𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘴 ₊❏ ❜ TWO
IT WAS EARLY MORNING at the Salvatore School, but this one has been marked by an unusual anticipation in the air. The annual flag football game with Mystic Falls High was afoot and students were taking it with varying degrees of excitement.
"Are you eating?" MacKenzie remarked, breaking the surface of the lake to meet Theodora at the shore line, where the vampire sat cross-legged with a bowl in her lap.
Theo shrugged, spoon hanging from her mouth. "Not blood, if you're wondering." MacKenzie furrowed her brows. "Eating helps curb the actual hunger so, yes, I'm eating."
MacKenzie blinked, craning her head to peer over the rim of the bowl. "Cookie dough?"
"I made some, I'm not wasting it."
"It's breakfast."
Theo shrugged again. "Time is...a social construct, really."
"Bold words from a girl who didn't sleep last night."
"And it's not like it's going to give me salmonella," Theo said pointedly, eating another spoonful. "And no, I'm not sharing." MacKenzie shook her head and dipped back underneath the water.
The water tended to fill her with a sense of calm—the kind of calm she enjoyed having in the morning before enduring the rest of the day.
After several more pensive moments, MacKenzie soon got out and dried off, with her and Theo heading back up to the school—the latter clutching her now empty bowl to her chest.
"Flag football, seriously?" Theo questioned incredulously as MacKenzie explained the day's fateful events. "It could've been anything and flag football was the winner?"
MacKenzie chuckled. "I'm just saying, the Mystic Falls kids take it really seriously. And they always win." She bit out a sigh. "Not that we're really trying,"
"What's that mean?"
"We have to lose. School rules," MacKenzie explained, much to her roommate's chagrin. She shrugged, hugging herself against the morning chill in the air. "No using our supernatural abilities to win, it's an unfair advantage."
Theo frowned. "Boo!" MacKenzie just gave another shrug whilst Theo blew out an over-exaggerated sigh and continued, "Doesn't matter. I don't do sports, so you and your merry band can have fun while I watch from the stands."
There was a tentative pause as MacKenzie bit the inside of her cheek and weighed the best possible way to deliver her news. Theo slowly became aware of the growing silence, sending a sidelong glance MacKenzie's way.
"About that..." MacKenzie began as Theo's gaze narrowed. "I kind of already told everyone you were playing."
"You what?"
"I thought you said you wanted to!" MacKenzie retorted quickly. "But now I'm realizing that might have been a half-asleep dream."
Theo quirked an eyebrow. "Might?"
"Okay, it was definitely a dream but look! It'll be fun! You'll get to make some friends or...enemies, I guess? Mystic Falls kids can be seriously mean."
"Not if I grind them beneath my boot," the vampire snapped, making MacKenzie's eyes widen. She went to speak before Theo cut her off, "We have to lose, I know."
Silence settled between the pair again, until MacKenzie smiled and nudged Theo in the side. "But we'll get to have fun doing it!"
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"This is not fun," Theo retorted, standing beside the stands with her arms crossed as the sun beat down relentlessly.
MacKenzie glanced up from her spot on the bench. "It hasn't even started yet," she said, nodding toward the center field where the coin toss was taking place.
"The players from Mystic Falls are literally eyeing us like racks of lamb. Meaning? To them, we're dead meat," Theo explained as seriously as she could manage. "I am not sensing the fun here."
MacKenzie squinted at her roommate a moment. "Were you always like this? I mean, before the whole...vampire thing?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Theo retorted, eliciting a pout from MacKenzie. That was hardly an answer, but MacKenzie was beginning to realize it rarely ever was with Theo.
"Team huddle!" Lizzie's voice rang out, Theo and MacKenzie sharing a glance before jogging over with the rest of the team. They formed a semblance of a circle on the field, looking to Lizzie, as their quarterback, for direction. "You all know the plan, right?"
MacKenzie nodded slowly. "It's the same as it always is," she said, tone perhaps too nonchalant as Lizzie tossed her a glare. "Get our asses kicked."
"Okay, Mermaid Barbie—" Lizzie began, causing MacKenzie to quirk an eyebrow before Josie hurriedly cut in;
"The plan is to lose, like we do every year," she said. "Because my dad asked us to. Everyone got it?" She was silently imploring her teammates to listen to this one simple request, if nothing else. Not everyone seemed particularly happy with this arrangement, such as Kaleb who wasn't prone to losing even before becoming a vampire, but no one said anything.
Until, Theo raised her hand—though she began speaking before anyone could even register the movement. "Yeah, hi. Do we have to? What if we just...didn't lose? Is that—"
"No," Lizzie sharply retorted. With a deep breath, she steadied herself and straightened up. "Are we ready?" She asked, quirking a brow as if daring one more of them to argue. No one did. "Great. Team break."
With that, everyone went their separate ways on the field. Kaleb did the starting kick, sending the ball sailing across the field to the other team and the game was quick to go into high-gear from there—at least as far as it could go when only one team was truly trying.
Dana on the opposing team seized the ball at one point, sprinting across the field and MacKenzie could only run so fast without catching her, forcing herself to slow as Dana sailed into the end zone for an easy point. Theo hadn't even made much show of trying to play—which was, admittedly, pretty in character for their cover of spoiled rich kids who went to a boarding school.
They were off to an ever monotonous start.
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At the start of the next down, Josie took her spot as a center and threw the ball to Lizzie. Everyone else took off in a run, dashing across the center line to ready themselves to catch the football—if Lizzie would ever throw it. She only had a few seconds before Dana would ruthlessly rush and tackle her.
"Just throw it already!" MacKenzie exclaimed desperately across the field, exasperation rushing through her. They had to lose, sure, but they had to make it look good. And she always got a little too into it.
At the last second, Lizzie threw the ball and got tackled to the ground by an overzealous Dana. MG, on the other hand, lurched into the air and seized the football before taking off and scoring a point for the team.
"That is what I'm talking about!" Theo cheered triumphantly, pumping her hands into the air with vigor.
Despite the initial excitement, MacKenzie began to frown. They were told not to do that, explicitly. Every year. The other part of her, however, was acutely aware that Dr Saltzman wasn't even here.
Another down and the team was doing just as bad as usual with Josie—obviously—letting the football go as she batted it away with her hands and played dumb afterwards. They were losing, for whatever that was worth.
MacKenzie shook her hands loose as she walked across the field to get herself a water. Dehydration was killer, especially for a mermaid.
"One water," Penelope mused as the team's water girl, holding a water bottle out to MacKenzie. "And one straw." She winked, making MacKenzie roll her eyes. Even as a mermaid, MacKenzie could drink water...carefully, of course. Though, a straw would make it far easier—
"—I just get a thrill from tormenting all the crazies," Dana taunted from feet away. MacKenzie threw a cautious glance over her shoulder to spot the townie girl and Lizzie in the midst of a spat. "Speaking of, it's been a while since you paid a visit to my mom's pharmacy. Maybe you're feeling a little delusional because you're off your meds."
With that, Dana sauntered off with a particular pep in her step and a chip on her shoulder. Lizzie looked pissed, but Dana just looked proud of herself.
MacKenzie twisted the cap off her bottle. "Hey, Dana! Water?" Before Dana could respond, MacKenzie tossed the bottle towards her. Water went everywhere, even as Dana grabbed the plastic bottle. MacKenzie winced. "Sorry! Forgot I opened it!"
Dana scowled, shaking her hands loose of water as she stomped off toward the rest of her team. MacKenzie stole a glance toward Lizzie, to find the witch already looking at MacKenzie like she grew a second head.
"What? I can't think she's just as much of a jerk as you do?" MacKenzie retorted, perhaps too quickly like the answer had been previously practiced for this very situation.
Lizzie then rolled her eyes, twisting on her heels and stomping off. MacKenzie could only huff after that, ignoring the look she was receiving from Penelope as she grabbed another water.
"That was awesome," Theo suddenly gushed as she jogged over to MacKenzie. Pride flashed across MacKenzie's face. "Granted, now Dana's covered in water and if she tackles you, or even so much as touches you—"
MacKenzie's eyes widened. "Oh."
"But points for flair."
Okay, avoid Dana. MacKenzie could do that much. It wasn't like she wanted much to do with the townie in the first place. Her thoughts are interrupted by the call for a team huddle.
"New plan," Lizzie announced they'd gathered up. There was a fiery determination in her eyes, paired with newfound anger. "The gloves are off. Let's burn these bitches to the ground."
Josie cast her sister a sharp glance. "Lizzie, no."
"We're gonna give these townies a taste of what we're really made of," Lizzie carried on, unbothered as she extended a hand.
MG was quick to join in, setting his hand atop hers. "You can count on my steel."
Lizzie recoiled, muttering 'Ew' under her breath while MacKenzie furrowed her brows. "What? So now we just...do whatever it takes to win? No more losing?"
"Are you in or are you out?" Lizzie asked, a challenging look in her eyes as she narrowed them at MacKenzie. MacKenzie bit her tongue, throwing her hand into the ring as everyone else did the same.
Even Josie wound up relenting, albeit very reluctantly. The team broke apart after that, a renewed sense of vigor to them and the opposing Timberwolves needed to watch out.
Everyone went long as Lizzie pulled her arm back and sent the football sailing and into MacKenzie's outstretched grasp. She might've chosen anyone else to throw it to if not for the fact MacKenzie was the least guarded.
MacKenzie took off in a sprint, her legs probably working harder than they ever had. Cradling the ball to her chest, all she had to do was get to the end zone—until Dana began gaining on her.
"Watch your step!" Theo taunted, quickening her pace to barrel into Dana and make them both go sprawling onto the ground. MacKenzie slid into the end zone with ease after that, a broad smile on her face and victory in her veins—even if fleeting.
The following down, MacKenzie managed to steal the ball off the opposing players. The team continued to close in, prompting her to wind her arm back and make a rather impressive throw to her teammate, Kaleb. The throw was impressive, with or without her enhanced strength.
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It wasn't much longer until the Stallions had managed to tie everything up with one more down to go. Though Josie tried to insist they go back to their original plan of losing, everyone else settled for the much better plan of winning—without their supernatural abilities. It was a slim shot, but Kaleb was good.
And winning actually seemed inevitable until the ball seemed to fly from his hands, thereby securing the Timberwolves their own win and another year of ridicule for the Salvatore School students.
Despite their distaste for the events that transpired, they would have to wallow in their defeat later as they lined up for a show of good sportsmanship. Teammates from both teams had to slap hands in praise before anyone could leave.
"I didn't think this game could get any lamer," Theo muttered from behind MacKenzie as they shuffled forward, closer to the Timberwolves.
MacKenzie threw a glance over your shoulder. "It's supposed to show shortsmanship."
"And?" Theo retorted. "I'm a bad sport."
Lizzie slammed her fist into the side of Dana's face, Kaleb stand wide-eyed behind her. "Not now, Dana!" She'd snapped. And that was all it took to start a full-blown riot with Stallions and Timberwolves—even those just in the crowd—going at each other with reckless abandon while other more sensible people tried to break it apart.
"Stop!" MacKenzie cried helplessly as she pulled one Stallion off a Timberwolf only for someone else to take a swing at her, knocking her right in the jaw.
"I take it back," Theo called over the din of chaos. "This is fun."
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"Despite our massive loss, that game was definitely something," Theo noted as the pair of girls walked into their shared bedroom after the fight had been quelled.
"Sorry, my jaw's still clicking, what did you say?" MacKenzie questioned as she trailed behind her, massaging her jaw as she shot a glance toward Theo.
Theo barely stifled a snort. "That was a real hit, you're lucky it wasn't your eye," she said as MacKenzie just flopped onto her bed. She could feel the exhaustion threatening to wash over her, but she desperately needed a bath after a game like that. "You know who hit you, by the way?"
"Feel like her name was Bridgette," MacKenzie replied, eyes squeezing shut to block out the dull ache in her face as she willed herself to sit up.
"I'm surprised Lizzie didn't take a shot at you."
MacKenzie cast her a glance, eyebrows dipping in confusion. "What?"
Theo quirked an eyebrow. "You and Lizzie Saltzman. You two hate each other," she observed as if it was all plain to see.
MacKenzie frowned, massaging her temples. "No, it's not—" She cut herself off with a sigh. "Maybe it is like that?" She screwed her nose up, dragging her hands down her face. "I hate hating people, it's exhausting."
"Funny, I'm the opposite," Theo said, earning a faint laugh from MacKenzie. Curiosity getting the better of her, she continued, "What exactly...happened between you two?"
MacKenzie shrugged. "Nothing...really happened." Memories echoed in her mind and for as long as she could remember, things had always been the same. "We've...we've just never gotten along."