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The team was still hype from winning their game; plans to head to the pub were already brought up. The energy in the locker room was joyful and chaotic; two sticky notes were already added to the wall, "We rock!” and “Nobody can fuckin’ stop us!”
Boots slammed her locker, unrolling her shirt that rode up from when she adjusted her bra that was just slightly crooked. “Who’s going to the pub?” She looked towards her team, mostly speaking to the ones who were frequent cancellations.
The pub crawls with the team were some of the best memories. Even though she didn’t drink, she felt the drunk stupor from everyone else enough that it sort of transferred. Once everyone got drunk enough to forget about social boundaries, that's when the night really got fun.
Lizzie tied her hair back with a black hair tie, grabbed her black sports bag from the floor, and threw it over her shoulder. “I can’t. Got the boys tonight; we’re watching Polar Express.”
Boots questioned it, “Polar Express?” That movie with the train that kidnaps the little kids on Christmas Eve and then they all get whatever they wish for.
She nodded, “They love that strange lil’ movie.” She made her way to the front of the room, standing underneath the post-its. The bright yellow post-its mixed with the fluorescent lights from the ceiling made a strange glow that directed onto the top of her ginger hair. “But, have fun and send pictures!”
They always end up sending pictures and videos. Ever since the first photo was sent of them at the pub on their first night, it became a known thing to send photos of anyone and anything that happens during their nights out.
Especially the coaches.
“Got it, Mom,” Siobhan called out from her current spot in the corner, trying desperately to get her shoes on without falling. Her voice quirked up at the end, like she couldn’t contain herself. A snicker came from her lips once she stopped talking.
Lizzie turned her head to focus on the call out from the back, narrowing her eyes but deciding not to say anything. “Goodnight, see you all tomorrow…” She stayed for a second, as if deciding to say anything further, before she pulled open the door and left.
“So…” Boots turned towards the remaining girls. The message is clear without words.
“I’m down,” Margy said without looking towards Mady. “If you are?” She turned her head on a swivel to the girl behind her back.
“Yeah, let’s go.” Mady nodded, smiling at the nervousness steaming out of Margy. The eye contact from them was unbearable for anyone to watch; the mushy-gushiness and look of adoration and love were disgusting.
Gemma Jay, an aspiring law student, which mostly meant she had to study any time she wasn’t playing, was a definite frequent cancellation. “I can’t.” She closed her locker. Her bag in her hands before placing it on the bench in front of her.
Boots threw her head back. “I thought you already took your test-” She groaned. “How is there more stuff already?”
Boots spotted a small smile on Gemma’s lips. “I don’t have to study; I just have stuff to do.” She vaguely replied, smiling at the team before she grabbed her bag and exited the locker room. Boots noticed that she, maybe without even realizing it, consciously looked towards the coach's office before actually leaving.
Siobahn, who by now had gotten her shoes on and her bag hung from her shoulders. “What plans could she even have?” She asked before moving on to rushing everyone else to head to the pub.
But that question didn’t leave Boots' mind. What plans could she have?
Boots settled back into her idea of heading to the pub. She grabbed her bag from its hook in her locker, gripping the straps bunched together in her hands. She watched as a figure hovered outside the locker room door, the window blinds pulled shut so it was just shadows.
She was sure the shadow was a similar braid, almost identical, to the one Gemma had spent five minutes fixing after their game. Another figure appeared, coming from the right (which, after some thought, was the same place where the door from the coach's office was located). Someone with long hair pulled into a loose ponytail.
Boots quickly all but ran to the locker room door and swung it open. Stepping fully out into the hallway to find no one. She walked back, a slight feeling of defeat fueling her bones, before she was hit on the shoulder by Siobhan.
“We going or what?”
—
“Let’s fucking go!” One of the Irish twins shouted, the faces all blurred as everyone was jumping into everyone else.
“FUCK YES!” Boots screamed, waving her arms manically towards the uproaring fans. “WE WON!” She repeated the conclusion of the game to no one in particular. Everyone knew the results from the screaming and running of the team after that last goal by Gemma.
Ted came from the sidelines with a blue clear clipboard, a piece of paper with red markings and green markings. “Woo hoo!” His energy was ten notches down but nonetheless appreciated.
Alice coughed when no one heard her first comment, “Girls-” She tried to say, before giving up and blowing her whistle twice. The yellow whistle made a powerful noise that eventually had each of the girls turning most of their attention to her.
“You all did good out there.” She paused, internally questioning if it was the appropriate time to say the not-so-great things about the game. “Though, Lizzie, you need to be more watchful. Your girl almost scored because you weren’t there.”
She started to list, bumming down the energy evidently. “Niamh, you totally lost the ball for a second; you need to watch what is going on down the field too. The ball was coming up the left, and you had no idea.” Niamh nodded, which is more than the rest of the group did in response to her other critiques.
She kept reading off the list written in her head; remembering what went wrong with each person was easy for her. Gemma, Boots, and finally Shannon. Everyone else had a pretty mistake-free game, or at least mistakes that were worth pointing out.
Ted looked towards Alice after she said her final words about Shannon’s brief performance before plastering that big smile on his face. “Alright, well, you all did fantastic!” His smile got even bigger. “Go have fun tonight!”
The team whooped in response and quickly got back into the energy they had before, jumping onto each other's backs as they walked back towards the locker room. “Don’t-” Alice tried to say, “Don’t forget practice is at 8 tomorrow!” She cupped her hands around her mouth as she shouted.
Lizzie stuck a thumbs up to the coach, gave a thumbs up, and then ran to follow their rowdy team. The blur of red and blue uniforms got harder to see as they ran into the locker room, their screams and hollers still heard until the final player got into the locker room and the door shut.
Ted started to walk back to their office. “Well, that was a great game.” He acknowledged, even though neither he nor Beard had said anything since.
Beard hummed in response, trailing behind Ted at a pace that had to be thought through and planned out. Alice didn’t respond to that; the whole negativity aspect she had going on whenever she spoke didn’t need to be reprimanded by Ted.
“You two got any plans for tonight?" When no one responded, he answered his own question, “I think I’m going to the movies with my boy. Might pick some popcorn up, and maybe some candy if he wants it. Or fancies it.” He corrected himself unnecessarily.
They walked back in silence, trudging along the turf. “No plans for me tonight,” Alice said after the appropriate time to respond was long gone. “I might watch a movie at home.” She added after the thought of Ted inviting her out with him and his son spooked her. Something he totally would do.
Beard nodded along to her, choosing not to input his own plans for the night. “What movie?” Ted asked with a smile, as always. She was slowly getting used to his jolly self, and even came to expect his warm attitude.
“I don’t know yet.” She spoke truthfully.
Without a beat, he responded. “Well, that’s how you find the best movies! That’s how I watched the first Top Gun, and I love that movie now!”
She smiled in response, deciding to take a cue from Beard’s playbook and not continue the conversation any longer than she had to. She’d never seen Top Gun, heard it was the big debate of Christmas movie vs. not, and chose not to have to converse in any conversations about that.
She grabbed her bag, dumping her phone and keys into the open pouch before she buckled it shut. “Well…” She paused awkwardly with her hand hovering over the doorknob. “Have a good night.” She nodded back towards the two coaches still sitting back in their chairs.
She heard a loud good night from Ted and an almost silent murmur from Beard as she closed the door behind her. When she turned on her heels to face the exit hallway, she was spooked by none other than Gemma.
“Gemma.” She acknowledged her presence, oddly outside the coach's office instead of her own locker room. Even if they were just a door down from each other.
She tried to walk around her, assuming maybe she was here for Ted or somehow Beard. Gemma blocked her path by stepping to the side. “Alice, what are your plans for tonight?” She smiled, allowing Alice to walk past her, and she just so happened to follow her down the hall.
She tried to ignore the looming presence beside her as she picked up her pace down the hall. Yet, Gemma picked up hers too. It was clear she wasn’t going to ditch her, like Alice so wished. “Nothing.”
Gemma nodded in a rhythm. “Bunny wants to thank you for what you did the other day.” She kept up the pace. “In person.” She paused. “With food.” She lingered on the words on her lips, turning to face Alice as she walked sideways.
Alice couldn’t think of anything more awkward than meeting with Gemma’s mom about something she didn’t even deserve praise for. “For when I drove you home?”
Gemma was clearly thinking about what to say next. “Yeah. For that.” She smiled; it vaguely reminded her of Ted’s optimism. “She is very thankful her little angel was saved by you.”
Alice let a small smile escape; it was a funny play on words. “Saving you? I just picked you up when you were waiting in the rain.” She truly didn’t save anyone.
Gemma nodded; she must agree. “Yeah, but Bunny is very persistent.”
When Alice turned to look at her as the glass doors came into view, she saw a cheeky smile on Gemma's face. She could easily decline invites in person, but doing it by the third person was incredibly awkward. Plus, she was raised to be respectful to anyone older than her.
“Alright…” She looked down towards the floor, walking more slowly and with a bit of a weight on her shoulders.
Gemma almost jumped in the air at that. “Really!” She burst out, “I mean- yes! She’ll be very pleased.” She referred back to her mother.
Gemma followed her all the way out to her own car, parked in the shade in her own personal parking spot. “Do you not have your own ride?” She asked as Gemma was still hovering, chatting lively, to her left.
“Nah, I carpooled with Lizzie.” She paused, walking closer to the car. “Can I hitch a ride?” Figuratively, Alice could say no, but she oddly felt inclined to say yes the longer she looked at the big puppy-dog eyes Gemma was using.
Alice unlocked her door, motioning to the passenger side. “Okay.” She waited till Gemma smiled and walked to the passenger side before she got in.
She hadn’t had Gemma, or anyone, in her car since that night last week. Gemma, in her drunken stupor, soaked from the rain, sat in the passenger seat humming along to the music Alice had playing.
Alice assumed Gemma would have some control over the music, given her character. But she surprised Alice by not saying any negative comments about what station she was on last; she even went as far as to ask questions when it was clear she knew the song was playing.
“Where are we going?” She eventually asked after exiting the parking lot, with still no input from Gemma. She made a left out of the parking lot, hopefully the right way.
The road was almost empty, which wasn’t odd on a Thursday night. Past dinner time and most kids' bedtimes, if she could guess an average time. The lights were stuck on red until the sensor dedicated her car, meaning no one else had driven on the road for a few minutes.
“You can choose any place.” She didn’t look up from her phone, texting someone as blue bubbles were reflected in the window. “Wherever you like.”
Alice nodded in response, and suddenly she felt like wherever she chose would be judged by Bunny and Gemma. “Okay.” She turned on her turn signal as she reached a light. “Are you okay with pizza?” It was the easiest option at nine at night.
Gemma smiled, “I love pizza.” Which Alice probably could have guessed.
Alice didn’t speak again for the rest of the car ride, and to her very delight, neither did Gemma. She just stayed the entirety of the car ride, occupying herself with the window, watching with her head leaned against the glass.
She passed apartments, closed coffee shops, gas stations with one little light on, and the occasional couple walking the streets alongside her car, before she parallel parked in two moves in front of the building next to the pizza place.
She’d been here a few times; Camille introduced her but then never invited her out there again as she didn’t like the grease. So she would pop in occasionally solo. Her last time was a month before she and Camille parted ways.
She opened her door and stepped into the bare street, watching as Gemma got out of the car and eventually came to her side. “Did you text Bunny where we were?” She asked Gemma before walking towards the only lit building on the block.
Gemma nodded and bounced ahead of Alice, grabbing the door for her. Without answering directly, Alice assumed she wouldn’t leave her mother stranded, and walked into the shop before stopping in place for Gemma to join her on her side.
Once Gemma came to her side, Alice walked up to the counter. A boy no older than 18 was working the counter; his black visor with the name of the pizza shop inscribed in red cursive lettering was slanted on his head, and his shirt was tucked in with the collar popped.
“Hey, what can I get you two?” His voice had no hint of interest, but Alice didn’t mind the meaningless interaction.
Gemma was studying the menu above them, written in chalk on the chalkboard above the register. “A few minutes, please.” Alice stepped back to also look at the menu; maybe she’d change her order from her usual.
When she looked back at the register, the boy was awkwardly leaning against the steel countertop, diverting his attention to the bland wall surrounding the building. She pretended to look at the menu until Gemma looked forward, insinuating that she found what she wanted.
When they stood in front of the counter, the boy took his focus from the unchanging walls and gave them a polite smile. “What can I get for you two?”
Alice ordered her usual, a woman of very little change: a slice of tomato pie and some mozzarella sticks. Gemma ordered the daily special, which happened to be cheese pizza with green peppers and pepperoni. It was called The Jimmy Luck Pizza. She said she got it because her mailman is named Jim.
“Should we order anything for Bunny?” Alice asked as they sat across from each other in a booth. The red leathery cushions probably haven’t been changed since the place opened, and the tables were recently washed, as she could tell by the faint residue of water if she slid her finger along the wood.
Gemma didn’t respond for a second, an obvious avoidance, before she lifted her head as if she had just heard the question. “Oh! Um- she can’t make it.” Gemma looked at Alice’s forehead instead of her eyes. “She had some last-minute business to get to… but she sends her love.”
Convenient is what Alice was starting to think. “Alright.” Gemma should thank her honestly for not questioning this blatant set-up.
Alice took out a few napkins from the black napkin holder, handing a handful to Gemma out of instinct. “You’re the first person I’ve known to set up their table for pizza.” She poked fun.
Alice rolled her eyes in response. She watched as the door opened behind Gemma; two boys walked in with beanies covering their heads. When they stepped back from the counter to look up towards the menu, she refocused her attention on Gemma.
Gemma had her head on alert for the food, her focus drifting from Alice to the kitchen and then back multiple times a minute. The silence was deafening and awkward, even to Alice’s standards.
She couldn’t take it anymore, especially the way Gemma would bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from saying anything. “This is my favorite place.” She avoided eye contact. “The mozzarella sticks are great.”
Gemma took that wimpy attempt at a conversation and acted on it, practically beaming once she realized what Alice said. “I’ve never been here.”
She looked around the quaint store, the vintage-looking pictures of youth football and basketball teams with real wooden frames, and how everything was tied in with a particular shade of blue accent.
“But it’s cute.” She turned back towards Alice, the sudden eye contact surprising her.
She started to drum her fingers against the wooden table. “Have you been to the diner near the stadium?” She asked, stealing her own attention away from her makeshift rhythm. “I don’t remember what it’s called-” The name was on the tip of her tongue.
Alice knew what she was talking about from just the mention of ‘diner.’ Only one diner near the stadium had been populated by football players for years, and just so happened to have the best eggs and bacon.
“I think it’s something like Grandpa.” Gemma shrugged.
Alice nodded. “I think it’s just called Sal’s.”
Gemma popped her head up, her eyes lit up. “Oh yes! Sal’s.” She nodded twice. “The team always goes there after a game-” She paused, the accidental inclination towards Alice, “You should come next game.” She smiled, yet Alice couldn’t tell if it was genuine or just a way to shave off the awkward conversation.
Gemma started to ramble on after that. “I don’t know why I thought of Grandpa instead of Sal.” She thought out loud, “I guess Sal is kind of a grandpa name, right?” Alice nodded. “When’s the food coming?” She leaned over the table, and her head tilted towards the kitchen.
When Alice turned her head, she could just make out figures moving in and out of the carved-out window. The overwhelming smell of pizza had been a staple since they first entered the building, and she could just barely make out the smell of chicken being grilled.
Gemma still stared longingly toward the kitchen; maybe she hoped that if she watched the workers, they would magically appear with their food. “So what’s Bunny doing?” Alice bounced her leg underneath the table.
Gemma’s attention was abruptly brought back to the present. “Huh?” She tilted her head just slightly, as if she was confused about why Alice would ask.
Alice clarified, “‘Cause you said she had,” She cleared her throat to mock Gemma’s tone, “had a last-minute business thing.” She cleared her throat again.
Gemma nodded slowly before having a normal nod pace; her cheeks were noticeably flushed now. “Oh- yeah. She’s good.” Gemma’s tone made it clear that that was all she was about to say about her mother.
For some reason, either the flushed look of Gemma’s cheeks or the way her smile was a bit twitchier than normal- the normal confident smirk replaced with a toothless small grin that kept getting bigger the longer Alice looked- Alice felt that Gemma was not being totally truthful.
Before Alice could comment on it, though, both their phones buzzed from their spot on the table. Gemma immediately dashed for her phone, using Face ID to unlock it without even lifting a finger.
When Alice opened the source where the notification came from- their team group chat- there was only one measly message. Alice was sure she turned off notifications for anything that wasn't a mention, but maybe she forgot too.
itsbootzzs: @gemmajayjay you missing a great night
[photo of Boots, Shiobhan, and Shannon all pressed up against each other in a group hug with glitter in their hair. The lights are a mix of blue and red through the photo, and some other girls are visible in the background, near the bar.]
Alice heard Gemma scoff lightly before her nails were tapping against the screen.
gemmajayjay: im good without glitter in my hair for the next 5 days
Alice looked at the photo that was blurred; she had that option toggled on so it wouldn’t be visible unless she opened it, and immediately started typing.
alicechilt0n: Those aren’t police lights, right?
shashashannon: No
shashashannon: It’s just from the karaoke machine
Alice rolled her eyes and wanted to put down her phone, but the way Gemma was typing again made her inclined to keep watching.
gemmajayjay: did boots sing?
itsbootzzs: shoulda been here
itsbootzzs: then u would know huh
gemmajayjay: im sure if u did sing theres a video of you falling off stage somewhere
itsbootzzs: nope
itsbootzzs: where r u anyway
itsbootzzs: hows stuuuuudddyyinnnggg
gemmajayjay: i told you I don’t have a new unit yet
itsbootzzs: then where r u
itsbootzzs: not at the pub I bet
Gemma put down her phone as the door from the kitchen was kicked open. A girl, with two blonde braids down to her waist, walked out holding a tray of three plates. Alice put her phone down next to her on the booth, making sure there was room on the table for all the plates by moving the napkin holder to the end.
She smiled, her smile reaching past her cheeks almost. “Tomato pie?” She looked between the two girls before Alice cleared her throat and reached out for the plate as she handed it. Alice tried to smile through the embarrassment.
“Daily special?” She gave it to Gemma, and then placed the mozzarella sticks in the middle of both plates.
Gemma grabbed her phone quickly, snapping a picture of the food. Alice was about to ask what it was for when her phone buzzed quietly against her thigh, and she used her critical thinking skills to assume where the picture went.
The picture had the edge of the table, and in the foreground were Gemma’s blue sweatpants. Gemma’s slice of pizza was in full view, and some of the steam almost made it into the picture; the array of mozzarella sticks also made it in, and just the edge of Alice’s tomato pie. Alice’s arm also happened to make it in, judging by the cutoff of the table replaced by a grey sleeve.
gemmajayjay: getting food
TedLa$$o: Looks yum! Where is it?
Gemma looked towards Alice. A silent " I don’t know” on Gemma’s face, so Alice said the name of the pizza place out loud, “I can’t spell that.” She answered like it was obvious, “You just answer him, Alice.”
alicechilt0n: Benozvallos.
TedLa$$o: I’ve never been. Is it close to practice?
alicechilt0n: It’s about a fifteen-minute drive.
She wanted to end the conversation; it wasn’t appropriate to discuss in a team group chat. So she put her phone down by her side, choosing internally to ignore any further buzzing.
itsbootzzs: hold up
itsbootzzs: @gemmajayjay r u eating dinner w coach?
Gemma put her phone down shortly after. “How’s your pizza?” She asked after Alice had taken her first bite.
It was way too hot to eat; she definitely should have waited a few more minutes. “Good.” She answered after swallowing completely, the aftertaste of the burning-hot tomato sauce unsurprisingly delicious. “I love their tomato sauce recipe.”
Gemma nodded along, occasionally breaking the eye contact to blow onto her pizza. “Could I have a mozzarella stick?” Her hand hovered over the plate.
“Yeah, it's for both of us.” She probably could eat all eight, but she shouldn’t.
Gemma smiled like Alice made them herself and popped one into her mouth, pulling half of it out, and the cheese dragged from her mouth to the other half. She pulled slowly until the cheese snapped, and then she chewed the mozzarella stick.
Gemma swallowed the entire stick. “I see why you love them.” She said, pausing mid-thought to blow on the slice of pizza sitting untouched in front of her. “Pretty good.”
Alice grabbed one and ate it slowly; she was never one to pull the cheese as Gemma did. So she just ate it normally, watching as Gemma eventually took a few bites of her, by now, cooled-off pizza.
Gemma reached for a mozzarella stick at the same time as Alice was reaching for one, their fingers accidentally grazing before they both pulled back abruptly. “Sorry.” Alice apologized, even though technically she was the first to reach; Gemma was just a quicker hand.
Gemma smiled awkwardly; Alice could tell because her smirk was replaced by that same nervous smile she got before a big game and when the crowd was hooting and hollering those mere seconds before the ref blew the first whistle.
Alice stuck her hands down by her thighs for the next minute; it was probably the embarrassment and awkwardness mixing into a blend that caused her heart to skip a beat and the necessity for her to take deep, quick breaths.
A minute later, she rests her nerves on the feeling of slowly chewing the tomato pie, her fingers scaling along the bottom of the slice to feel the rough texture of the bread, a few flakes falling off when she goes over them.
Gemma starts to chew a bit louder when Alice looks up to see if there’s a hint of playfulness in her eyes; well, there isn’t. Gemma is eyeing the floor as one hand is under the pizza slice and her other is curled up to hold onto the crust, double support or whatnot.
Alice puts about 1/4th of the pizza onto her plate, her stomach stuffed as high as she likes to get it. Any more and she starts to feel nauseous. After about thirty seconds sitting at the table not eating any of the food in front of her, she plants her hands underneath her legs to keep them away from stuffing herself past the point she’s at now.
—
They just exited the pizza shop; Alice can still feel the tiny flakes of the crust on her fingers even after brushing them off with a napkin. She would have liked to wash them again, but someone had been occupying the restroom for the last fifteen minutes.
Gemma tugged on the jacket that was, before, just a mere accessory to her sweatpants and tank top. She zipped it up to below her chin and dug her hands into fists before planting them into the pockets.
Alice chuckled a bit, not loud enough for Gemma to even know. “It isn’t that cold.” She looked back towards Gemma for just a second, gazing over her.
Gemma didn’t turn to look, but Alice could see the small portion of her eyes, mostly side-eyeing her. “You’re wearing like an insulated jacket.” She all but pointed to the grey zip-up athletic jacket she had on.
Alice interrupted her from saying anything else about her outfit: “It isn’t insulated.”
“Yeah, it is.” Gemma countered quickly.
Alice paused, almost as if she was trying to feel if it was. “It’s definitely not.”
Gemma, now, turned to face Alice. They hadn’t made a move to the car in front of them, just standing towards each other on the sidewalk. The light from the pizza shop and the streetlights above them lit them enough to see the annoyance in both their faces.
“It is.” She took her hands out of her jacket. “I have, like, the same jacket.” Alice looked down at the jacket Gemma was wearing, briefly. “Not now.” Gemma clarified with a hint of anger in her tone.
With the sudden change in tone, Alice got defensive. “It’s not insulated, Gemma.” She unzipped the jacket, pulling it away from her body to show the interior was a lighter shade of grey. “See?”
The cold air attacked her body for a brief amount of time, so she quickly wrapped the jacket around her body again, holding it tight with her arms crossed.
Gemma scoffed, “Alice, it’s insulated under the fabric.”
“It’s not.”
Gemma countered back again before unfolding her arms and grabbing Alice’s. She separated Alice’s arms from their crossed position so the jacket fell open. “What the fuck are you doing?” Alice tried to pull her arms away, but Gemma had a killer grip around them.
Gemma grabbed the loose jacket that was now just floating in the air and stepped even closer to Alice. She felt the interior, as if she were looking to prove herself. She looked up at Alice after feeling the jacket for a second time, and her eyes widened as she realized the proximity she had inflicted on them.
Alice couldn’t step back if she wanted to, and though her right arm was now free, it just dangled as this happened. Gemma rolled her eyes and opened the jacket even more, her grip still on the outer layer of it, her fingers on the exterior.
“It’s insulated. Feel it.” She said and didn’t give Alice time to do it herself before she grabbed Alice’s hand instead and dragged it to where her hand just felt. She held Alice’s hand from the outside and maneuvered her fingers to feel the fabric that was definitely insulated.
Alice was surely proven wrong, but she was just too stubborn to admit it now. “Seems normal to me.” Her hand, still covered by Gemma’s. The warmth traveled through both hands, and neither pulled away.
A red sedan came to a slow stop past the parked cars on the street. “Coach?” A muffled voice called out, and the two women turned to look without changing any of their positioning. The window rolled down facing them. “Gemma? Coach?” Shiobhan asked.
Before any of them could even make out who was in the car, the person screamed, “Boots! They’re holding hands!” The passenger-side window rolled down after that. “I can’t believe you were right.” Quickly continued, “Fuck, I owe you twenty quid, don’t I?”
The car didn’t even park before all four doors opened. By now the two had separated and had a lot of space in between them. Gemma dropped Alice’s hand like it was boiling and just widened her eyes and attached that same nervous smile to her lips.
“We weren’t holding hands,” Alice concluded, a lot calmer than Gemma would’ve been. Alice was a bit freaked out internally, but just because of the mere proximity, they were just in for no actual reason.
Boots, Shiobhan, Niamh, and Shannon all walked past the row of parked cars. Boots, for obvious reasons, was the first to see them. “I knew you two were fucking!” Which stimuated a crowd of groans and annoyance from them all, Niamh’s being the loudest.
“They aren’t fucking fucking!” She shouted, her voice wavering in strength due to probably how much they drank.
“Did you just see them?” Boots turned to face Niamh.
Shiobhan whacked the back of Niamh’s head. “They look like hook-up buddies, ya idiot.” Her words all slurred together. “They are obviously fuckin’”
Gemma cleared her throat, potentially to get rid of anything she was feeling after how fast everything had happened. “We- We are not fucking.” She spit out, “We just-” Her brain couldn’t go fast enough for this. “We just got pizza.”
“She’s right.” Alice supported Gemma.
Boots rolled her eyes, stumbling backwards after she suddenly changed her posture to look at them both. “Bullshit.” Her eyes darted between the guilty pair. “You had your hands interlinked.” She pointed out, truthfully.
“Interlinked?” Shiobhan started, before Niamh hushedly yelled some profanity at her.
Alice spoke this time, clarifying. “She was just trying to prove my jacket is insulated.”
Boots scoffed. “Sure…” She didn’t buy it.
Alice could potentially see why it seemed like a fib. But it wasn’t, and couldn’t Boots tell, even past her drunken stupor, that they were just a coach and player who went out to dinner with someone who couldn’t make it after they already sat down?
Alice turned towards Gemma, ignoring Boots and the rest of her players watching them wide-eyed. “Gemma. Was your mom ever going to come today?”
Gemma couldn’t choose who to focus on, her eyes mixing between the direct question from Alice that gave her goosebumps and her cheeks reddened and this time not from the wind chill- and the eight pairs of eyes seeing through her.
Gemma nodded quickly, that same nervous smile becoming a grin. “Yep! She’s just a busy gal.” She spoke differently when she was under pressure. “Can we go? It’s cold.” She smiled even bigger, trying her hardest not to look anywhere near the team.
“Bunny was supposed to come?” Boots inquired, looking between the two again before, so God help her, focusing back on Gemma. “Convenient she couldn’t… huh?”
Gemma felt as if the spotlight was on her. “I wouldn’t say convenient.” She countered, trying to keep the nerves to a minimum and not let them be shown.
“Sounds pretty convenient to me,” Shiobhan called out from behind Boots.
Not helping. “It isn’t,” Gemma repeated. Turning towards Alice, now, “Can we go? It’s cold.” She wished more than anything she had a curfew or some actual excuse.
Alice nodded, slowly trying to walk away from the peering eyes of the drunken teammates. “Goodnight, girls. Get home safe.”
Boots shouted again as they walked towards the car only a few feet away, “You two going home together?” At that moment, Niamh hit her over the head.
“No!” Gemma screamed before slamming the passenger door, trying to void any thoughts about that interrogation.
Alice pulled out of the parking spot, choosing not to say anything as Gemma was leveling her breathing. In. Out. In. Out. “They need to control their liquor,” Alice commented as she turned onto a one-way street.
Gemma cracked a smile at that. “I’m sorry.” She apologized, though it wasn’t her fault.
“It’s not your fault,” Alice repeated her internal thoughts. “I don’t know where they were getting that stuff anyway.” She huffed.
Gemma pulled out her phone to try and avoid any further conversation.
Gemma didn’t say anything for a few streets. “I lied.” She blurted out. “I didn’t invite Bunny.” She couldn’t bear to look at Alice. “She was never going to come.” She rephrased, finally looking towards Alice.
Alice hadn’t taken her eyes off the road, acting as if the words coming out of Gemma’s mouth didn’t faze her. “I know, Gemma.” She replied as if it were common sense, “It’s fine; you don’t need to apologize.”
“You knew?”
“Yeah. It’s pretty obvious that Bunny was never invited.” Alice said, “She would never cancel.” Her reasoning a bit off.
“She’s cancelled on me plenty.” Gemma rolled her eyes in response. “If you knew… why didn’t you say anything?”
“I knew for sure when I asked the second time. I thought so in the pizza shop, though.” Alice clarified, “I wouldn’t want to embarrass you, Gemma.” Her words had such sincerity without even trying.
“Oh.” Gemma was quite frankly speechless.
Alice nodded to the silence. “Plus, I enjoyed hanging out with you.”
Gemma smiled, a real smile. “Thanks.” She paused. “I did too.”
Gemma rested her hand on the center console as she scrolled through her phone with the other hand.
“I don’t know where they got that idea of us dating.” Alice interrupted the comfortable silence.
Gemma didn’t choose to comment on how they actually said fucking. Whatever she was watching on her phone was a blank blur as her attention was elsewhere.
“I don’t get it either.” Gemma agreed in all sincerity.
Alice’s hand fell off the steering wheel and onto the cupholders below the center console. Eventually Gemma’s hand migrated there, and even later on their fingers just so happened to be touching. Barely noticeably.
“My jacket isn’t insulated, by the way,” Alice said after ten minutes of comfortable quietness, the only sound being the soft hum of the heat coming through the vents.
Gemma laughed and her hand bounced onto Alice’s, and she didn’t realize. Neither did Alice. Or maybe they both didn’t think to pull away.