Chapter Text
“She’s coming,” Safi said.
Chloe tossed the shirt she just took off to the side, and just as she turned to Safi to ask who exactly it was, Steph beat her to it. “This early?”
Safi grimaced. “Keep your dirty jokes to yourself.” She took a deep breath as she pulled on her tank top and turned to Chloe.
“Our new point guard. She’s arriving today.”
“Hm,” Chloe sat down on the benches in the locker room and leaned back against the lockers. The girl who used to play point guard had suffered a serious injury, so someone new was assigned to the position. They hadn’t even had time to meet the new girl, and they had a game today. As the captain, Chloe was anxious about the match because she didn't even know how this new girl played. “I completely forgot.”
Rachel sat down next to Chloe. “Relax, I heard she’s a good player.”
“Can’t help it, I’m nervous.” Chloe reached over from where she sat, grabbed her tank top, and pulled it on. They were going to start warming up soon.
“Well, she’s a really pretty girl...” Safi muttered to herself, making all the eyes in the room turn to her. “What? Didn’t you guys look at her picture?” She threw her hands up defensively.
Chloe rolled her eyes and laughed just as she heard the locker room door open. As someone walked in, everyone’s eyes darted toward the entrance. Chloe stood up from her spot and looked at the person who just walked in.
The girl who walked in wasn’t what Chloe expected at all. She was petite, with short brown hair, sky-blue eyes, and freckles that made her look incredibly cute. She was wearing a long-sleeved shirt with athletic shorts underneath. As Chloe checked the girl out from head to toe, she made eye contact with the brunette. Despite her sweet face, she had a tough expression.
The girl raised her eyebrows and gave Chloe a little nod, looking away when Chloe frowned in response. She took a few more steps, dropped her gym bag in a corner, and stood in the middle of the room. “Hi. It’s Max.”
“Ooh, la la la.” Rachel got up and immediately went over to Max. She circled around her before stopping right in front of Max. “I’m Rachel.”
“Safi,” Safi pointed to herself, then pointed at Steph. “And this is Steph.” Steph smiled and waved. “And the one standing over there with a stick up her ass is Chloe.”
Max let out a small, breathless chuckle at that. When Max turned to her, Chloe gave a sarcastic smirk. “Funny.”
Max crossed her arms over her chest and looked at the other girls with a smile. “Nice to meet you guys.” When she finally turned back to Chloe, Chloe felt her nerves fraying under the girl's mocking eyes and smirk. “Especially you, Chloe.”
“Is this a fucking joke?” Chloe snapped angrily.
“What?” Max replied.
“They sent you as our point guard? With that physique?”
“I’m almost the same build as Rachel.” She gave Rachel a smile, though how genuine it was was debatable. Rachel, meanwhile, was trying to figure out why Chloe was so pissed off. Her eyes kept darting between the two of them.
“Those are completely different things.” Chloe stepped even closer to Max. Max didn't break her stance. She heard Safi yell, “Girl, leave her alone,” but she ignored it.
She was aware that she was taking her pre-game nerves out on Max, but there was a huge physical difference between her and their old player, and the team they were playing against definitely wasn't on the petite side. Chloe had barely lost any games so far, and she didn't want some new girl to fuck it up.
Despite Chloe’s pissed-off expression, Max stood confidently. “Don’t worry, Chloe, I’m sure I’m an even better player than you.” When Max spoke in that cocky tone of voice, Chloe’s blood ran cold.
“I don't think so.” Chloe laughed, a fake, sarcastic sound. She felt her anger flaring up as her hands balled into fists at her sides. “Get the fuck out of my face,” Chloe said.
She felt Safi walk up and touch her shoulder; she shrugged off the hand to get rid of it. Her jaw clenched tight. If this girl kept looking at her like that, Chloe felt like she was going to start a fight. Chloe turned her back and started rummaging through her locker. She thought Max had shut up, but a mocking voice broke the silence. “Aw, are you gonna cry? Why don't you call your mommy to come pick you up? I'm not the one you should be whining to like a baby, she is.”
Chloe slammed her locker shut and marched aggressively toward Max. “What the fuck did you just say to me?” Just as she got close to the girl, she felt Safi grab her. She struggled to break free from Safi's grip to make her eat those words, but her hopes were crushed when Steph came over to hold her back too.
Rachel felt obligated to step in. “Okay, let's do this later. Coach is waiting for us to warm up right now.” She put a soothing hand on Max’s shoulder. “Come on, go get changed.”
Chloe could see something shift in Max’s eyes; she could see the anger and the hurt. Once Chloe broke free from Safi and Steph, she went back to the benches and sat down. She was bouncing her knee in frustration.
When Max took off her long-sleeved shirt, Chloe’s eyes drifted to the girl's tits. She cleared her throat and instantly snapped out of it, but she was pretty damn sure she saw a smirk on Max’s face.
As Max slipped on her sports bra, Chloe aggressively tightened her shoelaces. The tension in the room was so thick that even Steph didn't know what to say to lighten the mood. Nobody spoke until Safi opened the door and said, “Let's go, girls.”
Rachel walked ahead, looping her arm through Max’s, and started walking her down the hallway. Chloe stayed in the very back, unable to take her eyes off the back of the new point guard's neck. Her nerves were completely shot from that little showdown earlier and the tension of tonight's game.
When they got to the court, it was empty. As everyone took their places, the coach gestured to Max. “I see you’ve met your new teammate. Welcome, Max.”
While Max smiled, the coach continued. “One of the best players from her old school. Just in case you had any doubts.”
“Yeah, right,” Chloe whispered. Only Steph, who was right next to her, must have heard because she nudged her with an elbow. When Chloe glared at her angrily, Steph threw her hands up in surrender.
When the coach blew the whistle, they started their routine stretches. Max was right across from Chloe, and she could feel the girl’s eyes on her. Every time she looked over, that mocking smirk was plastered on her face, and Chloe was silently begging the universe for patience each time.
When the stretching phase was over, they moved on to practice. Everyone had their jerseys on and was listening to the coach. Max hadn't looked at her since practice started.
As the coach stepped up to the whiteboard to explain the formation for today’s scrimmage, Chloe’s eyes drifted to Max involuntarily. Her cocky attitude from earlier was gone, replaced by someone entirely focused on the game. She was listening to the coach intently, not taking her eyes off the board. Max’s sudden seriousness made Chloe even more on edge inside.
“The starting five is the same as always, except Max will be at point guard.” The coach’s voice pulled Chloe out of her thoughts. “The other team has the subs, but they're gonna play hard. Max, let’s see how you run the team.”
Max just nodded. As she stepped onto the court, she didn't spare Chloe a single glance. This completely pissed Chloe off; the girl who was just pushing her buttons in the locker room was now ignoring her completely.
With the blow of the whistle, the practice match began.
The ball was in Max’s hands, and the girl was moving across the hardwood with incredible speed. Chloe got into position and raised her hand. “Max, I’m on your right!” she yelled.
Max looked at her, and they made eye contact. While Chloe waited for the pass, Max threw a hard, flawless pass to Rachel, who was waiting on the exact opposite side. As Rachel caught the ball mid-air and sank a layup, Chloe stood frozen in her spot.
She quickly marched over to Max. “You could have passed to me, I was wide fucking open!” she snapped.
As Max started jogging back to her own half of the court, that mocking smirk finally returned to her face. She shrugged as she passed Chloe. “Just saw a more guaranteed option, captain. Don't take it personally.”
Chloe gritted her teeth as she stared after her. The girl was literally making a fool of her in front of the whole team, and the worst part was that the coach looked satisfied since Rachel had scored off the play.
When the game restarted, Chloe channeled her inner rage into drive, putting so much pressure on the opposing player that they panicked and made a bad pass. Using her long arms to her advantage, Chloe intercepted the ball mid-air. Normally, the moment she got a steal, she should have handed it off to the point guard but Chloe slammed the ball hard against the hardwood and started driving fast toward the opposite hoop.
"Chloe, pass!" Max yelled from behind her. Her voice was far from her earlier sarcasm, completely locked into the game.
Chloe ignored her. Despite the two defenders in her way, she selfishly pushed to the basket and put up a tough shot. But her footing was way off-balance; the ball hit the rim and bounced out.
As she landed, frustrated from the missed shot, she saw a shadow from behind launch rapidly into the air. Despite her short height, Max had jumped with incredible timing and caught Chloe's missed ball in mid-air. Before even touching the ground, she tipped the ball back into the hoop, making a perfect layup.
"You can't win games like that," she said, lowering her voice so only Chloe could hear. "Maybe if you try passing next time, you can score too."
Chloe's jaw clenched, her hands turning back into fists. This girl was literally testing her patience, and the worst part was the coach yelling from the sidelines, "Great follow-up, Max, that's how it's done!" Chloe ignored Safi giving her a 'calm down' look as she ran past them. Without breaking eye contact with Max's blue eyes, she took a step closer.
"Don't you ever fucking tell me what to do on the court," Chloe hissed.
Max didn't step back; instead, she tilted her head slightly. Her eyes flicked to Chloe’s tense lips for a split second before trailing back up to her eyes. Without a word, she turned around and started running back to her side of the court.
As Chloe watched her go, she couldn't figure out if her heart was beating so fast out of anger or from that fleeting moment of closeness with the girl.
They had won the tough game that evening. Despite the morning practice, Chloe had actually found a good chemistry with Max. They had won thanks to Max’s genius play in the final seconds.
And now, the whole team was at their usual bar to celebrate the victory. Rachel, Steph, and Safi had already grabbed their spots at a table, laughing loudly and sipping their drinks.
Chloe, meanwhile, was leaning against the bar counter, playing with her glass, unable to take her eyes off Max, who had just walked through the door.
As Max walked over to the girls, she looked softer than usual in her baggy jacket. Steph patted the empty chair right next to her. “And the hero of the day. Get over here.”
Max sat down with a smile and looked over at Chloe, who was fidgeting with her glass. “Is our captain still mad at me?”
Safi chimed in. “No way, she’s just trying to digest that last-second pass you made during the game.” Right then, Chloe walked over to them.
Rachel laughed, throwing an arm over Chloe’s shoulder. “Don't sell her short, Chloe got some good blocks in the final quarter.”
Chloe rolled her eyes, but this time a genuine smile appeared on her face. Setting her glass on the table, she leaned toward Max. “Alright, I admit it. That last pass wasn't bad.”
Max raised an eyebrow. “Just not bad? It was fucking awesome, Chloe.”
Steph slapped the table. “Cheers to that, then! We avoided the weekend practice penalty.”
As everyone clinked their glasses, Chloe didn't look away for the first time. When Max raised her glass while looking right at her, that inner tension was replaced by a sweet warmth. Chloe let out a soft laugh. She was still annoyed with the girl, still not used to her being on the team, but there was no need to be a bitch about it right now.
When an upbeat song started playing, Steph and Safi got up from the table and headed toward the dance floor. Rachel spotted someone she knew at the bar and excused herself with a “Be right back,” leaving only Max and Chloe at the table.
Once that noisy protective shield between them lifted, the atmosphere suddenly grew quiet. Chloe took a big gulp of her beer and shifted her gaze to the stage, but she could still feel Max’s eyes on her.
Max pulled her stool a little closer to Chloe. As the distance between them closed, Chloe’s shoulders tensed involuntarily.
"So, captain," Max said, dropping her voice slightly over the loud music. "You aren't looking at me or talking to me at all. You act like you hate my guts."
“Well, you were the one who started bumping heads with me first.” Chloe took a large sip from her glass and turned her gaze to Max. “I don't hate you. I’m just weighing whether you can actually keep up with the team or not.”
Max let out a soft laugh, leaning a bit closer to Chloe as she swirled her glass. "I think your issue isn't the team. Your issue is strictly with me."
“I don't even fucking know you. What issue could I have with you? It was just the game. I took it out on you.”
Max tilted her head slightly, clearly not buying that answer. “Pre-game nerves, you say? Were those intense stares in the locker room just pre-game nerves too, Chloe?”
Chloe put her glass down on the table and sat up straighter. “There was nothing behind my looks. I’m the team captain, there’s nothing more natural than checking out the new kid. You're too full of yourself.”
“I’m really not,” Max said, slipping back into that slightly mocking tone. “Just, next time you decide to check out my tits, try to be a bit more subtle about it.”
Chloe’s breath hitched. Just as she opened her mouth to snap back at her, Steph and Safi started walking back to the table, laughing. The tension between them was thick enough to be noticed from several tables away. Embarrassed at being caught by Max, Chloe cursed at herself internally.
As the night wore on, the crowd inside the bar got completely wild, and the tempo of the music ramped up. Steph and Safi were already dancing like maniacs in the middle of the floor. Rachel hadn't returned since she went to see that person earlier. Max, meanwhile, was swaying slightly on her stool from the effects of the beers she drank, unable to take her eyes off the dance floor.
"Come on," Max said suddenly, poking Chloe’s arm with that liquid courage from the alcohol. "Let’s get up too. You’re so boring, you literally sat here all night."
Chloe rolled her eyes, took the last sip of her beer, and slammed the glass down on the table. "No fucking way. You won't catch me dead on that floor, can't ruin my swagger."
"It's just a dance. Besides, you can't ruin something you don't have," Max mumbled. Her words were slurring slightly from the alcohol, but her stubbornness was fully intact.
She grabbed Chloe’s hand and tried to pull her to her feet. "Plus, a real captain joins her team."
"Let go of my hand, Max, you're drunk, you're gonna fall," Chloe grumbled. Pulling herself backward, she rooted herself firmly onto her stool, determined not to get up.
But Max didn't give up. She grabbed Chloe's hand with both of hers and leaned all her weight backward. “You’re so annoying! Would it kill you to listen to me just once?” Max whined.
When Max lost her balance and almost toppled backward, Chloe had to abruptly stand up to catch her on reflex.
"Okay, fine! Stop, you're gonna fall.” Chloe said. Despite the fake annoyance in her voice, a smile she couldn't hide crept onto her face.
As Max dragged her toward the crowd on the dance floor, Chloe suddenly found herself in the middle of the noise and dim lights. When Max rested her hands on Chloe’s shoulders, they were way too close.
Max slowly lowered her hands from Chloe’s shoulders and turned around. Without a moment's hesitation, she pressed her back flush against Chloe’s chest and started moving, slowly grinding her hips against her. Fueled by liquid courage, her moves were overly bold.
Chloe was totally blindsided by the sudden contact. The heat radiating from Max and the obvious pressure of her body instantly made her throat go dry. Out of pure reflex, she placed her hands on the curve of Max’s waist, but this time her grip wasn't just to keep balance—it was to completely pin her in place.
Max tilted her head back slightly, looking up at Chloe through her lashes. She had that challenging, drunk smirk on her face. “You okay, Chloe?” Max whispered. Seeing Chloe’s flushed face, she added, “Is it too hot?”
Chloe tried to swallow, but Max pressing her back flush against her chest as she moved felt like it sucked all the oxygen out from between them. Instead of loosening her grip on her waist, she grabbed her even tighter.
“It’s crowded, that’s why,” Chloe murmured, trying to keep her voice as level as possible. She dipped her head a bit, bringing her lips close to Max’s ear. “Is grinding on me like a cat because of the alcohol?” She wanted to rile Max up. She knew she was being messed with. Despite Max’s confidence, Chloe could see her blushing too.
Max paused slightly at that remark. As if to hide the blush spreading across the back of her neck, she suddenly spun around in Chloe’s arms, bringing them face to face. They were completely front-to-front now, and the light flush on Max’s cheeks was visible even in the dim lighting. But instead of backing down, she smiled mischievously and placed her hands on Chloe’s shoulders.
“A cat?” Max whispered, bringing her face incredibly close to Chloe’s. She was trying not to lose that flirty undertone in her voice. She reached down to Chloe’s arms on her waist, “Then loosen up, you’re holding on too tight, I might scratch you.” When Max made a little cat paw with her hand, Chloe let out a scoffing laugh.
As the mocking smile on Chloe’s lips widened, she defiantly tightened her grip on her waist even more, completely erasing the space between them. “Calm down, kitty,” Chloe whispered, her voice shifting into a thoroughly provocative tone. She lowered her head and brought her face even closer to Max’s. “You’re drunk as fuck, and I’m not even sure you can stand on your own two feet. I just don't want you getting hurt and being a pain in my ass.”
When Max’s eyes dropped to Chloe’s lips, the smile on her face deepened. She leaned in slowly, her eyes narrowing slightly. Chloe held her breath, surrendering completely to the moment; ‘whatthefuckwhatthefuck???’
Right as their lips were about to meet, Max stopped abruptly. With a sly look on her face, she blew softly onto Chloe’s lips and slipped gracefully out from the arms around her waist.
“So, thanks for the dance. Looks like your team is waiting for you,” Max said. Giving Chloe a playful look, she quickly vanished into the crowd, walking back to the bar without even looking back, leaving Chloe stranded right there in the middle of the floor.
Chloe stood frozen, her hands gripping empty space, her lips still burning from the heat of that proximity. With her heart hammering like it was trying to punch through her chest, she ran her hands through her hair in sheer frustration.
“Fuck me,” she whispered to herself through gritted teeth. She cursed herself for letting this girl play her like a damn fiddle so easily, for falling for that flirty little trick hook, line, and sinker. “Seriously, fuck, how did you fall for that, Chloe.”
Chloe had somehow managed to herd the entire team into her car, and they were dropping off a completely wasted Max at her place. While the inside of the car was bouncing with the loud and cheerful chatter of her teammates, the dirty looks Chloe kept shooting Max through the rearview mirror never let up. She was still fuming from the total defeat she suffered at the bar.
When the car pulled up in front of Max’s house, Max slowly opened the door. Just as she was about to get out, with that hazy but all-too-clear liquid courage, she leaned forward and looked right at Chloe. That infuriating, flirty smile was on her face again.
“By the way, captain,” Max said, her voice steady enough to cut right through the noise in the car. “Don't take anything that happened at the bar tonight personally...”
Without saying another word, Max shut the car door behind her and stumbled slightly as she made her way toward her house.
Chloe realized her hands gripping the steering wheel had turned white. While the team in the back kept laughing and talking among themselves, Chloe ground her teeth, watching Max’s back through the rearview mirror, and threw another massive fucking curse her way internally.
When they got home, the silence from the car ride finally broke. As soon as the girls walked in, tossing their jackets onto the couches, Chloe went straight to the kitchen and poured herself some cold water. But the girls had absolutely no intention of leaving her alone.
Dropping onto the couch, Rachel spoke up, “That's the first time I’ve ever seen Chloe stumble over a girl. She is literally making fun of you.”
“Not counting the car ride, what happened at the bar was way worse,” Steph smirked, leaning against the kitchen counter and looking at Chloe. “You two were so up in each other's space that we all fully expected you to kiss. But I really wish I could have recorded the look on your face when Max just ditched you there.”
Chloe felt her knuckles turn white as she gripped her glass tight. She tried to maintain that harsh, serious expression on her face.
“Cut the bullshit,” Chloe grumbled, trying to keep her voice sharp. “She's just acting brave because of the alcohol. And it just caught me off guard. I didn't want to do anything messed up since she’s on the team now.”
“Oh, come on, Chloe, who are you kidding?” Safi said, throwing a cushion at her from the couch. “The girl literally played you and you fell for it. Admit it. Ahh, it's just like a fanfic, I’m so curious about what's gonna happen next.”
Chloe caught the flying cushion mid-air with one hand at the last second and aggressively threw it on the floor. She slammed her water glass onto the counter and swept her eyes over everyone in the room.
“There is no such thing,” Chloe mumbled, trying to regain that authoritative captain tone in her voice. “I’m gonna beat her ass in practice tomorrow morning, then we’ll see who's playing who.”
Realizing she didn't want to be the punchline for this banter anymore, Chloe walked out of the kitchen. As she marched toward her room, she flipped the girls the middle finger without even looking back.
“I fucking hate all of you,” Chloe muttered as she slammed her bedroom door shut behind her.