I do not own Skins, or anything pertaining to the show. This fanfic is purely for fun and not for profit!
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The walk of shame back to Gabrielle's apartment seemed so much longer than the walk usually did. Then again she usually walked with the athlete, which gave her someone to talk to to make the time go by faster. Katie felt so small, so insignificant, and she was tempted to just walk the extra distance to her house. The brunette really needed to write in her journal, to get it all out, but figured she could just write on a regular sheet of paper and staple it in later when she did end up going home.
Of course the flat was just as it always was. Everything was in its proper place, neat and tidy, which didn't bother her really until now. She wasn't angry at Gabrielle, not in the least, but with her mind running all over the place she just wanted to throw a fit and scream and kick and punch things. Maybe she should just head back home where she could fuck up her own room and not have to worry about possibly losing it in the red head's flat.
She rolled herself a spliff and sat on the balcony, looking out at the two large trees that were right in front of it. Katie let the mix invade her lungs and held in the first hit until she felt like she was going to explode. Surprisingly she didn't cough, which was what she was expecting after holding it in for such a long period of time. Her mind was wandering to the horrible whispers and looks she had received. It made her realize how fast shit travels at Roundview. What confused her most was how much it mattered to both her and her classmates. As much crap as her twin had received, the brunt of it was from Katie herself, which didn't make sense as to why the whispers had increased so much since then.
Once she finished the spliff she walked back inside, grabbing a notepad from her bag and sat there on the couch, willing herself to write. She set the pen to the page but her hand remained unmoving, which only frustrated her more. Now she couldn't even get her thoughts out on paper.
Gabrielle felt sick for the entire rest of the day. Physically her stomach screamed at her, causing the athlete to rush into the toilets at least once or twice per class, only to dry heave over the porcelain. Emotionally and mentally, she was a complete train wreck. She didn't want to be at college anymore that day, and wished she could just ditch to hold the brunette in her arms to comfort her. The football player didn't have that option though. If she didn't attend her courses, she wouldn't be eligible to play in their match that evening. Of course the day where she just wanted to check out of everything, she found out the week earlier that there would be scouts watching them play. Maybe she could get into a uni with a good football program.
'I miss you. Will I get to see you tonight? ~G' the red head found herself typing into her phone before quickly sending it to the older Fitch twin.
She didn't get a reply, which only caused her to feel nauseous again. After making her way into the cubicle she was finally able to throw up. With nothing in her stomach, however, it was simply the acidic bile that burned its way up her esophagus.
The football player was in her own world as she tried to mentally prepare herself for the match that was set to start in less than an hour's time. Gabrielle had already dressed in her keeper uniform and gear, tucking her gloves into the waistband of her shorts.
The red head started to do her normal routine of stretches when she heard a few of her teammates screaming, followed by a familiar male voice. She stormed toward the locker room door with her hands on her hips, her hazel eyes glaring into his baby blues. "What are you doing here, Cook?" Her voice was steady and calm.
"Katie's not here yet. I was simply going to ask if you wanted me to get her for you."
Gabrielle was wondering why James Cook was being so nice. Neither she nor Katie had been very pleasant to him earlier. Her face didn't display the questions that were flying through her head, instead she said, "If Katie wants to be here, she'll be here."
She watched as Cook's gaze looked down at the ground between them for a few moments before meeting back up with hers. "I just heard what happened, you know, today. I think its shit. 'S none of their fucking business if you ask me, just like it shouldn't have been when Naomikins and Emsy got it on."
The footballer was actually touched. She would have never guessed that there was more to James Cook underneath the cocky attitude and bravado. The red head was actually glad though. He actually reminded her of one of her friends from back in the U.S. "Thanks, Cook, for your concern, but like I said, if Katie wants to be here, it's up to her." Her deep voice stopped for a few moments before her gaze softened, "If… if she does come, could you do me a favour and watch out for her. I'd be well grateful, Cook."
Cook's face lit up into a huge smile before he walked up to her and smacked her on the shoulder, "Sure thing muff muncher!" He took off saying.
Gabrielle shook her head with a small smile on her face. Cook was really the only person besides Katie that she had even had a halfway decent conversation with since she moved. It was nice to feel like she had someone on her side.
Long red hair was pulled into a tight pony tail and covered with a red bandana, but it flowed behind her like a ribbon as she ran onto the playing field. She had to force herself not to scan the stands around her to search for the beautiful Fitch girl. This game was important enough by itself without having scouts there watching her. It was her future, which was just more pressure than she needed when her head was clouded over with worries and thoughts of Katie.
"Katiekins!" She heard the voice calling out to her. The twin was flying high, having smoked too much, but needing it all the same. Tired, puffy brown eyes found the eccentric boy waiving fiercely at her and after a deep breath she walked up to the seat that he had apparently saved for her. As she approached she could hear him speaking once again, "How's it going… saved you a seat!"
The brunette looked at him curiously before plopping down. She didn't even shrug his arm off of her as he laid it across her shoulders, too exhausted and high to really move anymore than she already had to get there. The oldest Fitch child didn't respond to his question and her chocolate orbs grazed the field until they locked on the keeper. Katie knew immediately that it was Gabrielle, and couldn't help but notice how out of it she looked. "I'll be right back," she muttered to Cook as she walked down from the grandstands to the playing field.
The older twin walked around the back of the goal until she was standing directly behind the red head's form. She wanted to say something… anything… but even as Gabrielle turned around and their eyes met, she couldn't manage anything. Coffee coloured orbs watched the tall athlete walk around toward her and her body turned slightly to continue to look at her.
Gabrielle stopped a yard or so in front of the brunette, nervous to go any closer. The mask she had put up slowly melted away to show the twin how utterly wrecked she was. Emotions she was holding in were starting to surface and her hazel hues were beginning to water up.
Katie couldn't handle it. Couldn't handle seeing the stoic red head this emotional… and because of her. "We'll talk after the game, yeah?" She didn't move forward, couldn't really. She watched the red head nod only once before putting the walls back up and jogging back around the net. The game was set to begin and so the brunette moved quickly back to take her seat next to Cook, her own mask firmly in place.
After two fierce halves of battling back and forth the score was knotted up… 0 - 0. Any goalie would tell you that the hardest thing to defend was a penalty kick. Gabrielle had learned to try to read the kicker's body, and most of them would 'tell' her which corner they would be kicking it at. The red head herself would be the 5th of 5 to take a shot on goal, and then would have to defend against the last shot against the other keeper.
Both Gabrielle and the other goalie kept it scoreless, leaving them to battle each other for the game. The red head set up the ball before taking four large steps backward. She waited for the referee to signal that she could go. Her heart was racing and her mind was still fuzzy. She had been surprised that she was into the game enough to keep it scoreless until the final whistle, and even more so that she had been able to stop every kick sent her way. The man finally blew the whistle and she took the running steps straight on the ball before her right leg pulled back. It looked as if she was going to kick it right at the other keeper but at the last second she moved her leg slightly to catch the ball with the outside of her foot. It curved to her right and the goalie had been unable to read the direction she would kick it in, and ended up diving in the wrong direction. The ball sailed into the net and a chorus of cheers echoed around her. She knew that wasn't it though, knew that she still had to stop one more ball to claim victory.
Adrenaline was coursing through her body as she set herself up on the goal line. Things seemed to be moving in slow motion. Sweat was glistening on her skin and dripping down her cheeks and down her spine. The athlete jogged in place and shook out her arms and legs to keep them loose before settling down between the posts. She nodded her head to the ref, who blew the whistle. Hazel greens locked on with those of the other keeper for an agonizing moment. This was it. This was what she played for.
The girl moved forward just as she herself had only minutes prior, in a way that made it virtually impossible to read. Gabrielle was on her toes and the moment the girl's hips twisted and her leg came forward, the red head was diving to her right. She soared through the air catching just enough of the ball with her fingertips for it to hit the crossbar and go bouncing back onto the field. The crowd roared, that is, until the athlete's head came into contact with the goal post.
It fell silent as the red head's form lay motionless in a heap. She had been unable to twist mid-air to avoid the collision, or to even protect herself from it. Trainers and coaches rushed to her aid. Teammates from both teams went down to one knee in concern. Gabrielle could vaguely hear people around her and could feel hands stretching her out onto her back. Her head felt as if it was going to explode. She couldn't remember what happened that got her into this position in the first place.
Hazel eyes opened slowly to the faces around her, but she couldn't turn her head because it was being held firmly in place. Some of them she recognized, and others she didn't. One that stood out, though, was a stunningly beautiful brunette with bright (yet worried) chocolate brown eyes. This same girl was holding onto her hand as they loaded her body into the ambulance. Should she know her? It was obvious that she should, but the more she sifted through the hazy memories, the larger her headache became. Finally she let her eyes close again and soon after that she was in a restless sleep, somehow comforted by the warm soft hand in hers.
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