16. defense!

"Soooo, Kim, what is YOUR story?" Amber leaned in making sure everyone heard her.

"Pardon me?" Kitt said surprised at the very bold and rudely phrased question.

"Like what brought you out tonight with us, our group is usually pretty tight." She leaned into Axel to ruffle his hair but ran a finger down the arm of the guy on her other side.

"I was invited." Kitt said making sure not to break eye contact.

"That's cute." Amber flipped her hair.

"Ok." Kitt chuckled. This girl thought she was doing something.

"So like, who are you?" Amber asked again almost challenging Kitt to impress her and earn her spot. She had no idea how Kitt had no time for high-school bullying.

"No one to you." Kitt said before picking up her drink and turning to talk to Leo who was watching the exchange. He dropped his arm around the back of her chair.

"What did you say to me?" Amber said with a sneer.

"You don't deserve my story." Kitt said off handedly, she shrugged and leaned back in her chair.

"Careful that girl has teeth." Leo whispered touching her back.

"And I shoot pucks that shatter teeth." Kitt said laughing.

"So, like are you two fucking?" Amber practically yelled. Kitt could see her loosing her sense of control, and she didn't like it.

"Wow, that was crass." Kitt shook her head.

"So? Is this a thing? Like are you all nervous and excited because a hockey player is paying attention to you? Do you even know hockey?" Amber sneered.

"Amber-" Axel tried to interupt.

"No, babe it's cute. She probably pretends to know all the things, but has no idea." Amber pushed forward again making sure her boobs were pushed up onto the table. Her cleavage straining against her barely there top.

"Hmm, I think I know a bit." Kitt said not feeding into her ego by fighting.

"So not your boyfriend?" Amber challenged.

"Why do you care so much? We're you planning on asking me out?" Kitt asked looking at her with her own challenge.

"Yeah, Leo, what is the deal here?" Liam asked suddenly perking back up.

Kitt glanced over to see how uncomfortable Leo was at the line of questioning.

"We are just figuring out this friendship thing." Kitt answered for him.

"Yay! No offense Kim, but I have a date lined up for Leo for tomorrow night. Someone who is, like, more his speed, you know?" Amber smirked like she won.

"What's that now?" Leo asked looking surprised.

"Remember dude? Like we talked about a double date to the dinner?" Axel shot Leo a look.

"I must have forgotten." He said looking at Kitt who was now looking at her straw intently. Her heart was in the pit of her stomach.

"Cool. Glad you aren't backing out, that would be a total dick move." Amber looked smug.

"It's OK I'm going to take Kitt to the dinner, right Kitt?" Liam said with a wink from across the table.

"Yup!" Kitt grinned and lifted her glass to cheers him from across the table.

Leo stiffened beside her. She wanted to reach out to reassure him, but suddenly it felt super awkward.

She knew he thought of her as a friend and maybe he wasn't a fan of Liam, so he didn't approve. But she couldn't talk to him sitting there.

Josie came up and hugged her from behind.

"I brought you something!" Josie said with a grin.

The guy she had dragged from the table stood behind her with a tray of shot tube in a rack, looking like a science experiment.

"Shots!" Josie gestured wildly as he placed the tray on the table.

Each row was a different colour, some looked like mini experiments and some were funky colours.

"Excellent." Kitt said looking at the tray.

She grabbed the first one, a lime green coloured liquid. She took the shot, sour green apple.

A red and cream marbled thing was next, Kitt shot it down.

A layered tube was next and Kitt slammed that back as well.

"Holy shit Kitt!" Josie laughed. She handed her friend a dark purple shot. Kitt didn't hesitate.

"Kitt!" Leo's eyes were wide as he watched her down the drinks so quickly.

"I'm going pee." Kitt said and basically ran away from the table as fast as her legs would carry her.

As soon as she was in the washroom stall her shoulder slumped. Her alcohol marinated brain finally admitted she wanted Leo to ask her out, she wanted to be his date to the dinner. Now they both somehow ended up with other people as dates. She felt her heart hurting.

She was instantly mad at herself. He had said that they were friends. He was clear. She needed to move on.

She left the washroom and went straight to the dance floor. The alcohol was hitting and she felt loose and foggy. She closed her eyes and danced to the music. She liked being anonymous in the crowd.

She danced for a few songs before she decided she was done with the night. She was drunk and she worried if she went back to the table she would let her lowered inhibitions lead her actions and she might ruin her friendship with Leo. She wanted to hug him and kiss him and feel his arms around her.

Kitt let herself out of the pub and decided to walk back to her dorm. On a good night it would have taken her fifteen minutes, drunk Kitt, however, just hoped to get home before dawn.

K- I walk home, done dancing, good shots. Call morning. Heart beats attack, sad.

Kitt messaged Josie so she wouldn't worry. She tucked her phone in her pocket and trudged home.

***

Kitt woke up in her underwear drapped across her bed with her clothes in a pile on the floor.

She felt like she had been eating cotton balls. She looked around for her water bottles, only to find that they were all empty.

She growled and gave them the finger before grabbing a giant shirt and putting it on before grabbing all of her bottles and dashing out to the fountain to fill them all.

She stood in the hall gulping the water from the first bottle as she filled the other two, and refilled the third before going back to her room.

Click

The door was locked and she didn't have her keys.

"Fuck!" She set the bottles down by her door and tried to figure out how to get into her room with out having to go down stairs in her underwear, and then having to pay the fifty dollar charge to open the door.

She wondered if she had left her patio door open. She looked around and remembered there was a patio door from the other end of the hall. Her wing had private access to the balcony, while the other end had shared access.

She hoped no one would be up yet as she quietly made her way to the other end of the floor. She could hear people in the washroom and voices floating into the hall but thankfully she was alone.

The cold morning was misty and the fog made everything look mysterious and damp. She shived in the cool air. She prayed that she was an idiot and left her door open. She was usually very careful making sure to close and lock the door before she could relax.

She padded barefoot around the perimeter of the second floor. Her door was open a Crack. She thanked her drunk self for being irresponsible and then cursed herself for not guarding her own safety.

She let herself in and retrieved her water from the hall. She shivered and jumped into her bed and tucked her feet under the covers and picked up her phone.

Dead.

Wow she was really batting a thousand that morning. She plugged in the phone and snuggled down into her bed. She picked up her book but didn't even finish the chapter before falling back asleep.

"I have to PEE!" Kitt kicked her covers off. She grabbed her lanyard with her keys and tossed them around her neck, before running out to the washroom.

When she returned she finally turned her phone back on. Her notifications went crazy.

Fuck! What now?

L- where did you go?

J- what happened to you?

K- did you just seriously ghost?

L- you ok?

J- so that Amber girl?

K- who is that long-hair dudes girl blanket? She is a ding bat.

J- wtf did she say to you?

L- you up yet?

J-still sleeping?

Dad- morning sweetheart! Have a great time tonight. Send us pictures. Call me tomorrow.

Kitt replied to her friends that she was awake and home. She apologized for ditching them saying she felt sick, she just left out the heart sick part. She knew Josie would question her so she quickly followed up with her saying she was going for a run and then having a shower.

The Athletics Department awards dinner was a formal event, everyone would get all dressed up and have a fancy dinner while the coaches would give speeches and give out awards.

Kitt looked for some leggings and a top to go for a run in. She looked down and realized she was wearing Leo's shirt he had left in her room.

The wind left her sails.

Kitt sat on the floor between the end of her bed and her wardrobe, with the door open she had inadvertently made a little fort.

She felt sad. She liked him, there was no point in denying it any more. She enjoyed his friendship but she wanted more. She had to decide if she wanted to stay 'just friends' or if she should move on.

She tried to imagine how she was going to feel at the awards dinner when she had to see him with someone else. Maybe this other girl was going to be his forever person, maybe she was going to be a one date wonder.  Either way she had to remember she wasn't ever going to be his person.

She had forgotten that she was also supposed to have a date, was Liam serious? Did he really want to take her out? She knew he wasn't actually interested, he was just trying to help her save face.

She felt awful about herself. Her confidence was at an all time low. She wanted to cancel and just dig a hole in the woods, crawl in and die.

Her phone rang.

She was tempted to let it go to voice-mail. But something told her to answer.

"Kitt? It's Coach Ten." The voice said.

"Hey coach, what can I do for you?" Kitt could feel the lump in her throat.

"I'm sorry to bother you, are you available to come to my office today? I know you need to get ready for tonight, but I would like to touch base before the awards." Coach Ten said making Kitt's heart drop out. Something was wrong and she could feel the weight of it.

"Yep, I can be there in half an hour if that works?" Kitt said trying to hide her deep sigh.

The sun was high and the snow was melting, leaving the ground soft sand muddy. The mushy feeling of the grass made her stick to the main paths.

When she arrived at the coach's office, she let herself in and heavily dropped into the chair across from the desk. Coach Ten had stepped out. Kitt just looked at her hands until the coach returned.

"Hey Kitt! Are you excited for tonight?" The older wo.an asked crossing the room to sit down.

"A little I guess." Kitt shrugged.

"Well, I hate to do this today, but I thought it was only fair that you ate aware before going into the event." Coach said looking at her with concern.

"What's wrong exactly?" Kitt felt a little nauseous.

"You are aware of the absence of the Athletics Director lately? Well, he is currently on suspension and under investigation for fraud, mismanagement of funds, accepting bribes, and a variety of other things. Some which may actually lead to criminal charges." Her coach sounded tense.

"Oh no!" Was all Kitt could squeeze out.

"How do you feel about that?" Coach prompted.

"I'm not sure, I mean on one hand, I'm glad he was caught, on the other, I'm worried what that might mean for the department." Kitt admitted

"I understand that for sure." Coach nodded leaning back in her chair.

"I'm really sorry, but I don't really understand what this has to do with me? Like why are you telling just me?" Kitt was worried about the answer.

"Since that article where you publicly stood up against him and expressed your concerns, has turned out to be true, the Athletics Department would like to speak to you and you may have to testify against director Thomas, if you are comfortable with that." Coach filled her in.

"What's that now?" Kitt felt her stomach lurched, it could have been the alcohol, it could have been the lack of food, but more than likely it was her nerves exploding all at once.

"The Athletics Department officials have selected you as the student advocate, to speak out against the treatment girls receive at XOU." The coach smiled.

Kitt threw up.