“Solve for x and y to satisfy both equations in the system…”

Wendy closed her textbook with a sigh of defeat at those written words. The equations were endless, she’d been doing algebra since the start of her free period and now the bell was about to ring for the end of the day. She leaned back in her seat, letting her back dig slightly into the bleacher behind her. 

The empty bleachers by the soccer pitch aren’t your typical go-to study spots but they’re quiet enough for Wendy when it comes to escaping the white noise inside the school. The library is too stuffy and there’s rarely a chance for her to get a classroom to herself. No, the bleachers are out and away from all that, a chance for her to focus on her work and get it done before she can head home. 

The only time there’s any disturbance out here is when the soccer teams come out to practice after school but Wendy doesn’t mind that, technically she’s intruding on their space after all. 

A buzz in her back pocket draws Wendy out of her mini meditation, its a text from her friend, Joy, asking if she wants a ride back from school. She shoots a quick no back, saying she’ll walk it later instead.

The reply back is immediate,

overstaying again? ur really serious about these entrance exams aren’t u? 

Wendy replies back with equal speed, 

They aren’t gonna pass themselves! It won’t be as late as the last time I promise, just some algebra left and then I’m outta here I swear. 

Another response follows suit,

ok good i need my fave know it all alive

A moment passes before another text comes through,

Don’t stay up too late x

Wendy smiles at the last text, putting her phone away after a few seconds knowing Joy would be driving now and not wanting to distract her with more messages. 

She stares at the textbook in front of her then to the sky and finally to her watch. The evening sun is still going strong and she reckons she can get maybe another hour and a half done before heading home. With a resigned sigh she picks up her pencil and her textbook, reopening it to its last page.

It’s not until maybe ten minutes have passed that noise causes Wendy to look up from her equations. 

Of course, she thinks, it’s Thursday, girl’s soccer practice. 

Wendy doesn’t mind the girls team, in fact they’re quite pleasant to her. The boys team can be louder and sometimes they yell at Wendy for studying there, but she just learned to skip their practice sessions to avoid all that. The girls are nice to Wendy, they apologise if the ball gets kicked into the seats near her, some wave if they make eye contact, recognising her from their classes. No, Wendy doesn’t mind the girls team at all.

She watches for a few minutes as a large group of girls filter into the field, some laughing and giggling while others chat furiously among themselves. Among them Wendy spots a group of three girls enter behind them, two of them appear to be deep in conversation while the third, a girl with a very stoic expression just listens in quietly. 

Wendy knows who they are, how can she not. The smiley one, talking to the loud one, that’s Seulgi, deputy captain of the squad. Wendy only recognises her from her English class but she hears that Seulgi is one of the kindest girls in the school, not that she’d know, Wendy recalls their only interaction was she leant her a pen early in their first semester, since then they’ve never spoken or even looked at each other. 

The loud one, that’s Yeri, she’s friends with literally everyone. It’s cute when you think about it, she goes out of her way to talk to nearly everyone she meets. She and Wendy have spoken a few times before, when Yeri was benched for a few games she’d sit with Wendy and ask her things. It was a little annoying but the girl means well so how could she be mad at that?

In their, often very one sided, conversations, Wendy has learned that Yeri is a lot younger than most of the girls on the team, having worked her way onto the team and impressed with her speed,

“Some people said I was too young to be on the team but they just couldn’t deny what they saw, I’m fast as hell.” 

Wendy liked Yeri, even if she found her a little annoying to talk to, she means well and that’s rare in some people. 

“Some people” could manifest itself in one person in particular. And that person was walking next to the chattering pair onto the field, hair tied up in a perfect high ponytail and face as cold and stone faced as ever. 

That person was Bae Irene, captain of the girls soccer team.

Wendy has never in her years of being at this school spoken to Bae Irene, they were in the same year but didn’t share any classes. In fact, Wendy had gone out of her way to keep her anonymity with Irene, she had heard the rumours after all. 

“Irene is scary as hell dude”

“I heard she made a freshman run 20 laps for talking back to her”

“Apparently Irene made a girl on the team’s life so miserable she moved schools” 

“I don’t think she’s smiled since 1995…”

“I heard she was in a gang…”

Okay, so Wendy thought it was safe to assume the last rumour probably wasn’t true… probably… but it did make her wonder what kind of person Irene was to warrant such things to be said about her. It kind of scared her a little, no one seemed to know anything actually about Irene, they all just said these things instead. 

To be honest, it made Wendy feel a little sorry for her. 

But who was she kidding? She’d never even met Irene, never spoken to her and never so much as acknowledged her existence be it in school or while she sits on the bleachers during practice. As far as Wendy knew, she was invisible to Irene. 

And maybe it was better that way.  

Wendy tried not to dwell on it too much, she only had an hour left to finish up her work before needing to leave and she still had a couple of pages to go. 

The evening drew on gently, Wendy’s ears filled with faint yells and whistle blows as they girls below her ran drills as she worked. Soon enough though, it reached just after half five and that meant time to go home, finally. She texted Joy that she was leaving and even sent a picture to prove she wasn’t having another late night session,

See? Leaving now in time for food, not late at all :) You worry too much!

As she walks down the sidewalk away from the school her phone buzzes with a reply from Joy,

i wouldnt need to if u didnt give me good reason to! 

but good, go home and get some good eats and rest up, see u tomorrow x

It wasn’t long after that Wendy got home, grabbed some long awaited dinner and then headed up to her room where she’d do what she does every night; study, read, sleep. 

Some would say Wendy leads a simple, even boring, life, but this is how she liked it. Besides, her parents wanted her to get into a good college and this was the way to do it and she was willing to put the work in to make it happen. 

It’s not until the morning when Wendy wakes up at her desk that she realises she must’ve fallen asleep there. Checking her phone she sees the time and a text from Joy that she’s on her way to pick her up. 

Pick her up? 

…

! 

Wendy finally fully wakes up remembering it is in fact Friday and she does indeed have school and she should have been awake about an hour ago. 

After grabbing a slice of toast and sliding into Joy’s car she’s met with the usual sarcastic comments from her best friend, 

“Balanced breakfast as always I see,” the redhead quips with a smirk.

“Oh and I’m sure your breakfast of sugar and additives was just oh so much more healthy!”

“Hey, leave my Lucky Charms out of it, they’re magically delicious they would never hurt me.”

“Sure, sure, say that to your cavities,” Wendy laughs back before stifling a yawn.

“Geez Wen, I told you don’t stay up and what did you do?” Joy shakes her head at the girl next to her.

“It’s not my fault okay, one second I’m gazing at my page of numbers the next I’m face down on that page of numbers,” she shrugs back. 

“I’m telling you girl, you work too hard, finals isn’t for a couple months you should relax a little.”

Wendy just rolls her eyes as they pull into the parking lot, she hops out of the car, quickly followed by Joy. 

“You need a ride tonight or…”

Even before Wendy has the time to formulate her answer Joy already interrupts her own question,

“or, you’re gonna stay late again,” Wendy shrugs, “I’m serious Wen, you gotta chill out sometime. Come stay over at mine or something this weekend, let the weight off for a bit.” 

“Okay, okay I’ll come stay over,” Wendy laughs in reply, “now scram I gotta get to class, I have papers due.” 

And scram Joy did. The rest of the day flew by rather uneventfully until English class, where while they were waiting for class to begin a familiar stranger walked up to her desk.

“I think you left this yesterday? One of the girls found it on the bleachers at the end of practice… it is yours right?”

It took a moment for Wendy to realise someone was talking to her since she doesn’t really have any friends in this class, but when she looks up sure enough Kang Seulgi, deputy captain of the girls soccer team, is stood there. 

And sure enough Kang Seulgi, deputy captain of the girls soccer team, is talking to her.

Wendy blinks a few times before registering the conversation, her eyes wander down to Seulgi’s outstretched hand, which is holding a very familiar looking box. 

Her set square and compass set. 

She must’ve left it behind as she went to leave yesterday, she figures. 

Her hand reaches out gently to take it while a soft thank you escapes her lips,

“Thanks, I didn’t know you knew who I was,” she says not making eye contact with the standing girl, her hand tracing softly over her name on the top of the case.

“Of course I know who you are, we share this class,” Seulgi laughs, “you’re like, one of the best students in this school I swear. You may be quiet but you’re not invisible, you know?”

A smile breaks across Wendy’s face at that, one which Seulgi quickly returns, even more brightly than Wendy is sure was possible. 

“Thanks,” she says again.

Seulgi smiles once more before walking back to her desk as the teacher walks in the room. 

And just like that the day passes once more and before Wendy knows it the final bell is ringing to end the day once again. 

Wendy makes the usual walk from the main building over to the bleachers, she settles down and pulls out her textbooks. Chemistry today. 

Time passes slowly, it would with chem, it’s Wendy’s least favourite subject and she finds the curriculum tedious, but most colleges look for it in grades so what was she supposed to do. 

Eventually, the girls soccer team makes their way onto the pitch again. They don’t usually practice Friday nights but Wendy overheard something about a game on the weekend while they filtered onto the field so she figured it was extra practice. 

Whistles pierce through the air as the coach makes them run drills as usual and Wendy takes that as her cue to stop watching and get back to her books. 

It ‘s not until almost an hour into practice (or was it more? Time always dragged with work like this), when a scream pierces through the evening air that makes everyone, Wendy included, stop in their tracks. 

Someone on the field is down, clutching her knee and yelling in agony. Quickly, the team swarms around their fallen player before the coach rushes through telling everyone to get back. 

As the girls stand back, Wendy sees the girl lying on the floor, the girl next to her is Seulgi. Even from this far away on the bleachers, Wendy can make out the words the dark haired girl is feverently yelling to her fallen friend. 

“Irene?! Bae? Can you hear me? Irene it’s okay, just don’t try to move.” 

Wendy can hear the stifled yells of pain from her as Irene tries to keep still while the coach pushes players back and returns with a medkit. Wendy watches him say a few words to Seulgi before spinning back to face the players. 

“Practice is over! Call your parents, clear the pitch. Kim you’re sta