Chapter Text
Riley closed her sports locker, slipping the lock back on it before she turned to her clothes. She sighed; she hadn't been able to stop thinking about Val's ex since yesterday. She wanted to know more but she couldn't figure out why. Why did it matter? They were exes. She chewed the inside of her cheek as she looked at the other girls in the locker room. She dominated the corner while the others changed shamelessly in front of each other while somehow maintaining a conversation. Riley didn't get it yet; the thought of changing within five feet of someone was so gross. That was the baseline reason but it went far deeper than that.
She was insecure.
Everyone else seemed to have toned bodies and they sauntered with confidence that she didn't have. They spoke half-naked before every practice and their eyes never drifted lower than their faces. Not to say Riley ever stared, no never, but she did take peeks when she first got into high school. With each passing day, she migrated further and further away from the girls until she was alone in the corner. She stalled time by pretending to look for a missing article of clothing or moving extra slowly until most of the girls were out of the locker room before she changed.
Today seemed to be different as the girls were moving slower than a snail and even lounging around in their school clothes. Riley drank from her water bottle before swiping her clothes and walking off to the bathroom stalls, pretending as if she had to pee. She got inside and frowned as she slowly got undressed. She hated feeling this way about herself, she never felt this way before. Maybe it was the hormones, a term she learned in health class, that was making her feel this way. Whatever it was, she wanted it to stop affecting her so she could just grow up already. Puberty was a pain in the butt and she already blew through two sticks of deodorant in a month.
The sound of the locker room door shutting made her jump and she looked down at herself. She finished putting her clothes on and flushed before leaving the stall. She let the water run before grabbing a paper towel, crumbling it, and throwing it away. As she turned the corner, her breath hitched as she locked eyes with Val, the only one left in the locker room.
“Val?! What are you doing here?” Riley asked as she quickly stuffed her clothes in her bag. While she zipped it up, she heard Val's footsteps get closer.
“I wanted to wait for you,” Riley turned and flinched as she almost bumped into Val. When did she get that close? “Are you ok? You kinda disappeared.”
“Oh! Oh, I'm fine I just had to use the bathroom,” Riley said, waving her hand as she stepped back and turned around. “But I appreciate you checking up on me. You know, an eye for an eye since I checked up on you earlier,” She let out a strained laugh as she blushed and unlocked the lock on her locker. She heard Val hum behind her while she set her items inside and locked it.
“Yeah, no worries,” Riley turned and was met with Val's supportive smile. The sight made Riley's heart melt and as she went to grab her hockey stick, stumbled and grabbed the bench as she almost fell. “Woah, are you ok!?” She forgot she was in her hockey boots and she chuckled awkwardly as her cheeks burned darker.
“Yep! I just missed a step,” Val nodded, her eyebrows slowly falling to rest as Riley caught her balance. “Hey, I asked my mom and after talking with my dad, she said I can ride home with you today!” Val grinned.
“Really? That's great,” Val shook Riley's shoulder, coaxing a giggle from her. “Man, I've been looking forward to this day,” Riley switched the stick to her other hand and glanced at Val.
“You have?” Val nodded as the two left the locker room. Riley smiled; Val wanted to take her home! Oh god, that meant she would be able to see her up close while she drove. She'd jump up and down if she wasn't walking with her or entering the hockey rink. Val smiled at Riley before putting her helmet on and skating on the ice. Riley bit her lip from excitement as she put her helmet on and ran after her.
“Another one Andersen?” Coach Roberts yelled after Riley completely missed the open pass. She whined as she turned in Coach Roberts's direction. “Everyone take a break,” Riley's shoulders hunched and she kept her hands close to her chest as she watched the other girls mumble to each other. They skated off the rink and Riley snapped her head away to avoid searching for Val in the bunch. Oh, she'd be so disappointed in her, she couldn't bear the thought. Finally, she skated off the rink and sat far away from the others so she wouldn't hear them complaining about her.
Riley sat, taking her helmet off and hitting her forehead with her stick. She needed to focus, she couldn't mess up like the last four times. But she couldn't stop thinking about Val, more specifically, her ex. Who was this mystery person? No, why did Riley care so much? What if they came back in Val's life? But Val didn't seem happy when Dani brought her up. What if Val decided she wouldn't take Riley home and instead she'd take this ex home and leave Riley stranded at the school with nowhere to go and nobody to see!? Riley groaned, stomping her foot on the ground.
“Focus, focus, focus,” She muttered, hitting her forehead after each word. This was stupid, why was she so hyper-focused on someone so irrelevant?! Hockey was important, she needed to focus on that.
“Yo, Minnesota,” Riley looked up and saw Dani sitting on the seat below her. Dani flinched at first and then chuckled.
“Jeez, who hurt you?” Riley let out a hum in confusion as she relaxed her face and stopped narrowing her eyes.
“I'm sorry, and I'm sorry for getting everyone a break,” Dani shrugged.
“Don't worry about it, we all wanted one ever since Coach took away our last water break,” Dani said, pointing to the water and ice cooler that was held hostage in the penalty box. Riley hummed as Dani turned back to her. “What's on your mind? You're usually more focused than that.”
“Just schoolwork,” Riley said with a shrug.
“Schoolwork doesn't make you hit your head with your stick,” Riley glanced at her stick before she set it down beside her, frowning. Dani had a point, school work doesn't make you do that. Ugh, why was she such a bad liar? As she tried to think of one, she eventually gave up and sighed.
“Do you... do you remember how you brought up Val's ex yesterday during lunch?” Dani's eyebrows shot up and a smirk engulfed her face. Riley gulped; she had made a grave mistake. “I-I don't care but I was just curious-”
“Bullsh*t! Oops,” Dani quickly looked around before she climbed up and sat beside Riley. “Why do you ask?”
“Well, um... I just- you know, was curious about who it was,” Riley stammered but Dani's smirk only grew bigger. “Val just doesn't seem like she'd have an ex, you know?” Each word made the hole she dug bigger than before. She needed to shut up.
“Oh, I know. I know everything~ about her ex,” Dani said, folding her arms behind her head and leaning against the seat above her on the bleachers. Riley's eyes widened as she watched Dani get comfortable.
“Really?!” Dani nodded.
“Yup,” Riley smiled, knowing this would work in her favor.
“So, who is it?” She asked with too much eagerness. Dani picked up on it and chuckled at her reaction as she crossed her legs.
“I can't say,” Riley's face dropped. “Ha! Gotcha!” Dani said, waving her pointer finger close to Riley's face. Riley's nose scrunched as she waved Dani's finger away, prompting her to laugh.
“Hey, stop it!” Riley frowned as Dani continued to laugh at her.
“The hope on your face dude! Priceless,” Dani wiped a fake tear from her eye before she sat up and faced her. “I saw you and Val holding hands yesterday. Did she tell you that ghost story?”
“Yeah, it was stupid. I mean it's just ghosts, right?”
“Mhm, and yet you held her hand. Now were you scared or was that your own decision?” Riley opened her mouth to answer but stopped when she heard their coach shouting for everyone to get back on the rink. “Alright Minnesota, you gotta lock in alright?” Dani said as she stood up and put her helmet back on. Riley nodded, standing and grabbing her own helmet.
“Right,” Dani grinned before she jumped off the bleachers and skated back on the ice with Val who glanced in Riley's direction. Riley waved and Val smiled, waving back. Riley put her faceguard on and grabbed her stick. Dani was such a tease. She shook her head and got back on the ice. She could worry about Dani later, instead, she focused on how Val was taking her home after practice. With that in mind, she smiled and held her stick with determination.
She locked in for the rest of practice.
“That's what I'm talking about!” Dani said, shaking Riley by her shoulders on their way back to the locker room. Riley giggled as she pushed the door open. She had made more goals than almost everyone there and she considered that a major accomplishment, especially after her early hiccups. “Soon enough you're going to beat Val. Damn, you're rising the ranks, Minnesota!” Riley smiled as Dani took her arm off and turned to her locker.
“Thanks,” Riley said before she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Val.
“Woah, you're not trying to take my crown now are you, Riley?” Val teased and Riley smiled, letting out a short laugh at the banter. The longer she stared at Val, the more she felt her cheeks sting from how much she smiled.
“Yeah. You better get your game up,” Dani whistled as Val shook her head, smiling as she opened her locker. A couple of the other girls laughed and Riley's smile grew bigger. It was always nice when they made her feel like she belonged.
“You've got some nerve Riley,” Val said, smiling as she started taking her gear off. Riley chuckled before she went up to her locker and took her gear off. She grabbed her school clothes and glanced at her hockey clothes, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. She glanced around before taking in a deep breath and going on her phone. No, stop. She needed to get this under control. Nobody will judge her, they just laughed with her so they're cool right? With a short huff, she pulled her pants off.
She changed with haste, nearly banging her hand against the metal lockers multiple times. Crap was that laughing? Were they laughing at her? She needed to move faster.
“So, Val, do you usually tell fake ghost stories to people you want to hold hands with?” Dani asked from behind. Riley's breath hitched and her hands clutched on her shirt. Fake ghost stories? But, Val told her a ghost story earlier, did she lie to her? Never mind that the hold-hands part was way more important. Riley moved as silently as she could to try and listen in.
“Seriously, Dani?” Val said and Riley could practically see her eyes rolling.
“You didn't say no though,” Riley's eyes widened. Dani was right, Val didn't deny it at all! That meant she wanted to hold her hand! She smiled as she pulled her shirt over her head. Riley should do that when she got older, she could be the big sister to the lowerclassmen the same way Val was.
“Yeah yeah, sure. Hey Riley, are you ready?” Riley pulled her shirt down even more before she looked over her shoulder. Val already changed out of her clothes and was standing by Dani with her arms crossed.
“Yeah, one sec,” Val nodded so she turned back around and grabbed her hockey bag. After slinging it over her shoulder, she met Val by her locker.
“Nice, let's go,” Val nodded her head at the door and started walking. Riley glanced at Dani before waving slightly and following Val. Before she could get far, she felt a hand pull her back.
“Brown hair and silver heart earrings,” Dani whispered before pushing Riley towards Val. Riley turned, raising her eyebrow at Dani. Dani nodded her head at Val so Riley huffed and followed Val. Brown hair and silver heart earrings? What did that mean? And why did she nod at Val? Val didn't have heart earrings.
“Hey, you were good today,” Val said. “I wanted to wait until we were alone to tell you,” Riley looked at Val and smiled.
“Thanks, it means a lot from you,”
“Really? Why, because I'm the captain?” Riley nodded but it didn't feel right. She felt drawn to Val, more than because she was the captain. It was something deeper, unexplainable.
“Mhm, yup. Coach also doesn't give out compliments often either,” Val nodded.
“Yeah, she keeps her opinions to herself and that little notebook. I'm positive she thinks you're great, I mean you made the team as a freshman. How crazy is that?” Val took her keys out of her pockets as they walked out of the school. Riley laughed at that. Val thought that was impressive? “Hey, just because I did it too doesn't mean it was easy,” Riley laughed under her breath as Val unlocked her trunk.
“Yeah, ok,” Val grinned, clicking her tongue as she pushed the door open. She put her hockey bag in and patted the floor of it.
“Do you need help?” Riley shook her head. She would not look weak in front of Val, besides she put hers in every day today was no different. “Alright, I'll be upfront,” As Val sat in the driver's seat, Riley took her bag off of her shoulder and pushed it into the trunk. She glanced at Val, who was on her phone, through the rearview mirror.
“Can I shut it?”
“Oh, no need, look,” Val set her phone down and looked through the mirror. “Can you step back?” Riley stepped back so Val hit a button and the trunk door closed. Riley gasped, her mom's car didn't do that. That was so cool.
“That was so cool!” Riley gushed as she opened the backdoor seats.
“Where ya going? Sit up front,” Val looked over her shoulder, motioning to the passenger's seat. Riley nodded, closing the door before opening the passenger's side and sitting down. Woah, even the cushioning was nice. Riley closed the door and buckled before rubbing her hands on her pants, already feeling the sweat form. She should not be nervous, Val was taking her home and nothing more. That last part saddened her more than she realized.
“Thanks for taking me home. Your car is really nice,”
“No problem, punch in your address,” Riley turned to the GPS set up on Val's phone and put in her address. “I've done this with almost everyone on the team. It helps with one-on-one bonding and all that. I don't want anyone to feel like they can't connect with me, especially as captain,” Riley glanced at Val, smiling. The reasoning was more sweet than it should've been. Val was giving her even more reason to like her. And the more she liked her the more she wanted to be like her.
“That's so sweet,” Val looked away, shrugging.
“It's no biggie, just something small,”
“Yeah, but it's still sweet. You're a great captain, and this honestly makes you greater,”
“Alright, compliment shower. Thank you, but I want to talk about you.”
“Me?”
“Yeah,” Val drove off. “What else do you have for me? Questions, secrets? I'm open to it all,” Riley paused. Secrets? Did Val... did Val know that she was hiding something? Oh god, did Val know that she was constantly thinking about her ex? Great, now she was thinking about her ex again. Dani was still no use to her and- Riley gasped. Brown hair and silver heart earrings; that was what Val's ex looked like! “Talk to me, Riley. What's got you so excited?” Quick, think of something.
“Oh, my mom's making pizza for dinner. I just remembered,” Val glanced at Riley, a brief look of disappointment on her face.
“Really? Damn, you think she'd let me stay over?” Val teased, chuckling as she turned to watch the road again. Riley's heart stopped for a moment and she looked out the window. She could imagine it, Val sitting at her dining table talking with her parents. A natural charmer, they'd love her and let Riley hang out with her more. And then they'd let Val sleep over and the two could share her bed or watch a movie on the couch. And then Riley would fall asleep on Val's shoulder and would wake up in her arms, hearing Val's heartbeat in her ear. “The idea sounds nice, right?” Riley blinked, touching her cheek and wincing when she felt the heat off of it. She completely forgot to answer her and got lost in a daydream.
“It kinda does,” Riley agreed quietly. Val looked over at Riley again, her face softening the longer she stared.
“Maybe if Coach cancels a practice, I could come around and we could have some pizza. Hopefully, your parents won't mind, oh, you could bring it up when you get home,” Val suggested as she took a left. Riley raised her eyebrow and watched the GPS redirect them onto a different road. This wasn't the route she took home.
“Yeah, I'll see but uh you-” No, she can't correct her. Should she? Val did say she was open to questions and secrets and all that. Besides, if she wanted any chance of Val coming over, she couldn't be acting like a mess around her parents. “You took the wrong turn,”
“I know, there's a scenic route towards your house and you seem like a flower lover, so,” As Val said that, Riley looked out the window and gasped. Hundreds of dozens of different colored flowers lined the side of the road, all bright and well cared for. Riley went to press her face against the window but stopped and leaned closer instead.
“They're beautiful,” She spoke breathlessly, her eyes focused on the different kinds of same-colored flowers.
“I knew it. Plus, we get to be alone some more,” Riley noticed the roses were the most prominent of them all and it made her think of Val. The roses stood tall, confident in their looks and the ability to stay strong with their thorns.
If Val was a rose, Riley would risk pricking herself to hold her.
