina, this would be hidden.

    "Take a knee, ladies!" Coach Ben told, jogging onto the field, "Whats up, state champs?" He asked, gaining applaud and hoots.

     "You're gonna do it?" Taissa whispered, kneeling directly beside Seraphina, who nodded slowly. "Good."

     "Okay, so JV is gonna help us out with a scrimmage. Coach Martinez had some family things to do today, so he won't be joining us today." Coach Ben told.

    "Shouldn't we say a prayer first?" Laura Lee asked, a big smile on her face.

    "Uhm... sure, Laura Lee." Coach Ben slowly nodded.

    "Heavenly Father, let our efforts remain fruitful, so we may perform in efforts glorious to you." Laura Lee smiled. She was truly devoted to God, or Christ. Seraphina didn't know if they were different, they were said in the same trinity. In the name of the father, son, and the holy spirit. That stuff.

     It lined up perfectly. Seraphina was running beside Allie, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

     Right as Seraphina swooped her leg between Allie's, she passed the ball to Shauna. Lucky son of a bitch.

    Allie ran to the middle of the field, enough space between the two for the tackle. "For nationals"Seraphina repeated in her head as she slide against the grass.

Crack.

     Allie wailed, staring down at her leg. Her bone was peaking out of her knee. Taissa stared at Seraphina with an approving look as girls huddled beside the blonde.

     "I know we're all really worried about Allie, but we're still a team. And we still have each other." Jackie's voice cut through the silence, cutting the tension into two.

    "Nice work, Seraphina." Natalie slammed her locker shut, stomping out of the locker room. Seraphina twisted the lock of her locker, already out of her soccer uniform.

    "Buck up, seriously. She's not dead." Seraphina mumbled before walking out. Allie had a broken leg, not terminal cancer.

     "Seraphina. We've talked about this." Seraphina's dad told from the heart of the table. "It's not..

     "It was an accident." Seraphina mumbled, peering up at Akilah who had been there that day watching from the sidelines. "I was just trying something new and it didn't work."

    "I shouldn't even let you get on that damn plane." Her dad sighed, taking a bite of vegetables. Seraphina hated having parents who were vegetarians.

     "No, daddy! You have to let her go." Akilah slammed her hands down onto the table. "She didn't mean it! I swear, she looked seriously distraught!" Seraphina shot her a look to please stop, you're only gonna make it worse.

    "Robert, the three kids gone for a week couldn't be too bad." their mother suggested, her voice sultry.

    "I'm not hungry anymore." Devon sighed, placing his fork down. Seraphina scoffed at him, making him roll his eyes.

    "Oh, eat your food right now." her mom pointed at him. Devon scooped another bite of mashed potatoes into his mouth, sticking out his tongue. He was their mother's golden child, unfortunately well deserved. Straight As, never touched drugs.

    "We leave tomorrow. You couldn't keep me from going." Seraphina added, a bit too late, as her father was already walking his dish to the sink.

    After dinner, Seraphina packed. She always waited last minute for this kind of stuff. Her luggage case was big, the same one her dad used for business trips.

    Fourteen shirts, including sleep ones and sweaters, two pairs of jeans, a pair of sweatpants, awards dress, jersey, socks and undergarments, shorts, melatonin and ibuprofen, small case of makeup and hair care, accessories like earrings, rings, bracelets, all gold. She opened her nightstand, moving around pens and journals. Her pocket knife. She heard Seattle had creeps everywhere. She slipped that into one of the jeans pockets.

- sooo i know i said that i wouldn't update it but seraphina my shayla bill is gonna die and you're gonna be so very sad. uhhhh unadulterated loathing next chapter!