“Redmond Creek versus Stary Team this morning!”
The sentence wasn’t even meant for me, but those whispered words from two girls at the lockers snapped me right out of my thoughts. My hand paused on the cold, metallic lock as I peeked over my shoulder, curiosity instantly piqued.
Adam would be playing.
I hadn’t even planned on going to the field, but somehow the thought of watching him, seeing him in his zone, sent a tingle through me.
He was the captain, after all. I wasn’t a sports fanatic like Amanda, but ever since the summer, everything about Adam had started to matter.
With a tiny, almost involuntary smile tugging at the corner of my lips, I slid my books into my bag, locked my locker, and began walking down the hallway toward the field.
Halfway there, Amanda popped out of nowhere like she’d sensed a match was happening in her soul.
“Where are you headed?” she asked, bouncing beside me in excitement.
“The field,” I answered casually.
Her eyes lit up. “No way! Are you finally turning sporty on me?”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t count on it.”
But truthfully, it wasn’t about the sport.
Amanda, of course, didn’t need any more convincing. She latched onto my arm, practically dragging me down the steps and across the grassy stretch until we neared the bleachers.
Redmond Creek students were already gathering, the buzz of anticipation electric in the air.
As we found a spot with a decent view, Amanda clapped excitedly. “The teams should be coming out any minute now.”
I scanned the field, my heart starting to race for no good reason. And then, there they were.
“The Trans are out!” Amanda yelled, jumping up and down.
Everyone began parting ways as the teams jogged out onto the field in uniform. And then I saw him.
Adam.
He looked completely different in his jersey—confident, collected, magnetic. He walked with that quiet kind of confidence that didn’t beg for attention but got it anyway.
My eyes stayed glued to him, and for a brief moment, I swear he looked at me.
I smiled, lifted my hand in a shy wave, and whispered, “Hey.”
But he didn’t wave back. He didn’t smile. He looked straight through me.
My heart dropped.
I stood there, blinking, unsure if I’d imagined that weird detachment. I tried to shake it off, but the sting was real and sharp. He saw me. He knew me. And still, he ignored me.
“Emily, are you okay?” Amanda asked, tugging at my arm.
“I think I want to leave,” I muttered.
“What? We just got here!”
She stood in front of me, blocking my escape, trying to pull me back to the fun. But then I saw something that made me freeze.
A girl, tall, brunette, stunning, ran toward Adam with arms wide open. He smiled, and hugged her like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Then, to top it all off, he reached up and pulled at her cheeks playfully. They laughed together, completely unaware that someone else was watching.
My heart twisted.
Amanda followed my gaze and frowned. “Who's that?”
“I don’t know,” I whispered.
We were just... together. Intimately together. That night in my room. The way he looked at me, the way he held me. Was that just a phase? A summer thing? A joke?
I suddenly remembered all the times I’d almost asked him if he had a girlfriend but never dared to. Stupid, stupid me.
I felt a lump rise in my throat.
“I need to go,” I said again.
Amanda looked concerned, but she let me turn around this time. My legs moved on autopilot, but the ache in my chest grew heavier with every step.
“Emily, wait!” she called after me.
I didn’t.
I couldn’t.
My eyes were burning. My vision blurred. And all I could hear in my head was one question—what was I to him, really?
As I reached the edge of the field, I dared one last glance back.
He wasn’t even looking.
Our eyes met for a second, and he looked away like I was a stranger.
That was it. That was all I needed.
I ran.