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Spending the night at Lottie Matthews’ house the night before flying made sense while she was a little drunk and a lot stoned, but then she woke up to Lottie’s alarm and her luggage across the town and an incredible sense of panic.
Lottie woke up a second after she screamed “Fuck!” at seeing the time, and they practically fell out of bed. Lottie gets dressed as Nat shoves food down, made by the very confused but all-together thrilled maid.
“How do you like your eggs?” she asked, frying pan out with eggs in hand. Nat nervously looked upstairs, then back to the clock on the wall, feeling a little awkward in her bonfire get-up.
“Erm…” she mumbled, smiling at her awkwardly, “to go?”
She sat in Lottie’s car with a Tupperware box, eating an omelette with a wooden fork as Lottie drove them to her trailer.
“I can park the car at the airport, right?” Lottie was saying, applying mascara as they waited at the red light, “I mean it’s my plane.”
Nat shrugged, shovelling the eggs in, delighted to find bacon.
“Your parent’s plane.”
Lottie scoffed and capped the makeup as the light changed.
“Pretty sure it’s the same thing.”
They make it to Nat’s trailer and she barrels inside. Her mom shouts something as she stumbles around and shoves stuff into her bag. It was mostly packed anyway, she just needed to make sure she had enough supplies to make it through Nationals.
“C’mon you fucker…” she groaned, and cheered when she wrapped her hands around the pack of cigarettes she had stored down the side of her bed, “Yes!”
She rolled off the bed and ran out, considering saying bye to her mom at the door, but didn’t. She was probably drunk, anyway.
Lottie was leaning against the door, driver's side open, and smiled over at her.
“You got everything?” she asked, and Nat nodded, slamming the trunk.
“Yeah, I-”
“Natalie!”
She whirled around, her mom was waving from the door, cigarette already in her mouth, waving her battered cleats around.
“You forgot your damn boots!”
Her mom threw them and they clattered on the floor, and Nat knew she should be mad, maybe even embarrassed, but this was the most her mom had said to her since she had shouted at her last Thursday, so it was something.
“Thanks,” she said and picked them up. The door was shut before she even stood up, but it was something. She smiled awkwardly at Lottie and shoved them in the trunk too, walking around to the passenger side.
“You want to stop at 7-Eleven?” she asked, spinning her keys on her finger. Nat stared over the top of the car, tapping the roof.
“Dude, aren’t we like, super late?”
Lottie quickly glanced behind Nat at her home and shrugged.
“It’s my plane,” she grinned, “it can’t leave without me.”
Nat couldn’t argue with that. Sure, Jackie and the Coach seemed kinda pissed when they pulled up outside the airport, but it was so worth it to see Lottie ignore him to give the valet the key and have the car driven to storage.
“Matthews! Are you listening?!”
She smiled and pushed her sunglasses up her face, “Totally.”
Nat grinned down at her feet but was wise not to comment. Lottie had a strange amount of immunity when it came to teachers, they were all too intimidated by her money to do much. It was kind of funny.
The Coach bristles, especially when Nat sipped on her slushie, but Shauna luckily chose that moment to sigh and look at her watch.
“We gotta go,” she mused, and that got the ball rolling. Skip ahead a few hours and they’re past airport security with incredible speed, so fast they’re actually early for the plane. Nat vanishes with Van at one point to try and get some food but comes back empty-handed, only for Lottie to be waiting with a bag of hard candy and bagels.
The flight is kinda long, but again Nat doesn’t mind. She had her headphones on and sat alone in the super expensive plane, looking out the window and squinting to see Lottie’s reflection across the aisle, sat with Laura Lee. Apart from a little bit of turbulence they land with no problem, and go to the hotel.
It wasn’t the best in the world, but Nat couldn’t complain. It was more like a motel, the building forming a square with the lines of rooms which they could enter after climbing the metal stairs and along the balconies. She could see other players milling about, girls around their age who stared a little too long, a little too curiously, at the infamous team from Wiskayok.
Nat’s room was on the second floor, and she looked away from it and across the courtyard in the middle of the building, which had a deep pool in the centre.
She smiled, glancing at Lottie and spinning her keys on a finger.
“Okay you got your roommates and numbers,” Coach Ben told them, ticking off on his clipboard, “No switching, and no funny business. Training starts at 9 tomorrow girls, I want you at your best for our game in two days.”
They all make a sound of acknowledgement and shuffle away. Van is at Nat’s side as they push into room 209, which is on the second floor and overlooks the pool.
They both talk shit for half an hour and Nat showers, the temperature is messed up but it's better than the gym showers at school, so can’t complain. She is done and swaps with Van who slips in and flops on her twin bed.
They talk for a few hours when Nat’s stomach rumbles so they go find food and somehow meet with the other Yellowjackets who had apparently synced up with them, and sit in the dinner hall which was made of five rows of tables and chairs.
Nat was a little gutted to see that Lottie already had people on each side of her, Laura Lee to her left, and some girl from a rival team on her right. She wasn’t worried that the girl would try something, Lottie could handle herself, but she kept glancing over anyway.
Lottie caught her eyes twice, smiling brightly and mouthing something stupid which would make Nat snort into her food, waving off Shauna when she would raise an eyebrow at her outburst.
“It’s nothin’,” she’d say, and the other girl gave her a long look.
“Nothing sure sounds fun,” she mused, pushing Nat’s shoulder with a friendly smile and looking back at Jackie on her other side. Nat went back to her food, talking shit with Van and looking at Lottie.
The girl on her right was talking to her too, she had long blonde hair, tanned skin and freckles over her face, and large blue eyes which couldn’t seem to pull away from her. Lottie was kind, and she said something so funny that the girl threw her head back, laughing even harder.
Nat scowled into her food. Lottie was funny, but nothing was that funny.
They finished eating and got up to go together, and Lottie waved goodbye to the girl, Maxine, as well as her team who were giving their teammate a knowing look. Lottie slipped into place beside Nat who had waited for her, and lasted about three seconds before scoffing at the pout on her face.
“C’mon,” she snickered and pulled Nat away. The blonde couldn't help herself though, and when no one was looking, quickly flipped off the girl at the table who blinked in surprise, because of course, she was watching Lottie leave.
“I missed you today,” Lottie whispers, making sure they’re far enough back from the team, Nat looks up at her, the ache in her chest settling. Lottie is worrying her lip, and then slides her hands down Nat’s forearm, hesitating a moment before holding her hand.
“I missed you too,” Nat hushed back, and Lottie quickly glanced around them, and then back at Nat.
“Meet me by the pool tonight?” she asked, a smile flickering as her confidence grew, “at nine?”
The blonde felt her mouth go dry, but she grinned through it.
“Yeah, yes, perfect, cool. I’m so down,” she needs to stop talking so much, “I’ll sneak out and meet you then.”
Lottie is beaming. She lets go of her hand but Nat looks around one last time. No one was looking, they had seconds at best, and she used it. She stood up tall on her toes and pushed a kiss against the corner of her mouth.
Her face flushed bright red, and Nat revels in it. She squeezed her hand and pulled, guiding her down the hall to their rooms.
“Mouth off the floor, Matthews,” she teased, and Lottie snapped her mouth together, easily slipping into a smile and going with her.
Nat got back to her room and checked the time, she had about half an hour to get ready, and made quick work. She pulled on some loose cotton shorts and a white shirt which she had cut the sleeves off, removing her rings so they didn't fall off in the pool, and did her best to tame her hair.
“Are you sneaking out?” Van asked from the bed as Nat fixed her hair again, hands behind her bed and fully reclined. Nat nodded, debating on the leather jacket before deciding it was too warm, and dropping it on her bed.
“Yeah,” she replied and Van hummed, tapping her foot.
“Meeting a guy?”
Nat glared in the mirror and her friend snickered, holding her hands up, “I’m kidding!”
“Fuck you. Why do you wanna know, anyway?”
Van did her best to look innocent, but doing so meant she failed entirely.
“Oh, no reason. How long will you be?”
Nat stood up straight and gave her a long drawn out look, slowly pushing a cigarette between her lips.
“... Horndog.”
“Says you?”
Nat snorted and sparked the cigarette on the way out of the room, slipping another behind her ear and shoving the pack in her pocket.
“Have fun, loser.”
Van flipped her off as the door slammed, and Nat inhaled her smoke. She looked up at the sky, which was almost pitch black, and exhaled slowly, before looking down at the pool.
Lottis was already there, her back to Nat, legs in the water, gently swaying them back and forth. Nat grinned around the smoke and started walking, nearly screaming when she turned to face Tai.
“Holy shit Turner, wear a damn bell!”
The other girl rolled her eyes and looked down at the pool, raising a brow.
“You meeting Lottie?” she asked, and Nat nodded, taking the cigarette out her mouth and flicking the ash.
“Yeah, where are you headin’ off to?”
Tai narrows her eyes and crosses her arms, “None of your business.”
Nat frowns and leaned back, arms held out with a face of confusion.
“Okay…? Stop bein’ fucking weird man, jeeze. Have a good night or whatever.”
Tai scoffed and pushed past her, so Nat gave it no mind and stomped down the stairs, her annoyance fading with each step as it brought her closer to Lottie.
She heard her coming, turning around to watch her walk over, an easy smile slipping onto her face, excited to see her, her legs bouncing a little under the water as Nat grinned and walked over.
“What’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?” she asked, and Lottie snickered, tapping the spot next to her.
“Oh you know, just waiting for this girl I like to get her ass down here.”
“I had to ditch Van!” she laughed, sitting next to her and taking her shoes off, “Which was… surprisingly easy, kinda got the vibe she wanted me gone, actually. I wonder if she’s got anyone going over?”
She pulled the spare cigarette from behind her ear and offered it to Lottie, who took it with a thankful smile. Nat leaned closer, cupping the end and lighting it for her.
There was a moment, where they were close enough that Lottie could see the freckles on Nat’s nose, and Nat could see the amber in Lottie’s eyes.
They break it when Lottie leans back, exhaling her smoke slowly with a soft expression, her lips pulling up into a small knowing grin.
“Did you see anyone walking that way?”
“Nah, I saw Tai though, she was acting weird,” Lottie smiled at the water, “I could ask her if she saw anyone go into our room.”
Lottie shook her head with an amused knowing sound, “Yeah, maybe she saw someone.”
Nat felt as though she was missing something, but she didn’t care all that much. She threw her shoes behind her and dunked her feet in the pool, sighing in relief.
“Holy shit, it's warm.”
“It’s been baking in the sun all day, it’s perfect.”
Lottie turns to her, leaning her cheek on her shoulder, hair blowing in a gentle near non-existent breeze. Nat looked at her, her breath caught in her throat a little because the sun had set and the amber lights mixed with the blue of the pool made Lottie look ethereal in their glow.
Fuck she was down bad.
“... You’re so pretty,” she whispered and watched a small blush colour her cheeks. Lottie grinned and looked down, waving her foot in the water, dashing the end of her smoke.
“You’re beautiful, Nat.”
Her voice was quiet but had the power to make Nat freeze. She had been called hot, sexy, pretty, but beautiful?
“No, I’m…”
A hand covers her own, their fingers lacing over each other, and she smiles up at the other girl.
“You are,” she says, blinking slowly, and leaning toward her slightly. Nat felt a twinge of nerves, they were in the middle of the hotel, after all, but at the same time…
She really wanted to kiss her again.
“... Do you have anything super expensive on you, right now?”
She raised a brow at Lottie’s comment, “Excuse me?”
Lottie stood up inhaling her smoke once again before dropping it on the floor, and Nat was kinda distracted because whoa her legs. RIck got that right, they were stunning, as almost everything to do with Lottie Matthews.
“Do you?”
Nat crushed her smoke, pulling her leg up to her chest “... No?”
Lottie’s grin was wicked and full of excitement, “Good!”
It’s all the warning she has, and Lottie is pulling her shirt off. Nat’s brain can’t keep up, because what the fuck, and then the other girl just… jumps into the pool. Nat gasps and covers her eyes, flinching back at the spray of water.
“Lottie!” she hushed, “What the fuck?!”
She’s blushing, and the girl surfaces with a giggle, keeping afloat and giggling, waving her arm above her head.
“C’mon, Scatorccio!” she snickered, floating back a few paces and winking at her, “Water is warm…”
Nat blushed even darker and stood up, huffing and pulling her shirt over her head, “This is what I get,” she grumbled to herself, “For liking a girl as fun as you…”
She is mumbling more and more, with a ridiculous smile on her lips that she couldn’t push away. Lottie is grinning and lazily pushing her arms back and forth in the water, her heart skipping when Nat stands in her shorts and red bra.
… Maybe this wasn’t a good idea, she thought, but then Nat took a deep breath and jumped into the pool. Lottie giggled and closed her eyes as the water washed over her.
“It is warm, no way.”
Lottie snorted and splashed her, which started a water fight so weirdly silent it almost made Nat hold in a cackle. It killed her how pinched Lottie’s face was when she ducked away from Nat’s swipe and combated with a silently mouthed “Whaa!” before soaking Nat’s hair, right before the blonde would get her right back.
It was stupid, it was fun, it was tiring. They call a truce and swim to the edge of the pool both leaning on the side on their arms, legs kicking beneath them, facing one another.
“So…” Lottie drawled, a little out of breath, “About… last night?”
Nat smiled, eyes immediately finding her lips and going back to Lottie.
“Yeah, about it.”
A smooth eyebrow raised and Lottie poked her with her foot, “Not got anything to say about it?”
“It was good,” Nat was quick to add, worried she’d already fucked up, “I want… I want to do it again. Kiss you.”
And not feel jealous because of every hot girl hitting on you, she added in her head but didn’t think about it too much or say it out loud. She didn’t want to ruin… this.
Lottie’s eyes flicker to her lips, “I want to kiss you too.”
Nat feels her heart race, and her breath shudders a little. She looked around them, the area was much darker now, lit up by the pool, and with it came a weird sense of privacy. She looked back at Lottie and exhaled shakily.
… Fuck it.
Lottie anticipates her move and twists to face Nat a little more, meaning the blonde can wrap an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close by the hairs at the nape of her neck, and then kissing her.
They pull back after a second, Nat’s eyes are on Lottie, but she is staring at Nat’s mouth. Her tongue dashes out, and she takes a hand on Nat’s wrist, pulling her closer before kissing the other girl again.
Nat sighs into it, her fingers lightly scratching at the base of Lottie’s head, and she lets go of the wall to hold onto Lottie’s shoulders. The taller girl held her against her front, caressing her lips with a soft breath and being easily welcomed into Nat’s mouth.
The blonde whined a little at her touch, barely a sound, but she felt Lottie’s fingers curl around her waist, pulling her as close as she could. It was sweet, how desperate she was to be close to Nat, to touch her. She would probably joke about it if her heart wasn’t slamming in her chest and making her ache in ways she’d never expected before.
They pull apart with a whispered “Fuck,” from Nat, feeling herself get pushed against the wall of the pool, and then Lottie ducks to her neck. She has a second to gasp before she is kissing her skin, and then teeth gently nipping, sucking and soothing it.
Normally Nat hated hickies, but this felt like fire. She held Lottie’s head and pulled her tight, eyes sliding shut as she faced up to the night sky, shivering at the touch of Lottie’s tongue against her neck, groaning when she pulled back and kissed her again.
Fuck, she thought with a shiver, why hadn’t they been doing this the whole time?
Nat blinked her eyes open and put a hand under Lottie’s jaw, tilting her head up and ducked to her neck, intending on returning the favour much to Lottie’s glee, when a door slammed above them.
“Holy shit!”
They look up, Van is leaning on the balcony and Tai slips in behind her, a scowl on her face as she straightens her shirt. The redhead laughed and waved overhead at them, and Nat bared her teeth.
“Is it catching, or something?!”
Tai smacked her arm and Nat flipped the other girl off, right as Lottie giggled into her neck, which made her smile, so it probably had less of an effect than intended.
“Fuck off!” she shouts, still very much in Lottie’s arms, and her best friend cackles. A door opened, and Lottie gently let go, holding her hand underwater as Jackie stumbled out of her room, gasping in excitement.
“Oh shit!” she yelled, grabbing a tired-looking Shauna who still smiled at her best friend’s excitement, “Dude, a pool party!”
She shouted it across the square, and Mari stepped out of her room in her oversized Yellowjackets hoodie. She looked down at Nat and Lottie, who were quietly hoping their blushes could be blamed on the warm water, and she hopped with a gasp.
“Oh, fuck yes!”
Nat shared a side look with Lottie who sighed with a happy little grin, and when the doors all shut for people getting their bathing suits on, she kissed her again.
“To be continued?” she asked, cheesy as hell but the sweetest thing Nat had heard for a long time. She nods, taking her hand and kissing the palm of her hand.
“I look forward to it.”
Lottie grinned a fanged smile, and then they heard footsteps running towards them.
“Cannonball!”
They squeal and cover their faces as Van bound into the water with a huge splash. Tai was right behind her, grinning excitedly before she dove in excitedly. She could see the others coming, spilling out of their rooms giggling and excited.
Nat couldn’t even find it in herself to be mad, not even as Van shoved next to Nat as Lottie was distracted by Tai, wiggling her eyebrows.
“Notice you've not got a swimsuit on,” she said with a smug grin when Jackie and Shauna ran up to the pool, “And a new bruise on your neck! So suspicious.”
“Noticed you were alone with Tai in our room,” Nat challenged, waving when the girls jumped in and the pool rippled, “Also suspicious.”
Van grinned, giving her a wink.
“Toochie.”
“It’s touché.”
“Whatever.”
Coach Ben saw everything happening from within his room, debating whether or not to intervene, but eventually, he sighed to himself, a small smile in place, and dropped the curtain.
Kids, he thought fondly, and flopped onto his bed, content to give them this time to blow off steam and bond, their laughter sending him off to sleep with a smile.
Soon enough the entire team took over the pool, a few other players looking out their hotel rooms with some envy as the notorious Yellowjackets laughed and played in the water.
Lottie gets Nat on her shoulders, and Tai gets Shauna on hers. Some girls dove under the water to see who could stay under the longest, others did handstands, their feet in the air until they lost balance and fell in with a great splash.
It was fun, it was so fun, and Nat felt lighter than air. She looked down, Lottie’s head between her knees when she looked back up, hands on her knees to keep her steady.
“You okay?” she asked, and Nat beamed down at her.
“Perfect.”