It was a Friday night, the air humming with anticipation. Lincoln High was playing an away game against SouthCrest—not Ridgeway, thankfully—but the stands were packed, and the energy was wild. Athena stood on the track in front of the bleachers, megaphone in hand, her squad lined up behind her, chants bouncing off the stadium walls.
But her heart wasn't in it.
Her eyes kept drifting across the field, her mind flashing to him—Mason—probably at his own game on the other side of town, under the same glowing stadium lights. She hadn't seen him in five days. It was the longest they'd gone since that banquet.
And she missed him. More than she'd ever expected to.
She caught herself spacing out during a chant, and Brooke snapped her fingers in her face.
"Athena. Focus."
"Right. Sorry," Athena muttered.
Brooke gave her a long look. One that said I'm not buying your act anymore.
---
After the game—Lincoln won, barely—Athena didn't go to the victory party.
Instead, she sat on the hood of her car in the near-empty school parking lot, fingers gripping her phone.
One message from Mason blinked on the screen.
> We won. Barely. You'd probably say it was because I didn't warm up right.
She smiled at the memory. Their second Sunday together, she'd watched him stretch and laughed at how awful it was.
She replied quickly.
> Your warm-up is still a disgrace. But congrats, QB.
He answered almost instantly.
> I need to see you.
Her heart jumped.
> Tomorrow? Same place?
> Can't. Ridgeway's team brunch. Whole team's forced to go.
> Then when?
> Tonight?
Athena hesitated. Her brain said no. Her heart said go.
> Where?
> There's a cliffside park off Crestwood Drive. Secluded. I'll wait there.
---
She arrived twenty minutes later, headlights off, nervous energy buzzing through her.
Mason was already there, leaning against his car with a hoodie pulled over his head. She parked beside him, heart hammering, and stepped into the cool night.
Without a word, he opened his arms. She walked into them like she belonged there.
"You okay?" he asked, pressing his forehead to hers.
"Better now."
They sat on the hood of his car, shoulder to shoulder, legs stretched out. The city lights glowed below, but it felt like a different world up here.
"I hate this," she whispered. "Lying. Hiding."
He looked at her. "So don't. Let's tell them."
Her breath caught. "Mason…"
"No, listen." He turned toward her, serious. "We're not doing anything wrong. We like each other. So what if we're from different schools? That shouldn't matter."
"It does matter. Brooke's already suspicious. If word gets out, I could lose my squad. I've worked for that captain spot since freshman year."
"And I've worked for quarterback." His voice was calm, but there was weight behind it. "But I'd give that up before I give up you."
Athena's breath stilled.
He meant it. Every word.
And that terrified her.
"I'm not ready," she whispered. "Not yet."
Mason nodded slowly. "Then we keep it between us. For now."
They sat in silence for a while, watching the stars. He held her hand like it was something fragile. She leaned against him, listening to his heartbeat.
But down the hill, in the trees near the trail entrance… someone else was watching.
A camera phone in hand.
Snap.
Click.
Flash off.
And just like that, the truth they were hiding… was no longer just theirs.