As Angelica entered the catacombs of the stadium, gym bag slung over her shoulders, she found herself to be way more relaxed than she thought she’d be. It was surprising, because usually Angelica’s nerves were her own worst enemy. And she had every reason to be nervous, in all honesty.

The revived LFL (and rightfully revamped as Ladies’ Football League to get with the times) had kicked off yesterday, and Angelica’s team played its opening game in the Sunday noon slot. And while she had played football before, as cornerback and kicker, today would be her first day as a starting quarterback. And a quarterback was supposed to be more than just a player. They were expected to be a team leader, the one who made sure all the cogs in the machine were properly oiled and turning. And while Angelica had zero experience as a QB, when Kenzi had asked her there was no refusing her sister-in-law.

Quote:
”No, Kenz, you can’t do that to me!!”

Angelica’s heart was racing in her chest after this bomb Kenzi had just dropped on her. They had been seated at The Egg, the preposterously shaped residence Sarah and Kenzi ‘lived’. But Angelica had popped right of her seat and was now pacing the room. When her S-I-L had asked her to return to the Hitgirls after the announcement the LFL would be back, Angelica had not hesitated for a second. But this news really made her think twice about it.

”What do you mean, ‘I’m not going to be playing this year’? You’re the team captain! You’re our captain! Our quarterback! You, like, throw the ball or run away from the people who try to tackle you and stuff. You can’t just sideline yourself! And it’s not just because I think you’re a great leader, you’re also my friend! My good friend! Like, my sis even, basically! I wanna play with you!”

Kenzi remained calm and smiled, as if she had sort of expected this reaction out of Angelica. They’d known each other for many years, after all. And Kenzi probably knew her better than most. She leaned back into the sofa, crossing her legs and sipping her glass of water. Octuple filtered water from a dying glacier, of course, which was the only drinking water Sarah allowed  in the house.

"Sis, my mind’s made up. Either way, I won’t be playing, I’ll ‘just’ be owning the team and cheering you guys on from the sidelines."

”BUT-”

"No buts! Not in that turn of phrase, anyway…"

Somewhere out there, Sarah’s ears perked up, as if she picked up on her wife referring to ‘butts’ through space and time, and wondering if she was going to have to cut a ho.

Kezi got up from the sofa, and put her hand on Angelica’s shoulder. She had to stand on her tippy toes and stretch out her arm as much as she could, but the effort was worth the gesture, she thought.

"Ang, the main reason I don’t feel bad about stepping down as the QB is because I know there’ll be someone who can follow in my footsteps."

”Yes. Very BIG footsteps.”

Kenzi groaned. Her oversized feet were a touchy subject, still. Not that Angelica’s were any smaller, quite the opposite in fact, but they were more in proportion for sure. Not that anyone would dare say that to either lady’s face.

"Not. The. Pointtt. The ACTUAL point is that I know another leader will take my place, who is also a great athlete, a person who can inspire others, and can carry this franchise on her back if need be."

”But… Roxy doesn’t want to be the quarterback, I’m sure!”

Kenzi had to force herself not to at least chuckle. Roxy was many things, but a leader of the people, she was not. Even if, in Angelica’s eyes, her BFF could do no wrong and was pretty much the perfect specimen that Roxy claimed to be.

"It’s not Rox, Ang! It’s you! You have the build, you have the fire, you have the leadership capacities. And we’ll coach you up about the whole quarterback thingy, you’re smarter than you give yourself credit for."

”Wh-… Me?”

That came as a bit of a shock to Angelica. She had to take a seat. She did just that, and instinctively poured herself a glass of wine into the empty glass that had contained an appletini just a bit earlier. She downed it in one go, to calm her nerves you see, and looked at Kenzi.

”So not only are you quitting the team, you want me to take your place?? I don’t know, Kenzi…”

"Here it comes…"

Kenzi knew that Angelica was about to get emotional when she called her by her full name rather than ‘Kenz’.

”Like, am I super totes amazeballs honored-as-flame? OBVS! But I don’t know! I  have so many responsibilities already. I need to stay on top of my studies. I’m President of the Kappa Alpha Tau. I have 2 Kitty Cafés to manage, not to mention my STA Ranch… And there’s wrestling too, you know! Which isn’t exactly an afterthought for me! It’s my main dealio!”

"I know! And it’s because I’ve seen you in the ring that I know you can shoulder this burden, Ang. I’m not asking you to give any of that up. In fact, I think by being a quarterback, you’ll become an even better leader, and have an even stronger will. In the end, it’ll make you a better wrestler, too."

”… you really think so?”

"Positive. So, what do you say?"

And so Angelica was where she was now… About to have her very first start as a player playing the ‘most difficult position in sports’. She looked over her shoulder, back at the person following her into the building.

”J-Madz, keep up! Stop gawking at people, it makes them uncomfortable!”

John Madison Junior stopped turning up his nose at a rather overweight fan, and hurried his pace to follow his fellow tag team champion into the arena. It had been a bit of a rocky week for the pairing, mostly due to some miscommunications, but all of that was ate runder the bridge now, or so Angelica assumed.

”And try not to embarrass me in front of my friends like you did at my school, you hear? They haven’t let me hear the end of it! Sandra said she had to schedule two extra therapy sessions, after you commented on the shape of her ankles!”

"They looked like dinosaur ankles, it’s not my fault…"

After a security check they walked further into the bowels of the arena, until they bumped into Angelica’s first team mate. None other than Roxy Cotton, wrapped in a tight dress and impossibly high heels. As soon as the bubblegum blonde bombshell saw Angelica her face lit up, only to turn into a face someone would pull while chewing on a living oversized slug as she saw JMJ.

”ROX!”

"Hi, bb. What’s that thing doing here?"

”Hmm? Oh, you mean J-Madz? Well, AXLY, I promised he could come with, because we have this super duper important match coming up to defend our titles, see. And we had a bitof a communication breakdown, so I thought this would fix things. Hee hee, he thought our match was yesterday instead of last week! He thought I ghosted him, isn’t that funny?”

"Mmhmm. Well, keep it away from me, it stinks. I’ll see you in the locker room, bb."

”Oh yeah, we have to go over the game plan one more time, right?”

"Game plan? Just throw the ball to me, that’s all you need to do. Don’t worry about anything else. I’m always open."

"Yeah, I can smell it up to here."

Roxy’s eyes turned to slits, but before she gave John Madison Junior a piece of her mind, she noticed Angie’s ‘you-did-kinda-start-it’ look in her eyes and bit her tongue. She swiveled around on her heel and walked off, waving at Angelica with the back on her hand.

"Don’t be late. Or be. Just throw me the ball."

Angelica turned towards her tag partner, slightly upset.

”I told you to be nice.”

"No, you told me not to embarrass you. Which I can’t. And come on, for a while I thought they had a walking seafood buffet down here. I have great instincts when it comes to that. Anyway, I am digging our date so far, what’s next, do we find a janitor’s closet or…?"

”First of all, it’s NOT a date! How many times do I have to tell you? Don’t forget you are still on very thin ice with me after those mean things you said, mister! I have forgiven you, but I haven’t forgotten.”

"I told you I was sorry… Not gonna apologize again."

”And why would we have to find a janitor’s closet anyhoo? This is no time to clean the hallways, I have to get ready for the game! Although if you want to do some swabbing around here, be my guest. Just behave while I’m gone, ‘kay? I don’t want to hear any complaints whatsoever. We’ll have a hard enough time against Dolly and the Nickleman without me having to hold your hand from a week in advance.”

"But I love it when you hold my hand, and you gently caress it…"

”Ugh! And just get Twitter already! Then you’d have seen I wasn’t ghosting you.”

"I can’t sell my soul like that, Angie. As my soulmate you should know."

Angelica rolled her eyes so hard, she actually saw her own brains for a second. Sarah would’ve been proud.

”Whatevs. Just don’t go stirring up any trouble, ‘kay? And get to your box seat before the game! I have to go and meet the girls.”

"Ooh, can I come?"

”NABS! I’ll catch up with you after the game.”

And so Angelica darted off to go and get changed, and do the final game prep. Meanwhile, John Madison Junior looked around, trying to see what trouble he could stir up.

---

As the final whistle blew, Angelica hung her head. Not in exasperation or disappointment, but in relief. They’d won the game. It hadn’t been pretty, but they’d gotten the dub. All of the Hitgirls swarmed the field in celebration, and eventually Angelica joined in. First, she shook the hand of the Detroit Rampage’s QB, before hugging her team mates who passed her by.

“Well played, Angelica!” said Ryleigh Dixon. The Cincy starlet, who also had Raion Kido as her boyfriend, gave her a quick hug and a playful slap on the shoulder pads before jogging over to the sideline.

”Thankies, Ry! You too!”

Ashley Marie-Chase and Katie Anderson sandwiched her, cheering loudly before lifting her up slightly as Angelica pulled her face away from AMC who was trying to sneak in a kiss. On the lips, of course. She’d been trying to do that for YEARS, and Angelica was sure she only did it because she knew it was annoying as heck.

”Noo, AMC, don’t! Don’t!”

“Just one!” AMC practically begged, until a laughing Katie Anderson grabbed her by her raven hair and dragged her off to stop her from harassing Angelica. Angie wiped her cheek with her sleeve, smearing some lip balm over her wristcoach, before an annoyed Roxy came over, putting her hands on her hips.

"I told you to throw the ball my way! You tried to distribute it way too evenly!"

”BUT-…”

Roxy didn’t wait for a reply, though. She simply held up her hands and stormed off, clearly annoyed with her lack of production, which was in no way, shape or form HER fault, if she was to be believed.

And finally, Kenzi appeared on the field, looking casual chic like only Kenzi could. Angelica started to beam.

”Kenz! Did you watch the game??”

"Hmm? Oh, yes, not like I was watching the Steelers game on TV up in the owner’s box or something, haha! Anyway, good job, Ang. Knew you could do it. Glad I handed the reins to you. You’ll do even better next week, I’m sure."

”Oh boy, I sure hope so. We’re facing the Pride. I guess that means I am facing Dolly twice next week. First on Warfare, then on the field. She may not be playing, but I’m sure her every intention is to kick me while I’m down. But I’m not going to be down. Because she and Charlie aren’t taking these titles away from J-Madz and I, and the Pride isn’t beating the Hitgirls. Everybody seems to be expecting two walkovers, and it’s kind of annoying. Sure, Dolly is always dangerous, but she’s hardly the invincible behemoth so many make her out to be. Even sis says she’s not as good as she could be. Probs deserves an induction into the Hall of Very Good! But when J-Madz and I beat the Midnight Dolls, she was defs and totes also the weaker link. And all you need to beat an excellent team is one weak link. Charlie Nickles is a whole other cat, if you ask me. Like, I don’t scare easily anymore, but that man… He is the worst. A raging balled fist of antipathy and remorselessness. That’s how I’ve always seen him. And unlike Dolly, the results have been there. He was the man to beat on Savage in 2022, may that show rest in peace. And he hardly seemed to be beaten. Honestly, he’s the one who worries me the most, by far.  I’ve seen him say and do stuff that make my toes curl, and not in a good way. You know, like when you have a purring kitty on your lap?”

"Errrrrr…."

”No, more like RRRRRRRRRR. N-E-Ways, I’m going to enjoy this victory, freshen up, and get ready to do it all over again! Let’s go celebrate! I’m sure the team wants to chat with the owner, let’s get to the locker room!”

After getting stopped for some obligatory bland walk-by press interviews that nobody cares about because you just regurgitate the same old platitudes anyway, they arrived in the locker room. All of the Hitgirls were already inside and they were treated to a loud cheer when the pair entered the locker room. Most of them were changing after getting out of the shower, others were still talking about some of the events that happened during the game. But they fell silent when Angelica addressed them.

”My ladies, my fellow Hitgirls, first of all: congratz! It was a hard fought, often ugly battle, but there are some positives too! First of all, judging by early reports nobody was sacke more times than I was, which is a new LFL record! Also, our lovely kicker Honey was the offensive player of the game!”

The locker room fell kind of silent after that, because nobody seemed to understand why those two things were positive… But then again, Angelica still had a lot to learn.

”Like I said, it wasn’t ptetty, but that’s what being a Hitgirl is all about. We deliver hits, but we also know how to take ‘em.  The Rampage delivered some body blows, but we stood fast, we stood strong, and we stood TOGETHER! And in the end, the only team that walked off that field tonight was US! And next week, against the Pride, we’ll stand fast, we’ll stand strong, and we’ll stand together once again! Because that’s what being a great team is all about! And tonight, we celebrate! I officially declared CLUB DUB open for business!”

Just as Angelica was about to turn the music on, she was interrupted by the squeaking of an opening door.

"ANGIE!"

As John Madison Junior entered the ladies’ locker room unannounced, uninvited, and unwelcomed, the entire LFL squad began to screech at a volume that surely would’ve broken the windows, had there been any. Angelica’s face turned red once again, but the other Hitgirls reacted much quicker and much more aggressive, pelting JMJ with all sorts of things. Shoes, cones, gloves, and eventually even helmets came flying his way as he desperately tried to protect himself from the onslaught.

"Ow! Ow, what the f-? Damn it, that was a stiletto right in my ear! Hey, stop that! St--!"

Eventually Angelica pushed him out of the door, and closed it behind them. She put her hands on her hips and raised her voice.

”JOHN MADISON JUNIOR! You did that on purpose! Half the women in there were showering or changing! That is just plain RUDE! Worse than rude! They could press charges!”

"I just wanted to congratulate my soulmate and tag team partner on her team’s win! Is that so bad?? I just wanted to whisper to the angel on my shoulder what a good job she did!"

”Mmm hmm. I’m sure! Look, J-Madz, you’d actually be a fun guy if you weren’t such a creeper. You have to do better, and I know you can! But it’s because I have to constantly reprimand you like this, that we give off the impression that we’re not a cohesive unit, and a haphazard shoddy tag team! But we’re the CHAMPIONS! We have to set the standard. We have to BE the bar!”

"Sure, let’s go to the bar. Will you buy me a drink?"

Angelica slapped him on the shoulder.

”Will you please listen? Charlie and Dolly can be beaten. They just don’t know it yet. We’re going to have to remind them. So get your head in the game, and we will. Because when you care, you are phenomenally good. So we’re going to go to Warfare, we’re going to show up, show off, and RETAIN! So are you with me?”

"Yes, of course I’ll marry you! I’m with you until Armageddon!"

Angelica sighed. It was better than nothing.

-fin-