Isa Martinez , Parker Matthews | 𝟭𝟵𝟵𝟲
Wiskayok, New Jersey

The Yellowjackets buzzed with energy in the locker room, getting ready for the pep rally as Shoop by Salt-N-Pepa blared from the speakers. Isa leaned against the lockers near Laura Lee, a grin tugging at her lips as she tapped her fingers to the beat. Beside her, Wren sat on the bench next to Lottie, tying her shoes, her head bobbing in rhythm.

"What's my weakness?"

"Men!" the team sang, their voices filling the locker room.

"Okay then, chillin', chillin', minding my business. Yo, Salt, I looked around and I couldn't believe this. I swear, I stared, my niece my witness. The brother had it goin' on with somethin' kind of uh. Wicked, wicked, had to kick it. I'm not shy, so I asked for the digits."

Wren spun in place, grabbing an imaginary mic as she dramatically mimed the lyrics. "A hoe, no that don't make me. See what I want, slip slide to it swiftly!"

Isa laughed, and Mari jumped in next, pointing at Laura Lee as if they were in a music video. The entire locker room vibrated with their voices and laughter, each girl caught up in the energy of the moment.

As the last notes of Shoop faded from the speakers, the Yellowjackets burst into applause for themselves, their laughter echoing through the locker room.

"Now, our next act needs no further introduction. So let's all just make some noise for your New Jersey state girls soccer champions!

"All right, let's do this!" Jackie shouted.

The team spilled out of the locker room in a single file line, running into the gym. The entire school was on its feet, clapping and shouting. The team jogged out onto the court, grinning as they looked to the students and teachers. They lined up in front of the crowd and stood shoulder to shoulder.

Mari couldn't help but scan the crowd. She shifted slightly in the lineup, her eyes darting across the sea of students in the bleachers.

And then she saw her.

Parker was near the middle, surrounded by her friends from cheer, but unmistakably focused on Mari. Her dark hair framed her face, and her smile was as radiant as ever. Mari's heart did a little flip at the sight of her. Parker lifted a hand in a subtle wave, her grin widening just for Mari.

Mari felt a warmth flood her chest, a mix of pride and something softer, deeper. She tried to play it cool, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from grinning too widely. Instead, she gave Parker a small nod.

"Who are you looking for?" Lottie whispered from beside her, nudging her lightly.

"No one," Mari replied quickly, turning her focus back to the crowd as the principal continued his speech. But her cheeks were flushed, and Lottie raised an eyebrow, smirking knowingly.

Parker's gaze stayed on her, though, and Mari stood a little straighter, the noise of the gym fading just slightly in her mind. For a brief moment, it didn't matter that they couldn't openly share what they had—not here, not now. All that mattered was that Parker was there, watching her, cheering for her.

And in that moment, it was enough.

———

Wren adjusted the strap of her duffel bag as she walked alongside Mari. "You know how I told you Ryder had a huge surprise for me yesterday?"

Mari nodded, already bracing herself. "Yeah. What about it?"

"Turns out the surprise was his dick," Wren said bluntly, earning an immediate eye roll from Mari. "Best part is we were home alone, so we got to be as loud as—"

"Ew," Mari interrupted, her voice full of disgust. "I don't need to know how horny you and Ryder were."

As they approached the field, Mari and Wren spotted Taissa and Lottie caught in a conversation of their own. So they walked toward their teammates.

"What are you two talking about?" Wren asked, curiosity piqued.

Before either girl could answer, Isa appeared, her tone casual. "What's up, party people. What are we talking about?"

"Allie," Lottie replied flatly.

"What about Allie?" Mari asked.

"Did you see the way she played at states?" Taissa interjected, her tone sharp.

"Seriously, Tai?" Wren scoffed. "She's a freshman."

"She's a liability," Taissa countered.

"Yeah, but—"

Before Natalie could finish her thought, Shauna joined them, her brow furrowed. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Allie," Isa answered simply.

"What about her?" Shauna asked.

"Did you black out at states? She totally choked," Taissa replied.

Isa let out a sigh, folding her arms across her chest. "Tai has a point."

Natalie's gaze snapped to Isa, her expression a mix of betrayal and anger. Isa noticed but chose to say nothing.

"Okay," Wren said with a sigh. "And what the hell do you suppose we do?"

"She can't screw up if we don't give her the ball," Taissa said.

"You want to freeze her out?" Shauna asked.

"With Isa out of the game, at least we'd know what we're working with," Taissa reasoned.

"She kind of sucks," Lottie admitted reluctantly, "but I don't know."

"That's because it's bullshit," Natalie snapped, her eyes flicking to Isa for a split second before looking away.

"If we lose, then everything we've worked for will have been for nothing," Isa said, trying to sound reasonable. "This is just to make sure we win. It's nothing personal."

"So," Taissa began, her tone edging toward sarcasm, "what's your plan, Nat?"

"I don't know, play like a fucking team and win? It's worked so far."

"Everything works until it doesn't," Taissa shot back. "And for the record, you smell like a wino. Get your shit together."

Natalie let out a dry laugh. "You know what, fuck this."

Isa glanced over her shoulder as Natalie walked off, a pang of regret twisting in her chest. She wanted to chase after her and apologize. But she shoved those thoughts aside and refocused on the conversation.

"It doesn't feel right," Lottie muttered, grabbing her bag and heading after Natalie.

Taissa, Isa, and Mari exchanged a glance before looking at Shauna, who hadn't given the situation much thought.

"Jackie won't like it," Shauna finally said.

"Then we probably shouldn't tell her," Taissa replied.

At the start of practice, the Yellowjackets began their usual warm up drills while Isa lingered on the sidelines, casually kicking around a soccer ball.

Coach Scott blew his whistle sharply and called out, "Alright ladies, come over and take a knee."

The Yellowjackets jogged to the center of the field and knelt as instructed, while Isa strolled over and stood near them.

"What's up, state champions!" Coach Scott exclaimed.

The girls cheered.

"Okay, so JV is going to help us out with a little scrimmage again," Ben continued. "Coach Martinez had to take care of a family thing, so JV, you're gonna grab pinnies from Misty, and let's get started!"

"Excuse me, Coach Scott," Laura Lee interjected. "Shouldn't we say a prayer first?"

"It's just a scrimmage, Laura Lee," Ben replied, trying to brush it off. But Laura Lee stared at him with unwavering determination, and Ben cleared his throat awkwardly. "But uh, sure, yeah, knock yourself out."

Laura Lee beamed, bowing her head. "Heavenly Father, let our efforts remain fruitful so that we may perform in ways glorious to you. In your name, we pray, amen."

"Amen!" Isa cheered loudly.

The JV team grabbed their pinnies from Misty, and soon the scrimmage began. Isa stayed on the sidelines, watching as Nat started with the ball. Natalie made a deliberate effort to pass to Allie, who promptly lost it to Akilah.

Coach Scott blew his whistle. "Come on, Allie, that should've been yours."

Taissa jogged over to Ben. "I want to switch sides. I'll take Allie."

Isa immediately recognized Taissa's intentions.

"Alright, Varsity, Taissa wants to see you step it up, and quite frankly, that makes two of us," Ben announced.

Back on the field, Allie pushed the ball upfield. Taissa gave her a shove, not overly aggressive, but enough to make Allie lose possession.

"This is the game," Taissa told her firmly. "Step it up."

"It's not helping, Tai," Shauna said, running up to her as Allie ran off.

"Then she's going to have to learn to play under pressure," Taissa replied.

Taissa applied that pressure, pushing Allie any chance she got. At one point, Laura Lee passed the ball upfield to Allie, who managed to dribble around Taissa and make a clean pass to Shauna. Shauna saw Allie breaking for the goal.

"Shauna!" Allie called out.

Shauna looked up and sent the ball toward her. Just as Allie prepared to receive it, Taissa slide tackled her. Allie tumbled to the ground, and a snap echoed across the field.

Isa's stomach dropped. She stepped closer to the field as Allie let out a blood curdling scream.

"Holy fuck," Isa muttered, wide eyed, staring at the bone protruding from Allie's leg.

Misty rushed over, towel in hand. "Apply pressure and stop the bleeding—"

Allie screamed louder as Misty touched her leg.

"Fuck, Misty, get out of the way!" Ben shouted. "We need an ambulance. There's a phone in Bill's office!"

"You mean Coach Martinez?" Misty asked, hesitating.

"Christ, yes! Now go!" Ben yelled.

Isa glanced over at Taissa, who stood frozen, horror etched on her face.

The locker room was deathly silent after practice. Taissa sat on a bench away from everyone, staring at the floor. She didn't speak to anyone, not even Van.

Jackie finally broke the silence. "I know we're all really worried about Allie," she said carefully, "but it might not be as bad as it looks."

"Oh God, I'm gonna throw up," Van muttered.

"You could see her fucking bones, Jackie." Natalie says, "I'm pretty sure it's exactly as bad as it looks."

"Okay, but we're still a team, and we still have each other," Jackie continued.

"And the Lord works in mysterious ways," Laura Lee added.

The sound of Natalie slamming her locker door made everyone jump. All eyes turned to her as she grabbed her bag and stormed out of the room. Isa wanted to go after Natalie, but she knew it wasn't her place anymore.

"Nice work, Taissa," Natalie spat as she left.

———

The Matthews sisters were throwing a party to celebrate the Yellowjackets' state championship win. It wasn't supposed to be huge, just a casual gathering, but word had spread fast. Lottie and Parker's house was big enough to hold half the school, and neither sister minded the growing crowd. Both the house and the outside pulsed with music and chatter, but under the thick shade of an old oak tree, away from all the chaos, the two sisters leaned against the bark with red solo cups in hand as they passed a cigarette between them. Neither of them worried about mixing alcohol and tobacco with their schizophrenia, it didn't matter to either of them. Parker only ever stayed sober if Mari asked her to, and she thought it was sweet that Mari actually took the time to do research.

Parker took a slow drag from her cigarette, exhaling the smoke as she spoke. "I heard about Allie," she said. "Mari told me what happened. Is Tai okay?"

Lottie let out a long sigh, her gaze drifting off. She nodded. "I think so. She didn't say much after practice. Every scrimmage we play always turns into a shit show."

Parker chuckled softly, and gave a small nod. "So I've heard."

Lottie raised an eyebrow, a knowing look in her eyes. "Let me guess," she said, "Mari filled you in?"

Parker smirked, teasing. "You're a genius, Lott."

Lottie studied her for a moment before speaking again, her tone shifting, a hint of suspicion in her voice. "You and Mari have gotten pretty close this year. It's cool, though. Mari's cool."

There was a brief pause as the two sisters settled into an easy silence. Parker handed the cigarette back to Lottie, the gesture unspoken but comfortable.

"Parker," Lottie said, exhaling a cloud of smoke, her voice suddenly quieter, more serious. "Can I ask you something? It's about Mari."

Parker's heart skipped a beat. She turned her head, trying to keep her expression neutral, though her stomach turned. "Uh, yeah, what about her?"

Lottie studied her younger sister, her gaze steady. "I know you and Mari are close, like super close. But yesterday at the pep rally she was looking at you."

Parker frowned, confusion knitting her brow. "Yeah, so?"

"I've seen how you act with her and the way you look at each other and—Parker, you can tell me anything. You know I love you."

Parker blinked rapidly, her chest tightening. She looked away from Lottie, blinking hard to fight back the tears. She had always been afraid of this moment, the one where things weren't as easy to hide anymore. "I just—I didn't know how to tell you. I know what mom and dad would think, and I don't know how to deal with that. I just didn't want to disappoint you."

Lottie's arm wrapped around Parker's shoulders, pulling her close. "Screw them. They don't even care about us. All they do is make us feel crazy. But Parker, you'll always have me, nothing could ever make me hate you. I mean that."

They fell silent for a moment, the sounds of the party muffled in the background. Parker felt the weight of her sister's words settle in, a quiet comfort that didn't come with pressure or judgment.

Finally, Lottie broke the silence, her tone lighter now, teasing. "You know, you and Mari aren't exactly the most discreet people on earth."

Parker's lips twitched into a reluctant smile, and she let out a short laugh, her shoulders shaking with the release of tension. "Fuck, really?"

Lottie grinned. "Not at all, but it's cute."

Parker laughed again, this time more freely, feeling the knot in her chest loosen. "Thanks."

Just then, Mari appeared, walking over with Laura Lee at her side. They both stopped in front of Lottie and Parker, and Mari flashed a warm smile at the sisters.

"Hey, Lott," Mari said. "Can I steal Parker for a minute?"

Lottie nodded without hesitation. "Sure, take her. I'll be right here."

Mari gently tugged at Parker's arm, and the two sisters exchanged a brief look before Parker followed Mari a little ways off.

Laura Lee, who had been quietly standing nearby, settled down next to Lottie with a grin. "So, what's new with you two?" she asked casually, her tone light and teasing.

Lottie leaned back against the tree, crossing her arms as she watched Mari and Parker walk off together. "Same old," she said with a small shrug. "You know how it is."

Laura Lee gave her a knowing look. "Yeah, I know. You're always looking out for her."

Lottie smiled, though there was a touch of seriousness behind it. "Always."

Mari led Parker a little further from the noise, away from the chaos of the party. The night air was cooler here, quieter, and it felt like the whole world had just shrunk to the two of them. Mari glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was following them, then stopped when they were finally alone.

Parker felt a rush of nerves in her stomach. She had no idea what Mari was thinking, what she was planning, but as the silence stretched between them, she realized she didn't care. All that mattered was Mari, here, in front of her.

Mari stepped closer, her breath warm against Parker's skin. "I've been wanting to do this all night," she murmured, her eyes searching Parker's face for permission.

Before Parker could respond, Mari leaned in and kissed her, soft but sure. Parker's heart raced in her chest, and for a moment, everything else seemed to disappear. The party, the pressure, the worry. It was just the two of them, finally, in the quiet of the night.

When they pulled away, Mari's eyes were bright, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Finally," she whispered, resting her forehead against Parker's. "I haven't been able to kiss you all night. I was going crazy."

Parker let out a shaky laugh, still caught in the warmth of the moment. "You're an idiot."

A beat of silence passed before Mari, still close, raised an eyebrow playfully. "So, are you getting on the plane with the team tomorrow?"

Parker blinked, a smile tugging at her lips. "Of course I am," she said, her voice light. "My dad paid for it. He wouldn't let me miss it even if I wanted to." She paused, her gaze shifting to the ground for a moment before returning to Mari. "And Lottie's on the team, so I don't really have much of a choice."

Mari grinned, a teasing spark in her eyes. "Guess you're stuck with us then."

"Guess so," Parker replied with a laugh, shaking her head. "I mean, it's not like I wouldn't want to be there. You guys are going to kill it."

Mari's smile softened, a hint of affection in her eyes. "We are," she said with confidence. "And I'm glad you'll be there to see it."

Parker felt warmth spread through her chest, something more than just the excitement of the game or the party. Something that felt steady, real. She nodded, her voice quieter now. "I wouldn't miss it for anything."

Mari leaned in again, her lips brushing against Parker's forehead before she pulled back, looking into her eyes with that same easy smile. "Good. I'll see you there."

Before either of them could utter another word, a sharp, angry voice suddenly cut through the night. "And you're a fucking sociopath!"

Parker's heart skipped, and she instinctively pulled back from Mari as they both turned toward the noise. They moved closer to the party and toward the source of the commotion.

Van got in between Shauna and Taissa, pushing Shauna back slightly. "Calm down."

"No, listen guys!" Shauna said, "We don't have to worry about the Allie problem anymore because Taissa fixed it for us." Her voice was laced with anger.

Laura Lee, who had just walked over with Lottie, turned to Natalie. "What's she talking about?"

"She's talking about Taissa's little plan." She replied.

"Oh please," Taissa scoffed, "since when do you give a shit anyway? Don't you have a bong to hit or a dick to suck?"

"Shut the fuck up, Tai," Isa snapped. "Say that shit one more time and I'll kick your ass."

"Oh, fuck off, Isa." Natalie said, stepping toward her. "You've been avoiding me for weeks and now you want to defend me? And last I checked you were fine with the whole 'freeze her out' strategy!"

"Okay, seriously, what are you talking about?" Laura Lee asks again.

"Shut the fuck up, Laura Lee!" They shouted in unison.

"No, stop it." Van said, trying to de-escalate the situation in any capacity she could.

"All three of you need to shut the fuck up." Wren spoke, shoving her twin sister back a bit.

"Somebody needs to take her wasted ass home." Taissa says.

Shauna's eyes narrowed. "Say that again, bitch. Say that again!"

"I will say it again!" She yells.

Van steps in and pushes them apart, trying to hold Taissa back.

"Catfight!" Randy yells.

"That's it!" Jackie yells, walking over to the Yellowjackets. "Enough!"

The girls fall silent and look at Jackie.

"Yellowjackets, with me, now!" Parker hangs back and watch the girls as they follow Jackie away from the party. "Parker, you too."

"What? Why?"

"You're getting on the plane tomorrow, aren't you?" Jackie asks. Parker groans and follows the other Yellowjackets.

"I don't know what the fuck that was, but I do know that it's over." She states. "We're about to go to nationals. And based on what I'm looking at right now, we might as well not even bother getting on that plane."

None of the girls say a word as Jackie looks at them.

"Alright, everybody line up!" Jackie claps, "I'm fucking serious. Line up!"

They all line up, shoulder to shoulder.

"What is this, fucking Girl Scout camp?" Taissa mutters, making Van snort beside her.

"Who wants to go first?" Jackie says.

"I'll go first, Jackie." Laura Lee says, raising her hand.

Jackie smiles and Laura Lee goes to the end of the line where Taissa was.

"Taissa, you are beautiful in the eyes of our lord."

Taissa just nods and smiles.

"Van, you are beautiful—"

"Oh my god!" Lottie exclaims beside Natalie, making her laugh.

"Okay Laura Lee, fall back." Jackie says, "Okay, I'll go first. Taissa Turner, you have more fight in you than anyone I've ever known. I'm inspired by your determination."

Taissa is unsure how to react but simply smiles at Jackie.

Jackie moves down the line to Van. "Vanessa Palmer, your smile makes me feel happy every time I see it."

"Wren," Jackie let out a soft chuckle. "you are one of the most fearless people I know. You're not afraid to do anything."

Wren smiled at the compliment.

"Laura Lee, I truly admire your faith."

"Nat, I love that you don't care what anyone thinks. And you're so completely yourself."

"She's also deadly at beer pong." Van adds, and the other girls laugh at the comment.

"So go on, tell her. Come on guys!" Jackie says, encouraging the Yellowjackets to compliment each other.

Lottie smiles and chuckles softly at her younger sister's words. "Parker," she begins, "you are the biggest idiot I've ever known."

Parker gasps, mocking offense. "We're supposed to be saying nice things."

"Shut up I'm getting there." Parker folds her arms across her chest as Lottie continues. "But you also bring out the best in people. Sometimes you are what keeps me sane. Okay, your turn."

"Lottie, you never talk shit unless someone really deserves it. And you're also what keeps me sane sometimes."

Lottie chuckled softly. "Very original."

Parker rolled her eyes with a smirk. "You're such a bitch."

Isa walked past the Matthews sisters, her pace slowing as she approached Natalie. She stopped awkwardly in front of her. Natalie glanced up, her expression unreadable but her tone tinged with irritation.

"What are you doing?" Natalie asked, folding her arms.

"Jackie's stupid exercise, remember?" Isa replied, forcing a dry laugh in an attempt to lighten the mood. She hesitated before continuing, her voice softening. "Natalie Scatorccio, you have incredible taste in music. You're like music Jesus or whatever."

Natalie's guarded expression cracked slightly, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"But," Isa added, her tone turning serious, "I am also sorry. I thought if I ignored you, then whatever I felt would go away. You deserved better than that."

Natalie pressed her lips into a thin line, nodding slowly as she shoved her hands into her jacket pockets. "You're an asshole, you know that?"

Isa sagged her shoulders, letting out a resigned sigh. "Yeah. I know. I don't expect you to forgive me at all. I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry, and that I miss you."

"Lucky for you, I don't hold grudges for very long," Natalie said, her tone lightening.

Isa's lips curved into a small, relieved smile, but before she could respond, Natalie suddenly burst into laughter. The sound was unexpected, and Isa furrowed her brows, unsure of what was so funny.

"Are you okay?" Isa asked, stepping closer.

"Yeah, I just—I like your pilgrim hat," Natalie said, grinning as she looked up at Isa's head, where the imaginary hat would've been.

Isa blinked in confusion before breaking into laughter herself. The sound drew the attention of the other Yellowjackets, who turned to look at the pair, surprised to see them laughing together instead of at each other's throats.

—————————————————————————
alex's corner!
the plane crash is next chapter
u guys are not ready for what I have planned for these girls