I’ve had a crush on Silas ever since sophomore year of high school. When his team lost a major rivalry game, his teammates jokingly suggested I should go "distract" the opposing team’s star player to help Silas out next time. I looked at Silas, who was nodding along in agreement with his bros, and I just smiled. "Fine. I’ll give it a shot." I grabbed a Gatorade and handed it to the guy who had just dominated the court. Later, that same guy absolutely crushed Silas’s team in the playoffs. 1 In the dorm, Maya finished her makeup and turned to me. "Hey Clara, aren't you heading out yet?" "Where to?" I asked, confused. Maya acted shocked. "No way. Silas didn't tell you the team has a big scrimmage tonight?" Everyone in the room looked over. It wasn't a secret that Silas was the golden boy—star quarterback, straight-A student, and the guy every girl wanted. "Why would he tell me?" I played it cool. Maya teased, "I thought you guys were close? I figured he’d definitely want his 'number one fan' in the stands." Close? I guess. We grew up next door to each other and went to the same schools since we were kids. In high school, I confessed to him. He told me, "Clara, I’m focused on scouts right now. Let’s see where we are in college." I waited. We both ended up at the same university. But nothing changed. Silas was the same as he was in high school—always surrounded by pretty girls, but always calling them "just friends." Eventually, I realized I was just another face in his "friend" rotation. Seeing my silence, Maya smirked. "Our department is playing the Engineering guys tonight. Come on, Clara, just come with me." The rejection was on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't say it. Because of Silas, I still wanted to go. When we got to the court, one of his teammates spotted me. "Yo, Silas! Your shadow is here." Silas looked up, his expression unreadable. "What are you doing here?" My heart sank. Was I really that unwelcome? Maya stepped in immediately. "Silas, I made her come. You only invited me, and I didn't want to be bored." Her voice was sweet, possessive. She was the invited guest; I was the intruder. 2 We sat in the front row, and the game started fast. Maya was screaming Silas’s name, cheering for every play. Silas kept glancing our way. Maya leaned in, whispering, "See how much he’s looking at me? I’m worried I’m distracting him." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Her worry was misplaced because Silas couldn't have played worse if he tried. The Engineering team was a powerhouse. Their coordination and shooting percentage blew our guys out of the water. Half-time hit. Maya rushed over with water—only for Silas. He took it and drank, but before he did, he shot another look at me. The guys on the bench started talking about the other team. "Who is their number 7? Caleb Reed?" "He’s a beast. I heard he’s single. Maybe we should set him up with one of the girls from our department so he goes easy on us next time, haha." Someone looked at me. "Send Clara." Someone else nudged him. "Dude, shut up. You know Clara is into Silas." "Even better. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, right?" "If he gets a girlfriend, he might not have the 'stamina' for the fourth quarter, catch my drift? Hahaha." They made crude jokes at my expense, laughing loud enough for Silas to hear. Silas said nothing. Maya looked at him intentionally. "Silas, what do you think of that idea?" Silas shrugged, looking completely indifferent. "Yeah, why not? Whatever works." Hearing that, the anger I had been holding onto suddenly vanished. It turned into cold clarity. I smiled. "Sure. I’ll try. I actually think he’s a much better player anyway." Silas’s expression finally shifted. 3 I grabbed a cold bottle of water and walked toward the opposing bench. Caleb Reed was sitting there, laughing with his friends. I tapped his shoulder with the bottle. "Hey. Want some water?" The group went quiet and looked at me. I felt my face heat up. Up close, I realized he wasn't just good at basketball—he was stunning. "Here we go," one of his teammates muttered. "Caleb, another one. You gonna reject her—" The teammate stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening. Caleb smirked and reached for the water. Our fingers brushed, and I felt a jolt of electricity. I pulled back instantly. "Thanks," he said, his eyes locked on mine. "No problem," I said, turning to leave. A lazy voice trailed behind me. "Wait. You’re giving me water but going back to cheer for the other team?" I froze. The buzzer sounded for the second half. "Here, sit." Caleb stood up to head onto the court, leaving his seat empty. His friend, Jackson, waved me over. "I’m Jackson. Who are you? You’re definitely not an Engineering major. You’re the first girl whose water Caleb has actually accepted." The first? Well, at least the universe didn't let me get rejected in front of Silas. Jackson was a chatterbox. He asked a million questions. "Doesn't he get tired?" I asked, pointing at Caleb. He had played every minute so far. "Caleb? Man’s a machine. He could finish this game and go run a 5K just for fun." Jackson’s exaggeration made me laugh, breaking the tension of sitting on the "enemy" side. Caleb suddenly jogged over. "Jackson, swap with me. You’re in for the fourth." Jackson groaned. "Caleb, I’m beat." "You seem plenty energized to me. You haven't stopped talking for ten minutes. Get in there." Caleb’s hair was soaked with sweat. He wiped his face with a towel and sat down right next to me. "What are you guys laughing about?" I blinked. "You were watching us from the court?" "I have great vision," Caleb said, a confident tilt to his lips. "How else do you think I make those three-pointers?" 4 The result was a blowout. When Silas’s team came over to shake hands, he looked miserable. His eyes cut past Caleb to me. "You still haven't left? Is it that fun sitting over here?" It was just a scrimmage. I didn't get why he was being so aggressive. I shrugged and looked at Caleb. "I have to get back to my friends. See ya." As soon as I got to Maya, she was prying. "Clara, did you know Caleb Reed before tonight?" "Just met him." "Wow, Clara is just so popular with guys. I could never compete." She said it loud enough for the whole group to hear. I frowned. She was laying the "pick-me" act on thick. Silas suggested getting late-night pizza. Maya looked at me with fake concern. "Clara, I'm going with the guys. You don't mind walking back to the dorm alone, right?" "Fine by me," I nodded. "You’re coming too," Silas commanded. Maya’s smile faltered. In the past, if Silas invited me to dinner, I would have been over the moon. But tonight, I had no desire to watch him flirt with other girls. "No thanks. I'm tired," I said. Silas acted like he didn't hear me. "Don't you love that new pizza place by the stadium?" I had sent Silas the link to that place the day it opened, asking him to go. He always said he was "too busy"—meaning he was busy with his new "friends." I met his eyes. "That was a long time ago. I’m not hungry for it anymore." Later, lying in bed, I scrolled through Instagram. Silas had posted five minutes ago. A photo of him and Maya. Caption: Lost the game, but won the girl. My thumb hovered over the screen. For years, seeing Silas with other girls hurt. But seeing this? I felt a strange sense of relief. Good for him. As a "friend," I should be happy. 5 "Hey babies, pizza’s here!" Maya walked back into the dorm with two boxes. "This place is so good. I had to bring some back for you guys. Silas’s treat!" My other two roommates rushed over. "Silas is so sweet to you. We saw the post—is it official?" They glanced at me. "I guess the secret’s out," Maya giggled. When I didn't move, she walked over to my bed. "Clara, want a slice?" "No thanks, I already brushed my teeth." "Too bad. I got this specifically for the room." My phone buzzed. A DM from Silas: [I sent some food back to the dorm. Did you eat?] Silas was always like this. After he rejected me in high school, he brought me my favorite breakfast the next day, saying he "happened" to pass by the bakery. He gave flowers to another girl at a talent show, but waited an hour afterward to drive me home. He bailed on our graduation trip to go with a group that included a girl I hated. I didn't speak to him all summer, but he showed up before move-in day to help me pack, promising my parents he'd "look after me" at college. One slap, one piece of candy. And I had eaten it up every time. I told myself he just wasn't ready for a relationship in high school. I told myself I was special to him. But he didn't love me. He just didn't want to lose his safety net. It was time to wake up. 6 The next day, in the guys' dorm. Caleb checked the time and shut off his PC. Jackson looked up from his monitor. "Caleb, where are you going? The raid is just starting." "Class." Caleb grabbed his phone and headed out. "Dude, it’s an elective! Who actually goes to those? Just stay and play!" Jackson yelled at his back. I had just sat down in the lecture hall when I got texts from Silas and Maya. Silas: [I’m skipping today. Sign me in.] Maya: [Silas and I are on a date! Can you cover for us and sign us both in?] I tapped out a quick "K" on my phone, feeling annoyed. Suddenly, a familiar voice sat down beside me. "Small world." I looked up. Caleb. "Can I sit here?" he asked, pointing to the empty chair. I nodded. "Thanks for the water yesterday," he said. My heart skipped. I prayed he wouldn't ask why I gave it to him. He didn't. He just pulled out his phone. "We should trade numbers. You know, for 'class notes'." I looked at him, skeptical. "Class notes?" Caleb grinned. "Or so I can save you a seat next time." I looked around at the half-empty room. There were plenty of seats. The class was Film Appreciation. Today, the professor was showing a clip from Old Yeller. I knew I was in trouble. I'm a sucker for dog movies. Last week, she showed Eight Below, and I cried so hard the professor called on me to explain the "emotional resonance" of the scene in front of everyone. I decided to just look at my phone and ignore the screen. "Not watching? Afraid you'll cry?" Caleb whispered. "How did you know?" "I was here last week. It was... memorable." I blushed. Caleb chuckled and slid a travel pack of tissues across the desk. "It's okay. You can cry. I brought backup." 7 After class, I went to the restroom to splash cold water on my face. The professor had indeed called on me again. "Clara seems to have the deepest connection to these films. Clara, tell us the difference in the themes of loss between the two movies." The whole class laughed. It was social suicide. I walked out of the restroom to find Caleb leaning against the balcony railing, scrolling through his phone. "You're... still here?" Caleb put his phone away. "Waiting for you." As we walked back toward the dorms, I couldn't figure it out. Why was he waiting for me? Was he just this nice to everyone? I was so deep in thought that I didn't notice the electric scooter zipping around the corner. Caleb moved fast, pulling me toward him. The girl on the scooter panicked, swerved the wrong way, and slammed right into Caleb’s leg. 8 Caleb was wearing shorts, and his knee was already turning a nasty shade of red. "Are you okay?" I asked frantically after the girl apologized and left. "We should go to the campus clinic." Caleb laughed. "Clara, if I go to the clinic for a bruise, the nurse will tell me I'm lucky I didn't die of a paper cut." I turned red. I remembered a boba shop nearby and told him, "Wait here. Don't move. I’ll be right back." I bought two drinks and asked for a bag of ice. When I got back, Caleb was sitting on a stone bench. He smiled when he saw me. "I thought you went to buy me a 'get well soon' balloon." "Very funny." I handed him the ice. "Hold this on your knee so it doesn't swell." He took it, teasing, "You're more worried about my leg than I am." "Of course! You have a big game coming up. I can't be the reason you're off the court." I sat next to him, sipping my boba. "The other one is for you... I didn't know what you liked, so I got my favorite." Caleb turned to look at me. "Clara, has anyone ever told you that you're adorable?" I blinked. "Uh, yeah. Sometimes." Then I realized what he was actually saying. My face went scarlet. The air between us felt heavy and quiet until Caleb spoke again. "Clara." "Yeah?" "I was really happy you gave me that water yesterday. Come to the next game and cheer for me, okay?"
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