Chapter Text
The rumble of wheels against polished floor filled the air like thunder. Every pivot, every shove, every collision reverberated through The Den- a roller rink that had seen its fair share of glory and bruises. Neon lights hummed overhead, flickering against the bright murals of flames, stars, and various slogans like 'Pain Is Temporary, Pride Is Forever'.
Athena Jensen adjusted her mouthguard and rolled her shoulders back, steady as a machine. Her pads were perfectly aligned, her helmet was spotless, and her focus was razor sharp. She didn’t come to practice to have fun. She came to win.
“Pick it up, Frye!” She called across the rink, cutting through the chatter. “You’re slowing down the pace!”
A blur of glitter and attitude zipped past her- Daisy Frye, the team’s jammer and self proclaimed 'speed goddess.' She twisted her neck just enough to toss Athena a grin that was half playful, half taunting.
“Maybe you’re just too slow to keep up, Jensen!” Daisy shot back, weaving through a cluster of blockers like it was second nature. The wheels beneath her snapped against the wood, her ponytail swishing like a metronome.
Athena groaned. Of course Daisy would turn a drill into a spectacle.
“Form up, ladies!” Coach Rivera barked from the sidelines. “This is a scrimmage, not open skate night!”
The team regrouped, forming a tight pack. Athena positioned herself at the front, knees bent, scanning for gaps like a chess player eyeing her next move. Daisy crouched at the jammer line, one skate poised, confidence radiating from her like perfume.
The whistle blew.
Daisy was off like a comet streaking through chaos. Athena braced, ready to block- but Daisy feinted left, spun right, and squeezed through the tiniest gap imaginable. The crowd of teammates erupted in whoops and laughter.
Athena’s jaw tightened. “Lucky break...”
“Luck’s got nothing to do with it, baby!” Daisy said as she lapped her, flashing a two finger salute.
Minutes later, practice descended into the usual controlled mayhem. Elbows flying, whistles blowing, and someone’s knee pad skidding across the floor. And through it all, Athena and Daisy orbited each other like rival planets, colliding again and again.
By the end of the drill, both were panting. Sweat streaked Daisy’s glitter eyeliner; Athena’s braid had half unraveled. Neither looked willing to back down.
“You call that blocking?” Daisy said between breaths. “You left the inside line wide open!”
“Maybe if you listened to directions for once in your life, you wouldn’t have nearly wiped out three of our blockers!”
“Direction or dictatorship?”
“Attitude or incompetence?”
Coach Rivera’s whistle cut through the noise like a guillotine. “That’s enough! You two want to kill each other, do it after practice. Until then, skate like teammates, not toddlers.”
The rink went quiet except for the faint hum of the scoreboard. Daisy crossed her arms and muttered something under her breath. Athena’s glare could’ve cracked glass.
As Coach turned away, Daisy leaned in just enough to whisper, “You love yelling at me, don’t you?”
Athena straightened. “I love winning. You just keep getting in the way.”
They pushed off in opposite directions, wheels screeching. One was all precision, the other pure chaos. Somewhere on the sidelines, their exhausted teammates shared a look that said what everyone was thinking:
Regionals are going to be hell.
It was always like this. Ufortunately, the two of them were arguably the team's best players. Which meant that Coach was willing to be lenient as long as they had it together during the actual matches.
Daisy shook her head. "If I had it my way, Jensen would be a bench warmer.''
The air in the locker room was thick with the smell of sweat, eucalyptus muscle balm, and that weird floral air freshener someone had hung by the sinks in a losing battle against both.
Athena dropped onto the bench in front of her locker, unstrapped her knee pads with military precision, and lined them up neatly beside her helmet. Every movement was measured, practiced. Control was what kept her centered.
Across the aisle, Daisy yanked her helmet off and shook out her hair, sending sweat and glitter flying.
“You’re glaring again.” Daisy said without looking up. “You know that gives you wrinkles, right?”
Athena rolled her eyes. “You’d know. You’ve been acting like a child since middle school.”
“Middle school?” Daisy laughed, leaning against her locker. “You mean when you swapped my baking soda for salt at the science fair? My volcano exploded.”
“That’s the point of a volcano, Frye.”
“Not all over the judges!”
Their teammates snickered from nearby, pretending to mind their own business while very obviously eavesdropping. A few exchanged tired looks. They’d heard this kind of exchange too many times to count.
“Ladies,” said Roxy, the team’s captain, tugging off her wrist guards. “Coach wasn’t kidding. You two keep this up, and someone’s going to snap.”
Daisy scoffed. “Oh, please. We coexist just fine.”
Athena snorted. “Like cats and fireworks.”
Roxy's water bottle thunked down between them. “Save it for the track. We’ve got Regionals in two weeks. You want to throw that away over some bruised egos?”
Neither woman replied, but Daisy’s grin faded. Athena busied herself retying her laces, though her fingers moved a little too tight, too fast.
The room went quiet again except for the sound of lockers clanging shut. Outside, the rink lights dimmed as closing time neared.
As Daisy slung her gear bag over her shoulder, she paused at the door and looked back at Athena. “You know, for someone who’s so obsessed with rules, you break ‘em a lot when it comes to common decency.”
Athena didn’t rise to it. She just stared at her reflection in the metal locker and said, softly but firmly, “See you at practice, Frye.”
“Can’t wait." Daisy replied, voice dripping with sugar and venom. Then she was gone.
Roxy groaned, rubbing her temples. “I swear, those two are gonna make Coach retire early...”
Janine grumbled. "Healthy competition is one thing, but those two can't get outta their own way to save their lives. Everyone else is just caught up in the crossfire."
"It's a miracle that we made it this far with them around..." Lelani sighed and slung her bag over her shoulder.
"Remember: Regionals and State are on the horizon. Once the season's over, we won't have to put up with it for the rest of the year." Blair reminded them.
The others nodded in agreement.
Roxy could only hope that things ran smoothly.
They could only pray for a miracle.