Isa , Alani , Wren , Parker | 𝟭𝟵𝟵𝟲
Wiskayok, New Jersey

Isa had dragged Natalie upstairs to her bedroom, doing her best to ignore Natalie's giggles about the imaginary leprechauns she kept insisting were running through the hall. Both girls were far too drunk and high for their own good, but Isa knew she couldn't let Natalie go home like this. Wren had left the party not long after they did and had gone to Ryders place.

Isa's parents were out for the evening, enjoying some alone time before nationals, leaving Isa and her brothers home until at least 11 p.m.

She managed to sit Natalie on her bed before heading to her stereo. Flipping through her mixtapes, she found one to drown out the distant sound of Javi and Travis arguing over some stupid video game.

Natalie groaned as soon as the music started. "Ugh, seriously? The Cranberries?"

Isa laughed. "What? They're my favorite band."

"There's some work to be done, but I think I can fix your taste in music," Natalie teased with a smirk.

Isa rolled her eyes and gave her a playful shove. Just then, her face lit up as the song hit her favorite part. "Holy shit, I love this part!" She jumped up, cranked the volume, and grabbed a hairbrush off her dresser to use as a microphone.

She sang along passionately, "And now I tell you openly, you have my heart, so don't hurt me!"

Natalie sat on the bed, pretending to be annoyed, but the small smile creeping onto her face betrayed her. Isa twirled dramatically, putting on a performance worthy of a sold out stadium. On her final spin, she lost her balance and toppled forward, landing right in Natalie's lap.

"Hey," Isa giggled, looking up at Natalie with wide eyes.

Natalie smirked down at her. "That was quite the show."

The air between them shifted. For a moment, the chaos of the house faded into nothing. Isa's eyes flicked to Natalie's lips, then back up to her eyes. She barely had time to process the moment before Natalie leaned down and kissed her.

Isa froze for a split second, but then melted into it, cupping Natalie's face gently as the kiss deepened.

"Isa, can you—"

The two girls pulled apart instantly as Javi's voice cut through the moment. He stood in the doorway, eyes wide, staring at them. Isa scrambled off Natalie's lap, trying to look casual as she ran a hand through her hair.

"Javi!" Isa blurted, her voice high pitched with panic.

Javi blinked a few times, then turned on his heel and started walking away. Isa shot Natalie an apologetic glance, quickly shutting off the music and running after him. She grabbed his arm and pulled him back into her room.

"Javi, what you saw—it wasn't—I wasn't—" Isa stammered, her words stumbling over each other. She sighed heavily, collapsing onto her bed and burying her face in her hands. "Just please don't fucking tell anyone."

Javi looked at her for a moment, then nodded. "I won't. I promise."

Isa peeked up at him, relief flooding her face. "Thanks," she said softly. Then, she groaned, clutching her stomach. "But can you help me to the bathroom? I think I'm about to throw up all over Natalie."

"Ew, please take her," Natalie said, waving Isa toward Javi.

Javi sighed and helped Isa to her feet, guiding her into the hallway and to the bathroom.

"You're drunk," Javi said as he eased her down beside the toilet.

Isa gave him a weak smirk. "Well, aren't you fucking Sherlock Holmes."

Javi didn't respond.

"Sorry," Isa said quietly. "Lottie and Parker threw a party, and I—"

Her explanation was cut off as everything she'd consumed that day decided to make its exit. Javi knelt beside her, holding her hair back until she was done. Once she'd finished, Isa slumped against the cabinets, exhausted, while Javi sat across from her, his back against the wall.

After a moment of silence, Javi spoke. "How long have you and Natalie been dating?"

Isa blinked, caught off guard. "We're not dating," she replied. "She kissed me a couple weeks ago at Parker's bonfire, and I kind of freaked out. This was the first time we've kissed since then."

Javi nodded, processing her words. "Do you only like girls?"

"I don't know," Isa admitted, her voice breaking as tears welled in her eyes. "This is all so fucking confusing. It goes against everything I believe in, but it feels so right. I'm sorry. I don't expect you to understand."

Javi's expression softened. "Your secret is safe with me. You can always trust me, Isa."

Isa wiped her eyes, a faint smile breaking through her exhaustion. "Thanks, Javi."

———

As Isa and Natalie stepped into the trailer, they were greeted by the muffled sound of music coming from down the hall. Isa raised an eyebrow as Natalie rolled her eyes.

"Looks like Wren's up already," Natalie muttered.

"Up and loud," Isa added, following Natalie toward the bedroom.

They pushed open the door to Natalie's shared room, finding Wren standing in front of the closet, digging through a pile of clothes. Her headphones were on, and she was singing terribly to some rock song.

Isa smirked, leaning against the doorframe. "Nice voice, Wren."

Wren jumped, nearly dropping her jersey. She yanked her headphones off and glared at Isa. "Jesus, you scared the shit out of me!"

"Good," Natalie said, brushing past her twin to grab her own suitcase from the floor.

"What are you even doing here?" Wren asked Isa, narrowing her eyes.

"Making sure your sister doesn't forget her bags," Isa shot back.

"What a gentleman," Wren said, smirking before turning to Natalie. "What happened to you last night anyway? You totally ghosted after Jackie's Girl Scout thing."

"None of your business," Natalie said, avoiding Wren's eyes.

Wren's gaze flicked between the two of them, her smirk growing. "Wait a second. Did you two—"

"Don't," Natalie interrupted, glaring at her sister.

Isa's face turned red. "Nothing happened."

"Uh huh," Wren said, clearly unconvinced. She turned back to her bag, placing her jersey inside, her tone teasing. "Whatever you say, Isa."

Natalie groaned and tossed her shirt from yesterday at Wren, but missed. "Can you not? It's too early for this."

Wren shrugged, zipping her bag shut. "Relax, Nat. I'm just messing with you."

"Yeah, well, don't," Natalie snapped, grabbing her bag. She turned to Isa. "You ready to go?"

Isa nodded, stepping aside to let Natalie storm past her. Wren raised an eyebrow at Isa, her smirk fading slightly.

"Hey, Isa," she said as Natalie disappeared down the hall.

"What?"

"I know about you and Natalie," Wren's voice was softer now, her teasing gone. "She told me a couple weeks ago. Don't be an asshole again, okay?"

"I won't."

Wren nodded, grabbing her bags and following them out. The twins may fight like they're sworn enemies, but Isa knew Wren cared more than she let on.

At the Matthews residence, the dining room was quiet except for the faint clinking of silverware on plates as Lottie and Parker ate their breakfast. The sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow over the room, but the atmosphere felt cold. Their parents had left for a business trip a week ago, leaving the sisters to fend for themselves in the empty house.

Parker stared down at her eggs, her fork barely moving. "I can't believe they didn't even bother to come back to say goodbye. You're leaving for fucking nationals, and they just don't care? I'm coming to support you and Mari and the whole team. But they couldn't at the very least call?"

Lottie looked up from her plate, chewing thoughtfully before swallowing. "I'm used to it by now," she said quietly, her voice calm but tinged with a hint of sadness.

"That doesn't make it okay," Parker snapped, setting her fork down with more force than she intended. "They could at least pretend like we matter. It's not like you're going to a regular game. This is huge, Lottie!"

Before Lottie could respond, their maid quietly entered the room, carrying two orange pill bottles. She approached the table, setting the items down in front of each girl without saying a word.

Parker shot her a sharp glance but said nothing.

Parker sighed, picking up the bottle and opening it, dumping a pill on her hand. She glared at it, like it had personally offended her. "I love how they care more about this than us," she muttered, swallowing the pill with a sip of orange juice.

Lottie did the same without complaint, her expression neutral as always. "It's just how they are, Parker. You can't change them."

"I shouldn't have to change them," Parker said, her voice rising slightly. "They're parents. This is literally their job."

"Getting mad about it isn't going to help."

Parker slumped back in her chair, crossing her arms. "You're too forgiving."

"And you hold onto things too tightly," Lottie countered.

Parker opened her mouth to respond, but the clock chimed, reminding them they didn't have much time left before they needed to leave for the airport. She sighed, pushing her plate aside. "Whatever. Let's just get going."

Lottie nodded and stood. Parker followed her, the frustration still bubbling beneath the surface but tempered by her sister's calm presence. They had each other, even if no one else seemed to care.

As they boarded the plane, Van laughed in awe, her eyes wide as she took in the private jet.

"I can't believe your dad paid for a private plane," she said, grinning as she walked down the aisle, taking everything in.

"It's pretty much his only form of parenting," Lottie replied, her voice calm but unable to fully mask the sadness beneath her words.

"Well, thank you Mr. Matthews," Van and Laura Lee chimed in unison, their laughter filling the cabin.

Parker slid into a window seat, her gaze fixed on the entrance. The moment she spotted Mari boarding, she waved her down, her face lighting up. Mari smiled back, making her way over and sitting down beside her. Parker immediately reached for Mari's hand, intertwining their fingers, but quickly pulled away when Akilah dropped into the seat next to them.

"Watch this," Mari said, leaning toward Akilah. "Hey, JV, new bloods have to earn a seat."

"Oh, I thought—" Akilah started, her face dropping.

Mari burst into laughter. "I'm just messing with you. You want a fruit roll up? I've got like a mile of them."

Akilah let out a breath of relief, laughing softly. "Uh, sure."

Mari leaned across the aisle and handed Akilah a handful. Parker raised an eyebrow, feigning offense.

Parker folded her arms, glaring at Mari. "You offer her some and not me?"

"What, are you jealous?" Mari teased, leaning in until their faces were just inches apart.

"Maybe a little," Parker admitted with a smirk, the tension melting into a shared grin.

Isa and Natalie were the last to board, finding an empty pair of seats near the front. Isa dropped into her chair and unzipped her duffel bag, pulling out a small dinosaur toy.

Natalie glanced over, frowning in confusion. "Nice dinosaur."

"It's Diego's," Isa said simply, her eyes focused on the toy.

"That's Mari's little brother, right?" Natalie asked.

Isa nodded, holding the dinosaur close to her chest. "Yeah. He loves this thing to death."

Natalie chuckled, but her expression softened as she noticed the fondness in Isa's voice. "He must love you a lot if he let you take it."

Isa smiled faintly, keeping her eyes on the toy. "Yeah, I guess he does."

———

Isa leaned back next to Natalie, clutching Diego's dinosaur. She glanced over at Mari a few rows back, laughing quietly with Parker and Akilah.

"I'll be back," Isa said, standing up, leaving the dinosaur in her seat.

"Where are you going?" Natalie asked, looking up from where she was slouched.

"Fruit roll ups," Isa replied with a small smirk. "Mari has some."

Natalie snorted and waved her off. "Fine, but bring me one."

Isa made her way down the narrow aisle, weaving through her teammates. She reached Mari, who was digging into her bag of fruit roll ups.

"Hey, share some of your stash?" Isa asked, leaning against the back of Mari's seat.

Mari grinned. "You're really making me the snack queen today, huh?"

Before Isa could respond, the plane jolted suddenly, sending her stumbling forward.

"What the hell?" Isa muttered, grabbing the armrest of Mari's seat to steady herself.

The turbulence worsened, shaking the plane violently. A shrill scream came from the front as the lights flickered. Isa tried to get her footing, but another lurch sent her sprawling to the floor.

Mari's grip tightened on Parker's arm as she watched Isa struggle to stand.

"Isa, sit down!" Parker shouted, her voice trembling.

But Isa couldn't. Each time she tried to crawl or grab something, another violent shake tossed her back down. The jet was now bucking like a mechanical bull. Overhead compartments flew open, sending bags and belongings crashing to the floor.

A sickening drop made Isa's stomach flip, and she let out a startled cry as the plane tilted sharply downward. She clawed at the seats for support but was thrown toward the front of the jet with brutal force.

"Isa!" Mari shouted, her voice barely audible over the chaos.

Isa slammed into the front of the cabin, gasping in pain. Her ears popped, and she could hear the desperate screams of her teammates mixed with the deafening roar of the engines. The plane was plummeting.

Through the chaos, Isa's eyes darted to Travis, who was gripping his seatbelt tightly, terror etched across his face. Suddenly, a horrible cracking noise split the air, and the back of the plane began to tear apart.

Isa froze, watching in horror as the pressure shift pulled her father from the aisle and sucked him out into the open sky. Time seemed to slow as her and Travis' eyes met, both processing what they'd just witnessed.

Isa tried to crawl toward him, her fingers slipping on the debris littered floor. Then, with one final deafening crack, the plane split entirely.

Wind roared around her as Isa's body was pulled toward the gaping hole. Her hands clawed desperately for anything to hold onto, but there was nothing. She locked eyes with Travis one last time, her heart pounding as if it might burst.

Alani on the other hand was slipping in and out of consciousness. The Valium was still very much affecting her. Coach Scott had run over and slipped the oxygen mask over her. She only had her eyes open for five seconds before she knew what was going on.

Wren had her eyes shut as she gripped the armrests, muttering a string of curses. No matter how hard she tried to block out the screams and sounds of the engines, she couldn't. It was all she could hear. Just a minute ago the Yellowjackets were laughing, Wren wished she could go back to that minute.

The plane crashed into the trees, knocking them over. Wren lurched forward and then to the side, her head breaking the plane window and losing consciousness.

"Alani," Jackie stumbled over to the girl, shaking her awake. "Wake the fuck up! We have to go!"

Her eyes fluttered open and Alani shot up.

"Shit, help me." Shauna said, struggling to get Wren out of her seat.

Alani went over to her and swung Wren's arm over her shoulder. They stumbled over to the exit but heard screams coming from the back of the plane.

It was Van.

"Take her, I'm gonna go help Van." Says Shauna, handing Wren's limp body to Alani.

She did as she was told and exited the burning plane, not noticing that Jackie wasn't with her. Alani laid Wren a little ways away from the plane and collapsed against a nearby tree. Alani was miraculously unharmed but her whole body ached. She looked around at her classmates, more than half of them had some sort of injury.

"Wren!"

Natalie's voice was barely audible over the chaos. She stumbled over to her sister, falling to her knees beside her. Wren's eyes fluttered open, and Natalie let out a shaky breath of relief.

"Thank fucking god," Natalie muttered, her voice trembling.

Wren squinted up at her and gave a weak laugh. "So you do love me."

"Fuck you," Natalie shot back, trying to hide the smile tugging at her lips.

"Is—is everyone okay?" Wren asked, her voice unsteady as she tried to shake off the daze.

"I can't find Isa," Natalie said, her voice trembling with fear.

Before either of them could say more, Jackie and Shauna stumbled out of the wreckage. Shauna's shoved Jackie aside, clearly mad at something she'd done in the time they were on plane.

"There was nothing we could do," Jackie exclaimed, but Shauna didn't answer. She stormed off, leaving Jackie standing there, lost and unsure.

Jackie's frustration quickly gave way to realization. Alani. Her heart sank as she spun around, frantically searching the scattered group for her. Her eyes landed on the girl sitting against a tree by the Scatorccio twins. Jackie rushed over without hesitation, dropping beside her and pulling Alani into a tight hug.

"Are you okay?" Jackie asked breathlessly. "You're not hurt?"

"I'm okay," Alani reassured her. "I'm okay."

Parker had managed to get Mari out of the plane with Akilah's help, though she could see the pain on her face as she gripped her thigh, blood seeping from a deep gash. The three of them were sitting on the dirt alongside Laura Lee, none of them sure what to do about Mari's injury.

"Isa," Mari murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "I saw her. Before we crashed. The plane split and she—" Her voice cracked, and her words trailed off as tears welled up in her eyes.

Laura Lee stared ahead, her expression tight with the effort to hold it together, but her eyes betrayed her. "I hope it was quick. The thought of Isa suffering—I don't even want to imagine it."

Parker didn't know Isa all that well. They had never been close, but they weren't strangers either. Still, she could feel the weight of their grief. Mari, Isa, and Laura Lee had first met back in 5th grade. They'd been thrown together on the same soccer team during P.E. and they immediately clicked.

"Help, someone!" Javi's voice broke through the tension, faint but frantic.

"Help me up," Mari muttered, her face hardening.

"Your leg—" Parker began, but Mari cut her off.

"I don't fucking care about my leg, Parker!" she snapped, her voice raw with emotion. "One of my best friends is dead. The least I can do is help her brother."

"Okay, okay," Parker sighed, taking a step back. "I'll go find Javi. Just stay here. You're in no condition to be playing hero right now."

Mari gave a sharp nod, and Parker stood up, making her way toward the sound of Javi's voice. As soon as Parker reached Javi, her heart dropped at the sight of Isa lying crumpled on the ground, unconscious. Blood streaked the side of her forehead, and her arm hung at an awkward angle. Parker knelt beside Isa, her heart pounding as Isa's eyes fluttered open.

"Isa!" Parker said, relief flooding her voice.

Isa groaned, trying to sit up but immediately wincing. "What the hell happened?" she muttered, her hand instinctively clutching her shoulder.

"Are you okay? Can you move?" Javi asked, his voice tight with worry.

Isa shook her head and hissed in pain as she shifted slightly. "My shoulder fucking hurts."

Parker leaned closer, examining her. "It doesn't look dislocated, but you definitely shouldn't move it. We need to get you back to the others. Think you can walk?"

Isa sucked in a deep breath and nodded, gritting her teeth. "Yeah, just—help me up."

Parker carefully hooked her arm under Isa's to help her stand. Isa bit back a cry of pain as her shoulder jolted.

"Easy, easy," Parker said, steadying her. "We'll go slow."

"Great," Isa muttered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Can't wait to limp through the woods like some kind of wounded deer."

"Better than lying here," Javi shot back, though his concern was clear.

As they began their way back toward the wreckage, Isa gritted her teeth with every step, her arm cradled close to her chest. "If nationals weren't already fucked, they definitely are now."

"Stop worrying about nationals," Parker said, glancing at her. "Right now, let's focus on not dying."

"Solid plan," Isa mumbled, her lips twitching into a faint, pained smile.

Parker staggered as she helped Isa back to where the others were regrouping. Isa winced with every step, clutching her injured shoulder. Javi ran up to meet them, his face pale and streaked with dirt.

"Stay with her," Parker said quickly, guiding Isa into Javi's arms. "I'll be right back."

Isa nodded weakly, leaning heavily on her brother. But before Parker could take another step, screams rang out from a little further away.

Lottie's voice cut through the chaos. "Oh fucking god!"

Parker froze, her heart dropping into her stomach. She turned back to Isa and Javi, hesitating for a moment, then took off toward the sound.

When she reached the scene, the sight stopped her dead in her tracks. Lottie was on the ground, staring at the mangled mess before her. Mari was doubled over a few feet away, vomiting while Laura Lee rubbed her back soothingly and Akilah held Mari's hair away from her face, though her own face was ghostly pale.

Parker's eyes followed their horrified gazes, landing on Coach Ben. He was pulled out from under a section of the plane wing, his leg completely crushed. The limb was an unrecognizable, bloody pulp, and the sight sent a wave of nausea crashing over Parker. She clamped a hand over her mouth, but it wasn't enough to stop her from retching. She stumbled back, bending over as her stomach heaved. Parker wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, trying to steady herself.

Before Parker could fully steady herself, Misty appeared, holding an axe, her expression calm but disturbingly resolute.

Misty raised the axe, her grip firm. And in one swing, Misty brought the axe down. The sound of metal meeting flesh and bone was sickening, a wet crunch that made everyone scream. The severed leg fell away, limp and unrecognizable, as blood spurted from the stump. Misty didn't hesitate, tossing the axe aside and pulling off her belt to wrap it tightly around Ben's thigh as a tourniquet. She wiped blood from her hands onto her jeans and looked up at the others, who were still frozen in shock.

"Help me move him," Misty demanded.

No one moved. The group stared at her, wide eyed and horrified.

"Now!" she barked, snapping them out of their stupor.

The girls exchanged uncertain glances, but Misty's tone left no room for argument. Slowly, they moved, their hands trembling as they lifted coach Ben's limp body.

Blood dripped from the stump as they carried him away, leaving a crimson trail behind them. As they laid Ben down in a safer spot, Parker couldn't stop shaking. Her eyes darted to Misty, who was already adjusting the tourniquet and checking his pulse with the precision of someone who'd done this a hundred times.

The others stayed back, their faces pale. Parker couldn't help but think that Misty had just saved Ben's life in the most brutal way possible and that she might be the reason they don't die.

—————————————————————————
alex's corner!
if something doesnt make sense I apologize it is 2am and I am more asleep than awake right now