Pernille Harder & Magdalena Eriksson

Chapter 9

Three weeks later, Pernille is almost back to 100% and has started practicing again with the team in the latter part of the week. Of course, Pernille had to credit much of her excelled improvement to Magda, who joined her with added hours spent lifting at the gym lifting, running at the break of dawn, and practicing when the field is vacant.

"C'mon, giddy up!"

"Magda," Pernille peers over her shoulder at the blonde on her back. "You say that one more time and I'm going to drop you down these stairs," she says flatly.

"Then get going! You have to beat yesterday's time," Magda continues.

Pernille is running up the bleacher stairs with Magda on piggyback, five sets and progressively improving her daily time. After racing up the last set of stairs, Pernille releases Magda in an easy hop. Despite her slender frame, Magda discovered that Pernille is strong, almost to the point of deception. Their time at the gym graciously displayed Pernille's strength, squatting near twice her own body weight and gradually improving progress.

"Time?" Pernille asks.

"10:13."

"Dammit, so close," replies Pernille, aiming to make it under ten minutes.

"Wanna go again?"

Pernille shakes her head, "We should head back. Study for midterms this week."

"Alright," Magda easily agrees, "what do you want to work on first?"

Pernille scrunches her face, "Wanna work on that calc problem?" she proposes.

Magda responds with a puke face, "Gross, you and calculus. What about biology?"

"What? So I find math problems... strangely calming," Pernille replies, routinely completing the optional and extra-credit equations for a hobby. "Why is it always biology with you, you don't even need to study for bio," Pernille retorts, Magda with the highest grade in their biology class.

"' Cause I like it," Magda simply replies.

"Rock, paper, scissors?" Pernille offers.

"Go."

"One, two, three."

"Dammit!" Pernille loses the first round, her rock to Magda's paper.

"One, two, three."

Both scissor.

"One, two, three."

"Fuck," Magda's scissor to Pernille's rock.

"One, two, three."

"Yes!" Magda throws rock at Pernille's scissor.

"One, two, three."

"Uhn! Take that!" They tie with Pernille's paper to Magda's rock.

"Moment of victory."

"One, two, three."

Two rocks.

"One, two, three."

Two papers. They smile at the anticipation. Who's it going to be?

"One, two, three."

Two rocks again.

"One, two, three."

"Yes!" Magda exclaims, palming over Pernilles fisted rock.

"Ugh... wonderful," Pernille sighs.

"C'mon, do you really hate it that much?"

"Not really, Nah," Pernille chuckles,

-

"Fuck! My brain is fried!" Pernille shouts and outwardly throws herself on her bed to physically express her mental fatigue. "Did you get that last equation?"