Chapter 1
“Natalie, three pointer-” Olivia grunted, clenching her teeth as she thrust the ball across the court to the tallest player of the team, seeing that she was open to receive. Her expression tightened in anticipation as she watched a defender aggressively try to swipe at the ball. But she sighed in relief when she heard the satisfying bounce of rubber on the wood, sprinting to get back into an open position.
Natalie stood at a towering height of seven feet; her stocky brink of a build absorbed the impact of receiving without a flinch. As she felt the rough rubber of the ball on her hands, she thought, I’m further behind than I would like, but it’s fine!, noting how far behind the three-point line she actually was. The scent of the sweaty defender in front of her reached her nose. “Y’all are a bunch of tryhards.” Her jump easily cleared the defender by many inches. She launched the ball towards the hoop, but her eyebrows furrowed when she saw that the ball was headed for the top of the backboard.
Her face settled once more into a calm smile as she watched their center, Alexandra, launch herself from the wooden floor. The 6′10 teen caught the ball and hurled it down into the net, sending the crowd into a roar. ”Definitely intentional, all part of my plan.” Natalie chuckled with playful sarcasm.
Her team regrouped with little regard for the encouragement and cheering of the fans. And she maintained that same, warm smile on her face, despite the serious, neutral expressions of the others.
“Plan is-” Lola, the point guard, began to explain, but was frantically interrupted by Natalie. “We’re up 23 points!” She laughed, her expression giddy with excitement.
“Indeed we are.” Lola nodded and returned the smile, glancing over at the navy blue scoreboard. “We’ll just do our usual defense. 5 seconds on the clock anyway.”
Why don’t these tryhards just give up now, they’re being super defensive. Natalie playfully studied the other team with her mint colored eyes as she got into position, noticing their top-dollar sneakers as they squeaked on the wood. Those jerseys were pristine, this team had to be from a city.
“All the more reason to beat them.” She jokingly whispered to herself, watching carefully as the other team entered their side of the court. Her sneakers squealed on the wood as she bolted into action towards the offensive players. But she came to a screeching halt when she heard the noisy ringing of the school bell, doubling as the buzzer.
“And, with a 23 point lead, the Gryphons’ winstreak goes undefeated, 6 continuous victories to their name.” The announcer’s voice rung through Natalie’s ears, an expression of joy flowing onto her face as the win was proclaimed.
“Hey, gal, good game! Y’all played well!” Natalie grinned and shook an opponent’s hand, no boast in her voice. “Good game! Loved that aggressive offense!” She waved to another opposing player.
Natalie could barely see where she was going through the crowd of fans as they noisily exited the gym, the indiscernible chatting filling her ears like mere white noise. Her confusion leaked into her expression, and she accidentally backed into Lola. “Sorry! Sorry.”
She turned to see who it was, and relief washed over her face as she recognized the scent of her girlfriend’s forest-like perfume. Lola met her green gaze with her own deep blue eyes, a restrained smile on her face as she visibly held back laughter. “Well well, if it isn’t the best shooting guard in the league, bumping into her girlfriend. That was quite the game, huh Nat?”
“And that makes you the best strategist, point guard.” Natalie joked, putting her arm over Lola’s slender-built shoulders. “Get off me, you big galumph- you know I mean statistically.” The other chuckled awkwardly, trying to shake off her girlfriend with a playful glint in her eyes.
“You know I mean personality.” Natalie teasingly copied Lola’s sentence structure, even pathetically rhyming. The cheer continued to leak on her face through her growing smile, as she jokingly kept her arm steady. “Can’t just escape me, Lola, can’t just move away! My A+ in AP Lit isn’t saving you from bad rhymes!” She laughed, her green eyes bright.
Lola glanced behind Natalie for a moment, a good-natured smirk creeping onto her face. “You’d better watch out, before you accidentally back into your sister too.”
“Ack! Hey Sport! I can’t see you, but what’s up?” Natalie addressed her sister Guinevere’s presence, but kept her arm positioned over Lola playfully. “How you doing, little gal?” Lola chuckled.
“I’m not even going to ask what you two are doing. I think I’ve learned not to ask anymore.” Guinevere jokingly rolled her eyes, amusement slipping through onto her face. “You two shouldn’t be allowed into a crowd together.” She leaned to gaze around her tall sister at Lola. “I’m great! Natalie made me pan-”
Natalie jokingly wrapped her hands over her sister’s mouth, it stopped her from finishing the word ‘pancakes’. “Pan seared chicken! Nice and healthy!” She grinned, though Lola didn’t look as impressed. Her girlfriend gave her a playful stare that just screamed, ‘I thought we talked about this.’ “Natalie. What happened to being overweight and needing to cut the sugar? You’re an athlete!”
She just shrugged it off like it wasn’t a health risk. “Exactly! I’m an athlete! I eat a lot of protein, and I just work off the junk! Natalie Perry and healthy don’t go in the same sentence.” She chuckled. “Like, what does my doctor want me to eat for breakfast? Oatmeal is gross mush, eggs, forget about it, cheese, absolutely disgusting. What does that leave?”
“They have specialists for that! Like, come on girl, you could at least care a little!” Lola didn’t hide the growing smile on her face, that smile made Natalie feel warm inside. She had done that, she had made somebody happier, despite the heavy subject. “Lola, that new Kacey Musgraves song basically channels my lifestyle. You just get so many trips around the sun. If I spent my days trying to meet the expectations of other people, I’d be utterly miserable.” She let her words sink in for a moment.
“I’m overweight. My grades aren’t the best. But when was the last time you ever saw me unhappy? Look at my body, I’m practically a box, *and that’s okay.* My teeth aren’t exactly the whitest, but that’s okay." She openly gestured to her body as she spoke, despite being in the middle of a crowded gymnasium.
“Because last night, I wasn’t brushing my teeth or doing my homework, I was sitting on my computer, having fun with y’all playing Minecraft. And that’s what is truly valuable to me.” The teen finally let up on her speech, not even noticing that she had dominated the conversation.
“And this is what I get for dating a future English major.” Lola joked, giving her girlfriend a tight hug. “I love you... I love you so much. Never change who you are unless it’s for your health.”
Natalie smiled warmly again, gingerly returning the hug and giving a frenzied thumbs up to her sister. “Oh, I probably wouldn’t even change it then. Because I will have died having lived my best, happiest life, suffering the consequences with a smile on my face.” She started to walk off to the locker room, her girlfriend by her side.
“Oh that is the most reckless, but also most Natalie thing I’ve ever heard. And I love it.” She burst into laughter as she walked alongside the taller girl, something that Natalie didn’t see very often.
“Hey, Sport, meet us at the other entrance.” She quickly addressed Guinevere, she knew she had probably calmed her girlfriend’s nerves, and that was all she wanted to do. If something bad happens, it’s not her problem she needs to worry about, because I’m not worried myself. She thought. “Of course your worries and concerns are very real. I’m not trying to be dismissive-”
“You don’t need to apologize, Natalie, you didn’t do anything wrong! I know every word you say comes from your heart, your giant, impulsive, beautiful heart.” Lola grinned up at her. “And I know that if an issue is truly a problem, you’re obviously mature and know when to be serious.” She pulled her in for a tight hug before entering. “And that you value what I say, even when you’re barely able to put together a coherent sentence.”
“Oh we’re so the only couple that talks like this and I love it.” Natalie joked, she quickly broke the seriousness of the moment with her earnest humor. “Our long sappy paragraphs as we pour out all of our inner feelings like some dramatic romance fanfiction.” She slammed the door open, wincing as she heard it bang against the wall, though nobody seemed to react. “Oh- I’m sorry for the noise!”
“Natalie, every game you seem to be sorry for the noise. Learn your own strength, girl.” Alexandra joked with her. “Or don’t, just be yourself and do the same thing every time. One will probably result in a very angry wall.”
“Well, yeah, when I’m in a good mood, I’m certainly more energetic. I just assumed that’s a normal human thing.” She smiled back. “Natalie, you get hyperactive as shit, don’t be mistaken. In a good way.”
Natalie hadn’t even been fully listening, she was more concerned with muscling her locker open. She quickly put the combination in and heard it unlock, and her hands gripped the cold handle as she pulled as hard as she could. “Of course my locker won’t open, because why would it?” She joked, but she couldn’t keep her jaw from dropping when Lola came up and easily opened the locker door.
“How?! I swear- secretly a genius or something.” The tall girl laughed, though she still had a look of amazement on her face. “Natalie, just like I’ve said before, you’ve got to pull the handle down instead of out. You can’t possibly forget every time-” But her girlfriend’s words mostly fell on deaf ears, as Natalie was already changing into a muscle shirt and shorts. “Got it, handle goes down.” She confirmed she had heard with a thumbs up, a teasing look in her expression. “Maybe someday I’ll actually internalize that.” She joked.
“Do you ever memorize?” Lola snickered, she opened her own locker and exchanged her high-tops for a pair of beat up sneakers. “You gonna swing by the farm today, or just go home with your sister?” She asked, slipping a blue shirt over her arms. “I’m sure my parents would welcome you with open arms, they always do.”
“Oh? I was thinking, maybe we could go for Dairy Queen or something!” She grinned back, her genuine expression of warmth rarely wavered, like her face had been designed to be cheerful. “I’d check in at home with my mom, then we can go celebrate our victory!”
Natalie Perry was used to winning, her quick, defensive reflexes under pressure helped her into offensive positions where she had the upper hand. But her skills only contributed to part of her enjoyment, for she truly loved being able to face rival teams that she could bond with far after the match ended. When she could make new friendships that didn’t interfere with performance on the court, a friendly competition. Sure, she could shoot baskets better than anyone in their league, but that only mattered in the game. Nothing could quench her enthusiasm and dedication to having fun.
“I guess we can do that. Your mamá will probably be happy that you’re getting your own dinner.” Her girlfriend joked halfheartedly, and the taller girl nodded in agreement. “Sad but true. My mom is certainly an enigma, but she deserves the best.” Natalie smiled, she spoke of her mother in a respectful tone. “Honor thy father and thy mother.”
“Enigma? From what you tell us, respectfully, she’s homophobic as hell!” Lola scoffed, she heard the click of her locker closing and threw her backpack on her shoulders. “She needs our prayers, to find her way through the darkness. She’s misguided, blinded by hatred. But God can make the blind see.” The other girl sighed, that same calm smile on her face as she finished changing, putting her denim jacket back on and lazily sliding her feet into her shoes. “Whoever wants to come, we’re meeting at Dairy Queen for dinner.” Natalie announced to the other three girls in the smelly locker room. “I’ll cover anybody who can’t pay.”
“Oh, sweet! Love a good burger and ice cream.” Another girl chimed in from the far side of the room, too short for the shooting guard to see over the rows of dreary lockers. “Exactly! Olivia gets it, Lola. Enjoy yourself!” She playfully elbowed her girlfriend.
“While you all get massive three patty burgers, I’d like to be healthy and eat a salad.” She huffed and crossed her arms, much to Natalie’s amusement. “For a farm girl, you’re very sophisticated. Maybe one day we’ll get you to wolf down a big burger.” She teased.
“Or I can get some nice rotisserie chicken nuggets. You’re one to talk about food opinions, miss I don’t like cheese.” Lola chuckled and stuck her tongue out, staring up at the other teen with a challenging gaze. “Let’s move, we’re just socializing at this point.” She grunted.
“What’s the rush? Y’all need to learn to enjoy the little moments! Savor them like the taste of some of your chicken!” Natalie slowly slung her backpack on, her movements intentionally slow. “These conversations I have with y’all are some of the best parts of my day, and I’m not just going to rush them away.”
Natalie picked up on the confusion in Lola’s muddled, shifting expression. “But we’re just wasting time! Time that we could spend doing other things!” She protested, but her words didn’t change Natalie’s slow, deliberate movements as she approached the exit. “And you’re only going to have so much time in this school. Once we’re out, we’re done, we can’t come back!” She pointed out respectfully, holding the door open for them despite her words.
...
“It’s really good, Lola! You’re missing out!” Alexandra grinned through a mouthful of food, little bits of beef falling onto the picnic table as she went for another chomp. “Y’all are a pack of wolves around food, I swear.” The other girl nibbled a small piece from her grilled chicken nuggets, and she leaned in to Natalie as her eyelids sagged.
Half of the shooting guard’s giant burger was gone, but she wasn’t rushing like the rest of her team. Her jaw moved slowly as she enjoyed the taste of her food, and she let the evening sun bake down on her skin. “Let them eat, they deserve it. Our streak is undefeated so far.” She chuckled, her jaw dropped again like a snake to work a huge bite into her mouth. “Best 67 dollars I’ve spent in a while. I owe my livestream chat a thank you.” She joked.
“NATALIE- Why am I surprised, I shouldn’t be surprised anymore.” Lola facepalmed herself. “Though you do make entertaining content, I’ll give you that.”
“It’s fine, girl! They know who they’re giving money away to.” She laughed. “I make it clear that I take twenty percent for moments like this. Y’all are my friends! And I’m all about spending time with loved ones.” The taller girl quickly pet her girlfriend’s blonde hair and got to her feet. “I’m full, I don’t think I can shove anymore in my stomach.” She stared out at the sunset, watching the silhouetted trees as warm orange light filtered through the leaves. “For all the hate we face in this state, Tennessee is beautiful! Love this town.”
The rest of her team just grunted and nodded in response as they continued devouring their food. “Absolutely amazing, we love homophobes.” A short, red haired girl rolled her eyes and shoved half of a chicken tender in her mouth. “We’re just secluded, the next town is twenty miles west, y’all know this.”
“The isolation is nice. We don’t have to worry much, not immediately at least. I don’t think Edgewater, Tennessee will be the first place they try and enforce a discriminatory law.” Alexandra commented while she swallowed her food. “We get some solid time to react.”
“Edgewater is pretty safe indeed, heh...” Natalie looked back out into the distance, her green eyes traced the craggy skyline of mountains, taking in the hazy details. She had thought about what it might be like to disappear into the woods, but that meant unpredictability and danger. Bugs and potential dangers that made her skin crawl.
But she blinked and snapped out of her trance when she heard her phone buzz, and she let out a long sigh as she noticed a message pop up. “What does Mom want now...”
