Tryst Six Venom by Penelope Douglas

She casts a nervous glance around the room, looking apprehensive to say
whatever she has to say in front of my whole family, but whatever.
“The game is today,” she says.
“And?”
“The car is running.” She tips her chin up, bracing herself. “I have your
uniform. Please.”
I laugh under my breath. “Get out.”
I take a bite, everyone else remaining silent.
But Krisjen doesn’t back down. “Gibbon’s Cross, Jaeger! I can’t beat
them.”
“I’m no longer on the team.”
“You’re still a student,” she retorts. “You could be back on the team with
the snap of a finger.”
I shake my head. “I said get out.”
“Just this game.” She moves in, hovering over me. “This is your team,
too. You worked for months for this.”
And for what? I stir the food, refusing to look up. Gibbon’s Cross is the
team to beat, and I wanted to be there, because winning would feel great, but
I could only hold on for so long. Joining that team was never about lacrosse.
It was me stupidly thinking that people would like me when they got to know
me. I’d bond with the girls on the team. I’d be respected by classmates, being
part of their world. The administration would value me and treat me as
worthy of what I deserved if I was a team player in that one aspect.
And all I got was shit for my trouble. Let them learn the hard way how
fucking valuable I am.
“Why should she lift a finger to help all of you?” Dallas says. “It’s not
like you won’t go back to treating her like shit the moment you have the win
off of her.”
“Fuck ’em.” Army folds his arms across his chest. “Let them lose.”
A car horn honks outside, and I don’t know if it’s her mom, or maybe it’s
Clay, sending her in here to do her dirty work.
I meet Krisjen’s eyes. “Tell Clay she can go fuck herself.”
“Clay’s not even playing,” she tells me.
I stop and look up at her.
“She’s benched,” Krisjen goes on.
I drop my gaze, staring at my bowl, absently stirring as thoughts whirl in
my head. Clay’s not playing. Will she even be there? What the hell