"You're too late for traditional tryouts," Victor explained, "but I'm sure you can still try signing up."
Kori gripped his arm and said, "You will stay, yes? For the… moral support?"
"No problem," he assured them. "What kind of dad friend wouldn't?"
Immediately, a bright, wondrous smile replaced the worry on Kori's face.
Ever since Robin's schedule was rearranged to make space for gymnastics, the whole group ecosystem had been off-kilter. Movie night shifted to Saturday, after his practice, which left Victor and Kori with not much to do until it started. Garfield had the same Saturday morning reserved for permanent date time with Tara, and Raven kept busy either visiting her mother or sewing. With Friday nights now open, Kori asked how to go about getting on the volleyball team.
Well, more or less. Their actual words were "would you show me how to join the team of volleyball?" And Victor happily obliged. His plans were easy enough to set aside.
So he escorted them to the school gymnasium after the final bell to speak with the volleyball coach, Diana. She was a lot like a mature version of Kori, in Victor's opinion. Tall, thin, muscular arms, and thick long hair, though hers was black instead of orange. Kori, methodical in any endeavor, explained what they did know and requested to at least watch the practices until they were ready to try joining.
"We can give you a shot," Coach Diana said. "I just had to cut someone for grades, so I was worried we wouldn't have an alternate anymore. Will you be okay with the uniform?"
Kori blinked. "Alternate?"
"Benchwarmer," Victor explained to them. "A back-up player."
"I could be the new back up player?" they said, emphasis strange on the new phrase. Then they turned to the other players. "The uniform… is troublesome. But Raven has taught me layers. Is that allowed?"
"Like leggings and a shirt underneath? That's fine," Diana said, shrugging but smiling.
"Kori."
"Right. Uh, I am also not really a girl," they said slowly. "I am assigned female, but-."
Diana cut her off with the wave of a hand. "This isn't the Harlow Institute. If you say you're a boy-."
"Neither. I am agender."
"Then that's up to you. Do you feel more comfortable with the girls or the boys?"
"Um… the girls. That is how I was assigned."
"Do you still need me here, Kori?" Victor asked.
"I think I can manage. Thank you, friend."
Thank god, thought Victor. He would always be there for his friends, but that conversation was getting boring. Still, it was nice to know the school was progressive about these things. He made a mental note to tell Robin that skirts wouldn't be an administrative issue.
He wandered outside, checking his phone for messages. No personal texts, but the group chat pinged in his hand. Raven had sent a picture of herself modeling a lacy, knee-length wine-red skirt with the caption "ready for fitting."
Robin 4:17 PM
So pretty!
When?
Rae 4:18 PM
whenever you want
maybe not tonight, tho
Vic 4:18 PM
sick threads!
Rae 4:19 PM
i got a group project to do
he's gonna look killer, right?
Vic 4:20 PM
i mean, they say 'slay' for a reason.
Robin 4:20 PM
I think you overestimate my ability to pull off drag.
Rae 4:20 PM
no
Vic 4:21 PM
oh, you're so gona pull this off.
SLAY
Robin 4:21 PM
Staaaaaaaaahp
Victor chuckled and put his phone back in his pocket. Then he paused. He could keep heading to the front of the school and go home. Or…
He pivoted on his false leg. He knew this path, had walked it nearly every day the three years previous. Missed it. With his new limbs and a lot of physical therapy, the new layer of fat he'd gathered was slowly melting off again, but it wasn't the same.
He wasn't the same.
He leaned against the fence, twisting artificial fingers into the chain encircling the field. His teammates - friends - did their various drills on the turf. High knees. Footwork drills. The new kicker stretched off to the side while two large men talked to him. Victor only recognized one, though. John seemed to be taking the new team in stride. He hadn't changed at all. Black hair still long and tied back, broad shoulders, perpetually furrowed brow even though he was laughing.
"Victor?"
Victor's eyes darted to the voice. Another boy, maybe Robin's age and build, also leaned into the chain link fence. Victor could barely see the red fuzz cut close to his scalp, but it sparked his memory.
"Will?" he asked. "Why aren't you-?"
"Because I'm not," the ginger said, rubbing his neck with his left hand. "Will's my twin. I'm Roy."
"Oh. Okay. Um, is he still playing?"
Roy shrugged and said, "For now. It won't last."
Victor nodded and looked back towards the field. Number 21 busied himself guzzling water, hair slick with sweat. He wondered silently if Will's on-and-off relationship with painkillers and weed was still a hot topic in the locker room.
It sure seemed Roy was aware of it.
"I told him to visit you," the twin said as he twisted his own hand into the fence. "Hopefully, everyone else-."
"Everyone else made sure I wouldn't notice. The only guy singled out was me," Victor dripped, not hiding the venom in the statement.
Roy hummed, not taking his eyes off Victor.
"Welcome to the other side of the fence," he murmured. "How are you adjusting?"
"I miss it."
"The guys?"
Victor sighed, stretching, and said, "The game. Maybe them, too, but less. I thought they were my friends. I was wrong."
"It's weird how fast they turn on you when you're not perfect anymore." Roy straightened up as well, smiling. "But I meant your falsies. They settling okay?"
"Huh? I mean, some days they hurt, but… I'm doing okay."
"Can I see your hand?"
Victor hesitated, but raised his left arm so Roy could see it better. The ginger ran a gentle finger over the metal.
"I wish I could afford one of these…," he breathed. "Mine looks real and all, but it doesn't move or anything."
Before Victor could ask, Roy wrapped his fingers around his right wrist and twisted, popping it off its anchor halfway up the forearm.
"See? Looks nice, but no movement there at all."
"What happened?" Victor asked, unable to stop himself.
Roy sighed and replaced his hand.
"Promise you won't laugh?" he said.
"Promise."
"We were being stupid, and… A dog bit me."
Victor's eyes widened. "You lost your arm from a dog bite?"
"It probably had more to do with the 'stupid' part," admitted Roy. "I kinda didn't tell our parents, and… it got infected."
"That still isn't-."
"So I tried treating it with Dad's whiskey."
At that, Victor groaned and said, "Sepsis?"
"Gangrene. It was mostly the hand, but they wanted to make sure they got it all."
"Damn."
"Super lame compared to surviving a three-car pileup."
"I'd rather have functioning legs," replied Victor, forcing a smile. "It's weird, though. Will never said he had a twin."
Roy laughed bitterly and crossed his arms. "Why would he? I'm nothing to talk about. I'm just spare parts."
"You're his brother."
"So?"
Victor grimaced and asked, "Why do you hang around, then? If you two don't get along-."
"Because I don't have a ride until practice ends. You think my parents want to make an extra trip for the dumbass with one hand?"
"Okay, that's enough of that, man," Victor said, grabbing hold of Roy's arm. "Let's go."
To his surprise, Roy willingly followed him, only asking where they were going.
"We're gonna watch my buddy play volleyball."
Roy shrugged, saying, "Not really my style, but sure. Not like I'm getting anywhere staring at Wally's ass."
"What is it with you allos and sex? No, man, we're just gonna watch 'em play until your parents get here. Knowing Kori, they'll want to invite you to pizza tomorrow, if you wanna come."
"What's an allo?"
Victor waved his mechanical hand around. "Allosexual. Not ace. I'm ace." Then his face paled in realization. "I wasn't hitting on you or anything. I have a girlfriend."
Once again, Roy shrugged, this time with a slight flush on his face.
"Am I still invited to pizza, though?"
