Page 34 of Jockstraps & Newspapers

Cass was piggybacked on Tens' back, snapping pictures before screaming her support to the team. Tens was pacing the track, keeping her trained gaze for any weakness on the team. Lee and Renner were practically sprinting back and forth as the teams broke from their huddles and headed to the center of the fields. The time on the clock started again and it was do or die. Elliot met the other team’s captain at the center as the rest of the team set up a formation.

Cass stopped screaming as a water bottle was passed up to her from Tens.

Knowing better, she immediately took it, tossed back a heavy gulp, and handed it back without complaint.

Tens put her drink down then lined them up for the final play.

Elliot surged forward and was caught in a deadlock with the other captain.

Toad bulldozed around them, taking the other team by surprise, plowing through the sea of bodies.

Their ball, a very fast dwarf in all seafoam green, bound out of the way.

A flush out. With the dwarf exposed, Elliot tossed the other captain aside, clearly playing the distraction.

Him and Toad blocked any of the other team’s defense from getting to their dwarf as a one of the Knights, the Fowlst, caught the dwarf in their talons.

The arena roared, people standing and stomping their feet.

As if the world slowed down into a stop motion picture, Cass caught the final moments of the game in flashes.

The scoreboard and clock caught with every snap of the camera.

One moment, they had three minutes and thirty seconds, the dwarf ball fighting for his life in the talons of a Fowlst. The next, three minutes and ten seconds, a member of the Titans bound into the air to deflect the ball.

Two minutes. Elliot was tossed into the air by Toad.

Mouth open, tongue stuck out to the side, goofiest look on his face, Elliot pounced on the enemy defender and dragged him to the turf.

One minute. The Knights weren't putting it up to chance, they were going all the way to the post. No toss, no chance, just a solid score.

The air was electric as the clock struck down to thirty seconds and the dwarf went through the hoop.

Bouncing in the magic, invisible safety net along the other side, the Fowlst player dropping from the sky with exhaustion into the loving arms of Toad and Elliot.

Like an explosion, the entire field and arena broke into utter chaos.

Streamers, glitter, horns, muffled sounds of the announcer, all of it swirled around Cass as Tens charged the field.

The Knights huddled together, hugging and punching each other affectionately.

Lee, Renner, Tens, and all the Darling sisters were on the field in a moment and screaming with the team.

Elliot and Toad hoisted up their teammate, wings out and sweat pouring down his face.

His uniform flashed into heavy armor as Cass captured him in his victory.

Elliot peeked away from the Fowlst propped on his shoulder to Cass.

She beamed from ear to ear, reaching a hand into the thrumming bodies.

He took her hand and squeezed it. Returning the butterflies to her stomach.

He mouthed something to her, but she couldn't catch it with all the sweat and happy tears blurring her vision.

She leaned forward but Tens surged backward, taking her from the Minotaur.

"Line up!" Renner bellowed and the team broke apart, meeting the other team on the field to shake hands.

Cass took photos of Elliot giving the other team captain a high five into a strong hug.

The two grinning and panting for air while they spoke to each other.

Sportsmanship, they're proud of each other.

She could see it in the sparkle of the other captain's eyes and the way Elliot spoke excitedly with his hands.

They hugged again before moving on to the other person.

The dwarf came up to the Fowlst and they got into a playful punching tussle before fist bumping it out.

"I get it now," she breathed.

"Huh?" Tens looked up from the field to Cass. The goliath woman set the journalist down. Her silver skin was covered in a light sheen of sweat, her t-shirt and joggers practically painted on her skin with moisture.

"I said I get it now. I see why everyone loves the game," she chuckled sheepishly, tucking her camera away to her side.

"Sometimes you just have to experience it to understand," Tens panted for air, softly slapping a hand to Cass's shoulder cap. "Go on, wrap up your equipment; they've got a few things left to do post-game before everyone's dismissed."

Cass thanked Tens before scuttling off, her sisters in tow.

Katterina and Haylee babbled incessantly while they collected all the equipment bags she had stashed for safety.

Andromeda helped her tuck away her camera and carried it as they went up to the announcer booth.

They were all huddled around her video camera, talking about that last play, when the door on the other end of the booth opened.

"Ah! There you are, Ms. Darling!"

"Mr. Pearson!" She gulped down air, suddenly feeling suffocated.

Cassiopeia Darling stepped away from the gaggle of sisters to meet the shimmering dwarf on the other end of the booth.

It wasn't much, a fully eight by twelve rectangle, a long sound table, several stools that announcers and tech crew sat on, and a wall full of posters that needed replacing.

Mr. Pearson looked way too fancy to be stuck in the tech booth with the rest of them.

His suit was a pristine black with gold and purple pinstripes that caught the light in an elegant, stylish fashion.

"What a good idea, getting shots from the field. They will do wonders." He clapped his hands before him, beaming up at her. His beard was expertly braided with purple and gold baubles to decorate it.

"Thanks, Tens helped by boosting me up, but I think I've got a few winners, plus the shots of the winning goal."

Mr. Pearson chuckled, "Love to hear it. I'm glad I caught you before you got too wound up in the festivities. I would like you to swing by the office Monday morning, bright and early, we have some things to go over for your latest piece and numbers to talk about."

Her heart flipped in her chest. Is that good? Laughing breathlessly, she nodded, "Of course, be there bright and early!"

Oh I’m cooked, my goose is gone, I'm so fired, I fucked up.

"Fabulous, I can't wait." Mr. Pearson glanced behind her and beamed even brighter. "Ah, Ms. Lyra Darling, this saves me a trip. Will you accompany your sister on Monday morning as well? I believe there was a notice put on your desk yesterday, correct?"

Cass twisted, inch by inch to her older sister. The lawyer grimaced, "I wasn't made aware this had anything to do with my sister, I thought we were just going over the routine touch base for Salamander?"

"Well, you know what they say, two birds, one stone. See you both Monday morning!" Mr. Pearson chirped as he flounced out of the announcer booth and flew down the metal steps.

Cass stumbled backward, twisting as she moved so her back was to the door. Lyra stood still, her hands up like white flags. "I didn't know."

"Am I getting fired? I technically haven't even started!" she squawked, arms tossed out to her sides.

"Now, don't jump to conclusions," Andromeda warned with a stern look in Cass's direction.

"Too late, I'm already overboard, straight to the deep end—Lyra, am I in trouble?" Cass couldn't help the buzzing of anxiety in her chest as she stared at the elegant lawyer. Her sister raked her fingers through her hair.

"We won't know until Monday, but whatever happens, know that I have your best interest." Lyra used her sunglasses as a headband to keep her soft tendrils of hair out of her face.

"But your firm represents Salamander! What if it's me vs. them?" Cass was chewing on the bile spewing up through her esophagus. Oh no…oh no, no, no.

"Cass, seriously?" Lyra scoffed, "As if that's even a question."

"I'm questioning it!" she barked.

"It's you! Of course, it's always you. I always choose you."

Her heart stopped. The words tumbled out of her mouth without permission. "Then why did you do it?"

"Do what?" Lyra snorted, cocking her head to the side. Suddenly, everyone in the booth, including the announcers, were watching her. Headphones off, microphones off, they were invested and chomping on popcorn.

"Havoc Green."

The air was sucked out of the room. Andromeda furrowed her brows, jerking her attention to Lyra with a serious scowl plastered to her features. "I thought you took care of him."

"I did!" Lyra barked back.

"What is going on?" Katterina eyeballed the older sisters.

"What do you mean, took care of him?" Cass hissed, rage pumping through her veins. "You knew I liked him. You knew he invited me to that party. Then you embarrassed me, stole him, then threw him away like it was nothing, and you never explained yourself! "

"You never asked!" Lyra tossed her arms up into the air. "And besides, if I told you why I did it, you would never believe me. You were so in love with that jackwagon, if I told you the truth, you'd just like him more! You're so fucking stubborn, Cassiopeia!"

"What truth?" her voice cracked.

"Cass," Andromeda sighed.

"No! Tell me, what truth?" Cass was inches from shattering. "What did you two keep from me? Why did you have to take care of him? What aren't you telling me?"

Lyra groaned, rubbing her temples. "Cass, did you know he was nineteen, nearly twenty, when that party happened? Sure, he was a senior, but he failed sophomore year twice, he was a full-fledged adult and you were sixteen."

Cass's spine straightened; her eyebrows knitted on her forehead. "Okay, and?"

"Adults don't like teenagers for good reasons, Cass!

" Lyra stomped her foot. "You didn't hear how he talked about you.

In the locker rooms, in other classrooms, the way he bragged about how big your tits were or how easily he could take you if he wanted.

It was gross. His friends were also some of my friends, and when they told me, I nearly broke his nose.

Cass, he invited you to that party to get you drunk and have sex with you.

I was afraid of what he'd do, and as soon as I found out, I couldn't let it happen.

So, I took care of it, took care of him.

I had to do it publicly so everyone would know we fucked, then I told everyone that his cock was so small, he couldn't reach my guts, that it smelled of rotten cheese, and that he had these gross pimples on his balls.

And everyone ran with it. Sure, yeah, it wasn't a great experience, but no girl would ever go within a hundred feet of that creep again. But mostly, he left you alone."

Cass fell back against the walls, hands to her stomach. "No…"

"Cassiopeia, he confronted me about the rumors, and I told him they would get worse, that I would get him expelled and worse, if he ever so much as breathed in your direction.

He took his lumps and left. You were only sixteen!

I couldn't let him hurt you, let alone do worse because you liked him so much you saw him with rose colored glasses.

And if I told you before it happened what a creepy jackwagon he was, you wouldn't have believed me.

Because he was good at manipulating you.

" Lyra stepped forward, putting her hands out, palms up, toward Cass.

She took her sister's hand tenderly. "I'm always so protective of you, of all of you, that I'd do even the grossest thing I could think of to keep you safe. "

"He…you…that…" Cass blubbered as hot tears welled in her eyes.

"I know it seemed cruel, but also, after it happened…you were so disgusted with me over it, I didn't know how to defend myself. I didn't even talk about it."

"Cass," Andromeda stepped up, squeezing Cassiopeia's shoulder. "Is that why you never bring partners around to family dinners and stuff?"

Cass nodded, wordless.

Lyra shrunk, slipping backward. Cass, however, didn't let her get far, grabbing Lyra by the arms and ripping her into her embrace.

Lyra immediately wrapped her long arms around the middle sister.

Cass squeezed her sister tight, engulfing her completely.

"I'm so sorry. I've been such a massive cuntwaffle to you. "

Her older sister barked out a laugh, rubbing her back. "It's okay, I did something cuntwaffley to you without explaining myself."

"You were right, I wouldn't have understood back then, but thank you for telling me.

" Cass pressed a hard kiss to the side of her sister's head.

The terrible, awful, nagging feeling in her gut dissipated as she pulled back to see Lyra's face.

Her sister reached up, cupping her cheeks.

Cass mimicked the movement, laughing and crying at the same time.

"Thank you for doing that awful thing for me. "

"You're very welcome. You're a lot bigger now, a lot meaner now, you don't take shit from anyone.

I'm not afraid for you anymore like I was when you were younger.

So, I don't have to be your personal doberman anymore.

But if you ever need it, if you ever need me, I'm there.

Even with Salamander, it's you, I choose you, because you're my sister. "

Cass threw her arms around Lyra again and the entire gaggle of sisters swarmed together into a clump of teary eyed, varying curl types, Fae women.

The grass was never greener elsewhere…I just needed to see my grass for what it was.

"I'm going to get better at communication." She made a promise that day to do better, to be better.

"We all should," Andromeda snorted, "therapy for everyone."

"Yay! Therapy!" Haylee chortled.