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Uma remembers the first time she met Mal, in that game that seemed so far away in her memory when, in fact, it had only been a year ago. It was specifically ironic how they hated each other at first.
It was true that Mal’s technique was sloppy and she still had a lot to learn, but her attacks were fierce, and there was no doubt about the insistence and passion with which she played, almost making up for anything she might lack. Uma's team had defeated Mal's, and yet Uma couldn't stop herself from trying to locate all the puzzle pieces that Mal represented, with her frowning eyebrows and an expression of frustration plastered on her face; Volleyball seemed like a harmless sport, but it was relentless when you treated it seriously, and no one could deny that.
Even when she didn’t know her, Mal caught her eye.
But Uma believed that losing went beyond being defeated, and Mal had gained experience that was going to be invaluable to her.
She never thought that she herself was going to be part of that change.
When Uma switched schools, the last thing she imagined was that she was going to end up on the same team with the pretty girl with purple hair she once admired, and Mal seemed to share the thought. They despised each other as soon as they crossed words. Their teammates tried to defuse the tension between them, but at first there was no way to help them.
Mal believed that she could do everything without needing someone to lend her a hand, and Uma was a constant reminder that she was playing for a team and not on her own. No matter how good she was, Mal needed to know that it was okay to ask for help.
It took them a long time to find a rhythm that both of them could work on. They spent long nights in the gym practicing passes and perfecting shots, yelling at each other from one corner to the other. But that was exactly what they needed, to get used to each other; there was no way the team could succeed if their blocker didn't trust their setter, and they had learned it the hard way.
Over time, they learned to read each other's body language, and when Uma needed Mal, she could trust her to be there for her. The screams stopped being out of anger and began to be out of complicity, without any tinge of rivalry. Evie said they brought out the best in each other, and from a certain point of view, it was true. No one could handle Mal's technique, but Uma was quick and agile. It was surprising that their talents fit so well together, and it was also something that no one could’ve predicted, but this helped the team, and the relationship the girls shared.
Thinking about it now, in the parking lot of a 7-eleven with Mal by her side, Uma wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Being so harsh in the beginning gave them a confidence that very few people could create, as they weren't afraid of hurting each other's feelings because that wasn’t the intention, they just couldn't hide the truth and pretend things were alright when they weren’t.
Unfortunately for Uma, even though many things had changed, there was one that remained as the first time she had noticed it, and that was the greed Mal had when it came to winning. That day they had played against the team of Auradon Prep, a school for rich kids, and naturally, their rival since the beginning of time. Although they felt that the match was going to be easy to win, they were caught off guard. The number 1 (Lonnie, Uma later learned her name thanks to the variety of insults that Mal used to throw at the girl) didn't stop scoring points with her fast serves, since her technique didn’t give them time to process what their next step should be.
To say she was hard to handle would be not giving her enough credit. It's true that Auradon Prep didn't have the best reputation when it came to competitions, but you could tell they had changed players and had a different mindset.
At the end of the day, the cockiness and arrogance of her team was what brought the misery of their downfall. Uma was fine with that, though. Being defeated like that just gave them one more weakness that they had to polish up to be perfect, and the next time they met, they weren't going to underestimate them, they were going to crush them. When she greeted Lonnie after the match was over, Uma promised herself that.
The rage that Mal's body radiated told her that the girl didn't think the same.
To try to appease her anger, after having bathed and changed, Uma took Mal by the arm and dragged her to her car. Neither of them said anything while Uma was driving, letting the soft music from the radio fill the silence.
They hadn’t won, but surely Mal wouldn’t want to break their ritual. After the games, they went to buy junk food to either celebrate or drown their sorrows. Sometimes they were joined by their teammates, but this time it was clear that Mal wasn’t in the mood to put up with other people.
Sitting in the car surrounded with strawberry smoothies and gummy worms was more comfortable than listening to their captain's pep talk, and it wasn’t like Evie didn't have her talents with words, but it wasn't what Mal needed now. Uma almost didn't want to torment the state of neutrality she had achieved, but if she didn't, Uma was going to miss her chance.
"Harry told me that the men's team is moving forward."
"Oh, yeah?" Mal wasn't interested in the men's team sincerely, and Uma knew it, she only allowed her to talk about it without yawning because she knew that Uma's friend was in it, and of course, because sometimes it was good to hear about the tactics of other players.
"Yeah, he said their numbers are growing because Carlos is taking everyone away"
"Good for him. Maybe that way they’ll stop underestimating him off the court as well.” Mal stopped playing with the package and put a gummy in her mouth.
Uma agreed with a nod. "Do you know something I've noticed? CJ was made for the position of libero." Uma began carefully, taking a sip of her drink and secretly watching Mal's reaction. "We thought she was good as my substitute, but I think she was made to save our asses."
It wasn't entirely a lie, Uma really believed it, but they both knew that wasn’t what she wanted to talk about. Still, Mal played along.
"It's a perfect position for a little shit like her, I don't know why we didn't think about it before."
"Yes," Uma said, with renewed enthusiasm because Mal was trying. "It would have saved us a lot of point losses, none of us can make those moves. I don't know where she got them from, but they were deadly."
"They were useless today." And there it was again.
That simple comment sapped her energy, and it's not that Uma didn't understand Mal's frustration, it's that she didn't understand how she couldn't redirect it to something worthwhile instead of being angry all the time.
"Okay, that's it." Uma took the bag of gummies from Mal's hands and tossed them onto the back seat, which earned her a look of anger from Mal.
"Can you tell me what is wrong with you?" Mal snapped at her.
"Only if you tell me why you’re still so depressed" That silenced Mal, who Uma knew was waiting for the moment to reply with a sarcastic comment, but she wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction. “We lost. It’s done. Yes, it sucks, but sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, and we know that very well. So, may I know why you can’t let it go? "
Mal crossed her arms across her chest, trying not to convey her true feelings with her expression, but Uma knew her well. The tension in her shoulders, the way she was squeezing her arm too hard with her hands, and the fact that she couldn't make eye contact. Mal wasn't angry; she was sad, and it embarrassed her.
"It's not that I don’t trust you" Mal finally spoke, closing her eyes. "I just feel so stupid for letting it affect me.”
She didn't want to pressure her, but Uma realized that the best thing for her at that moment was to get what was ailing her from her chest, so she pushed harder.
"Is it because of the teasing of the other team?"
The mocking looks and low comments from the girls on the other team hadn't gone unnoticed. Normally Uma would never fight in a match, but on this day they tested her. It wasn’t strange that most of their opponents disliked them, the truth was that with their fame they had a very high price to pay, and that was to be hated. And still, if some rich girl would’ve said something to her face, she would’ve reacted.
"God, no." Mal laughed sarcastically. "I mean, they were total bitches, but that's not why."
"So, what is it?" Mal sighs.
Few times Uma has seen Mal lower her barrier, expose herself to being vulnerable and let someone witness that part of herself that she tries so hard to hide. And every time she was the viewer, her stomach turned for being someone Mal felt so comfortable with that she even showed her the part of herself that she hated so much, without fear of being judged or worse, it being used against herself.
“It's my mother. She found out I had to play today and she told me she would come to see me, and I just wanted to impress her. That's it"
What Mal was saying went far beyond the superficial understanding of that phrase.
Mal's mother hated that she played volleyball, but there wasn't much she could do about it, since Mal refused to stop playing. So her mom learned that if Mal felt insecure of herself, she would leave on her own. Maleficent always generated something negative in her, but knowing that her mother was aware of what she was going to do, it was terrifying for Mal, even if she wouldn’t say it out loud.
She always wanted her to be interested in other things that are more "practical" according to her, such as computer workshops and other things that basically would put her behind a desk for her entire life. Needless to say, Mal hated that idea her mother had for her with every fiber of her body. Luckily, her father supported her, but sometimes that alone wasn’t enough, considering that they were divorced and Mal was living with her mother at the moment.
Uma must’ve been very involved in the game because she never noticed her friend's mother in the stands, but that was a detail that hadn’t gone unnoticed for Mal.
It was all a big mess, and now Uma could understand Mal's attitude a little better. She understood her, but it was also difficult to see her in that situation. She wanted to help her but didn't know how.
"You can't expect anything from her, Mal. It's not the first time she's done something like this either." Maybe she was being insensitive, but usually Mal wouldn't let her mother get under her skin.
"I know, I know. Just .. ” Mal's gaze turned so sad and bleak, Uma just wanted to reach out to her and give her a hug. She was staring at a fixed fist almost without realizing it, shrugging her shoulders. “I thought it was going to be different this time. I’m an idiot." She brought her hands to her face in frustration.
Uma automatically took Mal's hands in hers, pulling them away from her face and letting them rest on her lap.
"You are not an idiot." And Uma hoped that the sincerity with which she was speaking could reach Mal. "Your mother is just a bitch." Mal laughed and Uma smiled at her melody. “But, you can't blame yourself for expecting something as simple as maternal love. She’s your mother after all. You just have to remember that you’re doing everything you can to get closer to her, and that if things don't work out, it's not your fault. "
The coldness of the rings on her hands contrasted with the warm skin, and Uma was aware of the fact that Mal was squeezing her hand a little too hard. She was taking from her the strength she didn't have. Uma squeezed her hand back.
“I don't think I can take any more of this, though. I'm sick of feeling this way.”
“And you don't have to. Next time she says something to you, send her to hell. If she is really interested, she will find some way to make it happen, with your help or not. And if she is not interested then... you will have your answer."
Slowly Mal turned her gaze to Uma, and oh, how she wanted to do more for her. Her eyes expressed everything that her words could not, they had such a dark and deep gloom that Uma was sure that if she looked at them for a long time she could drown in them. How Mal could live day by day with such a heavy load, Uma didn't understand. And that just made Mal the strongest person she's ever met in her short life.
“Somehow you always know what to say. It's not fair."
"Hey, would you rather I let you drown in your tears?"
Uma tried to joke to lighten the mood, but Mal stared at her, and just then, something changed in her gaze. She couldn't identify what it meant, but a foreign glow in her made her cheeks light up with a slight tint of red.
The smile on her face was contagious, and Uma was quick to return it. It's not like she doesn't already know, but she realized that she would always try to do what she could so that Mal would never lose that smile. No matter what happens.
And then Mal brought their still clasped hands to her mouth, and kissed her knuckles.
"Thank you, for this," She pointed to the food scattered throughout the car. “And for trying to cheer me up. I'm sorry to bother you with all of this, but I'm truly grateful to have you in my life. I can hardly believe there was a time in my life where I couldn't stand you, and now you are my favorite person. "
Each word gave her a little tug on the pit of her stomach, and that Uma already felt her heart was going to leap from her chest when she felt Mal's lips on her skin. Still surprised, and trying to calm her nerves, she replied, “I can't believe it either! I am a very charming person, but as you have realized, sooner or later, everyone falls under my spell. " Or maybe it was the other way around, she thought to herself. “But either way, I'll always be here for you whenever you need me, you know."
"Thank you"
She wanted to tell her that she had nothing to thank her for, but if Uma didn't stop whatever they were doing right now, she was going to do something that she was going to regret.
"Well," she released Mal's hand, breaking the moment, and Uma never felt the loss of contact so much, but she hid it when she took the wheel. "We'd better go before they kick us out."
"Yeah," Mal didn't flinch and went back to grabbing her gummies. "It's about time anyway."
The journey to Mal's house was flooded with silence again, but this time there was no tension, instead everything flowed smoothly, giving the spring night air a companion who was more than welcome.
That's why, upon reaching her destination, Uma didn't expect Mal to get out of the car and go to her window, to kiss her on the cheek and hug her with enormous strength. There were many demons Mal had to fight before she could say she was okay, but the fact that she found comfort in Uma was enough for her, at least for now. She didn't know what the future held, and right now, with Mal's perfume flooding her personal space, it didn't matter.
Everything felt like it was going to be okay.