Chapter Text
“So you exhausted yourself after carrying your team?”
Aphmau nods.
“And passed by your locker for electrolytes and to check on your phone?”
“Yeah.”
“But on your way back you heard someone crying in the boys’ locker room, so you decided to be a decent person and check on them.”
“Uh-huh.”
“But it was actually Ivy, who locked you in a locker because you were ‘showing off’?”
“Yeah basically.”
“All I'm hearing are excuses,” Katelyn explains.
“Katelyn!” various voices scold her.
“First off are you okay,” Teony grabs Aphmau by the shoulders checking her over. “You don't have to play if you don't think you’ll be able to.”
“Wha-”
“Katelyn!”
“Alright geez,” she rubs the back of her head sheepishly. “Yeah, I can find someone else-”
“Five minutes before the game starts?”
“It won't be the best team but I could still carry us to victory!”
“This is what I was scolding you for this morning,” Teony reminds her. “And it’s also why Aphmau was almost late.”
“But I’m better than them-”
“But if I do it for them-”
“So it’s better if I do it myself.”
“Then it'll be better and we’ll…” Aphmau trails off in realization. “Win. oh…”
“Yeah,” Teony nods. “But if you’re sure you're fine.”
“I am thanks to Aaron,” she gestures to the sullen boy standing off to the side. “Who I think will be a great addition to our team.”
“Is he any good?”
“He’s right here,” he growls.
“Well, I won all of my matches-”
“Right,” Katelyn gives Aphmau a high five.
“-and he was the best person I played against.”
“Not Laurance?”
Aphmau glances at the pretty boy who’s scolding a redhead. “Nope.”
“Well I mean look at him,” Lucinda slinks over and gestures to all of Aaron.
“Sorry for talking about you like you’re not here,” Aphmau whispers as Lucinda manages to convince Katelyn. “Are you sure you wanna play?”
“It’s not like I have anything better to do,” he grumbles. “Plus someone needs to make sure you don't get another concussion.” he pats her head and proceeds to walk onto the field.
“You’re the one who gave me the concussion!”
“Yeah!” Katelyn realizes. “Did he even say sorry?-”
“Katelyn it’s fine-” Aphmau begins to wave it off and catches Aaron gesturing her over.
“Sorry,” he glances at the angry bluenette. “For almost giving you a concussion.
“It’s fine-”
“It’s not,” he turns her around so she can catch Katelyn giving her a reluctant thumbs up. “Head injuries are serious-”
“Well, I have a healing affinity-”
“It still hurt didn't it?” and Aphmau doesn't have a response.
They won obviously and Aphmau found out that she was much more competitive than she thought when she, Aaron, and Katelyn made a game out of who could score more goals leading to a very impressive final score of 20-1 in their favor.
“I won!” Aphmau hasn't felt this giddy in years.
“We won!” Vylad reminds from the goalie post and the trio waves him off.
“8 to 6 to 6 means you're both losers and I win!” Her final goal was the most impressive, using Katelyn as a vault to steal the ball from Aaron and score the final goal. “I’m amazing!”
“I didn't know that she could brag,” Travis whispers to Vylad.
“It’s the adrenalin,” Garroth rests his arms on their heads. “She’s gonna crash soon and then she’ll be back to humble timid Aphmau.”
Aphmau crashed very hard. She had to be carried off the field by Aaron and then to her mom’s car by Katelyn because at this point everyone fears an overprotective Sylvanna.
Waking up the next day was interesting, especially after she remembered everything she did under the haze of adrenalin and the fact that she saw Aaron shirtless and in a decent mood yesterday which makes him attractive? Somehow? Aphmau has only ever been attracted to anime characters and Laurance, who she’s not talking to right now, so she doesn't have a very good track record. This is shown when she’s caught off guard in Werewolf Class. She’s reading Midnight Sun for her Honors English Class and has to write a 5 five-page paper on the toxic representation of Werewolves and Native American Tribes when she notices him peering over her shoulder at the frantic notes and highlighted passages which she would be doing anyway if it was a series she was actually interested in but right now it’s just a very offensive book to be reading in a Werewolf class. She slams the book shut revealing the false cover she put on it, “Things to Make and Do in the Fourth Dimension.”
“Hello!” she grins sheepishly.
“Hi,” he grunts and turns to face the front of the room.
Aphmau stares for a moment before sighing and turning to face Mr. Gavin.
“Hey cutie, where are you off to?” Aphmau shudders and looks up to see Balto grinning sleazily.
Boundaries, boundaries. “None of your business,” and tries to walk through the doorway but he straightens up, blocking her way.
“Come on sweetheart, how ‘bout we meet up later? I want to get to know you.”
“How about you move,” Aphmau sighs in relief and steps aside to let Aaron handle it.
“I’m not allowed to talk to people?” Balto attempts to posture but he’s a few inches too short to attempt to intimidate Aaron with size.
“Talk to whoever you want but get out of my way,” and he shoves past. Aphmau grabs the sleeve of his blazer and is taken out of the room as well.
“Thank-”
“Learn to stand up for yourself,” he pulls his sleeve out of her grip and storms down the hallway.
“Hey Kitty,” another unfortunately familiar face catches up to her in the hallway. “You’ve been ignoring my texts.”
“I blocked your number,” she reminds him. “So if you were sending any texts I didn't get them.
“Ouch,” he staggers mockingly. “But I just want to be friends.”
“And I want you to leave me alone,” she exits the building and heads towards the soccer field. “We don't always get what we want.
“Alright Kitty, I’ll level with you. I don't have the picture anymore-”
“But you still attempted to blackmail me-”
“But you and Pretty Boy aren't talking anymore so-”
“Hey Aphmau,” said Pretty-Boy walks up to the reluctant pair. “Thanks for meeting up with me,” his face drops when he sees who she’s with. “What’s he doing here?”
“Leaving.” Aphmau approaches Laurance, not having glanced at Gene throughout their entire conversation. “What did you need to talk to me about?”
“Well number one,” he hands over a slip of paper with a phone number. “The Girls’ soccer Captain wants to talk to you about joining the team. Number two,” he hesitates. “I know that you said you weren't mad at me, but you didn't sit with us in art class today-”
“Did Ivy kiss you at the fair?”
He pauses, shocked. “How did you know about that?”
“I saw you when I came back from getting water-”
“Ivy’s just a friend!”
“She doesn't think that,” Aphmau reminds him. “And she’s really aggressive for no reason-”
“Ivy’s nice-”
“To you,” Aphmau interrupts again. “And Garroth because she thinks that you’re attractive and wants to date you.”
“But I am attractive,” he attempts to joke.
“Do you want to date her?”
A high-pitched giggle sounds from behind the bleachers. “Jeffory, you're so funny!” Is that Katelyn?
“Well of course. How else would I get to see your beautiful smile?”
Aphmau peers around the bleachers and sees Katelyn blushing, shoving playfully at Jeffory’s shoulder.
“It’s the truth,” he dodges the next hit, holding his hands between hers. “Your smile is amazing and you look adorable when you blush, it’s why I love giving you compliments.”
Katelyn sighs as he holds her hands up to kiss them and reaches out to part her hair.
“May I kiss you?” and Aphmau has to go because that’s too adorable.
“Did you see that?” Aphmau turns around forgetting the tension of her previous conversation.
“See what?”
“Mr. Katelyn’s Dad!?” Aphmau says much louder than she needs to. “What are you doing here!” The giggles stop abruptly and Aphmau hears a lot of quiet curses.
“You know you can call me Eric, Aphmau,” She smiles and shakes her head and he sighs. “I’ve been waiting for Katelyn to pick her up. She’s taking a little longer than usual and I want to see if everything is alright.”
“I just saw her in the locker room if you want me to take you there? Although she might have left for your car already.” Aphmau can hear Katelyn taking the hint and heading around the bleachers. Hopefully to beat her dad to the car.
“You’re a good friend,” Laurance sneaks up on Aphmau after she waves off Katelyn and her dad.
“For that?” she turns to Laurance confused. “Anybody could have done that-”
“But not everybody would’ve-”
“All of our friends definitely would’ve.”
He hums. “If you say so,” Laurance eyes her consideringly. “What did you mean by Ivy being mean to you.”
“Oh just girl stuff,” Aphmau attempts to undersell. “Just name calling…”
“So she hasn't been bullying you?” Laurance sighs in relief.
“Not really?” at least not compared to Gene and his Shadow nights. Or Balto.
“That’s good,” he chirps. “I wouldn't ask you to be friends after she’s been so rude but I’ll talk to her okay,” he pats her shoulder. “And make sure to come to me if she tries to bother you again, I’ll set her straight.”
“But she’s your friend-”
“Not if she’s being mean for no reason.” Laurance immediately shuts down that train of thought. “By the way-” he pauses, catching sight of something behind Aphmau. “Do you know him?” he points out a werewolf lurking by the exit and Aphmau is very unnerved when she sees Balto staring directly at her.
“Yes,” Aphmau grabs Laurance when he attempts to move away. “Did you want to introduce me to the Girls’ captain today? You’re doing a joint practice today right?”