Riverview School For Girls [GxG]

fourteen

Willow glided between a knot of players, hockey stick cold beneath her palms, trainers beating against the AstroTurf. The crowd was shouting, but it all blurred into a static buzz, throbbing dully in her ears. All she could focus on the was the ball, rolling beneath the weight of her hockey stick, aiming straight for the goal. She scored, and the screaming crowd came back into focus, almost deafening her.

Riverview won. The opposing team sulked off the pitch, shoulders slumped in defeat, hockey sticks dragging lazily behind them.

Sydney tackled Willow into a bone crushing hug, "Fuck me, Will! You were amazing!" She exclaimed, her words muffled by her mouthguard.

The other girls swarmed around them, and the team crashed together into a messy group hug, limbs all tangled together, ponytails billowing in the breeze. Coach Mitchell joined them, whistle dangling from his neck, eyes bright with triumph. He proudly congratulated them, using a few too many swear words than was really appropriate for a teacher. It was chaos, and it was beautiful.

The pitch was overrun by Riverview students, all pouring in from the bleachers, trapping their friends in hugs, rambling about their triumph. Dahlia and Val ran towards Willow and Sydney, wrapped up in hats and scarves, grinning from ear to ear. "Well done!" Dahlia exclaimed, "You guys played so well."

Willow took her mouthguard out, tossing it to the sidelines, next to her bottle of water, "Thanks." She beamed, leaning into Dahlia, pulling her into a side hug.

Willow cast her attention to the rest of the team, all splintered off in different directions, celebrating their victory. Her eyes caught Coach Mitchell, chatting to Dr Lloyd, both wearing rosy cheeked smiles, their hands brushing close together, but not quite touching.

Dahlia nudged Willow in the side, then pointed to the bleachers, "I don't think you're the only one with a crush." She murmured quietly in her ear.

Willow glanced up, and couldn't stop the grin that tugged at her lips when she met Jordan's gaze. She was wearing a pair of tattered dungarees beneath a vivid orange puffer coat, and her smile was so bright it was intoxicating. She waved when she saw Willow looking at her, then climbed down the bleachers, onto the pitch.

"I'll catch you guys later." Willow told her friends, not missing the puzzled look Sydney spared her. But Willow didn't dwell on it, leaving her friends behind, straightening her skort as she walked towards the edge of the pitch, trying her hardest to calm the pounding of her heart. She stopped in front of Jordan, and the electricity of the day sparked up in her, running down her spine, setting her skin alight.

"What can't you do?" Jordan teased, leaning back against the wire fence that encircled the pitch.

"What are you doing here?" Willow couldn't contain the excitement that seeped out of her words.

Jordan shrugged, "Ah, I got lost on the way to the shops." She joked, "I don't know why people come to these things — they're painfully boring."

"Uh-huh." Willow nodded along, "Excruciatingly dull." She glanced over her shoulder, and found that the pitch was slowly emptying out. "I can't believe you're here on a Saturday — never thought I'd see the day when Jordan Kiani came to school voluntarily."

"Ah, well..." Jordan held her hands up in mock surrender, "I couldn't miss the first game of the season." Her eyes scanned Willow up and down; her bare legs and arms, flesh exposed in the icy air. She was wearing her hockey uniform; a shirt with the school colours of gold and emerald, a navy skort, and a pair of shin pads. "For real though," Jordan's eyes found Willow's again, "You were amazing."

"Do you even know anything about hockey?"

"Absolutely not." Jordan scoffed, "But even an idiot could tell that you were the best player on that field."