The football match dragged everyone to the field. Students were cheering, gossiping, and munching on snacks.
Jake spotted Riley in the bleachers, and his whole face lit up. He ran over to her, breathless.
"You're here."
Riley shrugged. "Of course."
Lily leaned forward, resting her chin on her palm. "If anything, you should win for her. Riley doesn't come to this kind of thing, so make it worth her stay."
"Don't listen to her. Just do your best out there," Riley said with a smile, but Jake had already taken what Lily said as a mission.
"Come on, she came here just for you, so you have to win," Lily teased, rolling her eyes.
"I have to use the restroom. I'll be right back," she said, standing up.
"Okay, but hurry up."
Liam and Alex pushed through the crowd and walked straight to where Riley and Lily were seated. Liam sat next to Riley.
"You actually came," Liam said. "I thought you'd probably bail."
Riley rolled her eyes, elbowing him. "I don't bail on my promises, jerk."
Liam snickered. "Of course you don't."
"Liam, you came?" Lily said, sitting next to Riley, leaning in.
"Of course. I wouldn't miss out on this. I'm thinking of joining the team."
Alex coughed loudly, hitting his chest. They all turned to him.
"Are you okay?" Riley asked.
Alex nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just choked on my saliva."
Lily raised an eyebrow. "Sure?"
"I'm Liam's friend, by the way. I guess he was too busy to introduce me," Alex said, glaring at him.
Riley chuckled. "He's quite the ignorant type."
Alex nodded. "He sure is and he wants to join the team like that."
Liam scoffed. "The game's about to start, so be quiet."
Alex snickered. "Fine, your majesty. But we still have twenty minutes before it starts."
Riley laughed, hitting Liam's arm. "I think I like your friend. Hahaha, my stomach hurts."
Liam frowned. "Hey, stop hitting me. I'm not your laughing bag."
Lily stared at them, forcing out a laugh. Her gaze lingered on Alex for a moment before she looked away.
The whistle blew loud enough to make Riley flinch. Jake was already sprinting across the field, the ball flying toward him. He caught it effortlessly, legs moving like he'd trained for this moment his whole life. The crowd started cheering his name, that cocky grin spreading across his face as he dodged one player, then another, passing to his teammates who passed back, letting him score a goal.
The crowd roared. Lily and Alex stood up cheering, while Riley waved at Jake, who smiled right back. Liam, meanwhile, sat back, clapping calmly.
The game picked up again. The ball was passed to Jake; he moved swiftly across the field. For a moment, he looked untouchable
Then Bam!
A player came out of nowhere, slamming straight into him. The ball rolled away from Jake's feet, and he hit the ground hard, the breath knocked out of him.
The cheers turned into gasps. Riley felt her stomach drop. She stood up immediately, almost without realizing it.
He didn't move at first. That silence after the impact was worse than the hit itself. Then finally, Jake pushed himself up with a shaky hand, wincing. His other hand went to his ribs, but he still waved, pretending he was fine.
Riley quickly sat back down, catching herself. Her eyes stayed locked on Jake, worry flickering in them.
"That must've hurt pretty bad. No way he's okay," Alex said.
"Yeah," Lily nodded, secretly observing Riley's reaction.
Liam sat still, saying nothing. He glanced at Riley's worried face, then looked away.
When the game ended, Riley, Liam, and Alex waited outside the school clinic. Jake came out, holding his side but still grinning.
"And what's making you smile like that? You literally hurt yourself," Riley said, crossing her arms.
"Oh, it doesn't hurt that much. I was smiling because you cared enough to wait for me," Jake said, smiling wider.
Liam's hands clenched at his sides.
Riley scoffed. "Believe what you want."
"And your injury must hurt like hell, so stop smiling, you're not fooling anyone," Alex added.
Jake nodded. "You're right. It really does hurt."
Riley smacked his arm. "And you were smiling like an idiot?"
"I wasn't! By the way, where's your sister? I thought we were gonna hang out after the match."
"She was with us a moment ago before she disappeared. Let's go find her," Riley said.
"Uh, so… can I come with you guys?" Alex asked.
Riley smiled. "Of course. Now let's go find Lily."
As they walked away, Liam stayed still, glancing down at his phone and sighing.
"This is so messed up. Guess skipping the first day isn't that bad. I never needed a tutor anyway," he muttered, jogging after them.
Meanwhile, in an empty classroom…
"Remember to post it immediately when you get home," Lily said, sitting on a desk.
"Trust me, I won't forget," Ava said with a grin.
"You're one mean sister, Lily," Charlotte laughed.
Lily smiled. "Thanks for the compliment."
Mia sighed, looking away from her phone. "Hey, Lily, don't you think you're taking things too far? She's your sister, not some stranger."
"My sister?" Lily scoffed. "If she'd been a good sister, I wouldn't be doing this."
"So you're not doing all this just because you have a thing for Liam?" Mia asked, confused.
Lily smirked. "That's part of it. But I'm also doing this for another reason."
"And what's that?" Charlotte asked.
"It's a secret," Lily said, grabbing her bag. "I've got a date with my sis and the boys."
"What? Are you planning to do something?" Ava asked, smirking.
Lily tilted her head. "Well, if there's an opportunity to do something, I'll gladly take it."
Charlotte laughed. "This is why you're my bestie."
Mia stood up. "Don't do anything stupid, Lily. Let's go, girls. We've got some shopping to do."
Ava slung her arm around Mia's shoulders. "You're one confusing being, Mia."
"Thanks for the compliment. Let's get going, I have to get home early."
"Sure," Charlotte said, walking out with them.
Lily smirked to herself. "Time for some fun."