The walk there

We started toward the stadium, the air warm with the leftover heat of the day. Kids were running ahead of us, vendors pushing carts past, music floating in the distance. The world smelled like popcorn and fried dough and excitement.

“So,” he said after a while, shoving his hands into his pockets, “big day.”

“Yeah,” I said. “Huge.”

We walked in silence for a few steps. Not awkward, just… fragile. As if the wrong word might pop the bubble we were trapped inside.

He glanced at me. “You look nice, by the way.”

My heart stuttered. “Thanks. You too.”

He smiled—slow, sweet, a little shy. It made my chest warm in a way I wasn’t prepared for.

But then everything shifted.

A group of boys walked past us. Two of them slapped Daniel on the back, teasing him loudly about something related to football practice. Nothing unusual. Except one of them said:

“Hey! You actually came with her? Did you lose a bet or something?”

The words hit like cold water.

Daniel froze for half a second—just enough to notice. The boys were laughing. I pretended not to care, but something inside me tightened.

He shot back a casual insult, shoving the guy away playfully, but I saw the panic flash in his eyes. The fear of being misunderstood. Or worse—mocked.

We kept walking, but the air between us wasn’t the same. Something sharp had slipped in.

“You okay?” he asked gently.

“Yeah,” I lied. “Fine.”

He didn’t push. I wished he had.

⸻

A Mistake With Consequences

The stadium fair was louder than I expected—bright lights, spinning rides, people shouting over one another. It should’ve been fun. It should’ve distracted us.

But the earlier moment lingered.

Daniel tried. I’ll give him that. He kept cracking jokes, pointing out ridiculous stalls, offering to win me a stuffed animal. But I felt myself drifting into my head, spiraling into the old doubts I thought I’d left behind.

Why would he like me?

What if this is nothing to him?

What if they were right?

We stopped at a ring toss stand. He picked up a ring, struck a dramatic pose, and said, “Prepare to be amazed.”

“You’re going to miss,” I said automatically.

He gasped, hand to chest. “You doubt me? You wound me.”

I cracked a small smile. He tossed the ring. It missed by a mile.

“I meant to do that,” he said proudly.

Another miss.

I rolled my eyes. “Give me that.”

He handed me a ring. Our fingers brushed. The small spark that always came with that touch flickered. But tonight, the spark didn’t settle—it burned strangely.

I threw my ring.

Bullseye.

“Ha!” I said triumphantly.

He stared at the winning peg, then at me. “You’re joking.”

“I never joke about victory.”

He laughed harder than the moment deserved. And I realized why—he was trying to break the tension. Trying to pull me back toward him.

But then everything went wrong again.

Someone called his name from behind. A girl’s voice.

We both turned.

And there she was—beautiful, tall, hair perfectly braided, wearing the kind of smile that showed history. Familiarity. Comfort.

Her name was Amara. I recognized her instantly—she sat next to him in Literature. They always worked together. She always made him laugh.

“Daniel!” she said brightly. “I didn’t know you were coming!”

His smile widened—warm, real, unguarded.

The kind of smile he used to give me.

Or rather, the kind of smile I thought he gave only to me.

She glanced at me politely, then turned fully toward him again. “Coach wants to know if you’re still playing next week. He said he emailed the team but your inbox is always full.”

Daniel rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I’ll be there.”

I stood still, quiet, fading at the edges.

Then she said the one thing that sealed the damage:

“You should’ve told me you were coming! I would’ve saved you a seat.”

His face changed. Barely. But enough.

My heart dropped.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***