November 13th

Juliette's footsteps echoed softly on the wooden floor as she reentered the living room, a large bowl of popcorn cradled in one arm and an assortment of drinks balanced in the other. The room was dimly lit, casting a cozy glow over the space. Soph and Em were already settled on the couch, scrolling through movie options on the TV, their faces illuminated by the soft flicker of the screen. Yet, a glance at the empty space beside them, where Abigail should have been, brought a sharp pang of disappointment to Juliette's heart.

She tried to mask her disappointment, but it seeped into her voice as she asked, "Where's Abs? I thought you were getting her, Em."

Em looked up, her expression tinged with sadness. "I tried, but she said she wasn't feeling up to it tonight. She promised she'd join us next week." Em hesitated before continuing, her voice quieter. "She saw Ethan on campus today... with that girl who used to flirt with him right in front of her. It really messed with her."

Juliette's chest tightened, a mix of empathy and anger swirling inside her. It had been a little over two weeks since they caught Ethan cheating, and though the physical marks of that confrontation had almost faded, the emotional scars clearly hadn't. Juliette's fists clenched instinctively, the urge to refresh those bruises flaring up again.

A sudden idea struck her, "Guys, can we postpone movie night until tomorrow? I think I know what might help her feel better."

Soph turned to her with a soft smile, nodding in understanding. "Of course. Let us know if you need anything."

Juliette nodded back before hurrying to her room. She quickly changed into a pair of soccer shorts, a long-sleeve compression shirt, and her college quarter zip. She pulled her hair into a messy bun and grabbed her soccer bag, throwing in an extra pair of cleats. After grabbing a few water bottles from the kitchen, she rushed out to her car, loading everything into the trunk before heading to Abigail's room.

Juliette knocked softly, the sound barely audible before she cracked the door open, her head peeking in with a smile. Abigail, curled up on her bed, shot her a half-hearted glare, though the spark of playfulness in her eyes was hard to hide. "I didn't say come in," she teased, though her voice lacked its usual fire.

With an exaggerated roll of her eyes, Juliette stepped fully inside. "I wasn't knocking for permission, just giving you a warning," she quipped, a mischievous grin tugging at the corner of her lips. In response, Abigail lazily tossed a stuffed dolphin at her, which Juliette caught with ease. "Oh, now you're going to regret that," she warned with a gleam in her eyes before launching herself onto the bed, fingers flying in a relentless tickle attack.

Laughter filled the room, bright and unguarded. Abigail squirmed beneath Juliette's hands, gasping between fits of giggles. "Okay, okay! Stop!" she managed, her laughter bubbling over as she struggled to catch her breath. With a final burst of strength, she shoved Juliette off the bed, sending her tumbling to the floor in a soft, undignified thud. For a moment, the room held a suspended silence before both girls dissolved into shared laughter.

When the laughter died down, Abigail sat up, her breath still unsteady but her smile now genuine. She looked at Juliette with a mix of curiosity and affection. "Okay, now tell me why you're really here," she asked, her voice softer.

Juliette feigned an overly dramatic look of hurt, pressing a hand to her chest as if deeply offended. "What? Can't I just come hang out with my best friend?" she teased, her tone playful.

Abigail raised an eyebrow, her gaze knowing. Juliette sighed, letting the playful act drop as she extended her hands to her. "Alright, you caught me. Get up and get changed. I'm taking you somewhere."

Abigail's brows knitted together in confusion, though the mystery piqued her interest. She allowed Juliette to pull her to her feet. "Where are we going?"

Juliette merely shrugged, the playful spark in her eyes now brighter. "It's a surprise. You've got five minutes."

"Wait! What am I supposed to wear?" Abigail called out, her voice tinged with curiosity as Juliette stepped out of the room.

Juliette's voice echoed down the hall. "Something similar to my outfit!"

---

Twenty minutes later, the familiar crunch of gravel beneath the tires signaled their arrival at the practice field. The car idled to a stop, and as the headlights dimmed, Abigail turned to Juliette with a puzzled expression. "You brought me here?" she asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and surprise.

Juliette's grin was wide, playful, but her eyes held a tenderness that softened the moment. "Yeah," she said, nodding, her voice dipping with something quieter. "Remember when we were younger? Whenever we were upset, we'd hit the field by our houses and play until the world didn't feel so heavy anymore. I figured... maybe it could help you blow off some steam." Her words lingered, heavy with care, as she fidgeted with the sleeves of her quarter-zip, her earlier bravado slipping into a gentle shyness.

For a heartbeat, Abigail just stared, a wave of affection crashing over her so fast it left her breathless. This—this simple act of thoughtfulness, the way Juliette always knew what she needed before she even realized it herself—it made her heart swell. Without thinking, she reached out, pulling Juliette into a tight embrace, her arms wrapping around her best friend as if to say everything she couldn't find the words for. "Thank you, Jules," she whispered against her shoulder, her voice thick with emotion. "I appreciate you more than you know."

Juliette smiled, pulling back just enough to meet Abigail's gaze, her eyes twinkling in the dim light. "Always," she murmured. With a gentle squeeze of Abigail's arms, she pulled away, slipping out of the car to grab the soccer gear from the trunk.

They walked onto the field, the cold night air biting at their skin, but neither seemed to care. Their shoulders bumped playfully as they crossed the turf. Juliette tossed Abigail the extra pair of cleats, and without a word, Abigail sat down, lacing them up with a faint smile playing on her lips.

Abigail's lips curled into a mischievous grin as she stood, grabbing a ball and dribbling it onto the field with an easy grace. She glanced over her shoulder, her eyes gleaming with a challenge. "Get in goal. I want to shoot on you."

Juliette raised an eyebrow, a laugh bubbling up in response, but she didn't hesitate. She jogged over to the goal, taking her place as Abigail lined up her shot. The familiar rhythm of the game took over, and for the next hour, they lost themselves in the simplicity of it—just the ball, the field, and each other.

They exchanged playful taunts between shots, their competitive sides coming alive with each challenge, but beneath it all was a shared sense of release. The weight that had been pressing on Abigail's chest for weeks slowly began to lift, dissipating with every goal, every save, every shared glance.

Eventually, they paused for a water break, both of them breathing heavily, but their spirits lighter. Juliette leaned against her knees, grinning as she wiped the sweat from her brow. "How about a 1v1?" she suggested, her voice carrying a playful edge.

Abigail's eyes lit up with a renewed spark, the kind of fire that always ignited when they challenged each other. "Oh, you are going down," she declared with a grin, dribbling the ball to the center of the field, her movements light and full of confidence.

Juliette laughed, but there was a glint in her eye that spoke of determination. "We'll see about that," she replied, her voice low and daring.

The 1v1 between them was fierce, an intricate dance of skill and strategy. Juliette, with her sharp instincts as a striker, was fast and cunning, while Abigail's defensive prowess made her an impenetrable wall. The ball darted between them, constantly switching feet, and for twenty intense minutes, neither could maintain the upper hand for long.

But Juliette devised a plan to seize the upper hand. She let Abigail slip past her, giving her the illusion of an advantage. Just as Abigail thought she had won, Juliette struck. In one swift motion, she wrapped her arms around Abigail's waist, pulling her back firmly into her chest.

Abigail let out a surprised yelp, her laughter spilling into the night air. Before she could regain her composure, Juliette leaned in close, her breath warm against Abigail's ear as she teased, "Did you really think I'd let you get around me that easily?"

A shiver coursed down Abigail's spine, her heart fluttering at the unexpected intimacy. But before the moment could sink in, Juliette released her and sprinted away, the ball now at her feet.

Abigail blinked, recovering quickly as determination flickered in her eyes. She charged after Juliette, her body alive with more than just adrenaline. When she finally caught up, Juliette turned to face her, her triumphant smile bright in the moonlit field—but Abigail wasn't about to let her off that easily. In a playful burst of energy, she tackled Juliette to the ground, sending both of them tumbling into the grass.

Juliette let out a breathless laugh as they hit the ground, Abigail pinning her arms into the cool grass. "You cheater!" Juliette exclaimed, though her voice held no malice, only exhilaration.

"You started it," Abigail shot back, her laughter light and carefree, the sound of it cutting through the quiet night.

But as their giggles faded into the night air, a palpable shift occurred between them. Suddenly, the playful teasing dissolved, replaced by a weight neither had expected. They were frozen in their positions—Abigail straddling Juliette, their breaths mingling in the silence, the world shrinking down to just the space between them.

Abigail's breath caught in her throat as she looked down at Juliette, her pulse racing. Without thinking, her hand moved, almost of its own accord, brushing a loose strand of hair from Juliette's face. Her fingers lingered, cupping Juliette's cheek, her thumb tracing the soft curve of her bottom lip. It was a touch so gentle, so intimate, it felt as though the world held its breath along with them.

Juliette's heart thundered beneath Abigail, not just from the physical closeness but from the magnitude of this moment—one so familiar and yet so foreign. She swallowed hard, her voice barely a whisper as she breathed, "Abs..."

But before she could say more, Abigail closed the distance, their noses brushing in a tender, almost hesitant touch. For a heartbeat, Abigail paused, her eyes searching Juliette's as if seeking permission or reassurance. The tension was a live wire between them, crackling with emotions too complex to name. And then, with a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, Abigail closed her eyes and pressed her lips softly to Juliette's.

The kiss was tentative at first, as if testing uncharted waters, but the moment their lips met, it was as if something inside both of them clicked into place. Juliette froze, her mind struggling to catch up with the sensation, her pulse a wild drum in her ears. This was a moment she had dreamt about, a secret hope buried so deep she hadn't dared voice it. Yet here it was, and the reality was overwhelming in its sweetness.

After the initial shock, Juliette melted into the kiss, her hands finding their way into Abigail's hair, pulling her closer, as though the distance between them was too much to bear. Her other hand slid up Abigail's back, tracing soothing circles as if to ground herself in the reality of the moment.

The kiss deepened, not with urgency but with the weight of years of unspoken feelings—soft yet intense, hesitant yet full of a longing that had simmered beneath the surface for too long. It was everything they had imagined, and yet, it was so much more. There was no rush, no world outside this field, just the warmth of their lips and the unbreakable bond they had shared for so long, now evolving into something neither of them could deny.

But just as suddenly as it began, Abigail pulled away, breaking the kiss. She sat back, her chest heaving, eyes wide with the weight of what had just happened. For a heartbeat, she stared down at the girl beneath her, with her swollen lips and now darkened green eyes, a softness in her gaze that made Abigail's pulse quicken even more.

Juliette instinctively reached out, fingers twitching with the need to pull Abigail back, to tell her that everything was okay, that they could figure this out together. But before a single word could escape, Abigail was already on her feet, scrambling for her things with a frantic, almost desperate urgency.

"Abigail, wait—" Juliette's voice cracked, her body pushing up from the ground. But Abigail shook her head, her expression a mix of panic and fear, emotions warring behind her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Abigail whispered, more to herself than to Juliette, the words barely audible as she walked away, her steps quick and unsteady. She didn't turn back, not once, leaving Juliette frozen in place, watching her retreat into the night.

Juliette remained on the grass, stunned and breathless, her mind racing as if trying to catch up with the storm of emotions that had just ripped through her. She wanted to go after her, to pull Abigail close and confess everything—the kiss they shared freshman year that haunted her, the love she had harbored in silence for years. But the chaos inside her kept her rooted to the spot, her heart and mind too tangled to move.

Finally, with trembling legs, she forced herself to stand, her hand instinctively reaching up to her lips, still warm from the kiss. It had been everything she had ever imagined—softer, sweeter, and more charged than she could have dreamed. But now that it had happened, and in the wake of Abigail's reaction, it felt like a dream slipping through her fingers.

She stared at the space where Abigail had been moments before, an ache blooming in her chest. This night had been about comfort, about easing the weight on Abigail's shoulders, but now it had spiraled into something far more complicated.

As much as Juliette longed to chase after her, a part of her feared what Abigail might say—feared the truth that could shatter everything they had built. And so, for now, she stayed rooted to the field, the night closing in around her, the echoes of unspoken words and a kiss that lingered in the air between them.

[A/N]: They finally shared a kiss that wasn't a dare! Please vote for this chapter if you enjoyed it and let me know what you thought!