Love, Blood and Wilderness | YELLOWJACKETS

Chapter 19

    We all piled into the locker room, all sweating and faces beat red. The YellowJackets just had the worst first half all season, losing 2-0.

If it were any other game, it would be different. But this was semifinals, if we wanted to play in the State Champs, it was imperative that we won this game. But everyone was noticeably nervous and we weren't playing in sync, we weren't playing as a team.

    "What the hell was that?" Coach Martinez demanded, "defence, we gotta pick it up. Offence, there's been about two shots at the net. TWO! They have two goals! This isn't the team I trained!"

    We all looked at our cleats in shame. We had worked so hard all season, we didn't want it to be cut short due to our nerves.

    I was frustrated. I was one of the shots on net and I fucked up. I tried to hit the corner of the net but my foot slipped and the goalie caught it easily.

    Lottie squeezed my knee, sensing that I was irritated. I instantly relieved at her touch.

    "Now, Ben has a new play we're gonna try out and we're gonna fucking succeed at it yeah? Ben?" Coach Martinez stated. Misty handed Ben his clipboard, with pride.

    "Alright girls, so we have Tai up forward-"

    "Coach Ben, before you start, if I may," Jackie interrupted.

    "Ah," he looked at Coach Martinez for approval and the Coach nodded, "yeah, go nuts."

    "Ladies," Jackie stood up from the bench, "we are a team, okay? I know that we all really want to go to state finals. And yeah, we're all really stressed out right now, but I believe in us, okay? I mean we've been on a winning streak for the whole Goddamn season, and we're not gonna lose that now. I know inside every one of you there is a yellowjacket just trying to sting its way out!"

Van snickered and everyone joined in, subtly laughing, which made Jackie smile.

"Okay, yeah, that's not, like, the best metaphor, but you know what I mean! We can do this, okay? I, for one, am ready to get out there, and kick some ass! Are you?"

"Yeah!" We all cheered.

"Louder!"

"YEAH!"

"That's the team I know! Coach Ben, please proceed," she gestured her hand and sat next to Shauna.

I grinned at Lottie, finally feeling some fire in soul that Jackie Taylor ignited. Jackie Taylor played soccer the way that she breathed air, and we all needed to reciprocate that energy into our playing.

We won the semifinals 3-2.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

It had been two months since Jackie Taylor died frozen in the snow. At least, we all assumed that it was. It was difficult to keep track of the time.

Winter had settled in, the snow was deep up to our knees, at least. Every animal had begun its hibernation or migration process, so we have barely eaten a thing.

I hadn't seen much of Shauna since she kissed me. She had been in the shed with Jackie's corpse, which none of us had the heart to tell her to leave it alone, or isolating herself. We didn't expect anything less of her, Jackie was the other half of her, and who was she without her?

On top of that, Shauna's baby belly had ben growing rapidly, and we weren't sure what we'd do if we were out here long enough for her to give birth.