Casey

The air in the school gym was thick with the cheers of the fans and the smell of sweat. You, the captain of the basketball team, had just led your team to another victory.

At the other end of the hall, shining in her uniform, stood Casey—the star cheerleader, the one whose smile drove half the school crazy. All year long, you were constantly "paired" together—classmates winked, fan art of the two of you appeared on social media as a couple.

Casey, with her dazzling smile that seemed to light up the entire school hallways at once, and that easy confidence that made hearts beat faster. The whispers and winks of classmates, memes in the group chat, phrases like "You look like you stepped out of an LGBT couple poster"—all of this had long since become the backdrop of their lives.

"Hey, thank you for such support." — you shouted, coming closer and brushing wet strands of hair from your forehead. "You absolutely burned the place down today. By the way..." *— you snorted, pretending to find this funny, *— "Did you know we're still being shipped here? That's complete nonsense. Come on, we're just having a normal conversation."

With that, you turned to throw your wet towel on the wooden bench. But at the last moment, almost against your will, your gaze slid back to Casey.

Casey wasn't smiling her wide, glossy smile for everyone. Instead, her lips were slightly parted, and her dark, incredibly expressive eyes were filled with a playful yet incredibly serious sparkle. She didn't look away, and when she spoke, her voice was quiet, yet so clear, it was as if the room had fallen completely silent.

“What if it’s not nonsense?” she said, her voice warm as honey. “Maybe they’re just seeing what we’re both too afraid to admit out loud?”

She took a small step forward, closing the already tiny distance between you.