It had started during Tuesday’s water break, the kind of casual cruelty that Taissa was so good at dressing up as leadership. Taissa was shit talking you and your play style in soccer. Saying your not fast enough and that you keep missing passes.

By Wednesday, it wasn’t just whispers. It was glares when you dropped a pass. Sighs when you fell behind in suicides. Taissa didn’t say much, but Natalie could read it in her face: you, her girlfriend, was a liability.

Natalie didn’t care. Not in the way they wanted her to. But Taissa noticed. And today, she was pushing hard.

It was subtle at first. Taissa pushing the tempo, running drills too fast, snapping commands at everyone like she was the coach. you tried to keep up, darting for open space, calling for the ball.

It didn’t come.

Not once.

But the others didn’t quite follow orders. Van passed to her once. Then Akilah. Small acts of defiance. That’s when Taissa turned it up.

She started pressing her hard. Quick footwork, aggressive body checks. Every time Natalie's girlfriend, you, touched the ball, Taissa was right there, like a shadow with sharper teeth. Natalie was about to say something, to tell Taissa to fuck off and stop targeting her girlfriend but then it happened.

You broke down the left side of the field, ball at your feet, for once not hesitating. Natalie just watched you in awe, looking almost proud before her whole mood shifts as she sees Taissa chasing you down and straight up lunged.

No warning. No finesse. Just brute speed and frustration, colliding all at once. Taissa's foot slid right against your knee. There was a crack, a sickening, unnatural sound.