you know i'm such a fool for you (Olivia x Viola)

Chapter 6

Olivia knew a Viola Hastings that didn't need to act like a walking sitcom in the quiet of Olivia's dorm room, but it was still strange to see her take something so grievously.

She truly was excellent at what she did. Illyria loved her. She was the type of star player that rival schools took note of.

Every time, it made Olivia overwhelmed with pride to know her so personally.

"Illyria corner!"

Andrew took the corner kick and lofted the ball into the crowded penalty box.

A strange series of events occurred that looked like a big tangle of bodies in front of a frenzied goalkeeper. A familiar lithe figure was among the bodies jumping to meet the ball with their heads. She got a good head on it, but it glanced off another player before it could skate into the net. The Arden bodyguard didn't even look at the ball as he threw himself into Viola, elbow jerking up in a crack up her face. They collapsed together and the boy didn't try to miss more of her face.

Olivia vaguely heard Daphne squawk again as several bodies collide and crumple to the ground. It was all so quick and intense, however most players pop back up to continue with the game. Some stay lying on the turf, one whom was Viola. The Arden player looked at her and scoffed, purposefully stepping on Viola's hand that lay planted on the grass and twisting before walking off. Viola only gave him the satisfaction of jerking her hand to her chest. She couldn't even yell at him.

Olivia felt her stomach capsize. She actually lurched forward immediately, stomach hitting the resistance of railing and her hands gripped it tightly. She only vaguely heard her friends murmur their concerns for Illyria's top scorer, too angry to even function beyond staring.

Viola always threw herself into the game and got knocked around quite a bit, but she wasn't moving just then.

"Oh god," Olivia whispered. The girl had raised her body up, clutching the middle of her face where a substance reflected shine from the stadium lights.

Without her usual grace, Viola stumbled blearily up, and a referee directed her to go to the sidelines where someone was waiting with a first aid kit at the ready. She didn't walk for long, though, before an anxious Duke ran up alongside her. They seemed to be having a discussion, and Viola brushed him off, most likely getting annoyed and embarrassed by his attention. She still tried to cover her injury. Duke tried to move her hand to get a look at her nose, and Olivia held her breathe.

A path of fresh blood was visible from her cheek and a smeared nose, dripping grotesquely off her chin. Viola bat him away again and stalked quicker to the sideline. Closer to where Olivia stood.

She watched as Viola spat out blood that was uncontrollably entering her mouth before flickering her eyes up to the stands. They stopped on Olivia without preamble, as if she'd already established where Olivia had put herself.

Some indiscernible emotions danced in her eyes, but she smiled weakly at her. Olivia must have smiled back because Viola gingerly touched her injury and made a face at her red fingers for Olivia. Olivia's laugh sounded more like a release of air, but Viola was quickly cringing in pain at how she'd twisted her features too much.

Daphne looked like she might faint and tried to get her daughter's attention, but Viola was already scoping out where her attacker was.

The Arden player had his tongue in cheek, laughing with his buddies at her expense. Olivia didn't care to know what kind of foul things they'd been saying about Viola. That little stunt was undeniably planned, and she didn't think it was an accident either that they'd went straight for the money-maker. Viola's face was definitely going to look a bit mottled for a while.