ETHAN'S POV
"Dude, what are we doing here?" Jake asked beside me, checking his phone for the twentieth time.
"Research," I said, not taking my eyes off the court. "For my econ project."
"Right." Jake smirked. "Research on Tori, right?"
I shoved him harder than necessary. "Shut up. It's not like that."
But I couldn't deny Tori looked good out there. Not just hot—though she definitely was—but skilled. Like, really skilled. I'd never paid attention to volleyball before, always thought it was just bumping a ball back and forth. Turns out I was an idiot.
"Look at that," I pointed as Tori dove, somehow getting her arm under a ball that was practically on the floor already. "That's insane."
"Whatever, man. Tennis is harder," Jake muttered.
I wasn't so sure anymore. The way they communicated, the speed, the strategy—it was like watching a completely different sport than what I'd imagined.
"Martinez! Perfect read!" Coach Rivera called out.
Tori popped up from the floor, brushing off her knees. She hadn't noticed me yet. Probably for the best after the coffee incident. I still couldn't believe I'd actually done that—shown up at her practice like some lovesick freshman. Not that I was lovesick. Just... curious.
"Yo, I'm gonna head out," Jake said. "Coach wants us early tomorrow for conditioning."
"Yeah, cool. See you later."
Jake left, and honestly, I was relieved. Watching without his comments was better.
Practice continued for another twenty minutes. I started to pick up patterns—how Tori seemed to direct the defense, pointing and calling things out right before the ball came over. The other girls listened to her, even the seniors.
When Coach finally blew the whistle, the team huddled up before dispersing. Tori grabbed her water bottle and turned toward the bleachers—and that's when she saw me.
Her eyes widened for a split second before narrowing.
Great. Now I had to explain why I was here again.
She walked over, still breathing hard from practice. "What are you doing here…again?”
I shrugged and said, trying for casual. "Just... observing."
"Observing," she repeated flatly.
"For the project. We're supposed to compare resource allocation between sports, right? Thought I should actually see what volleyball's about."
She took a long drink from her water bottle, studying me over the rim. "And?"
"And what?"
"What brilliant observations did you make?"
I wasn't sure if she was mocking me or genuinely asking. Decided to go with honesty.
"It's way more technical than I thought. The way you read the hitters, position yourself... it's like you know where the ball's going before they do."
Her eyebrows shot up, clearly surprised by my answer.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing. Just didn't expect you to actually pay attention."
One of her teammates approached—Maya, I remembered from last time.
"Hey, Tennis Boy," she said with a grin. "Back for more?"
"He's 'observing' for our project," Tori explained, making air quotes.
Maya laughed.
"Actually," I said, "I was noticing how you guys communicate defensively. The signals and stuff."
Both girls stared at me like I'd started speaking Chinese.
"What?" I asked again.
"Nothing," Maya said, exchanging a look with Tori. "Anyway, we're grabbing food after we shower. You should come."
"Maya!" Tori hissed.
"What? It's for his research," Maya said innocently. "Right, Tennis Boy?"
I looked at Tori, who was giving her friend death glares. "Uh, thanks, but I should probably—"
"He'll come," another voice chimed in. It was the tall girl—Josie. "He needs to see how the other half lives."
"I really don't want to intrude," I said, feeling weirdly outnumbered.
"You're not intruding if we invite you," Maya pointed out.
Tori still hadn't said anything, just stood there looking conflicted.
"It's fine," I finally said. "You guys do your thing. I got what I needed."
"And what exactly did you need?" Tori asked, her voice challenging.
The truth was, I wasn't entirely sure myself. I'd told myself it was for the project, but I could have just Googled volleyball.
"Perspective," I said finally. "Look, I'll see you Thursday for our study session, okay?"
I turned to leave, but Tori called after me.
"Ethan, wait."
I stopped, surprised she'd used my first name instead of "Harrington."
She sighed, looking like the words physically pained her. "You can come. If you want."
"You sure? Because your face is saying something completely different."
That got a tiny smile out of her. "My face says lots of things I don't mean."
"So that's a yes?"
"It's a 'whatever,'" she clarified. "We're going to Taco Town. Nothing fancy."
"I love Taco Town," I said, which was true. Their street tacos were legendary.
"Meet us out front in twenty," Maya said, already pulling Tori toward the locker room.