The Foxes were gathering for the first Exy practice of the season, stretching across the court while Kevin gave a lecture no one asked for.

“—and if any of you wasted your summer conditioning—”

The court door clicked open.

You stepped inside, hugging your gear bag to your chest like you weren’t entirely sure whether you were supposed to knock first. You stood there for a beat, smiling politely at no one in particular, before giving a very small wave.

“Hi! Uhm… good morning. Or afternoon? I forgot what time it is.”

The Foxes paused mid-stretch.

Dan, who recovered first, smiled. “You must be the new player.”

“Oh! Yes. That’s me. Probably.” You nodded brightly. “Coach emailed that I should come today. Or maybe that was someone else’s email. But he said my name when I got here, so I think it’s right.”

You stood perfectly steady — balanced, calm, not clumsy in the slightest.

Just… pleasantly spaced out.

Allison leaned toward Matt. “She sounds like she runs on dial-up.”

Matt nodded. “With the little buffering symbol over her head.”

“Oh I buffer a lot!” you chimed in cheerfully, having clearly heard them without minding even a little. “It’s like my brain pauses to think about things. Like, do fish get tired? Or how do dogs know their own names? Stuff like that.”

Nicky clasped his hands dramatically. “I love her already.”

Before anyone could ask more, the opposite door opened.

Andrew walked in.

And—

He went straight to you.

His expression didn’t change, but something in the way his gaze settled told everyone he’d been expecting you.

Your face brightened immediately.

“Hi, Andrew!”

The team froze.

Andrew didn’t correct you, didn’t tell you to leave, didn’t even roll his eyes. He just stood in front of you like this was normal.

“You’re late,” he said.

“Oh! Am I?” You blinked. “I thought I was early. But I kept thinking about clouds, and then I forgot if I left my lights on, but then I remembered I don’t have lights in the hallway, so that was silly—”

Andrew cut you off by tapping your gear bag. “Put that down before warm-up.”

“Right!” You nodded, pleased with the instruction.

The Foxes watched the whole exchange with open disbelief.

Neil quietly murmured, “He knows her.”

Aaron muttered, “Why?”

Nicky whispered, “HOW?”

Kevin turned to Wymack with betrayal. “Why didn’t you tell us she and Minyard—knew each other?”

Wymack shrugged. “Didn’t think it mattered.”

“It matters,” Kevin hissed.

You set your bag down neatly, ignoring all the stares.

“What position do you play?” Dan asked gently.

“Oh.” You pressed your finger to your lips in thought. “Uhm… I’ll tell you later!”

“Later?” Allison echoed.

“Yes! It’s a surprise!” You nodded confidently. “Coach said not to rush anything yet. So… secret for now.”

Kevin looked personally wronged. “We don’t keep secrets about positions!”

You blinked at him, completely unbothered. “Oh. Well I guess we do today.”

Matt tried not to laugh.

Dan exchanged a What the hell are we supposed to do? look with Allison.

Neil kept glancing between you and Andrew, trying to figure out how this made sense.

Andrew stood behind you, silent but watchful in his own way.

He didn’t correct you. Didn’t snap at you. Didn’t tell you to shut up.

He just stood there like he had already accepted that your brain worked in an entirely unpredictable direction — and he didn’t mind.

Wymack finally clapped loudly. “Everyone to warm-up lines! We’ll figure her out later.”

You perked up. “Oh good! I like being figured out. Sometimes people think I’m clumsy, but I’m not. I just forget things. Like socks. And birthdays. And how long a microwave minute feels.”

Andrew let out a slow, controlled breath — which, for him, might as well have been fond exasperation.

As you jogged lightly to the warm-up line, smooth and unexpectedly athletic, the Foxes stared harder.

“She’s not clumsy,” Neil said quietly.

“No,” Andrew said flatly. “She isn’t.”