( HENDRIX, CASEY )
fox towers roof, 11pm, september 19th ( open. )
They still weren’t really over everything that had gone on over the last weekend, and they were pretty sure there wasn’t much they could do to help with that problem. There was still anger and frustration, but after press duty, after spending the night hanging out with their sister, trying to forget about the game, they had woken up feeling awful and guilty. And the guilt had only grown once she left and they started seeing the articles pop up about what had happened. Losing was one thing, but being so blinded by frustration that they’d said things they never should’ve admitted to a bunch of piranhas put the blame back on their shoulders, settling in that familiar place just below their neck, the tension nearly aching.
Not even the good things happening in their life could take that away. In a way, it just made them feel like they didn’t even deserve to be here at all, to have been given a last chance and then to be so ungrateful, talking about their teammates like that. Practices passed by with a sense of melancholy, unable to bring themself to maintain any sort of eye contact with their teammates, knowing what they’d said and felt. And that was all without considering the upcoming banquet that they were dreading even more than a game, at this rate.
Unable to concentrate on their work, Casey had grabbed the bottle of cheap whiskey they’d stashed under their bed just in case, a new pack of cigarettes, and headed to the roof. They’d barely been up for a second, only just found a spot to make themself comfortable, when the door opened. “I was just breaking out the booze, perfect timing,” they said, voice flat despite the joke, not looking up to see who it was.
On bad days, Olivia wonders if she’d made the right decision by transferring to Palmetto State, wonders if it’s worth it. She’s been fundamentally changed by what happened to her, and no time away from Penn State will ever undo what those boys did to her or ever stop looking over her shoulder from becoming second nature. And if that’s the case then maybe she’s given up a spot on a team that had a decent chance at winning the championship in an attempt to reverse damages that can never be undone.
Logically, she knows she did the right thing. An Exy championship isn’t worth her dignity and self-respect, but with the sting of two losses in a row – especially when this season is supposed to be the one where she redeems herself for last season’s abysmal performance – Olivia’s mind has started to meander towards some rather dark what if scenarios. She thinks maybe some fresh air might do her a little good, giving up on trying to get any work done that night.
Only, it seems like she’s not the only person who’s thought to clear their head on the roof of Fox Tower. The suddenness of being addressed when she’d expected to be alone startles her, but she recognises the voice, and when her eyes adjust to the darkness she’s not surprised to find Casey. “I don’t drink,” she replies. Casey’s not drunk yet, but they clearly have plans to be, and Olivia surprises herself when she chooses to step out onto the roof anyway. Maybe it’s because it’s Casey. She’s not sure if complicated feelings towards former their respective former Exy teams are enough common ground to constitute a friendship, but she doesn’t need to be their friend to guess the reason why they’re nursing a bottle of alcohol up on the roof.
“I admire you,” she says as she moves to sit next to them, “I don’t think I could have gone out there.” Olivia pauses, feeling the beginnings of a wry smile tug at her lips. “For what it’s worth, I agree –– if we keep this up, we might as well kiss the championship goodbye right now.”
















