Chapter Text
Lottie woke up to the sunlight hitting her forehead and the scent of hot skin, just enough to annoy her out of her sleep. She groans at the thought of getting up and turns her back towards the large windows. She could’ve just closed the curtains, but she was too sleepy for that, and turning around was just easier. It was a Saturday morning, so she could sleep in.
Just a completely normal Saturday.
Yep.
It’s not like Laura Lee was going to come over later and spend the night at her house.
In her room.
In her bed.
Oh fuck.
No. No, Lottie, don’t make it weird, it’s totally normal. Sleepovers are normal.
She kept repeating that until she started to believe it, even if it was only a little. She sits up for a second, rubs her eyes, and decides that it’s too early, so she plops back down on her bed.
She turns towards the window, but the second the sunlight meets her face, she quickly turns back.
Right then, her phone rings, and Lottie was a hundred percent sure it was Laura Lee calling to ask whether she forgot their plans for tonight. Even the mention of Laura Lee startled Lottie. Not because Laura Lee did something to scare her, Laura Lee is practically an angel, but more like Lottie felt shier around her than usual. Ever since what happened in the locker room after one of their matches a month ago or so, Lottie has been feeling disgustingly closer to Laura Lee, along with a hard knot in her gut. They both had sworn to never speak of it again. Well, not really, but Laura Lee probably would not like to hear about it again, so basically the same thing, Lottie thought.
Lottie was so trapped in her thoughts that she forgot to answer the phone. It eventually stopped, and she didn’t notice until it started to ring again.
“Shit!”
She picks up the telephone and brings the receiver up to her ear.
“Hello?”
“Hey Lottie!”
Oh.
“Jackie?”
“I know you were expecting Laura Lee to call you, so sorry to disappoint you, but I have to tell you something.”
“What's u- wait what?”
“What, what?”
“What do you mean you knew I was expecting Laura Lee to call me.”
“Oh come on Lottie it’s really obvious, plus I saw you two last match.”
Lottie twists and twirls the phone cord around her index finger even harder.
“What were you going to tell me?”
“Oh, don’t worry about that, I’ll tell you later. I have to go right now. Bye!”
“Bye?”
What the fuck.
Was Lottie’s honest reaction to that 2-minute- hell, not even 2 minutes, 30-second interaction. She rubs her eyes again and tries to process what the hell just happened. Too much was going on in her brain all at once. She makes her way back to her bed and collapses on the comfy mattress. She shifts her attention to the silky sheets that adorn her skin, brushing them with her right hand while placing her left arm on her forehead. She closes her eyes after a bit and focuses on her breathing. Her therapist had taught her that, and she has been doing it ever since. It usually always works to help her stay in the moment.
Usually.
After a while of trying to synchronize her breathing, an image appears in Lottie's mind through the dark before her eyes. It's the image of a blonde, blue-eyed girl in a long, flowing, white gown. No- no, not a girl, an angel. Her blue eyes stare right through her soul and back. Only then does she realize that the angel before her is, in fact, Laura Lee. Her eyes are wide open now, so she decides to finally actually wake up.
"Jesus, what a way to start the morning,"
Lottie tosses the sheets off herself, stands up, and briefly stretches. While walking towards the door, the reflection in her mirror catches her eye. She looks more tired than before because of the dark circles under her eyes. It was clear today was going to be a tough day, and she definitely was not looking forward to it.