forget me nots: kate martin

7. you speak french?

september 10 2021
kenzie's perspective + texts

We all pile onto the bus at the wonderful (god awful) time of 7:30am. Tomorrow is our first away game of the season, against Wisconsin. The drive is only about three hours so I could not tell you why we're leaving at the actual ass crack of dawn but whatever.

I make my way to Gabbie who's sitting in a middle row of the bus in the window seat. I sit down without asking and put my headphones on.

"Sorry Kenz but you can't sit here."

I open my mouth to ask why when I see Gabbie looking at Kate walking up to stairs to the bus.

"Now go find an open row dummy and she'll sit with you."

Fighting her isn't worth it anymore so I just walk back to an open row. Caitlin's sitting by herself in the row across from me. Gabbie moves to sit next to her, assumingely to spy on Kate and I.

I would like to know what they think is going to happen. We're literally sitting on a bus together. That is if she sits next to me.

"This seat taken?" Kate smiles.

"All yours." I say while mouthing "stop laughing" to Gabbie.

"Told you so" she mouths back and whispers something to Caitlin.

It's last Friday all over again.

The bus ride is pretty silent from almost everyone. We're all too tired to talk anyways. Besides Gabbie and Caitlin that is. They've appointed themselves in charge of keeping everyone awake. Or at least that's the effect they're having. They sang (screamed) probably 12 rap songs before Coach Bluder finally told them to shut up. I love that woman.

An hour passes before Kate and I say anything to each other. I'm working on my French project and Kate is replying to emails from a bunch of brands who want to work with her.

I peek over her screen to see that she's emailing Lululemon.

Sorry I must've read that wrong.

Nope. She is actually emailing Lululemon. And she's turning them down too. What?

"Kate Martin, did you just turn down an offer from Lululemon?" I yell probably louder than I should have.

"It's either them or Nike and I don't know if you've noticed but I don't wear leggings."

Caitlin whips her head around and screams at the top of her lungs, "YOU GOT A DEAL WITH NIKE?"

"If I accept it, yeah." Kate laughs.

I place my hand on Kate's thigh to get her to look back at me instead of Caitlin.

"Well you have to take it!" I exclaim.

I hear Gabbie snickering in reaction to the touch. Someone needs to tell that girl to calm down.

"What are you working on?" Kate asks, leaning over to see my screen.

"Just a French project. We have to write an essay about our summer."

"You're still taking a language as a junior? Most people drop by sophomore."

"Que puis-je dire, je suis excellent en français." (What can I say, I'm great at French.)

"Je ne vous crois pas." (I don't believe you.)

Kate Martin just spoke French to me. This has to be a prank. Where are the cameras?

"You speak French?"

"My aunt lives there so I know a little. Juste quelques mots de base." (Just a few basic words.)

Kill me already.

"Can I read it?" She asks.

"Um, sure." I say laughing. "I might have been lying when I said I'm great. It's basically middle school level."

She reads my essay in about ten minutes. It's only three pages, but she isn't fluent in French and there's probably a bunch of typos.

"You went to Greece?"

"Oui."

"I've always wanted to go."

"Really? My parents really wanted to go and I wasn't sure but once I got there." I pause and breathe. "It was amazing. I felt like I was in Mamma Mia."

"I could so see you liking Mamma Mia."

"Is that a good thing?" I joke.

She just smiles her big smile and puts her headphones on.

My phone starts vibrating with notifications that I'm sure are from Gabbie and Caitlin.

gabbie
8:45

gabbie
i saw that thigh touch
did you guys just speak french to her
what the
you are smiling so big right now
I SHIP SO HARD

caitlin
8:45

caitlin
im trying so hard not to laugh
there is no way you are speaking a different language to each other right now
WHAT ARE YOU SAYING OH MY GOD I CANT HEAR
MACKENZIE ANSWER ME I KNOW YOURE READING THESE

- - -

"Are you blind? She didn't touch her!" I scream when Hannah racks up her fifth foul with two minutes left and has to sit on the bench.

Hannah comes off and Kylie subs in for her. We're leading by 8, but Wisconsin has really been coming back this quarter.

Number 4 on the other team has been up against Kate the whole game and it's killing me. Mainly because she's fouled her at least twice but also because she seems to be into Kate. No one likes guarding that much.

Kate has the ball and runs up to the basket to shoot a layup, when number 4 comes in with a block... and it's a foul!

Kylie walks up Kate to help her up, but instead, Kate stays on the floor, wincing and holding her ankle.

No.

No. No. No.

I feel my breath getting lost and my fists tensing up. Breathe Mackenzie. I don't want to look at her. Gabbie looks at Kate and then at me.

"I love you. Breathe." She mouths at me and runs to Kate.

The rest of the team follows her, while the other team holds in their smiles. What kind of a psycho smiles after injuring someone?

Caitlin and Gabbie help Kate stand up while she tries to put weight on her left foot. She looks in pain but holds up a thumbs up to the coaches section and limps off. We put Addi in for the last minute and a half.

The girls keep the lead and Wisconsin only scores one two.

Iowa wins 67-63.

The second hand shakes are done, I rush to Kate but Bluder's already there.

"Martin are you alright?" She asks in an urgent tone. I see her eyes make her way to mine and she smiles.

"I'm all good." She says, still looking at me.

Thank god.

avery's note

CUTE LITTLE FLIRTING TODAY EEE

also ignore that they shouldn't have games until november i just needed something to happen

ARIANA SONG OF THE DAY IS DANGEROUS WOMAN

DOES ANYONE HAVE IDEAS FOR ME BECAUSE I NEED 10 CHAPTERS OF FLIRTING AND FILLER BEFORE THEY CAN KISS (I WANT THEM TO KISS CHAPTER 18 BC ITS MY LUCKY NUMBER AND KATES DRAFT NUMBER)

PLEASE COMMENT LOVE YOU MWAH💋