"Please?" Maria begged for the hundredth time today, and I let out a sigh. A headache was forming from her relentless pleas.

"Fine, I'll go!" I exclaimed, feeling my frustration grow from her persistent pestering.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she screamed in my ear as if she had just won a million bucks. It was Friday, and she had been incessantly nagging me about attending the stupid football game later today.

"But under one condition," I interjected, bursting her bubble of joy.

"What?" she asked, curiosity replacing her excitement.

"Steff has to come with us," I declared, feigning interest in my suddenly fascinating fingernails. I could sense her deep in thought from the corner of my eye.

"Fine, he can come too," she reluctantly agreed, walking away with a groan.

"Great, I'll let him know!" I called after her as I headed to my free period.

In my free period, Steff joined me, having ditched his own class to be with me. Though he claimed it was to spend time together, I knew he mainly did it to avoid his despised French class. So, we decided to study for our science quiz in the fourth period.

"I can't believe you're actually going," Steff remarked, a hint of surprise in his voice.

"Yeah, me neither," I replied, sharing his sentiment.

"The team is playing against Crosswell High, our biggest rivals. We've been losing to them every year, always ending up as runners-up," he said, a frown etching across his face. Then he quickly added, "Oh, and I also heard that Kristen, Marco, Maurice, and Kyle tried out for the football team yesterday. You know what that means?"

"What?" I asked, intrigued.

"Kristen was made the football team captain and quarterback," he replied, nudging my shoulder. "The buzz around the school is that this year we might have a greater chance of winning the title!"

"Why does that not surprise me?" I responded sarcastically.

The coach had been desperate for the four of them to join the team for years, going as far as pleading with the principal to make it happen. Their remarkable performances during P.E. classes always garnered attention.

"Yeah, Cole, the former football captain, is going insane, and Regina has gone ballistic, boasting about her boyfriend being the school's team captain," Steff shared.

"Psychotic bitch," I muttered under my breath.

"Tell me about it. She's planning on throwing a party after the football game later," he finished.

"Well, I'm planning on bringing Maria to the party after the match. Do you think she'd go out with me?" he asked, his question catching me off guard.

"Why the hell would you want to go there in the first place?!" I exclaimed, after taking a moment to process his bizarre question.

"Well, maybe because I'm trying to get laid?" he replied in an unapologetic tone.

"Can't you find someone else to hook up with instead of my seventeen-year-old cousin? She's too young to be having sex," I whispered.

"That's not what she told me," he mumbled under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Aren't you, like, not on the guest list since you're an outcast or something?" I asked.

Steff was once a popular guy in our school but had become an outcast after he grew tired of the spotlight and drama that came with popularity.

He decided it was best to distance himself from the popular crowd, making him unpopular. Of course, they couldn't do anything about it, as his family's reputation was not to be messed with.

"Yeah, but no one seems to care, so I'm good."

"And what the hell have you been watching lately? Your mouth needs some serious washing, Anna. I'm going to take you to church this Sunday. No more bad words for you, young lady," Steff scolded, though we both chuckled.

"I'm going to an art gallery collection next month to showcase my paintings," I shared.

"That's great! Is anyone else going?"

"Kristen will be there, and Mr. Greenwood, of course."

"Oh, you sneaky little bitch. I knew it! And funny thing, on the day you couldn't make it to school, Kristen didn't either. Any thoughts on that?" he asked, curiosity evident in his teasing smile.

"It could have been for a lot of reasons, Steff. Maybe it was an emergency," I replied, although I could feel my cheeks betraying me with a slight flush.

"Hmm, funny. Your cheeks seem to say something different."

We continued chatting for a few minutes but were soon summoned to the school's auditorium for a pep rally. We made sure to stand at the back, away from the overwhelming excitement. The students cheered and shouted with enthusiasm.

"Settle down, settle down, students," Principal Whitman shouted into the microphone, and gradually, the noise subsided.

"This year marks a new and exciting conquest for our school. I'm proud to say that this year will be exceptional as our school boasts a supreme legacy in academics and, most of all, our rock-hard football team! Led by our new team captain, Kristen, let's give it up for our new and exciting football team!"

The auditorium erupted with cheers for Kristen as he made his entrance on the stage alongside his grinning teammates and a glaring Cole.

A spontaneous declaration burst forth from Maria's lips beside me, punctuating the atmosphere with her uninhibited enthusiasm. "He's so hot!" she exclaimed, blissfully unaware of the consequences her words would evoke. In an instant, my friend Steff and I exchanged incredulous glances, our expressions reflecting a potent blend of anger and jealousy.

A surge of protectiveness coursed through me. How dare anyone but me deem Kristen as attractive?

"The fuck he's not!" both of us retorted, fueled by a mix of anger and jealousy.

No one was supposed to call Kristen hot except me!

Unfazed by our dissent, Maria brushed off our objections, her enthusiasm unbridled and all-consuming. "Regardless, I simply cannot contain my excitement to witness their forthcoming performance!" she exclaimed, her anticipation eclipsing any qualms or reservations.

"As captain of the football team, this year, we're gonna take that freaking football state championship trophy back to our school, where it freaking belongs!" Kristen's voice boomed through the microphone, swelling my heart with pride.

"And tonight, after we've won our first match of the season, we'll be throwing a party at Regina's, and everyone's invited!" he yelled, rallying the crowd, which continued to cheer.

My smile faltered as he mentioned Regina's name. Of course, he would, I thought, as they exited the stage.

Soon, the cheerleaders filled the platform, performing one of their routines. I scowled as Regina kept smiling and waving at Kristen.

Then the unthinkable happened. Kristen approached Regina on the platform and kissed her, causing the crowd to erupt in whistles.

I would be lying if I said it didn't hurt. It felt like a slap across the cheek, and all I could feel was hatred as I watched the two of them make out.

I was a little grateful that I hadn't fallen into his trap when he pulled a prank claiming he liked me.

"Come on, Anna, let's go home. We'll come back for the game later," Steff said, gritting his teeth, taking my hand.

"You guys go ahead. I'll be there soon," Maria said with a wink.

"How are you going to get a ride home?" Steff asked, curious.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine," she smiled and ran off into the crowd.

Was she secretly winking at Scott? I sighed. My only hope was that she knew what she was doing.

Because if there's one thing I know, it's never to mess with a player. They'll eventually rip your heart out!

****************

Another chapter here guys thank you so much for the support guys I really appreciate it! Remember to share share share ‼‼‼📣😍💖😘