𝖋𝖑𝖔𝖜𝖊𝖗 𝖕𝖔𝖜𝖊𝖗 ⋆ 𝕶𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖓 𝖉𝖆𝖞

𝖋𝖎𝖛𝖊

╔═══°∴,*⋅✲══〖✰〗══✲⋅*,∴°═══╗

It's what comes after the match that's the hardest.

Watching it from the sidelines doesn't hurt Daisy as much as she thought it would. She still stands with her hands pressed against the glass, analysing every movement made on court. Her eyes follow every throw on the court, every step, every breath that her teammates take. She uses her obsessive gaze to block out the soul-deep ache of being sober. The last time she saw the Foxes on court, it was through the haze of a mind altering high. Now, she's too alert. Too quick to notice others mistakes, too wired in to the real world to know the mistake will happen five seconds before it does. She makes notes in the little pink notebook Wymack gave her, scratches through page after page. If this is what she can contribute to their game, like hell is she going to half-ass it.

The full-time buzzer blares. The Foxes are beaten 7-9, which honestly isn't that much of a loss. They're used to getting obliterated on court, and losing to Breckenridge by two points isn't half bad. Daisy trails behind the team on their way back to the locker rooms, flipping through her scrawled observations. She's sure nobody else could read the words, but that doesn't matter.

"You wanna tell them what you saw?" Coach asks her while the team are changing out and showering. Daisy nods, leaning up against the entertainment centre in front of the couches and awaiting her team. They come slowly, first the girls, then Matt, Aaron, and Nicky, then Kevin and Seth, then Andrew, and finally, the new kid. "Cohen made some notes for you guys. Be grateful," Wymack announces to the group, then gestures to her and steps aside.

"So," Daisy begins, flicking through her twelve pages back to the start. "You all started off way too slow. Warm up better. The Jackals were ready to run at the buzzer, it took you guys four-and-a-half minutes to get into the action. That's bullshit."

And it doesn't get better from there. It feels like a teacher berating a classroom, a parent scolding their child. Daisy's notes are extensive and in-depth, and at times they get personal. She tells Kevin that everybody can tell who he is on court, not because of the name on his jersey but the way he 'carries his racquet like a little bitch'. When it's finally done, over an hour since the final buzzer sounded, Daisy steps to the side. Coach stands at the back of the room with a proud smile on his face; it makes Daisy's heart wrench because it looks exactly like how her dad used to beam at her after every match, every good grade. Wymack dismisses his foxes and they bounce out of the room with glee, each and every one glad to be rid of Daisy's brutal shredding of their match.

Dan approaches her. "Was I too harsh?" Daisy asks her, and it makes Dan chuckle.

"No," the girl replies. "It was perfect."

She catches a ride back to the tower in the back of Matt's truck. The wind scraping it's fingers through Daisy's hair, making her eyes sting and her mouth go dry, is a feeling that she lavishes in. Renee sits opposite her, smiling at Daisy. The girl looks relaxed; fully free since the day she came back to them two weeks ago. She's been doing so well, she seems healthy and content... Renee wonders if it will all come to a screeching halt very soon.

She banishes the thought from her mind as they reach the parking lot for Fox Tower. With a silent prayer to whoever's listening, Renee lends Daisy a hand in climbing out of the truck.

But the real trouble comes when they get inside. There's a knock on the girl's door not long after they've all gotten into their pyjamas and decided on a movie.