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Blame it on coach Robert’s latest crazy training regimen, or in how professors had been loading her with work as if she didn’t had a life outside school. Ok, maybe she has always been a little bit unaware of her surroundings. But in the end the reality was that it took Riley approximately a month to find out about the rumours circulating the school, and another to realize that said rumours maybe had some truth to them. Maybe. Just a tiny bit.
All things considered, she thinks it was rather fast for her own standards, thank you very much.
So, when Dani asks her at the lunch table to settle the ongoing bet on whether she asked Val out first or if it was the other way around, it is completely understandable that she chokes on her food.
“What?!” She looks around the table, and the earnestness with which the rest of the Firehawks is looking at her throws her off even further.
“Come on Minnesota, I have faith in you. Please say you did the asking. I need cash for that new fight game.”
“What?!” She repeats, her voice two pitches higher.
“Yes! I always had faith in our cap! It was Val, wasn’t it? Pay up, Dani” another member immediately puts her hand forth, gesturing for Dani to hand over the money.
The sound of her friend’s voice helps Riley snap out of her daze and her cheeks flush pink as she fully comprehends the topic of conversation.
“But we’re not- Val and I, we’re not- we’re just friends,” The words nearly get tangled in her mouth at the speed she’s anxiously trying to explain the mistake, and she gives her teammates a horrified look because what could possibly make them think something like that out of nowhere?
Not that the idea of dating Val is horrifying in the slightest. In fact, Riley thinks, dating Val would be way more preferable than one of the no brained teenage boys that seem to be everywhere in highschool.
But still, Val is her friend, more even, someone she has deeply admired since middle school when Riley was still getting more into the world of the varsity teams as her next goal.
After the chaos that was everything surrounding them meeting for the first time at that hockey camp, they had been inseparable the last year and maintained contact every day during vacations even when Val went off to the U-16 training camp instead of with the Firehawks that summer.
She knows that she and Val are close, but dating? She forces out a laugh at how absurd the idea is, because of course it is what it is,
absurd
“Val is my friend guys” She says, well, more like declares to the table.
“Oh.” There is a moment of silence, but it passes quickly enough when Emily brings up last week’s hockey match.
Dani looks at her with an unreadable expression, but sooner than later she also gets distracted by the conversation, she shrugs it off and takes another bite of her sandwich. Riley is somewhat grateful Val had been busy during the break to deal with this whole bet ordeal. Better for her to not know about it. Because she doesn’t…. right?
Riley promises herself to stop thinking about the whole situation to avoid unnecessary anxiety, and succeeds in putting it in the far corner of her mind as she goes to her next class. Music has always been one of her favourite subjects, but the problem is, since the situation had been brought up to her, she cannot unsee it; and as the day goes by, evidence of the rumours become clearer and clearer to her.
“Where’s Val? Not accompanying you today?” A classmate comments as they walk to the next class together after music. Riley’s eyes widen, as she stutters out an explanation about how Val's schedule does not give her much time for that that day.
“Bring Val along,” A football player winks as she invites her to a party, and Riley is left speechless and open-mouthed at the clear insinuation.
Even one boy (who she’s sure she has spoken maybe about two sentences to in her life) turns to her as she waits outside the room that Val’s class is in. “Hey, your girl’s still inside. Might take a while. She’s finishing up, if you want to go in and wait.”
Your girl. Riley’s brain freezes.
When Val finally exits the room ten minutes later, Riley instinctively reaches out to pull her into a hug in greeting.
“I hate Mondays. I never get to see you at all” She mutters into the crook of Val’s shoulder. She feels Val laugh and return the hug.
“Miss you too, Minnesota” She whispers, and Riley swears she can forget everything that happened today and can carry on as per normal now that Val’s with her.
That week’s Friday night is luckily Riley’s favourite time of the month because it means Movie Night with Val.
It’s her turn to pick the movie but that also means is Val’s turn to pick the snacks. And that only means to be flooded by weird proteic stuff she is sure only Val is buying. But its not like Riley can say no to any of it. Not when is Val enthusiastically offering her to try out this or that.
Mulan plays on the screen, Val hums the songs, and Riley sighs happily as the older girl starts to play with her hair.
A wave of comfort washes over her. She could do this forever, watching Disney movies with Val in their pyjamas fills her with an indescribable happiness. Even if that means she has to eat those weird tasting snacks.
They fall asleep on the sofa, curled up together under a blanket, until Jill comes home and persuades their sleepy selves to move to Riley’s room.
Val turns up at her doorstep the next Sunday afternoon in a summer dress and heels and Riley’s jaw nearly drops.
She looks absolutely gorgeous. Riley has always known Val was beautiful, but she’s also used to seeing her in loose shirts and sweatshirts and jeans, not dresses and heels and makeup.
“Overdressed, am I right? Sorry, I couldn’t scape from my tias wanting to doll me up” Val gestures to dress, “My family is having this huge party for my Abuela’s birthday later today but I did not want to cancel on going to that new pastry shop with you. I’m all yours until four”
“Val! You’re- you’re- I mean, wow. I MEAN, y-yeah sure” Riley manages to stutter once she snaps out of her daze.
The dark haired girl in front of her looks down and blushes, and Riley swoons.
Riley wears Val’s jacket around school the next Monday, the varsity one issued by the school that she wears any other day when there is no training after classes are over. The one that has Ortiz printed in block letters across the back.
Val gives it to her in the morning after she makes a comment about regretting not grabbing a sweater before going out. She happily tugs it close to her face, Monday now a little bit better that she can get such a comforting sensation in how it smells like Val.
When she and Val join the the team during lunch, Dani lets out a noise of disbelief.
“Oh my god, are you really wearing Val’s jacket?”
“Yeah, she lent it to me this morning.”
“You two are so sickeningly sweet” Dani groans, “You wear a jacket with Val’s name all over your back for the world to see, and you wonder why people think you’re dating.”
Riley almost blushes when she says that. She’s not stupid, she knows what Dani is trying to say, but Val’s jacket is soft and comfortable and smells like Val and she likes wearing it. And she likes that people know Val is hers- her friend, her close friend. So what if it’s usually couples who did that?
Dani looks at her, and then at Val, and then back at her, and groans again.
It is a well-known fact that Riley has the attention span of a puppy, especially when it comes to her homework. Val, on the other hand, has somehow enough focus to be able to ace in her academics just as in hockey.
They were supposed to study together in the library today, but Riley has been observing Val for the past fifteen minutes. Val hasn’t looked up from her books at all, and that fact horrifies Riley just a little.
“Val, I’m bored” She complains.
“Give me ten minutes” Val still does not look up.
She distracts herself by doodling Val`s hand with some POSCA pens she had in her pencil case. Val still does not look up, but she does shift her hand to give Riley better doodling access.
When Val finally, finally snaps her book shut and looks over at Riley, the blonde gives her a blinding grin. Then they look together at the masterpiece of tons of colourful flowers running from the older girl`s fingers up to her arm. Val traces some of the lines softly before looking up and returning a smile just as bright.
“Okay my artist ,let’s go get you your pizza now . Thank you for waiting for me” Val stands and picks up her bag and then casually, conveniently, presses her lips to Riley’s forehead.
Val’s kissed her on the cheek and the forehead before, but this time Riley swears her heart stops for a second, and, oh.
Oh.
She doesn’t really panic, not really.
She sends a few texts to her group chat with Bree and Grace in capital letters and with many, many exclamation marks, but she is definitely not panicking.
Val’s her closest friend in high school, her captain, the person she admires the most and Riley loves her to the ends of the world. Thinking about it, this all feels like she should had known it was bound to happen. And the anxiety that comes with it its unavoidable, the idea of possibly loosing Val over this plaguing her mind with terrible outcomes.
CONGRATS ON FINALLY FIGURING IT OUT, Bree texts back.
And then immediately Grace adds: Are you okay though?? Do you want to talk about it?? Do you want me to come over??
She calls them and they pick up immediately.
“Hey. Are you alright?” says Grace
“So yeah, I like Val. I mean It’s not like I plan to act on it, but I just wanted to talk about it. You don’t have to come over, I just wanted to talk to someone.”
“Okay, but why you gave up so fast?” Bree asks
“I mean, it’s Val. I know we are close and all but what if by telling her I just make her uncomfortable and push her away. Not to say she is way out of my league and I-“
“Girl, she asks you to study together even when she is two years above and there is nothing you can help her with” Bree interrupts her rambling
“And she is always inviting you to do stuff together during the weekends and has ONE Friday night per month saved up for a movie night with you. And that’s only because her parents only allow her one night out per month!” Grace adds
“Riles she is the same girl who basically wants to spend every minute she has available with YOU. That summer camp she went to had a ban on phones on site and she went out of her way to find a public phone to call you every day she was there!”
“Yeah! You know how weird those are these days? You won’t lose her that easily”
Riley pauses, her anxiety ridded thoughts disappearing. How she even considered losing Val possible? Even if Val rejects her, she will be okay, they might have been friends for a relative short time, but they care for each other as if they had been friends for decades.
“Do you think I should tell her? I don’t really know what to do now.”
They remain quiet over the phone for a few seconds, before Grace speaks again, “I think you should tell her.”
“Do you think she likes me?” Riley asks quietly.
“Riley,” Bree laughs quietly, “There’s a reason your entire school already thinks you’re dating. But for what it’s worth, yes, I think she does, right Grace?”
“Yup, I agree 100%”
“Okay, love you guys.”
“Love you too. Tell us how it goes, okay?”
After a week of mustering some courage, she settles on the last training session of the week to talk with Val. Riley takes extra time in the showers waiting for everyone to leave, knowing Val always waits for her to walk back home together.
She finds Val scrolling through her phone absentmindedly in a bench. Val looks up when she opens her locker door and gives her a small smile.
Without a word, she drops next to her friend, Val pushes Riley’s head to rest in her shoulder while caressing her hair and continues to scroll through her phone.
“You okay?”
It strikes her all of a sudden again, how much she can lose if Val decides she never wants to see her again. She bolts up to look at the girl in front of her.
“Okay, something’s wrong. Do you want to talk about it?” Val asks, and oh, maybe now is when the panic sets. She tries but nothing comes out of her mouth, her breath becoming more and more irregular without noticing.
“Riley? Its ok, just come here” Val says again after she doesn’t respond, and then Val is pulling her closer and holding her.
She sits next to Val quietly for a long time, with Val holding her close and continuing combing her fingers through her hair, before she finally starts to speak.
“Hey Val?”
“Hmm?”
“I- I realized something. But I don’t really know how to tell you.”
“You know you can tell me anything. Or you don’t have to tell me anything at all if you don’t want. I won’t ask if you don’t want me to. Maybe we can take the long path back home today? So you have more time to relax a little. Whatever makes you comfortable” Val answers, still combing through Riley’s hair.
She feels so safe here, tucked so close to Val with Val’s arms around her. She takes a big breath and clings to a spurt of courage remaining within her, before finally speaking again.
“I think I might like you”
She can feel Val’s breathing catch, and the hand in her hair pauses for a second, but then Val continues combing through her hair and she relaxes.
“Well,” Val pauses, “it’s a good thing I like you too then.”
Riley looks up when she hears that, hopeful but also confused because what if Val heard wrong and thought she meant liking her as a friend?
“I mean I like LIKE you Val…”
“…And I like LIKE you Riles”
Val gives her that quiet smile, the one that she only gives Riley and only in moments like this when everything feels perfect and quiet and safe , the one that means Val’s really content and happy, and Riley cannot help but stare.
“Really?”
“Yes Riley,” Val laughs, “Really.”
And then she’s pressing her lips to hers, and she is delighted that Val tastes like hot chocolate and not her cardboard energy bars, and once again it all feels so inevitable.
She belongs with Val, she realizes after she breaks the kiss. Both of them might have teared up while giggling somewhere along the way. And as she wraps her arms around Val and tucks her face in the crook of Val’s neck, she realizes this feels like coming home.
Val tosses her her varsity jacket before classes start the next morning and winks.
When Dani sees them at lunch, she rolls her eyes.
“What? Can’t my girlfriend wear my jacket?” Val smirks.
Riley blushes.
The Firehawck’s jaws drop.
Dani screams