— ❝count to ten, take it in.❞

All students of Rockbridge Falls High were called to the gymnasium for a pep rally. It would be the last pep rally before the big game, and Jeff had talked about it nonstop.

Estelle and Hazel sat on one of the highest benches of the gym. "I may have to tell you something now, though." Hazel said out of nowhere.

            "Don't tell me you decided to join the cheerleaders." Estelle wasn't taking it too seriously.

            "What? No," Hazel laughed at simply the idea of her in the cheerleading squad. "After I ran out yesterday, Tim cornered me, asking if I wanted to fight PJ at the pep rally to show off what we learned at the club. I said yes."

            "Hazel, are you sure?" Estelle sounded insecure about the matter. "Promise to be careful?"

            Hazel nodded. And she would have been, if she'd be fighting PJ. But she wasn't.

In walked Josie. She caught Estelle's eye. Josie tried to wave, but Estelle quickly looked the other way. Hazel looked up from the motion. Estelle only smiled at her, grabbing her hand and placing it in her lap.

The benches were filled to the brim now, which was Jeff's cue to start. He hooted as he ran to the middle of the gymnasium, microphone in hand. Tim ran after him like a bitch. The cheerleaders jumped, cheering him on from the side.

"Everybody, even the fucking losers..." He yelled.

Tim copied. "Even the fucking losers!"

"...make some noise!" Jeff screamed into the microphone. The crowd went wild, but Estelle and Hazel stayed silent. They simply couldn't understand what it was that everybody loved about this guy. And if anyone could know, it'd be Estelle. She lived her whole life with him.

Jeff continued, sounding lost. "All right, so, uh... we're gonna do the pep rally. First up, cheerleaders."

Jeff and Tim moved aside for the cheerleaders to run in. An upbeat song started playing from the speakers in the corners of the room. One by one, the cheerleaders turned around. Stella–Rebecca stood in the middle, Britney and Isabel standing on wither sides of her. Stella winked at the crowd before the two next to her poured two bottles of water over her.

Was that the entire show? Seemed like it.

"Woah! Yeah!" Tim came back into the middle. "Thank you, ladies. Ooh! Thank you all for joining us here today, folks. There's been some... exciting stuff happening at Rockbridge Falls recently," Jeff's interest was piqued. "How many of you know about that little girl fight club that could?"

Scattered clapping aroused from the crowd. It wasn't measurable with what the cheerleaders got. Estelle tightened her grip on Hazel's hand. The nerves were starting to get to her.

"Well, do we have a surprise for you," Tim continued. "We're gonna bring... Where is she? Hazel down. One of the founding members. To show us everything the club's taught her in a fun little challenge."

"Good luck, Hazelnut," Estelle let go of Hazel's hand, who stood up to walk down. "Smoke 'em!"

"Hazel will be fighting Tucker, the school's number one boxer." At this point Hazel was nearly beside Tim. Two cheerleaders pulled a drape down, showing a massive guy in a cage. He had to be at least 6'4.

That is not PJ.

And Hazel seemed to realise that now, too, judging by her expression. Tucker stepped out of the cage, growling as if he was a wild wolf. "I know what you're thinking," Tim said to the crowd. "But don't be alarmed. Girls can do anything guys can do, right?"

Estelle knew Tim well enough to know that he meant that mockingly. He wanted Hazel to fail. But why? Why would he purposely hurt Hazel, who'd never harmed him in any way?

Unless... He did it to get to someone else.

It wouldn't be beneath Tim, Estelle thought. Could this be because of her? Because of yesterday — maybe even still because of the egging?

Estelle wasn't gonna await the answer to that. She jumped up from her seat, running down the stairs, screaming. Tim nodded towards a guy in the corner, who clicked a button that started playing a triumphant song. It was smart, this way almost no one could hear her scream, especially not Hazel.

            "Ready?" Tim's voice was surprisingly perky. He sent a mocking smile towards Estelle. "Go."

            Tucker instantly ran forward. Hazel doubted for a minute, but then stepped aside and tripped him. Tucker fell face–first to the linoleum ground. Hazel herself seemed surprised, too, that she managed to do so. Her eyes scanned the crowd for Estelle. When she couldn't find her, she looked back to Tucker, who'd gotten back up by now.

Tucker was closer than she anticipated. He was close enough to push her so hard that Hazel flew across the gymnasium. Hazel laid there, coughing. Estelle swung her legs and arms, but the three football players holding her were simply too strong. She was struggling against them. In no way was she making progress.

Hazel got up with a small jump. She was angry now. She continued to run towards the boxer, screaming. She punched him in the face hard enough to make him fall back a bit. She dodged a few of his punches, but one she couldn't. Hazel was hit right in her pretty face. She didn't let it affect her. The brunette placed her foot in the middle of his stomach.

She started punching Tucker in his stomach over and over, but it looked like he wasn't feeling much of it. He reached his hand out, holding her head backs she continued trying to punch him. Quite frankly, it looked a bit silly.

Hazel noticed she wasn't making progress as well, and used her leg to break free from Tucker's grip. He was stunned for a second, which she used to climb on top of his back. She yelled excessively, stunting a bit on top of him. Estelle stopped kicking for a second, trying to figure out what she was trying to do. She wasn't sure if she was winning either.

After a minute or so, Tucker pushed Hazel off of him. She landed on the floor with a loud thud. The fight was over it seemed, and yet, Estelle still wasn't let go. Hazel remained on the floor. She tried to get up repeatedly, but her arms gave out on her.

"I know what you're thinking," Tim said seriously. "You may be wondering how a girl under the training of— of two juvie convicted killers can't even stand up for herself against a regular old guy."

And when Tucker yelled through the gymnasium to draw the attention to himself again, Estelle finally understood. This wasn't about her. It never had been. Tim had found out, one way or the other, about Josie and PJ's lie. This was their payback. She stopped fighting against the football players. Almost instantly they dropped their grip on her.

"Well, truth is, they..." Tim stopped talking for dramatic effect. "They didn't go to juvie. No. There's no record of them there. And according to Hazel... they never fought anyone at all. And you know what else? They didn't start the club to empower women. They did it to fuck cheerleaders. What is wrong with you? It is such a shame. We were really rooting for you girls."

Tucker swung his foot back and landed it in Hazel's face as hard as he could. Estelle didn't waste another second to run over there. "Are you out of your mind?" She pushed Tucker back. "You've won! Isn't that enough?"

Estelle sat down on her knees next to Hazel, who'd fallen on her back. She stroked her hair, which was now coated crimson red with blood. Hazel had always been beaten quite a lot during the trainings, but this looked like she'd been in a car crash. Her face was almost unrecognisable. Though Estelle would always recognise her. Even without a face.

The other members of the Fight Club ran towards them. Together with Stella–Rebecca, Estelle hoisted Hazel off the ground. PJ and Josie joined them, and started explaining what Tim had said, but Estelle kept walking. She couldn't care for what they had to say. She'd told them that first day what a terrible idea this was, and they didn't listen.

"Do we bring her to the nursery?" Stella–Rebecca asked in pure panic.

"No," Estelle replied. "Her mom is a nurse, I'm gonna drive her home straight away."

Stella turned her head. "Do you have license?"

"No..." She said doubtfully. "But that's fine."

They found Hazel's car standing where Estelle and Hazel had left it that morning. Carefully, the two girls placed her in the passenger's seat. Estelle thanked Stella for helping her, but told her she'd take care of it from there on. Reluctantly, Stella disappeared back into the building.

Estelle sat down in the driver's seat. Maybe her not having a license was not fine. She exhaled deeply. She looked to the side, seeing Hazel had closed her eyes. If she remembered anything from her mom's illness, it was that it was never good if the injured person closed their eyes.

"Hazel?" She twisted in her seat. "Haze— Hazel, please look at me," Her voice broke slightly. Estelle reached a hand out to Hazel's chin, to make her face her. Drowsily, Hazel's eyes opened. "Do not go to sleep, do you hear me? Do not go to sleep."

"But I'm tired." Hazel groaned. Her voice sounded so weak, it broke Estelle's heart.

She nodded in understanding, faster because of the panic. "I know— I know, but I need you to trust me. You're gonna be fine. You just need to keep your eyes open. Can you do that for me?"

When Hazel nodded, Estelle could go back to focusing on driving the car. She didn't want to dent it, because it was Hazel's. But if she was being honest, Estelle didn't even know which pedal was gas and which one was the brake. Luckily there were barely any cars in the parking lot.

She turned the keys, and pushed her foot onto the pedal. The car went backwards faster than she anticipated (she was meant to go forward). "Not the gas..." She muttered to herself as she took her foot of the pedal. Estelle then placed her foot gently on the other one and the car went forward smoothly.

The car ride went better than she'd imagined it'd go. Sure, Hazel might receive one or two speeding tickets, but ignoring that, it actually went really well. Estelle helped Hazel into her home. "Mel! Mel, come quick!" She shouted for her mother.

Melanie came out of the kitchen, her face immediately changed when she saw her daughter in the state she was in. She didn't ask any questions. Not yet, at least.

Hazel was placed on couch duty, and Estelle wouldn't leave her side. That same night every single member of the Fight Club (minus PJ and Josie, obviously) came over unannounced. In a way, Estelle liked this new group of friends without PJ's influence.

There was only the game left for them to get through. Maybe they could actually enjoy the game now, instead of having to fight the players.

Author's Note
another taylor song chapter title so u know i had to!!! i warned you guys in chapter 7 that this was what was gonna happen aight. aint my fault. anyway i love hazel but pookie is kinda obsessed with hurting herself or something

i just love how protective estelle has gotten of hazel. chapter one estelle wouldn't have done that and i love her for it.