Mia hadn't expected her life to go from awkward to downright ridiculous, but then, that was the nature of high school—unpredictable and, at times, absurd.
It started as a simple conversation during lunch when Dylan casually mentioned something that made Mia's stomach drop. It was almost like he'd been planning it, and now that the moment had arrived, Mia could only stand back and watch the chaos unfold.
He'd been acting more relaxed around her lately, as if he didn't care about the rumors or the stares. He would show up wherever Mia was, sometimes just to chat, sometimes to offer a grin that made her heart race for reasons she didn't want to admit. She had begun to think maybe it wouldn't be so bad, this attention, this strange connection that had formed between them.
But that all changed when Dylan Westwood pulled off the most ridiculous stunt Mia had ever seen.
It happened in the middle of fifth period, during their gym class. Mia had been trying to focus on the teacher's instructions for the warm-up, but her mind kept wandering back to Dylan and his earlier comment about taking things easy. The fact that he'd even said he would tone it down had made Mia feel less stressed. But what she hadn't anticipated was him deciding to not tone anything down, but to take it up a notch.
In a sudden burst of energy, Dylan had dashed to the front of the class, his sneakers squeaking against the gym floor. Mia's heart skipped a beat as she watched him pull a bright pink tutu from his gym bag—something no one had seen coming. It wasn't just any tutu, either. This one was oversized and frilly, with layers of tulle that would have looked ridiculous on anyone else. But Dylan, with his carefree attitude and infectious grin, wore it like it was a badge of honor. He didn't even hesitate.
The whole gym fell silent as he twirled around in the middle of the court, dramatically lifting the skirt and posing like a ballerina. His friends erupted in laughter, egging him on.
"C'mon, Westwood! Show us your moves!" one of them yelled.
"Do a spin! We need a full performance!" another shouted.
And so, Dylan did what no one expected. He took it to the next level. He didn't just spin and twirl. No, he leaped into the air, executing a ridiculous, overly dramatic grand jeté—his legs kicking up in the air in a way that defied all logic. And then, just as everyone thought it couldn't get any worse, he landed perfectly, striking a pose as if he'd just performed at a professional ballet recital.
The room erupted into laughter, but it wasn't just the basketball team that was laughing anymore. The entire class had gathered around, phones out, recording the spectacle. Everyone knew Dylan Westwood loved attention, but this was something different. This wasn't just about his skill on the court. This was about his ability to completely embarrass himself—and everyone else—without a care in the world.
Mia's face burned red as she stared at him, her stomach doing somersaults. She knew the video would be up on social media in a matter of minutes, and sure enough, her phone buzzed not long after.
Claire had sent a message: "Mia, turn on your phone. You won't believe this."
Mia hesitated for a moment before reluctantly pulling her phone from her bag. The video was already making the rounds. The caption read: "Dylan Westwood: Athlete or Ballet Dancer? You decide."
It was a trainwreck of a video, but it wasn't the kind that made you feel bad for the person in it. It was the kind of video that made you laugh out loud, no matter how awkward or embarrassing it might be.
Mia couldn't help but let out a reluctant laugh herself as she watched Dylan perform yet another twirl, this time throwing an exaggerated wink at the camera.
She could feel the weight of the stares, the way everyone's eyes shifted toward her as the video made its way through the school. Of course, the rumors about her and Dylan had already been circulating, but now? Now they were only going to grow louder. Mia was going to be tied to this stunt for the foreseeable future.
"Well, I guess I can kiss normal high school life goodbye," Mia muttered to herself, feeling both mortified and oddly entertained by the whole thing.
But as the laughter settled, and Dylan finally pulled the tutu off and tossed it to one of his teammates, Mia caught his eye. Despite the ridiculousness of it all, he shot her a grin that made her heart skip a beat. There was no shame in his expression, no hesitation. He had done it for the fun of it, and maybe, just maybe, to get a reaction out of her.
Little did she know, this stunt was just the beginning of a series of events that would bring them closer in ways she hadn't anticipated.