since we seem to be having a Kevin Day day
---

I want a freshman striker, let's call her Leanne, who at the first practise of the summer is like
HEY KEVIN HOW ARE YOU MAN I'M SO READY WHAT ARE DOING TODAY?
and Kevin is side eyeing the kid like, Be quiet and listen

and the kid, leanne, is like THAT'S COOL BRO THAT'S COOL YEH SOUNDS GREAT MAN HAVE I TOLD YOU HOW PSYCHED I AM TO BE PLAYING WITH YOU
and kevin is like, Yes. I cannot say the feeling is mutual
and lee just bursts out laughing and neil and andrew look over like what is happening

lee says OH MAN YOU'RE SO FUNNY
and she's real loud, and the words kind of echo round court and even wymack looks up
and matt says Oh yeah what's the joke?
and lee just grins at him THIS GUY MAN THIS GUY and runs into position before kevin can do more than scowl at her

whenever kevin yells that she's incompetent she just laughs and says YEAH MAN I KNOW, FOR REAL DID YOU SEE THAT FALL? HAHA. I'LL GET BETTER NO SWEAT. OH MANNN KEVIN DAY I CAN'T BELIEVE IT THIS IS SO COOL HOW DO YOU GUYS PLAY WITH HIM EVERY DAY AND NOT LOSE YOUR SHIT HAHA

and since she's a backliner she directs her question at the most senior backliner. matt just says Uhhh, yeh it's tough but we manage
and she laughs again
even claps her hand on kevin's shoulder as they leave practise for the day
kevin says You were terrible
and she grins I KNOW

she's friendly with the other freshmen and sophomores but some of them find her laugh a bit grating
she brushes it off though, has a smile for anyone who looks her way
it's nicky who she really hits it off with
sometimes they're just giggling and staring at kevin

neil frowns like, What do you think they're always talking about
and andrew blows smoke at him, You don't wanna know
and neil just scrunches up his face, Gross

lee tells nicky OH MAN YOU'RE THE FIRST GAY PERSON I'VE EVER MET THIS IS SO COOL
and nicky is a bit taken aback, he's just finished telling her about erik, but he just grins and says, Oh yeah?
and she's nods seriously like YEH MAN I THINK YOU'RE AWESOME THOUGH

which hurts a little, but pretty deep down, most blows like this bounce off nicky these days, but she's young and he can't help asking, What do you mean?
and lee, still smiling, just says OH YOU KNOW MAN LIKE MY PARENTS, WEREN'T REALLY KEEN. THEY WERE JUST HOMOPHOBIC THOUGH

IT'S COOL I KNOW THEY WERE WRONG ABOUT SOME STUFF
nicky just smiles, a bit tight, says, Well, I'm not the only one
and lee, big eyes, OH REALLY YEAH THAT'S COOL MAN THAT'S COOL I DON'T MIND NO JUDGEMENT
but nicky watches her a little closer after that

she's the happiest fox they've ever had. aaron goes up to wymack one day, scowl on his face, and says, What the fuck coach? Her?
and in wymack's head what he says is, Are you doubting me soldier but out loud he just yells at aaron to get back to practise

wymack watches lee, bonding with matt and nicky, making some of the freshman laugh, cutting through kevin's bullshit with her unending positivity, and feels a bit sad
this job will be the death of him

dan visits and nicky and aaron get kicked out the dorm so everyone crowds into andrew's room and for some reason they bring lee
robin nudges andrew and smirks at him, Oh dear
and andrew just glares at the new girl
who announces herself like HEY GUYS WHAT'S UP

they play some drinking games and lee asks neil IF YOU HAD TO KISS SOMEONE MAN IF YOU HAD TO WHO WOULD IT BE
and nicky is laughing his ass off, he'd told her to ask something risque and this is what she came up with? all serious expression and massive grin on her face

and neil just looks at her, and deadpan says, Andrew
and she's like :OOOOOOOO
matt says, Someone should tell her
andrew says, Isn't this more fun though
neil says, Whatever I don't care
robin smiles and says, Lee - neil and andrew are already a thing
and lee is like :OOOOOOOO

THAT'S COOL MAN THAT'S COOL I'M OK WITH IT YOU KNOW MY PARENTS WERE PRETTY HOMOPHOBIC BUT I'M COOL WITH IT I KNOW THEY WERE WRONG IT'S COOL
and neil and andrew are glaring at her
and nicky's a bit uncomfortable like, Um lee it's ok
and lee shuts up mid-rant
and she's not smiling

a bit later, when they're totally wasted, aaron finally snaps and says Why are you even here, when lee has laughed at just about everything that night
katelyn's there, and she frowns at aaron, but she's curious too
and basically no one really wants to stop what's happening

and lee just smiles and says, WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M HERE TO PLAY WITH THE GREAT KEVIN DAY
kevin says, I'd like to see you actually play one day then
lee says, HAHA THIS GUY
aaron says, No dude like what the hell you are the most cheerful dumbass i've ever met you dont belong here

and lee shuts up, and the smile slips from her face, and she turns to nicky
and nicky snaps at aaron, Shut up aaron, leave her alone
and aaron says, I'm not wrong
and lee says, WHAT'S HE TALKING ABOUT
and nicky sighs and says, You don't have to tell us, but usually the foxes are-

-you know a bit fucked up. it's cool, really. he smiles at her
and she looks away and gestures vaguely and says, OH WELL, YOU KNOW I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANY OF THAT BUT I GUESS MY DAD KILLED HIMSELF AND STEVEN THINKS IT'S HIS FAULT BECAUSE DAD CAUGHT HIM IN BED WITH HIS BEST FRIEND-

-AND DAD NEVER LIKED GAY STUFF BUT YOU KNOW MY GRANNY SAYS IT'S BECAUSE HE HATED HIS LIFE, I DONT KNOW I HAVENT SEEN MY MOM SINCE SHE LEFT TO STAY WITH HER SISTER AND MY BROTHER WONT ANSWER MY PHONE CALLS
she shrugs, downs her drink, and says, OH WAS IT MY TURN TRUTH OR DARE

and everyone is a little stunned into silence
and andrew, who is done collecting trauma, just stands up and slams into his bedroom
robin and neil have a silent conversation but they both just leave it
nicky looks like he wants to say something but it's katelyn who moves to lee

and katelyn says, Well, fuck
and lee looks at her all stunned and laughs and says I DIDN'T THINK CHEERLEADERS SAID FUCK
and katelyn grins
nicky says, Shit that's a lot, Lee. How are you so happy all the time?

and katelyn is holding lee's hand, and lee smiles at her, then turns to nicky and says, NO ONE IS HAPPY ALL THE TIME, MAN. BUT... I DUNNO MY THERAPIST SAID IT WAS OK TO TALK, TO TAKE UP SPACE. FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS IT'S JUST BEEN ME AND MY GRANNY-

-AND, I DUNNO, I WAS QUIET FOR A LONG TIME. I GUESS IT'S JUST FUCKING EXCITING MAN YOU'RE ALL SO GOOD I LOVE PLAYING WITH YOU AND KEVIN DAY!! IS ACTUALLY MY HERO! IT'S JUST SO GREAT TO FEEL LIKE PART OF A FAMILY, YOU KNOW?
and no one knows what to say to that
because they do know

after that people tolerate her a little better
neil listens while she rambles, smirks at kevin while she fangirls over him, even with kevin scowling within hearing distance
andrew grudgingly agrees when nicky invites her out next, but he sits as far away from her as possible

kevin starts taking her under his wing a little more, and he's harshest with her, but neil tells her, That just means he likes you, so she dials the enthusiasm up 100%
nicky laughs and says, Why'd you tell her that
neil says, I'm his favourite, his love language is just Asshole

katelyn and aaron take lee out on breakfast dates, and lee says KATELYN YOU'RE SO PRETTY and aaron scowls and lee says YOU ARE TOO AARON YOU'RE BOTH SO LUCKY and aaron scowls
matt and her have film nights where dan skypes in and coaches her through possible exy careers

it isn't all smiles, nicky says tells her erik is coming to their last game of the semester and staying for christmas, and is her granny coming
lee says, OH SHE'S TOO OLD TO TRAVEL. I'M GOING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS THOUGH I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HER
nicky says, what about steven?

and lee's smile is wobbly and she cries and says she hasn't heard from steven since the funeral and doesn't think her brother wants to see her
nicky holds her while she cries
and robin finds them like that
then there's an arranged foxpile

andrew aggressively buries them under blankets
and then moves to sit on the beanbag, pulls neil onto his lap
kevin arrives and immediately assesses the situation correctly, bringing out vodka
lee is on matt's lap, with katelyn and robin holding her hands on either side

and nicky is leaning protectively against the couch at her feet, aaron next to him arranging glasses
it's kevin who pours her a drink and says, So invite him
and lee shrugs and tries to shake it off, HEY MAN WHATEVER DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT
and kevin looks at her

and kevin says, Invite him. Tell him he's coming to the game, or your other brother is kicking his fucking ass
and lee is, :OOOOOO
and nearly starts crying again
but then nicky is like WHAT???
and matt and katelyn are grinning so hard lee can't help it, she smiles too

and nicky is like WHAT?!?!?! I'VE CARRIED YOU HOME DRUNK KEVIN WHAT THE FUCK
matt says, He's really more of a drunk uncle
katelyn says, He's the same age as you
nicky says, What does a guy have to do to get Best Gay Brother Status
robin says, That's andrew
and neil says, Burn

andrew says, I'm glad I'm an only child
and aaron says, Fuck off and die

and lee is surrounded by these people, her new family, with their stupid banter and laughter and kevin staring her down, and suddenly her brother feels like maybe he's only a phone away

so she texts him

on game day lee says OH MAN OH MAN KEVIN HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS MATCH
and kevin says, If we lose i'm kicking you off the team
and lee says, FUCK THIS IS SO EXCITING :D
and almost doesn't notice her name being called
but then nicky is nudging her gently and turning her round

and steven is there, with a guy, standing tight and still behind the railing and lee just
doesn't know
she looks at kevin
kevin moves his head like come on and they go over together
kevin says, Hi I'm Kevin Day
and one of the guys says, Yeah I know. Hi. I'm Steven

this is Derek
derek, presumably, does a little wave
kevin raises an eyebrow and says, We have a game to play. She wants to keep her head in the game. Don't you Lee?
lee nods
and kevin says, Come find us after
and walks them to court
and they warm up under neil's directions

and as they're about to move into position kevin looks at her and says, If you fuck this up i won't forgive you
and lee, who's been in a daze for the last twenty minutes, slowly grins at him, grips her racquet, and says, I KNOW. LET'S FUCKING GO.

they clack racquets, and kevin definitely doesn't smile as he turns away
neil catches it and huffs, Really Day? I was nearly murdered by my father
and kevin rearranges his face, scowls and says, You're not in position CAPTAIN

lee plays the best game of her life
steven's there
steven's there
steven came to see her
and she barrels her 5"5 body into the BIGGEST STRIKER IN EXISTENCE and a scream leaves her body as neil is able to make the shot and she grazes her knees skidding on the ground in celebration

and they win, and she's laughing so hard and being suffocated by nicky's armpit that she almost forgets steven is here
and she bounces on her feet and shakes hands with the opposing team and then she pulls at Kevin's arm and runs over to the stands and leaps over the railing

and she throws herself into her brother, and she's crying and laughing
steven is just sobbing into her hair, I'm so sorry I'm so sorry lee everything's been so fucked up I didn't know what to do, I thought maybe you hated me, I didn't know what... fuck when did you get so good

and kevin turns to derek and says, Hi I'm Kevin Day
and derek shuffles awkwardly and says, I don't know anything about exy man
and lee pulls away from steven, I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU CAME I CAN'T BELIEVE IT IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU YOU'RE SO TALL
and steven says, I've always been tall

and lee says DEREK HI!!!
because they know each other
derek is steven's best friend, and he spent most weekends at theirs
and sometimes he climbed in and out of steven's window
which lee always thought was a bit weird but
but then she thinks about nicky
and andrew
and is like, OH

and she laughs into her hand, but she's still crying too, and kevin places a steadying hand on her shoulder, and steven is withdrawing his arms so she looks up quickly, NO WAIT, OK I GET IT. WAIT. DEREK IS YOUR BOYFRIEND
steven nods, and looks anxious, and derek just looks at lee

and lee grins, and says, WELCOME TO MY FAMILY DEREK HAVE YOU MET KEVIN DAY HE'S REALLY FUCKING GOOD AT EXY & HE'S REALLY GOOD TO ME
derek smiles, delighted, and says, Yeah? That's great, side eyeing kevin, who folds his arms
steven is leaning against derek, and holding lee's hand

and lee laughs and says YEAH AND LOOK THAT'S NICKY HE'S GAY TOO! HE'S MY BEST FRIEND HE'S SO FUNNY, KEVIN IS HIS CELEBRITY FUCK, AND SEE OVER THERE THAT'S NEIL JOSTEN MAN YOU CANNOT KILL THAT GUY AND THAT'S ANDREW HE LOOKS SOULLESS BUT I KNOW HIS FAVOURITE ICE CREAM AND -

[End]