Chapter Text
Excitement filled the small classroom, students chattering about which teams they wanted to work with. Fawn, sitting next to a sleepy Silvermist, was practically bouncing in her seat.
It had been two years since she’d been forced to quit the volleyball team. And two years since she’d had to change all the best laid plans for her life. And if this final year could go her way, maybe everything would be okay.
“Stop shaking the desk,” groaned Silvermist, lifting her head up from her arms. “I’m still sleeping.”
“Aren’t you excited though?” Fawn huffed, exasperated.
“Not at 7 in the morning I’m not. Especially a whole month before actual classes even start.”
“It’s 8:30.”
“Same thing.”
Fawn could only shake her head as their teacher came in. The man looked about as awake as Silvermist, but he managed a smile to his students.
“Alright everyone, good morning! As we discussed last week, you’ll be getting your team assignments for the year. Obviously some of the fall sports are already well into their pre-season training, but you’ll still be partnered directly with one of the training staff.”
From under his desk, he pulled out a hat. A flimsy, worn out looking baseball cap, that he proceeded to shake upside down.
“I know you all handed in your preferences last week. Unfortunately, with a class this small and so much overlap in preference, we’ll be assigning your teams at random.”
Some grumbles of complaint ran through the class and Fawn stopped bouncing. What did he mean, at random? We each picked three teams, in order of preference! That should have been plenty.
She took a deep breath and crossed her fingers under her desk. It was more up to fate now, she supposed.
“Starting with the football team…”
Students came forward to take their assignment sheets as their names were called, and Fawn waited with bated breath as the pool of students got smaller. Baseball, basketball, track and field, tennis, wrestling…
“Now for our champion volleyball team…Bobble!”
Fawn watched in silence as the clumsy young man stumbled up to take the assignment, her assignment, with a disgruntled expression on his face. He didn’t look at her as he sat back down, though she absolutely believed he could feel her glare on his skin.
“Finally, the women’s soccer team trainer will be Fawn! C’mon up and we’ll go over your assignments.”
How she managed to go up to the desk, take her assignment and get back to her seat without bursting into tears, Fawn had no idea. As their teacher explained the plan for the year, from their check-ins to training and game day expectations, her mind kept wondering back over to her former team.
How was she going to tell them? She’d promised, practically guaranteed that she would be present to support them off the court if she couldn’t be on it. Now not only was she not on the team, but she’d been assigned to a team that shared a season with them! Who knew how often the games would overlap, how much she’d have to miss.
“Alright guys, you’re dismissed. Remember, check your schedules and get in touch with the team coaches ASAP. And Fawn, I’d like to see you before you head to your next class.”
Her name helped shake off the spiral, but it was still with heavy steps that she went up to her teacher. “What’s up, Mr. Yang?”
“Listen, I’m not sure what you’ve heard, but do me a favor and ignore the rumor mill,” Mr. Yang started. “The women’s soccer team isn’t filled with demons or whatever else some of the younger trainers spout about.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Fawn had never really given the soccer team, men or women, much attention. Or heard any of these rumors.
Mr.Yang shook his head, folding his arms. “They have a pretty strict schedule, and you’ll be expected to be at every practice with them. I know it’s a lot of work, but you’re also one of my best students. Can I trust you to be professional about it, and take any nonsense you hear with a grain of salt?”
When she gave a slow nod, he ushered her out the door with a quiet thank you. Silvermist was leaning on the wall, scrolling her phone as she waited. “What did he need?”
Fawn gave an awkward shrug, shouldering her bag. “He said something about ignoring the rumors about the soccer team. Thing is, I don’t know what rumors he’s talking about.”
Silvermist guided their way to the campus center, eyes on a vending machine with canned coffee.
“That’s because you don’t care about any sport unless it’s volleyball, babe,” she smirked, giving Fawn a teasing wink.
“Well that doesn’t matter now! I’m stuck with the soccer team, and maybe I should actually know what I’m getting myself into.”
Popping the tab on the can and draining half of it in one go, Silvermist fixed her friend with a grin.
“Mr. Yang said to ignore them anyway. And besides, everyone knows the rumor mill is outdated by mid-semester. Someone probably did something stupid- classic stuff- and it went around for a few weeks.”
“The semester hasn’t even started! It would have to be big enough for a teacher to feel the need to WARN me, and happened probably last year. Is that not weird to you?”
Silvermist only shrugged, tossing her glossy black hair over her shoulder. “Even if it is, you’ve got this. You’re plenty weird on your own.”
Fawn couldn’t think of a response, just waving bye as they separated for classes. Her assignment had a meeting set up between herself, the coach and the captain of the team that evening- she’d just have to find out then.