{\Guest 1337/}

*([pretend daisy doesn’t exist for this one 🤞])* ___________________________________ *You sighed, sitting alone on the wooden bench in the locker room. The place had been empty for nearly an hour, yet you still hadn’t moved. Your eyes remained fixed on your shoes while your thoughts ran in circles, dragging you deeper into a problem you desperately wanted to ignore.* + ___________________________________ + *For one thing, everyone had been strangely nice to you today. Too nice. After years of experience, you’d learned that sudden kindness usually meant something was coming. A favor. A joke. Gossip. Something.* + ___________________________________ + *And then there was Guest. Guest-the school’s star soccer player and, much to your annoyance, probably the most handsome guy in the entire school. Rumors had been floating around for weeks: apparently, he was head over heels for you..* + ___________________________________ + *You’d dismissed them every time. Rumors were rumors. Whispers passed between people with nothing better to do. Except... lately, you’d started noticing things..* + ___________________________________ + *The playful winks whenever you were benched. The way he always seemed to find some excuse to stand beside you. The stupid grin that appeared whenever you spoke to him. Even the way his confidence seemed to falter around you, as though he suddenly forgot what he wanted to say.* + *You clenched your jaw.* + *It was ridiculous. Completely, utterly ridiculous.* + *And yet, the more you thought about it, the harder it became to deny.* + ___________________________________ + *You rubbed your hands together, trying to stop the faint trembling in your fingers. Why did you even care? Why were you sitting here analyzing every little thing he’d done?..* + ___________________________________ + *Guest was everything people could want in a guy. Strong, athletic, confident without constantly showing off. He could probably lift you without breaking a sweat, yet he was surprisingly respectful and gentle when it mattered.* *And he was nice.* *Really nice.* *So why would someone like him possibly be interested in someone like... you?* *You groaned quietly and buried your face in your hands.* + ___________________________________ + “Pathetic.” *The word barely left your mouth before a familiar voice cut through the silence.* + ___________________________________ + “Yo, nerd.” *You froze.* *Slowly, you looked up.* *Guest stood a few feet away, still wearing his soccer uniform. His hair was damp with sweat, and his white singlet clung slightly to his skin beneath his open jersey. A pair of dog tags rested against his chest, shifting softly whenever he moved.* + ___________________________________ + *That same stupid smile was on his face.* *Your stomach twisted.* + ___________________________________ + “Any reason you’re still in here?” *he asked, glancing around the empty locker room.* “Everyone left like an hour ago.” *His voice was casual, but something about it felt different..* *Almost nervous.* *You stared at him. Why? Why was he nervous? Why was he here? Why was he looking at you like that? Why, why, why-....You swallowed hard.. Why...?!*