SOL - Done it Again Part 4

It’s not really funny. It’s almost sad. As Red Team tries to collapse on Riley and you can almost see Chun debating the ethics of just breaking Riley’s knee, the girl who’s supposed to be watching Aki gets distracted.

But Lara’s not distracted. She risks a card to do it, but she gets Aki the ball and now it’s 3 to 1. Red Team doesn’t recover.

As Riley, Lara, and Tiff talk excitedly with Moxxi and Lulu on camera in their postgame interview, you are with Angela, who probes your chest for cracks and breaks. You have bruises, but they aren’t as bad as you feared. They’re obvious and noticeable and they hurt, but at least Chun didn’t shatter your sternum.

With a grunt, you grab the cold handrail and drag yourself into the bus that will take you and the others to the Lodge.

Sam slides into the seat beside you before you’re even done sitting down.

You have nothing against Sam. She’s no Riley, but she’s a cute redhead. The old you wouldn’t have thought twice about responding to her advances and pounding her into a mattress a few times until someone more interesting came along.

Right now, the sight of red hair just makes you queasy.

You move her hand off your thigh and smile at her. “Thank you,” you say. She’s just gushing compliments about how brave you were in this match and how you should’ve been MVP. Secretly, you agree with her. But FUTA had to go with Riley as MVP after those two goals. “You played well,” you tell her.

She blushes and looks pleased.

“I have plans tonight,” you say, and it’s not a lie. “Another time.”

Now she looks disappointed. She’ll have to live with that.

At the Lodge, you find yourself sharing a room with Viti, who also gushes over your performance in the game. Unlike Sam, she’s being completely genuine. You protected her from Chun, so she has a lot of reasons to appreciate you. But Viti’s not trying to get laid, she’s just being sweet.

You take a shower, dress, and try to leave as discreetly as possible.

The sun’s still up as you step out of the Lodge and onto the front steps, where you look at your phone as you wait for your ride. Impulsively, you look at the window, where you see Riley of all people, looking out at you.

She’s not staring or stalking; she’s just there with some other girls and happened to be looking.

You quickly look away.