Chapter Text
Melissa is certain she’s never set foot in a hotel this fancy before. It’s probably not even a four-star place, but the gleaming marble floors and uniformed bellboys—who, until now, she thought only existed in movies—make it feel luxurious enough. Just looking around, she’s pretty sure a single night here costs more than fixing her truck’s busted engine—maybe even enough to take care of that dent in the truck bed too.
Thank God for Lottie Matthews and for her dad's inability to show love except by spending money on his daughter. Okay, that was kind of a jerk thing to think. Anyway.
She looks around in wonder while her teammates spread out through the lobby and explore the surroundings, apparently also a little amazed by the sudden freedom of being in a fancy hotel with friends without parental supervision. Of course, the coaches would be guiding the girls' stay during the tournament period, but Melissa’s sure they know they can't be in two places at once. Fourteen teenagers hyped up for a sports tournament are a herd that's hard to control.
Gen approaches Melissa from behind and places her hands on her shoulders, shaking her lightly, smiling and clearly excited. Mari and Akilah walk past the two of them, chatting and already looking for things to do while waiting for the coaches to organize themselves enough to give instructions on room assignments and the team dinner later.
“Dude, this is kind of everything we’ve been dreaming about for months. It still doesn’t feel real that we actually made it to Nationals,” Gen says beside her, clearly captivated by the hotel and the promises of the coming days.
Melissa looks at her and gives a small sideways smile, shaking her head slightly. She also hasn’t fully come to terms with the situation around her, just as she’s sure many of her teammates are still a bit in disbelief.
“You’re saying that now, but tomorrow after the game, when your legs are screaming from exhaustion, I’d like to hear you say again that this is a dream,” Melissa teases lightly. All jokes aside, the team worked way too hard all season not to recognize this chance at the championship as a dream come true.
“Yeah, whatever, I know you’re feeling just as dazed as I am. Let me know when reality hits you in the face and you realize how lucky we are!” Gen replies with a smile on her face and steps away from the blonde to join Mari and Akilah.
Up ahead, Melissa observes the team and their small friendship groups interacting animatedly. Lottie and Laura Lee are chatting while seated in fancy armchairs, the brunette quietly gazing around as she listens to her friend go on about something. On the sofa near the armchairs, Taissa and Van are all smiles and playful nudges, looking as if they’re forever stuck in a honeymoon phase. If those two think they’re doing a good job hiding their relationship, Melissa isn’t about to ruin such a beautiful fantasy. She still can’t help but feel envious of how casually Van has her arm resting on the back of Tai’s seat on the sofa.
One day, it’ll be her in an enviable lesbian relationship, she’s sure (or at least she fucking hopes so, so help her god).
Near the reception desk, where Gen, Mari, Akilah, and Robin are loitering, Jackie and Shauna are quietly arguing about something. And what a topic it must be, because Shauna is visibly annoyed by something while the other girl gestures, trying to calm her down.
Oh, Shauna.
Melissa is certain she probably doesn’t even know her name, but what a beautiful sight she is. She knows it’s pathetic to just stand by pining for a girl who doesn’t even see her as a secondary character in her life, but Melissa can’t help it. Shauna’s big brown eyes, along with her perpetually annoyed expression, are the daily protagonists of Melissa’s many daydreams, and that’s a fact that simply cannot be avoided (she has tried before).
But that’s fine.
Mel knows it’s important to have something unattainable to dream about. Keeping the brain entertained with impossible scenarios is part of the human experience.
The loud sound of a whistle pulls Melissa out of her thoughts and makes her look toward the reception desk, where Coach Martinez and Coach Scott stand with clipboards in hand.
“Okay, everyone, if you could come closer so we can give the room assignment instructions, that would be great,” Coach Scott calls the team’s attention and waits, arms crossed, as the girls leave their spots and gather in a semicircle around the coaches.
Melissa walks over to Gen and Mari, briefly taking off her cap to try and fix her hair and look a bit more presentable.
“You do realize you were staring at Shauna pretty hard just now, right? You’re gonna creep her out, you dumbass.” Gen whispers at her side with a shit eating grin plastered on her face. Melissa feels her face heat up at this.
“Fuck off, I was just fixated on a random spot near the reception. A girl can’t even get distracted by something without you throwing around stalker allegations,” Melissa tries to justify herself but knows her friend will keep mocking her anyway.
Coach Martinez clears his throat.
“So girls, here’s the deal. You already know that the room arrangements and the matter of who will share with whom have already been decided. We talked about this on the plane, and there will be no renegotiations,” some girls groan at that, but the coach continues.
“Anyway, once we’ve assigned everyone, you’ll be free to head to your rooms and store your luggage. You’ll have free time until dinner, when we’ll all meet back here in the lobby at 8 PM. And no, it’s not 8:05 or 8:10. Anyone who arrives late will stay behind and have to eat whatever is left in the snack machines.” Jesus, what an asshole.
“What we mean is that it’s important for you to behave like the elite athletes that you are and respect the schedule. Tomorrow, at the training session before the game, we don’t want anyone arriving late to the field without having eaten breakfast or just rolling out of bed,” Coach Scott adds to the speech, trying to soften the harsher words of the other coach with a curt smile.
“And speaking of tomorrow’s game, be aware that the time you’re expected to be down here to have breakfast is at seven. At eight, we’ll take the bus to the field, where we’ll train and warm up until game time,” at the mention of the game, some ears perk up, and Melissa hears Coach Martinez sigh loudly in frustration.
“The game against Ridgeview High School isn’t the toughest you’ve faced, but it’s important not to underestimate any team. You guys know the drill by now; we’re in the round of 16, and our goal is to play this match as preparation for the quarter-finals. Ain’t no better training than a real match.”
The team gathered in the circle lets out affirming and excited expressions, hyping each other up. Melissa can feel the anticipation building in the air, and her heart actually speeds up with the feeling.
“Anyway, I feel like that’s enough of a pep talk for now. Coach Scott is going to share the room assignments for the week,” when mentioned, the other coach steps forward and gets ready to read from his clipboard.
“So, we have Taissa and Robin, Natalie and Misty, Akilah and Lottie, Melissa and Shauna, Mari and Gen, Jackie and Van, and finally, Laura Lee and Crystal.” as Melissa’s name is mentioned along with Shauna’s, she feels her blood pressure drop and starts to hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. Holy shit. Okay, the coach is still talking.
“- If you could come forward in an orderly manner to pick up the keys to your rooms, I’d appreciate it.”
Melissa stands frozen like an idiot, kind of in shock, watching the girls around her complain about the room assignments. She only notices that Shauna has already picked up the keys from Coach and is heading toward her when the brunette stops in front of her with an unimpressed look. Shauna extends her hand with Melissa’s key for the other girl to take.
The blonde tries to discreetly wipe her sweaty palms on her jeans before reaching for the key. She notices Shauna watching the movement, giving her a once-over.
“Hey, roomie,” Melissa tries with an awkward smile and finally grabs the key from Shauna’s hand, fidgeting with it a little. Shauna doesn’t react immediately but eventually tilts her head to the side, as if analyzing the other player. Melissa suddenly feels very inadequate in her hoodie and pink hat combo.
She smooths out the creases on her clothing, in reflex.
“I really hope you don’t snore,” the brunette finally says before turning away, heading toward the elevators where other girls from the team were already gathered with their luggage, waiting to go up. Melissa stands there, stunned. Oh, fuck. She does snore.
Unless Gen lied about it during their sleepovers. Which is absolutely possible.
She puts her cap back on and looks for her friends in the lobby. Gen and Mari are also in front of the elevators, so Melissa drags herself over to the spot, pulling her suitcase along. Seeing the blonde approaching, the other two girls hold the elevator door open, forcing her to awkwardly sprint over with her bag and luggage.
Mel steps into the elevator and looks worriedly at Gen, ignoring the other guests around her.
“Gen, do I really snore when I sleep, or every time you tell me that you’re just trying to fuck with me?” she asks, slightly out of breath after her brief run. Mari snorts at that, and Gen laughs loudly.
Melissa raises her eyebrows in exasperation, trying to show how serious the situation is.
“We just got the room assignments and you’re already worried about bothering Shauna? Jesus, I thought it would take at least a little longer for you to start freaking out about this,” Gen jokes. Melissa gestures with her hands, urging the other girl to actually answer her question.
“Yes, dude, you snore when you sleep. And it’s not the cute kind of snore, sorry.”
Melissa shoves her hands into her face and groans dramatically.
“Dude, if you want, I brought those nasal strips to prevent snoring,” Mari starts, sensing her friend’s despair. “Ever since I had to get surgery for a deviated septum after that ball broke my nose, I use that shit every day, and it works wonders.”
“I could kiss you right now!” Melissa exaggerates and grabs the other girl’s shoulders.
“Please don’t,” Mari says with a mock disgusted face and bats away the blonde girl’s hands.
Melissa still smiles at her while she waits for the elevator to reach the sixth floor.
_
After going to Gen and Mari’s room to grab the blessed anti-snoring strips, Melissa gets ready to enter her own room, where she knows Shauna is probably waiting.
Fuck, okay. Room 606, just down the hall.
The orange carpet in the hallway, by chance, is one of those geometric ones that strongly reminds her of the movie The Shining. Which is kind of funny because Melissa’s feeling a fear similar to what the movie made her feel when she watched it. Which is also, honestly, stupid, considering there’s no sign that two twin children on tricycles will appear at the end of the hallway.
Anyway.
She walks down the passage and stops in front of the door, fumbling briefly with the keys in her pocket. It’s gonna be okay, Melissa knows that. She’s not going to open the door and have Shauna immediately hate her for some unknown and entirely fictional reason.
The anxiety is still enough to make her hesitate for a few seconds before opening the door and stepping into the room with her luggage.
Immediately, she hears Jackie’s voice filling the space, definitely going on about something. As she steps further into the room, Melissa sees Shauna lying on one of the single beds, lazily lounging with her legs crossed at the ankles and idly fiddling with the sleeves of her red flannel, listening to her friend speak.
Leaning against the central desk in the room is Jackie, gesturing as she discusses whatever topic she’s immersed in. Both turn to look at the girl who just entered the room, and Melissa just flashes an awkward smile and raises her hand in a wave.
“Hey, you guys.”
Jackie greets her with a tight smile and a nod.
“Where have you been until now?” Shauna asks, seemingly curious about the blonde’s deliberate delay. Melissa notices that she seems eager to steer the conversation she was having with Jackie in another direction, seemingly bored or even annoyed.
That’s okay, Melissa can do just that for her.
"Oh, I was just over at Gen and Mari’s room hanging out for a bit and grabbing these nasal strips to help with my snoring at night,” the blonde replies briefly, pulling the box of strips out of her hoodie pocket and showing it to the other girl. “I just didn’t want to bother you at night and end up making you sleep poorly.”
Shauna raises her eyebrows in surprise at that.
“Shit, I was just messing with you earlier, you didn’t have to go through all the trouble.” Then she smiles, seemingly grateful. “Thank you, that’s actually very thoughtful. You’re sweet, huh?”
Melissa instantly feels her face heat up at the compliment, definitely not expecting any acknowledgment from Shauna. She opens her mouth to respond with something that surely wouldn’t embarrass her further in front of the brunette, but she’s interrupted by Jackie.
“Well, I think I’ll head to my room to get ready for dinner, it’s already six-thirty,” she says, glancing at her wristwatch and looking a bit awkward about the situation unfolding in front of her. “I guess I’ll see you guys later, then. Shauna, don’t forget to think about what I told you, you know it’s something important to me.”
“Yeah, sure. Bye, Jackie,” Shauna mutters back, looking at the ceiling instead of at her departing best friend.
Melissa offers a simple goodbye to the team captain before finally sitting down on her own bed. She tries to distract herself from the realization that she’s actually alone with the brunette in the room by placing her backpack on the bed and parking her suitcase on the floor next to the nightstand.
When she risks a glance at the other player, she sees that Shauna is already looking at her. Jesus. She has a slightly puzzled expression, as if she’s trying to figure Melissa out.
“Are you okay? You look kind of tired, I don’t know,” Melissa asks, more out of reflex than anything else.
Shauna scoffs, then grins incredulously before rolling onto her side to face the blonde.
“Oh gee, thanks a lot. That’s exactly what every girl wants to hear,” she mocks.
Melissa immediately realizes she’s made a fool of herself. Again.
“Dude, come on, you know—I just meant—fuck off, you know you’re pretty, I didn’t mean to say otherwise. I just wanted to know if you were okay,” Melissa stammers pathetically, voice trailing off as she fiddles with the rings on her fingers, trying to mask her embarrassment.
Shauna actually snorts. A small victory—at least she made the girl laugh, even if it was at her own expense.
Flustered, Melissa gets up from where she was sitting on the bed, and opens her suitcase, pulling out her toiletry bag with her shower items. She organizes a change of clothes for dinner and turns to find Shauna watching her, amused.
“I think I’ll take a shower before we have to go to this dinner. I feel like you’ve already had enough material of me making a fool out of myself to at least keep you entertained while I’m not here,” she jokes, shrugging in mock offense.
Once again, Shauna chuckles lightly.
“Man, I can’t believe you actually have a personality. Who would’ve thought?” Shauna remarks, still wearing a small, disbelieving smile.
Melissa has enough dignity to look at the brunette and shake her head in mock disapproval.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be right back.”
With that, she crosses the room and quickly locks herself in the bathroom, letting out a shaky exhale. The harsh artificial light makes her wince, but she barely notices—she’s too busy processing what just happened.
That interaction went better than she expected. What the fuck.
She made Shauna laugh. More than once.
Grinning at herself in the mirror, Melissa takes the unlikely win.
It’s going to be okay. She can handle a few more days in this situation, and who knows—maybe even get the other girl to feel some kind of affection for her.
She’s gonna do this, and all the haters (Gen) are gonna be baffled at her sheer skills in charming girls.
_
Later that day, the team gathers at a retro-style diner across the road from the hotel. The place has an unmistakable greasy smell, and the waitresses look like they hate their jobs—it’s the perfect vibe for a pre-game dinner.
Coach Martinez, his youngest son Javi and Coach Scott sit at a separate table, clearly wanting to avoid the chaos that’s bound to erupt soon.
The girls sit at a long table, and Mel finds herself seated between Akilah and Gen, along with the rest of the JV players around her. The rest of the table is made up of the older players and, surprisingly, Coach Martinez’s older son, who looks like he doesn’t want to be there. Melissa doesn’t know his first name. Honestly, she doesn’t care.
Akilah seems to be sneaking glances at him while sipping her Coke through a straw. There’s no way Melissa can understand how her angelic looking friend seems to be slightly interested in a guy with greasy hair and big forearms. Straight people’s shit, she guesses.
Anyway, the players around the table seem to be having fun with each other, and it makes Melissa feel grateful to be part of a group of people who care about one another. For a long time, she thought she wouldn’t find a sense of belonging in her life. That changed when Gen convinced her to try out for the school soccer team, and she ended up meeting these girls.
Sure, she’s not close with many of them, but they’re still a team, with a shared goal of playing soccer and being good at it. And that definitely includes caring about each other, even if only on a surface level.
Take Van, for example—Melissa isn’t particularly close to her, but she really admires how the goalkeeper is true to herself and fiercely loyal to the people she cares about. She also has a wicked sense of humor that Mel wishes she could absorb, if she’s honest.
Then there’s Laura Lee, of all people. Anytime they interact, even briefly, the fellow defender manages to be the kindest person Melissa has ever met.
The thing is, she cares deeply for these girls.
Oh man, she’s getting way too mushy for her own liking.
Her internal monologue is abruptly cut off when a freezing sensation presses against the back of her neck.
Melissa yelps—way more high-pitched and girlier than she’d like—and immediately glares at Gen, who’s laughing loudly, still holding her milkshake cup. The commotion earns them a few glances from the table.
“What the fuck, dude?” Melissa complains indignantly. As she looks around, she catches Shauna grinning amusedly before quickly averting her gaze.
“You were so spaced out, I just had to! What’s up with you anyway? You’ve barely said a word since we got here,” Gen asks, draping her arm over the back of Melissa’s chair and wiping the water droplets left on her neck with the sleeve of her blouse. “Is this about your rooming situation with Shauna? If things are super weird in your room, you know you can hang out in my room with me and Mari. We can even invite Akilah to chill with us.”
At the mention of her name, Akilah looks up, snapping out of her own daze.
Melissa sighs and shoves a few fries into her mouth. “I was just thinking in peace. There’s nothing going on in my room, okay?”
As soon as Melissa finishes speaking, she knows she hasn’t convinced her friend at all.
Time to change the subject.
“Tell us, Akilah, how’s the experience of sharing a hotel room with dearest Lottie Matthews?”
Akilah pauses for a moment to think, biting her lips.
“She’s actually very chill. We didn’t end up talking much because right after she finished getting ready, she went straight to Natalie’s room,” Akilah deliberates calmly, shrugging. Both Melissa and Gen nod at that—it makes sense.
Before either of them can say anything in response, there’s a loud sound of a fork tapping against a glass coming from the center of the table. Jackie has a glass raised, calling the team’s attention.
“My fellow teammates, good evening!” The girls respond with varying levels of enthusiasm. “First of all, I just want to say how proud I am of what we’ve achieved as a team. We deserve to be here, and tomorrow we’re going to destroy that wannabe Florida team.” at that, the team erupts with affirmations and promises of mass destruction. Jackie clears her throat and lowers her voice dramatically to continue.
“Secondly, an announcement,” she says, looking directly at Coach Martinez’s son, narrowing her eyes and pointing a finger at him. “Travis, if you tell your dad what I’m about to suggest, I’ll sneak into your room at night and shave your head. I’m so serious.” Travis raises his hands in surrender, miming zipping his lips shut. Jackie nods in approval before continuing.
“Great. So, I was going to suggest a little party tonight after curfew. Nothing too wild—we’ve got an early game tomorrow, but still, bring your contraband. I’m looking at you, Nat.” the table buzzes with excitement as suggestions for the party start flying. Melissa feels the energy building, but the moment is quickly interrupted by Jackie’s next words.
Jackie looks directly at her, a friendly smile on her face.
“Melissa, I was talking to Shipman, and we came to the conclusion that the party could happen in your shared room with her. Are you okay with that?” Jackie asks the blonde softly.
It takes Melissa a moment to process that the question was actually directed at her, and she looks at Shauna, who is staring resignedly at her empty glass.
“I mean, if Shauna’s okay with it, I guess it’s fine,” she responds, a little coyly. “But it’d be nice if you all could help clean up afterward.” Melissa presses her lips together and raises her eyebrows in a pleading expression. She knows the party is a bad idea, and she knows that Shauna knows it too, even though she agreed with her best friend to go through with it. Melissa wonders how often the other girl does this, pushes aside her own feelings to meet Jackie’s expectations.
“Yeah, of course.” Jackie says, her grin widening. “It’s settled then—tonight, after curfew, party in room 606. Bring your drinks of choice, but not too much, please,” she claps her hands, clearly pleased with herself for organizing everything.
Melissa looks at Gen and Mari, offering a small smile as if to say, What can you do, right? The two immediately start discussing what to wear and whether they brought any alcohol from home. Meanwhile, Melissa rests her head on her hand, watching Shauna laugh at something Van said. That’s when she realizes—it’s going to be a long night.
_
By 10:30, the TV in Melissa and Shauna’s hotel room is already tuned to MTV, blasting the biggest hits of the moment. The conversation flows freely around the room, and Mel thanks God that both coaches are staying on another floor of the hotel.
The smell of cheap alcohol fills her nostrils, and she realizes that if they don't sleep with the windows open, the stench is going to be absorbed into the bed sheets and walls.
No Diggity plays in the background as Melissa finds herself in the middle of a completely ridiculous discussion. Mari is trying to convince her, Gen, Natalie and Van that Kurt Cobain hadn’t actually killed himself but had been murdered instead.
"And, it turns out, he had such high levels of heroin in his blood that it would have been almost impossible for him to lift a shotgun and aim it at his own head," Mari deliberates, holding her dubious drink away from her own head and mimicking the act of holding a large gun.
Natalie scoffs in disbelief, and Van looks thoughtful.
"Like, if you’ve ever tried riding a bike drunk, you know how hard it is to have enough dexterity to do something like that!"
"Dude, I’ve played entire soccer matches high as a kite. That doesn’t mean shit when you’re used to using stuff. The guy was clearly so addicted he could do everyday things just fine even while completely wasted," Nat explains, gesturing and looking slightly exasperated with Mari.
Melissa glances to her left and notices that Gen is completely checked out, lost in her own world. The blonde decides to observe her surroundings while the other girls continue their conversation. Travis is here, surprisingly enough, having been invited by the team captain herself after keeping his silence about the party. Akilah is standing next to him, leaning against the wall, looking shy and nursing a drink.
Across the room, near the entrance, are Shauna, Jackie, Lottie, and Tai, all chatting happily. Well, not all of them seem happy—Shauna looks bored, her arms crossed, her expression unreadable. That seems like a sign, right? This is the moment Melissa should step in, offer Shauna some irresistible form of entertainment?
Shauna catches her eye across the room and makes a finger gun, placing it against the side of her head and mimicking the act of suicide. Jackie follows Shauna’s gaze and sees her making the gesture at Melissa, slapping her shoulder and scolding her lightly.
Shauna just laughs at that and tries to go back to her conversation.
Okay, that is definitely a sign she should do something. Melissa has a very specific solution in mind. She brought a small case with a selection of pre-rolled joints from home, knowing that, since she’d be flying to Seattle on a private plane, there wouldn’t be any security checks aside from the usual metal detectors.
Melissa is kind of what you’d call a stoner. But not really—she just has a bit of a habit, one she’s picked up from her three older brothers, who really do smoke weed everyday. Her dad doesn’t care anymore about the smell that permanently lingers in their basement. In fact, Melissa thinks he’s even picked up smoking with her brother Daniel.
Anyway. She gets anxious in tense situations (like Nationals, obviously) and knows that weed helps her in moments like this—sue her. Now she just has to figure out exactly how to get Shauna away from her group and invite the girl to smoke with her. And where they’ll do it, too.
She walks over to her backpack beside the bed and grabs the small case, looking around the room before pausing her gaze on the bathroom.
Bingo.
She’s going to hotbox that shit up with Shauna.
She feels so clever, she’s not gonna lie.
Melissa opens the container to check if all the joints are intact and hears a low whistle. She looks up and immediately sees Van beside her, an impressed smile on her face.
"Damn, Mel. You’re holding out on us like that?" the redhead asks, smirking but without any malice in her tone. Melissa instinctively looks in Shauna’s direction, and Van follows her gaze, realization dawning on her features. "Oh, you’re looking to share with someone, huh?"
Melissa tries to play it cool, but ends up not even denying anything.
"Just don’t tell anyone about this, please." She pleads, blue eyes begging for understanding. "I just want to try something different, and I feel like, for once, the stars have aligned for me."
Van chuckles softly and crosses her arms.
"Your secret’s safe with me, Melissa of Hat Fame." she says with a wink. Melissa laughs, embarrassed, but nods in acknowledgment.
"Good luck, JV."
And with that, Van heads toward the group, light on her steps, where Taissa seems to be waiting for her.
Okay, this is it.
Melissa takes a deep breath, removes her cap and adjusts her hair, putting it back on, then heads toward the same group Van just joined. On her way, she sidesteps Misty and Crystal, both standing in front of the TV and singing along to the songs like they’re at their own personal karaoke. Finally, she reaches Shauna’s shoulder and leans slightly toward her, speaking softly near her ear.
"I need your help with something, please."
Shauna looks at her, considering for a moment, then finally nods, letting out an "Alright."
No one in the group seems to notice the exchange, except for Jackie, who looks a little bothered but doesn’t say anything and continues pretending to be engaged in her other conversation.
That’s not Melissa’s problem, though.
She leads the brunette to the bathroom, and once they’re inside the confined space, she closes the door. Shauna seems curious about where this is going, watching her with poorly hidden anticipation. Good, because Mel feels like she’d pass out from embarrassment if the other girl somehow wasn’t okay with this.
"So, what’s up?" Shauna asks, crossing her arms and tilting her head to the side. Melissa braces herself, ready for a potentially awkward moment.
"Call it a hunch, but you looked like you needed a distraction," Melissa begins, offering a sheepish smile on her face.
"And I thought to myself, ‘Mel, what kind of person would you be if you didn’t help your own roommate in a situation where she seems bored?’" Shauna smiles despite herself at this.
Melissa hesitates for a moment, then continues.
"Then I remembered something important: I brought some joints on this trip! I was going to smoke them alone, you know, just to take the edge off, but then I realized… I wouldn’t mind sharing some with a pretty girl."
Shauna shakes her head, laughing, looking a little stunned by the situation.
"The thing is,” Melissa presses on, “I’m asking you to hotbox this bathroom with me," She flashes her best charming smile, hoping it’s enough. Shauna looks up at the ceiling, against the artificial lights, and smiles slightly. When she lowers her gaze, she looks impressed.
"What the fuck, sure. Let’s do this."
Shauna leans against the bathroom sink, lazily waiting for Melissa to make the next move. The blonde girl, honest to God, almost pumps her fists in victory.
Melissa grabs one of the several towels hanging in the bathroom and starts making a barrier on the floor in front of the door, blocking the airflow. Then, she climbs into the bathtub and shuts the small window tightly.
She steps back, hands on her hips, and admires her handiwork. That’ll do, she guesses.
"What if someone wants to use the bathroom while we’re in here?" the brunette asks, now sitting on the bathroom counter, watching the other girl with a raised brow.
"They all have bathrooms in their own rooms. They can figure it out," Melissa responds, opening her trusty case and fishing out her lighter and one of the joints.
She pops it into her mouth and sits in the empty bathtub, gesturing for Shauna to sit on the other side. After a brief moment of hesitation, Shauna joins her. The brunette watches quietly as Melissa lights the joint hanging loosely out of her mouth.
Melissa shivers at that and scratches the back of her neck messily, trying to get rid of the sensation. Shauna follows her movements with her eyes. Finally, she inhales the smoke into her mouth, willing it to go all the way down to her lungs, and exhales the rest a few seconds later.
Melissa extends the joint toward her.
"Why did you agree to have the party in our room if it’s not something you actually wanted?" she asks.
Shauna rolls her eyes, clearly annoyed, but still reaches for the joint.
"Can we please not talk about Jackie?" she sighs. "I know it looks like I follow her every order like a trained puppy, but I swear it’s just easier to go along with whatever she wants than to argue with her."
Melissa knows not to push it—she’s seen Shauna blow up at other team players before, and it’s not pretty (although, if she’s being honest with herself, it’s kind of hot). Shauna takes a long drag and looks away.
Melissa takes a moment to appreciate the smoke beginning to fill the bathroom, letting the silence settle in her ears, blending with the muffled sounds of the party running wild behind the door.
"I don’t think you act like a doormat for her, if that’s any consolation," Melissa spoke in a hushed tone. "Not that I understand anything about the dynamic between you two. Seems way too complicated for a stranger to grasp."
Shauna takes another drag, shakes her head, and hands the joint back.
"That’s right, you really don’t know shit about me and Jackie," Shauna retorted—not pissed, but not exactly pleased either. Ouch. "But I appreciate the sentiment, knowing at least not everyone thinks I’m just her shadow."
Melissa raises her eyebrows, finding it absurd that anyone could ever look at Shauna and think of her as someone else’s appendage. Listen, she could go on and on about how the other girl exudes sheer presence and fierceness. About how just one look from her would be enough to bring Melissa to her knees. She could even say all those things to Shauna herself—if she weren’t so afraid of looking ridiculous while doing so.
Instead, she keeps smoking, carefully pondering a response that won’t make her sound pathetic. Screw it—she might as well take a risk. She’s already here anyway.
"I don’t think I could ever see you as someone else’s shadow," she says, not meaning for her voice to sound so smitten. Shauna definitely picks up on it. "Not that I’ve been, like, paying close attention or anything. That would be weird." Yes, Melissa, nicely done. That wasn’t awkward at all.
Shauna doesn’t seem put off by it, though. If anything, she seems to enjoy realizing she has someone’s attention. She smirks and reaches back for the joint, the smoke briefly clouding her face.
"So you’ve just been paying the normal amount of attention?" Shauna leans in slightly, humming. It’s all dizzying enough to make Melissa’s mouth go dry. Could be the weed, she reasons.
"I mean… only if that’s something you’d like," Melissa swallows the lump in her throat, watching Shauna study her closely. The scent of weed and the haze around them make the moment feel almost surreal.
"I think I do like it." With that, Shauna takes the last drag and stubs out the joint against the sole of her Converse—oh so boyish-like. Melissa finds herself absolutely entranced by the effortless charm of it all.
She shakes her head slightly, trying to snap herself out of the daze taking over her mind. Damn, she’s already high. Shauna is clearly flirting with her, and Melissa needs to do something about it.
A loud bang from outside the bathroom startles them. She clears her throat.
"Want another joint?" she asks, watching the way Shauna runs her fingers through her long, dark hair. The other girl gives a sly smile, leaning back against the tub. Her gaze makes Melissa feel like prey under the eyes of something that wouldn’t hesitate to devour her whole.
"Sure. It’s not like weed gives you a hangover anyway," Shauna responds smoothly.
Melissa shoots up from the bathtub so fast that her vision darkens, filling with stars. She waits a second before crossing the bathroom to grab the promised second joint.
She sits back in the tub, her bent knees pressing lightly against Shauna’s. Melissa tries not to look as eager as she feels. The smoke is thick, filling the entire room with ease, clouding the not-so-aggressive-anymore artificial lights on the ceiling.
She already knows by the way her eyes feel heavier than usual—they’re about to get fucked up.
Melissa lights the new joint, taking a small hit before offering it to Shauna. The brunette leans in to take it and, when she’s close enough, snatches the cap off Melissa’s head, placing it on her own.
"Hey!" Melissa lets out, indignantly.
"So, what’s up with the hat?" Shauna teases. "There’s gotta be a story behind it, right?"
Melissa runs her fingers through her hair, trying to make it look at least a little more presentable. She smiles to herself, quietly admiring the sight of Shauna wearing something so personal to her.
"Gen gave it to me when we made the soccer team. After a while, I got emotionally attached to it, and now it’s kinda my good luck charm," Melissa explains, earning a snort from Shauna. "Plus, I like how it makes me look a little more masculine, I don’t know."
Shauna hums. "I get that. I think if Jackie didn’t give me so much shit about the way I dress, I’d definitely wear less feminine clothes." A pause, and then a knowing smirk grows on her face. "I bet the girls like it. The boyfriend look of it all, I mean.”
Melissa chokes mid-hit and laughs nervously. Shauna seems to be messing with her, but there’s something else in her eyes. Something hungry.
"Don’t be an asshole," Melissa starts, wary. "I wish it worked like that."
Shauna leans forward, crossing her arms over her knees, getting close enough that Melissa can see her pupils blown wide, nearly swallowing the brown of her irises.
"Not being an asshole. Just speaking the truth," Shauna says slowly, one of her hands trailing down to Melissa’s leg, fingers toying with the frayed hole at her knee in her worn-out jeans.
Melissa feels a spark shoot through her at the touch, clenching her jaw in response. Fuck. Okay. Maybe this is happening.
Except it’s not. Happening, that is.
The bathroom door suddenly swings open, and in walks a very clearly drunk Jackie Taylor. Melissa almost tells her to fuck off and leave, but instead, she just sighs in frustration, letting her back hit the bathtub wall.
Shauna immediately withdraws from her flirty stance, her eyes wide, like a deer caught in headlights. She almost looks guilty, like Jackie just caught her cheating.
Jackie shuts the door behind her, covering her mouth and nose as she coughs lightly. She throws up her hands in the universal gesture of ‘what the fuck?’. Shauna looks frustrated.
"Dude, what the hell are you guys doing?" Jackie asks, stepping closer to the tub. Shauna stands up from where she was sitting, taking a step toward her friend—one hand slightly raised like she was about to touch Jackie, but then she pulls it back.
"I mean, what does it look like we’re doing?" Melissa responds, gesturing around. But that probably wasn’t what Jackie was really asking. She’s wondering why Shauna is in the bathroom with Melissa instead of out at the party with her.
Jackie frowns at her for a few seconds before turning her attention back to Shauna.
"C’mon, we’re shutting the party down. It’s way too late," Jackie says. "Help me get everyone out. Afterwards, can you walk me to my room?" she asks, her voice sweet and tentative.
Shauna sighs, watching the way Jackie curls her hand around her arm. She glances back briefly, giving Melissa an apologetic look.
"Okay, yeah, whatever. Let’s go," Shauna concedes, shrugging. She follows Jackie to the door, sparing one last glance at Melissa before stepping out and closing it behind her.
And just like that, Melissa is left alone in a smoke-filled bathroom.
What the actual fuck.
Melissa’s flabbergasted.
Now she’s high as a kite, alone, and frankly, a little worried about how hard it’s going to be to wake up in the morning.
She gets up from the bathtub and opens the window, letting all the smoke and built-up tension drift away with the breeze.
Melissa steps out of the bathroom and watches as her teammates slowly start tidying up the mess they made in the room. Gen walks up beside her, crossing her arms.
“Holy shit, it reeks of weed in here. I hope you take a shower before we head to the game tomorrow.”
Melissa looks at her, still struggling to process everything.
“My god, your eyes are, like, so red. Dude, how high are you?”
The blonde doesn’t answer, just waves a hand dismissively, as if to say don’t worry about it. She ignores the remaining girls around her and flops face-down onto her bed, not even bothering to take off her shoes.
Melissa groans into her pillow. She just hopes that later, when morning comes and their minds aren’t hazy anymore, Shauna won’t pretend like nothing happened between them.