Friday afternoon, the whole school gathered around the soccer field. The Brookside High team was playing an important match, and the stands were filled with cheering students.
Sharon normally would have gone straight home, but Mia had insisted.
"Come on," Mia said, pulling her toward the bleachers. "It'll be fun."
Sharon sighed and sat down beside her.
"Who are we even cheering for?" Sharon asked.
"Our school, obviously," Mia laughed.
The players ran onto the field, and the crowd started clapping loudly.
Sharon glanced toward the team.
Then she froze.
Dylan was there.
He wore the school's red soccer jersey, and he jogged confidently onto the field with the rest of the team.
"You didn't know he plays soccer?" Mia asked.
"No," Sharon said quietly.
The game started, and Sharon watched as Dylan moved quickly across the field. He passed the ball, ran faster than most of the players, and helped his teammates defend their goal.
He looked completely different.
Focused. Determined.
Not the annoying boy who teased her in the hallways.
At one point, Dylan scored a goal.
The crowd exploded with cheers.
Mia jumped up. "YES!"
Sharon found herself clapping too.
For a moment, Dylan glanced toward the stands.
Their eyes met.
He smiled slightly before running back onto the field.
Sharon quickly looked away, her cheeks suddenly warm.
Why did that feel so strange? she wondered.