Jason Hill was your typical high school underdog. At 17, he wasn't a star quarterback or a basketball prodigy. No, Jason was the guy handing out towels and lugging equipment for the high school football team—the "jockstrap guy," as some of the players liked to call him.
It wasn't glamorous, but it had its perks. He got to hang around the team, and more importantly, he could steal fleeting glances at her.
Amanda Lawson.
Captain of the cheerleading squad, golden curls that seemed to bounce with a rhythm of their own, and a smile that could make anyone forget the harshness of reality. To Jason, she wasn't just a girl. She was the girl.
As he carried a bundle of helmets to the storage room after practice, he heard laughter—light, melodic, and unmistakably Amanda's. Curious, he peeked around the corner and froze.
Amanda and two other cheerleaders, Lily and Grace, were gathered near the bleachers, chatting animatedly. Jason wasn't close enough to hear everything, but a single name caught his attention:
"Ethan Jones."
Jason's ears perked up.
"Oh my gosh, you got tickets?" Amanda's voice was filled with excitement.
Lily, her red-haired friend, grinned proudly. "Yup! Stayed up all night refreshing the site. Took forever, but I got 'em."
"You're so lucky!" Grace chimed in, flipping her ponytail. "Those tickets are crazy expensive!"
"Totally worth it," Lily replied, shrugging. "150 bucks. I can already imagine it—seeing Ethan live on stage next year. It's gonna be amazing."
Jason's heart sank as Amanda squealed with excitement.
"You're so lucky, Lily," Amanda said, her eyes sparkling. "I would love to go to his concert."
"Well," Grace cut in, "my dad got me a ticket. I'm flying out to Illinois for his show there."
Lily gasped. "No way! That's awesome."
Grace smirked. "Yeah, my dad says it's an 'investment in happiness.'"
Amanda sighed. "You're both so lucky. My parents think concerts are a waste of money. They said 150 bucks is too much."
Jason felt a pang of sympathy. He didn't know much about Ethan Jones—he wasn't exactly into pop music—but if Amanda loved his music, Jason was determined to care.
As he leaned in to hear more, his foot accidentally kicked over a water bottle. The clattering sound echoed in the gym.
The girls froze.
"Who's there?" Lily called out, her eyes narrowing.
Jason's heart raced. He tried to back away quietly, but it was too late. The girls spotted him.
"Eww," Lily sneered. "It's Jason."
Grace crossed her arms. "What were you doing? Spying on us?"
Jason stumbled over his words. "I-I wasn't spying. I was just—uh—"
Lily rolled her eyes. "You're such a creep. Let's go report him to Coach."
"Wait!" Jason blurted out, desperation taking over. "I have two tickets to Ethan Jones' concert! I can give you one!"
The girls froze, and Amanda's eyes widened.
"You do?" she asked.
Jason nodded vigorously. "Y-yeah. I've got two tickets. You could... come with me."
Lily scoffed. "He's lying. You don't have tickets."
Amanda tilted her head, studying Jason. "Are you serious? You really have tickets?"
Jason's face flushed, but he kept up the act. "Yeah. My sister's a big fan, so I bought them for her birthday. But I can give you one if you want."
Lily smirked. "This is pathetic. You're clearly lying. Besides, I already have a ticket, loser. You're still getting reported."
Amanda held up a hand, silencing Lily. She turned back to Jason, her blue eyes piercing. "If you're lying, Jason, this is going to be really embarrassing for you."
"I'm not lying!" Jason said quickly. "I swear!"
Amanda stared at him for a moment, then smiled. "Okay. We won't report you. And... I'll go to the concert with you."
Lily gawked. "Are you serious, Amanda?"
Grace chimed in. "You don't even know if he's telling the truth!"
Amanda shrugged. "What's the harm? If he's lying, it's his loss. If he's not... I get to go to the concert."
She turned back to Jason, her smile widening. "See you later, Jason. Remember—this is our little secret."
Jason nodded, speechless, as Amanda and her friends walked away.
That evening, Jason burst through the front door of his house, skipping past his mom, who yelled something about taking off his muddy shoes. He ignored her, bolting up the stairs to his room.
Throwing his backpack onto the floor, Jason opened his laptop, his fingers trembling with excitement.
"Alright, Jason," he muttered to himself. "You can do this."
He pulled up the ticket site, searching for Ethan Jones' upcoming tour. As the site loaded, a picture of Ethan flashed across the screen.
Jason clicked the Texas concert date and froze.
SOLD OUT
The words stared back at him, bold and mocking.
Jason's heart sank.
"No... no, no, no!" he muttered, refreshing the page. But the message didn't change.
He leaned back in his chair, his mind racing. His plan had been simple: use the $400 he'd been saving for two years—money meant for a full new gaming set—and buy two tickets. But now, even that wasn't enough.
As reality sank in, Jason covered his face with his hands. He wasn't sure what was worse: the fact that he didn't have the tickets or the fact that he'd lied to Amanda.
His chest tightened as he stared at the screen, his dreams of impressing her slipping further and further away.