Drake approached a second later, breathing hard but grinning. He stopped when he saw Blue holding the bottle.
"Oh—thanks," he said, taking it from her. "I didn't even see you there."
Blue blinked. "Uh… yeah."
He took a long drink, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "It means a lot, you know. You being here."
Her fingers tightened at her sides. "I'm just supporting my friend."
"That still counts," he replied easily.
Medina watched the exchange with clear satisfaction, lips pressed together like she was holding in a laugh.
Drake handed the empty bottle back, nodded once more, then jogged away as the coach started calling players over.
Blue exhaled slowly.
"You're welcome," Medina said.
Blue shot her a look. "You set that up."
"I handed you water," Medina said innocently. "Everything else is on you."
Around them, a few players lingered, pretending to stretch while glancing in Drake's direction.
"Why's Drake over there so long?" one boy muttered.
"No idea," another replied. "Probably strategy."
"Strategy with who?" someone else whispered.
Blue pretended not to hear any of it, eyes fixed on the ground.
They're just being curious, she told herself. That's all.
The whistle blew again.
Back on the field, the pace was faster. Louder. Drake moved with renewed energy, calling out plays, cutting across defenders. The crowd roared when their team scored again.
"One more!" Medina shouted.
Blue found herself clapping without thinking, heart pounding
The scoreboard ticked up.
Two goals to one.
She smiled, small and genuine, thinking only of the game, of how good it felt to cheer for the first time in a while and mean it.
The game snapped back into motion like a held breath finally released.
The opposing team came out fierce, cleats biting into the grass, passes sharp and unforgiving. Blue barely had time to settle before the first crack came. A fast break down the right wing, a clean cross, and the ball slammed into the net.
Cheers erupted from the other side.
Blue's hands stilled mid-clap.
"Already?" Asha whispered.
Before the echo of the whistle faded, it happened again. Their defense scrambled, voices overlapping, but the other team moved like they had memorized the field. A feint. A pass. A shot that skimmed past the keeper's fingertips.
Three.
The scoreboard flipped, unapologetic.
Blue's stomach twisted. She glanced toward Drake instinctively. He stood at midfield, hands on his hips, jaw set, eyes locked on the ground as if he were replaying every mistake at once.
"Come on," Elise murmured. "You've got this."
The restart was messy. Bodies collided, shouts rang out, the ball pinged between feet like it had a mind of its own. Drake chased it down near the sideline, stole it clean, and sprinted forward. A defender cut him off. Another closed in.
"Pass!" someone yelled.
He didn't.
He pushed past one, then another, heart pounding so hard they felt it from where they stood. He lined up the shot just outside the box.
For a split second, everything went quiet.
Then he struck.
The ball curved, fast and low, slipping past the keeper and kissing the inside of the net.
The field exploded.
Blue gasped, hands flying to her mouth as the scoreboard changed again.
Three for them.
"One more!" Medina shouted somewhere behind her.
Players swarmed Drake, clapping his back, yelling his name. He laughed, breathless, eyes searching the sidelines.
They found Blue.
Before she could process it, he was there. Grass-stained jersey, sweat-damp hair, heartbeat still racing. He wrapped his arms around her in a sudden, instinctive hug.
Blue froze.
The field felt like it froze.
For a heartbeat, no one moved.
Medina, a few steps away, pressed her lips together, failing to hide her smile.
Asha grabbed Elise's hand. Elise squeezed back, eyes wide, saying nothing but understanding everything.
Blue's mind went blank, then loud all at once. She lifted her hands awkwardly, barely touching his back before he pulled away, realization dawning on his face.
"I—sorry," he said quickly, breath uneven.
"It's okay," she replied with a calm voice .
The coach's whistle cut through the moment like a blade.
"Drake! Over here. Now."
He nodded, casting one last look at Blue before jogging off.
The final minutes were chaos. Both teams pushed hard, legs burning, lungs aching.
Their team barely breathed as the other team struck again, their fourth goal landing like a weight on their chest.
Her team answered back with grit. A corner kick. A scramble in the box. A goal that made it four.
The crowd roared again.
But time was cruel.
The whistle blew before they could equalize.
Final score: four to five.
Players bent over, hands on knees, disappointment heavy but not crushing.
There were pats on backs, tired smiles, promises muttered under breath.
"Next time," someone said.
Drake walk off the field, sweat-soaked and exhausted, but still smiling when their eyes met.
One goal short.
But not empty-handed.
After the game, everything happened too fast and not at all at the same time.
There were quick goodbyes at the gate, tired waves, half-smiles traded over shoulders as students scattered in different directions.
By the next morning, school had slipped back into its usual rhythm. Bells, chatter, chairs scraping the floor. Yet something felt… tilted.
Blue barely made it to her seat before Alan leaned over her desk, grinning like he had discovered a secret treasure.
"So," he said slowly, dragging the word out, "should we start calling you Team Mascot now or—"
"Don't," Blue warned, already smiling despite herself.
Mavin snorted from behind. "Nah, she's more like motivation. One hug and boom. Goal."
Asha clapped her hands softly. "I still can't believe that happened on the field."
Elise tilted her head, eyes sparkling. "I can. Blue has that effect. People just… forget where they are."
Blue groaned, dropping her forehead onto her desk. "It was one second. One accidental second."
Alan wasn't done. "One second that froze an entire field."
"Dramatic," she muttered.
Despite the teasing, it stayed light. No whispers trailing behind her. No crowds staring too long. The school hadn't decided what to do with the moment yet, so it mostly ignored it. And Blue was grateful for that.