Rising Shards

The faculty appreciation week event signup sheet should not have been a point of stress for me whatsoever. Faculty appreciation week meant a lot of good food and some potentially fun time spent with my coworkers. The stress came from Caya, my friend and also ex-partner from way back, handing me the sign up sheet for the yearly staff mat ball game. The staff mat ball game should not have been a big deal either, had she not asked this after handing me the sheet:

"Do you know if Stella is any good at mat ball?"

She didn't ask it in an accusatory manner, it was very chill. Caya took the mat ball game very seriously and recruited fellow teachers and staff members like she was head coach for a high level team.

I still paused before I answered. Like, I was pretty sure Caya knew Stella and I were a thing. But in spite of us being best friends (thankfully having reforged our friendship after a messy breakup), we didn't talk about our romantic lives much at all. I barely knew anything about her marriage to Aki Kilander, and I hadn't said anything about me and Stella. Caya had hinted a bit that she had us figured out, mainly during an incident with some Wildfire Hearts kidnappings where she gave me a firm pat on the back which said a lot more than words could.

"I'm...not sure," I finally said.

"Could you ask when you get a chance?" Caya said. She left me with a copy of the team signup sheet, wanting to go ask other teachers if they were in.

I mulled over why exactly I was anxious all day, visiting Stella in the library at lunch to let her know.

"I can't remember the last time I even played mat ball," Stella said. "But I'm not saying I'm bad! I don't remember sucking at it, at least."

She signed her name right below mine without thinking. "Wait, you said this was a copy? Why'd she have you sign a copy? Does it still count?"

"I don't know," I said. "Caya just gets really hype about this."

"That's kinda sweet," Stella said. "And she actually asked about me?"

"Uh huh," I said.

Stella touched my arm. "I wouldn't worry about it. She basically knows about us already, right?"

"I think so," I said. "I know me and her are really bad at the whole talking thing sometimes, but I think after everything, I should at least tell her, ya know?"

"So you're more stressed about that than the mat ball," Stella said. "However or whenever you tell her, I got your back. I can even be there when you tell her!"

"Thanks, Stel," I said. "You seriously are the best."

"Maybe I get a home run in the mat ball game and run over and make out with you, and be all like, 'She's mine!' That'd be kinda fun, right?" Stella said.

"Maybe a bit dramatic," I said.

"A bit dramatic is my specialty as an actor!" Stella said. "Oh, you know who else would be good? Pippi, I know she's good at mat ball, she crushes any sport. And she's been feeling shy about only talking to other IT people since she started working here. So it could be an ice breaker for her too!"

"I like the sound of that," I said, happy I had Stella to work through my anxieties with.

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