— ❝let's fuck up some football players.❞

            Just one day later was the big game the entire had worked up to. Estelle and Hazel had taken their seat further up onto the benches. They'd met up with Sylvie and Annie, who sat on either sides of them. Hazel's face was swollen, a mix of blue and red colours coating her face, especially around her eyes. Luckily, her mom had her taking a few pills against the pain.

            There wasn't much happening yet on the field — better yet, nothing was happening yet. But that was going to change soon. From her peripheral vision, Estelle could see Josie and PJ nearing, breathing like they'd just run a marathon. They intended on speaking to them, she soon realised. She could just hope Hazel wouldn't forgive her so easily.

            "Okay, first off, PJ has something to say to Hazel, so..." Josie began. Hazel took a deep breath, tilting her head back. Her hands in her lap started to fiddle with her ring. PJ seemed at a loss for words, so Josie helped her along, encouraging. "The apology. Do the apology. Do the apology, instead."

            "Okay!" She replied annoyedly. "I'm sorry that I called your mom a skank. And I'm sorry for saying that you have no friends really loud in front of all of your friends. And I'm sorry for being an asshole a lot of the time," Estelle gave her a look. "Most of the— All of the time. And I do think that it's nice that you always take notes and then you type them up and email them to everyone... and I really appreciate it. Do you forgive me?"

            Hazel looked down. She sent a glance towards Estelle, who shook her head. If it was her, she wouldn't have forgiven her. The apology felt cheap. And for a minute she thought Hazel wouldn't either. But Hazel was too sweet to hold grudges. She smiled. "Yes." Estelle still wasn't sure she was being truthful.

            "I don't wanna interrupt this gorgeous moment," Josie said quickly. "But we don't have time now, because I got information from a very confidential source that Huntington is trying to kill someone on this team tonight."

            Annie wasn't convinced yet. "What are you even talking about, Josie? Nobody's even over there."

            "Oh, according to Jeff's planning they're not supposed to come on until five minutes." Estelle joined in.

            "Still," Josie countered. "Nobody is even over there. Well, that is obviously a red flag. Are we not reading that as a red flag? That's crazy."

            "What?"

            "Please, Annie," Josie pleaded. "Even though you're a Black Republican, you are the smartest out of all of us, okay?" Josie stayed silent for a second. "Okay, maybe tied first place with Estelle, but that's not my point!"           

            Estelle tilted her head, smiling. "Thanks!"

            Annie continued to react on her own compliment. "I mean, obviously I know that. You think I don't know that?"

            "Then help us figure this out," She stammered desperately. "We need to stop this game. We need to save them."

            "Wait, wait, hang on," PJ intervened. "Hazel... we need a distraction."

            Hazel understood what she meant. A smile crept onto her face, a mocking tone in her voice. "Oh, now you want a bomb?"

Hazel was sent to the tree on the other side of the field to plant the bomb (which she apparently had lying around in her locker casually) and in a state of unknowing, Estelle followed her. She tried to help as much as she could, but truthfully, she had no idea why she had even come along. She had zero experience/knowledge of bombs.

            "Is it the red wire?" Hazel asked, looking hopelessly at the bomb tied to the tree. "Shit, or is it the yellow?"

            "You're asking me?" Estelle stunned. "I didn't even know there was a yellow wire. I thought it was red, blue, green!"

Then, they got called from the other side of the field. "Hazel! Estelle! It's starting!" Annie yelled.

And indeed, the announcer of the evening announced that Jeff had arrived. He stood there in all his glory, taking in all the supportive chants. Estelle almost fell when Hazel pulled her along. Her gaze was too fixated on her brother to notice anything around her for a few seconds.

When she finally did get up from her crouched position, Estelle stumbled over her own feet a couple times. But the thought of that bomb exploding any minute was the more dominant thought.

Estelle ran behind Hazel. She would've been faster, however she didn't want to leave her behind. When they arrived at the other side of the field with one second left on the timer and dove right into the ground, Estelle held her arms around Hazel, protecting her from the fire.

The fire didn't come, though. It never erupted. Hazel tried pushing the button excessively. Nothing happened. The girls started talking simultaneously, trying to tell her what she could do. Terrible idea, of course. What did they know of bombs that Hazel didn't know?

"I want you to rub Vicks VapoRub on your tanks and dance around like the fruitbats that you are!" The announcer screamed. It caught Estelle's attention. Ahe looked at the team and the cheerleaders first, who were doing a silly dance where they thrusted their hips forward.

She got an idea. "I'm gonna find my dad! If I can convince him, he'll have the influence to stop everything!" She yelled over the noise.

"What? No! Star, the last time you saw him, he told you to kill yourself! Are you serious?" Hazel responded. The girls fell silent. It wasn't Hazel's intention to out her like that in front of everyone, but how else was she going to get her to listen? Hazel thought it was an idiotic idea.

Estelle smiled foolishly. "I kinda don't have a lot of choice."

She ran towards the benches, climbing them like her life depended on it. Her eyes scanned the crowd for her father, but, after not seeing a single familiar face, admitted defeat. She stood there, hands on the railing, looking out at the field. Jeff was still doing his dance. The cheerleaders too, though some of them were looking around, trying to catch any sign of anyone stopping.

Hazel's voice caught her attention. She was screaming at the cheerleaders. "Guys! Make out with each other!" Along with screaming, Hazel jumped and cupped her mouth. In turning her head, Estelle found that she wasn't so far removed from her. When she realised the cheerleaders weren't listening, and weren't going to, she took a few steps towards her.

            "Everyone, get your guns out, hide your children because here comes Huntington!" The announcer yelled. Estelle turned her head towards the field again. The team in their signature yellow jerseys entered the field. Jeff on the other side was riling up, telling the others to hold him back.

            Shaking her head as in to physically get rid of the thoughts surrounding Jeff, Estelle looked back. "Hazel!" She shouted. Hazel turned her head towards her. In the motion, Estelle got a hold of both her cheeks and kissed her on the mouth. Hazel was taken back, but didn't mind. She was her girlfriend, after all.

The kiss drew the attention of almost everyone. Even Huntington. It was intense, like there was no one watching them. That's what Hazel Callahan did to Estelle. Nothing else mattered. No one else mattered. Just... Hazel.

It lasted a half minute, but it might as well have been longer, she wouldn't have cared. However the announcer, as well as some straight, old men thought it was enough. "Can everybody stop looking at the dyke parade?" The announcer asked the crowd. Estelle laughed at the remark as she slowly disconnected her lips from Hazel's. "Who do I have to blow to get this game started already?" The players ran into the field. "Now make 'em eat a bag of urine cakes."

Recovering from her second defeat, Estelle walked back onto the field with Hazel. Josie came from the other side, along with Sylvie and Annie. She spat. "Look, I found empty barrels of pineapple juice. There is pineapple here."

"Jeff is, like, deathly allergic to pineapples," Estelle said in a matter–of–fact tone. "He ate like a tiny piece once and almost choked to death."

"So, they're gonna poison Jeff then." Annie said.

Josie raised her voice. "Where the fuck is it?"

            "Fuck, I'm thinking really quick," PJ came from behind them, making Estelle jump slightly. "What if it's in their mouths and they're swishing it around and then they're gonna spit it out mid–game."

            "What?"

            "I hate to say it, but it might have something to do with their semen." Hazel agreed.

            Estelle shook her head. "Football's too aggressive for that. First time you fall, you're gonna open your mouth at some point," She said. "Unless they've found some creepy way of swallowing and throwing it up."

            Josie agreed with Estelle. "What is wrong with you?"

            "They kissed on the mouth," Sylvie said, smiling strangely and pointing between Hazel and Estelle. "With tongue."

            "So not the point." Estelle said immediately.

            As the girls continued arguing whether the two girls only did it for distraction or not, Annie walked away from the conversation, facing the field. The sprinklers rose from the grass. She realised what Huntington's plan was finally. "They're gonna spray the field." She said.

            "What?" Josie and PJ echoed in unison.

          That makes so much more sense, Estelle thought.

            "Okay, we're gonna have to run." Annie continued. That Estelle was less excited for.

Author's Note
next chapter (and last) is also up now!! i felt this ending deserved a double update so here you go!! hope you enjoy the last chapter purr