Halftime with the Team

Daphne gathers you all in as you rehydrate, raining water down your parched throat. Jack dumps his bottle over his head and goes to refill it, while Katie and Khloe each work their way through their own bananas in a way that reminds you of certain sexual acts that… crap, you were already breathless from the strains of the first half, was this really necessary?

“Kale’s good, aren’t they,” Daphne says, and Charlie nods, jumping in.

“They’ve gotten much better as a team, and Ashley’s in fucking insane form this year.”

“Ashley?” you ask, not recognising the name.

“Ashley Wright, she’s the Kale striker who’s been running circles around you,” Javier laughs, and you scoff back at him.

“I got the ball back for us,” you say, and Daphne shoots the two of you a look, silencing you both.

“We were all doing worse than we should have been towards the end of that match. Jack, that pass—you know which one—simply unacceptable,” Daphne says.

“Uh oh,” Mars mutters under her breath, shooting you a worried look. You helplessly shrug back at her. For better or worse, you’re all in this together.

“Our defence has been sagging too,” Daphne continues, “and Charlie’s right—it’s because of Wright. Alex and Valentine, I want you to double-team her, make sure that she’s always feeling pressure. On the offense, let’s aim for tighter, quick passes. These long balls that we’re trying to set up aren’t working, and I think they might be thrown off if we keep things moving fast.

“But this game isn’t over yet. We have a chance to redeem ourselves in the next 45 minutes. You all know what needs to be done. Take the rest of the break as you like. Refresh yourselves, and come talk to me if you have any concerns.”

The group breaks with that. The upperclassmen head into the men’s locker room, the jokes being cracked incongruous with Daphne’s serious tone. Mars and Valentine are hanging by the water fountain, chatting quietly—Valentine has a tight smile on her face, while Mars looks worried. Katie and Khloe are hanging by the pitch’s sidelines, and you see Jack heading over to join them, no doubt trying to hit on them. Finally, Daphne remains standing where she was, and you see Keegan walking up to approach her.

Have a Merry Christmas!