"So, what's your deal?" Dale asked, suddenly appearing beside Vince's locker like a shadow with too many questions.
Vince raised a brow. "What deal?"
"Vanessa." Dale folded his arms. "You into her or not?"
"I like her," Vince said simply, grabbing his gear.
"Seriously?" Dale blinked. "You—the guy who swore he'd never date anyone—just flipped like that?"
"What can I say," Vince said, slipping on his jersey. "I fell. First sight. She captivated me."
Dale stared at him like he didn't recognize his best friend anymore. "You do realize you usually skip P.E., right? And now you're here, lacing up like you're in the World Cup. Let me guess—because it's her class we're playing?"
"You got me," Vince said, standing up and tossing his towel over his shoulder. "I wanna impress her."
Dale let out a long breath. "Look at you—trying."
"She's worth trying for."
Dale chuckled, shaking his head. "Alright, Romeo. Just remember—Karina's going to lose her mind."
Vince paused in the doorway. "Let her."
"Yeah, see, that's what worries me," Dale muttered, following behind. "When Karina gets mad, it's not just drama—it's fireworks."
"You're actually joining?" Theo asked, raising a brow as Vince stepped onto the field.
"I wouldn't call it joining," Vince replied. "I'm just here to make you look bad."
"Bold words for someone who dodged practice all year." Theo smirked. "Fine—prove it. You're up front."
"Striker? Don't mind if I do." Vince grinned, stretching his legs as he jogged toward his position.
From the corner of his eye, he scanned the bleachers.
There she was—Vanessa. Not in a cheer outfit like half the other girls, not waving pom-poms or shouting chants. She sat on the edge of the stands with her sketchbook open, pencil moving as if the world didn't exist.
Of course she's drawing. He smiled to himself.
Would she sketch me if I scored?
"Hey! Focus!" shouted the coach.
Vince snapped back to the field as the whistle blew.
The game was on.
The game kicked off slow—both sides feeling each other out, knocking the ball around, probing for weaknesses.
But the pace didn't stay slow for long.
Theo, quick on the turn, sliced through the opposing midfield and found Dale cutting inside. A clean one-two, and Dale slotted the ball neatly into the corner of the net.
A roar erupted from their classmates on the sidelines.
"Let's gooo!" Dale shouted, grinning as he jogged backward, arms raised.
But the celebration was short-lived.
The opposing team regrouped fast and caught them on a counterattack, their striker blasting a shot just under the bar. 1–1.
By halftime, both teams were winded and drenched in sweat. The bleachers were now crowded with students from other classes, drawn in by the intensity of the game.
"We need to win this!" Vince said, bouncing on his toes like he hadn't broken a sweat.
One of his classmates gave him a look. "This guy doesn't even show up to P.E. and now he's acting like team captain?"
But Theo wasn't fazed.
"Alright, listen up," he said, huddling the group together. "We keep the pressure on. Wings feed the ball inside—get it to Vince or Dale. Keith, you control the midfield. Hokan, hold the line at the back. Let's finish this."
The whistle blew again.
The second half kicked off—and the tempo exploded.
Both sides pushed harder, sliding into tackles, sprinting into space. Every ball mattered. Every pass had weight. The game had become a battle of willpower.
And Vince?
He was just getting started.
Mean while on the bleachers.
"Hey."
Karina's voice cut through the cheers and whistles from the field.
Vanessa didn't look up from her sketchpad. "What."
"Are you seriously not even going to look at me?" Karina snapped.
"I'm not interested in the view," Vanessa replied flatly, pencil still moving.
Karina scowled. "Bitch."
"If this is about him—you can have him," Vanessa said, calmly, as if reading Karina's mind before she even opened her mouth.
"You think that's how people work?" Karina shot back.
"People have value. He's not exactly high value to me right now."
Karina's jaw clenched. "Why the hell would he even like a bitch like you? Your whole vibe is just... bizarre."
Vanessa finally stopped drawing, lifting her head slightly. "Then I guess he has bizarre taste."
Karina stood there, fuming.
"If you're done, you can leave now," Vanessa added, voice cool, dismissive.
"You think I'll just walk away?" Karina hissed.
"Yes. Because you're not the type to actually do anything. You want him so badly, take him. But keep pushing me, and all you'll do is make him hate you for it."
Vanessa's eyes met hers—calm, sharp, unshaken.
Karina clicked her tongue, turned on her heel, and stormed off.
Vanessa shifted her gaze to the field, just in time to catch Vince glancing her way—grinning like an overexcited kid who had no clue two girls had just gone to verbal war over him.
"Idiot," she whispered.