I let out a nervous huff as I knelt down to gather the scattered papers and envelopes that had gone tumbling everywhere.
Thank goodness the mini cakes had stayed put; they were still perfectly intact.
"I thought those cakes were goners!" Ashly exclaimed with a worried grin, bending down to help me collect the chaos.
Just then, a girl beside us burst into laughter. "Campus crush!" she teased, her eyes dancing with mischief as she glanced at the disarray around us.
The playful jab only made my cheeks flush even more.
"Wow, Sar, you get love letters every single day!" Tina exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement.
I couldn't help but chuckle as I shook my head, organizing the letters by size. Some were tucked away in envelopes, others casually folded.
Just then, Ashly slammed my locker shut, snatching up my shoes and Ian's in one swift motion.
"Ian here's your shoes, now shoo!" Ashly said, signaling her hands to usher Julian and his bandmates away.
I stole a glance at them, catching Noah's intense gaze fixed on the letters in my grip. With a dramatic eye roll, he turned on his heel and walked off.
"Hey, Ash, I think some of these love letters are actually for you! Looks like they got lost in my locker!" I quipped, spotting a particularly colorful envelope meant for Ashly.
"No way! Where?!" she gasped, her curiosity piqued as our friends huddled around, eager to see what I'd received.
Just then, a reminder of those delicious cakes flashed in my mind, and I couldn't help but smile.
"Ash! Hold on!" I called out, rushing to grab the cake. "I'll just drop these off to Zeus!" I quickly tucked the love letters back into my locker and fumbled for the four small boxes I had stashed there.
"Careful! You might spill it!" Ash shouted, glancing at my frantic movements.
I bolted out of the girls' locker room, determined to catch up with them.
As I darted down the hall, I spotted Noah chatting with a classmate. Having already left the locker room, I decided to let him be and continued my sprint towards Ian and his friends.
"Ian!" I yelled, breathless and buzzing with excitement.
"Ash and I baked cakes yesterday, and we're giving them to you guys! I can hand them over now, or Ash can put them in your locker if that works better!"
"Wow!" Sam's face lit up with delight as he rushed over to snag a box. "Thank you! That's so sweet of you!"
I grinned back, the warm glow of his appreciation lighting up my day. "I really hope you like them! If you do, I'd be happy to bake for you all again."
I handed a box to Alex, who wasted no time digging in, practically inhaling it. A voice erupted from a group of boys nearby who tried to show their jealousy.
Ian took his slice with a grin, then nodded to me. "You can give Noah his later. He's not around right now."
"I know!" I replied, the thrill of giving my baked cake was swirling in the air as I looked forward to how he would react when he took that first bite.
As the final bell rang, I dashed back to the girls' locker room, my heart racing.
Time was running short, and I could already picture our teacher fuming in P.E., waiting for our late arrivals.
"Ash, I'm gonna give the cake to Noah. I'll be right back!" I called out, trying to keep the urgency in my voice.
"Sure thing! But make it quick; you know how our teacher gets angry!" Ash replied, her footsteps echoing as she sprinted toward the gym.
I hurried after her, my mind focused on Noah. As I rounded the corner, I spotted Ian and Sam headed for the exit.
Ian raised an eyebrow, taking in the sight of me from head to toe, lingering on the mini box I held—the one containing the cake I had baked just the day before.
"Noah's still inside. You'd better hurry and give it to him," Ian urged.
Nodding quickly, I made my way to the boys' locker room.
The door creaked open to reveal Noah, bent over, tying his shoelaces. He looked up briefly, just enough for our eyes to meet before he went back to his shoes.
"Hi, Noah! Uhm…I brought you something," I said, holding out the cake box, my nerves bubbling beneath the surface. "I baked this yesterday."
He glanced at the box, and to my surprise, he gestured toward the empty chair beside him. "Just put it there. Thanks," he replied, his voice blank and distant.
I felt a slight nervousness at his cool tone, but I swallowed it down. With a quick nod, I put the cake down on the chair beside him and turned to leave, the echoes of my footsteps mingling with the sounds of the bustling gym around me.
As I burst out of the school doors, an exhilarating rush surged through me, and I could hardly contain my excitement.
I leaped into the air, laughing as I dashed across the gym grounds, pure joy propelling me forward.
Spotting Ashly, I raced over to her, momentarily distracted from my triumph of giving Noah a cake, which surprisingly, he had accepted.
I told her about it and she was also surprised he was appreciative about it.
"Ugh, my P.E. shorts are so tight!" exclaimed one of our classmates, tugging at her shorts in dismay.
I couldn't help but notice the divided opinions on our gym uniforms.
The dark blue and white of our type C volleyball jerseys were not a favorite among the more conservative students. I understand them, though.
"Duh, these shorts are meant for volleyball since we're playing! Don't expect our P.E. uniforms to match the boys'," Ashly chimed in, a teasing tone coloring her voice.
Glancing down at my own outfit, I conferred with her nod of agreement.
She's right—this was exactly what a volleyball jersey should be. Our royal blue shorts were bold and vibrant, perfectly complemented by a sleek mix of white and royal blue up top.
"First game!" our teacher announced, her voice slicing through the chatter as she pointed out who would be playing first for the girls.
I exchanged a glance with Ashly, my teammate. It was easy to figure out our pairing—alphabetical order had worked its magic again.
Even though sports weren't really my thing, I couldn't resist the thrill of competition, especially when it came to games I'd practiced for.
As we took our positions, anticipation buzzed in the air. We had to wait for the other team to serve first, so I busied myself scanning the crowd.
There was Noah, perched in the bleachers with some of our classmates, his casual aura making him seem effortlessly cool.
"Go Silvan's!" Ian cheered, clearly hyping up his cousins on the team. His enthusiasm was infectious, but I could feel my nerves creeping in.
To steady myself, I bent down, trying to gather my focus while waiting for the ball to come my way.
"Serena, sexy!" a voice called out from the sidelines, making me roll my eyes with a smirk.
"Weirdos," I muttered under my breath, shaking my head at the playful teasing.
Just then, Tina leaned over, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "I have a feeling one of our classmates is sneaking love letters into your locker."
I laughed, shaking my head in disbelief. "No one puts their names on them! I'd love to respond, but where am I supposed to address them?" I chuckled.
As the sharp blast of the whistle cut through the air, signaling the start of the game, adrenaline surged through me.
To my surprise, I scored the first point! I never considered myself particularly athletic, but today, luck was clearly on my side.
Cheers erupted from my male classmates, and I caught sight of four of them leaping to their feet, with Sam leading the charge, singing my name like I was some kind of superstar.
"Boys, you're distracting the players!" our teacher barked, trying to regain control, but they just laughed it off, calling her a killjoy.
My eyes wandered to the bleachers, landing on Noah, who was arrogantly sitting while watching us play.
A flutter of hope whispered that maybe, just maybe, he was watching me. But I quickly shook off the thought, assuming is bad. I smiled to myself as I prepared for the incoming ball.
"Bend more, Sar!" Sam shouted enthusiastically, clapping his hands to rally me.
I straightened up and glanced back at Ashly, who stood behind me, an irritated smile plastered on her face.
"Yeah, because I can totally see your butt from here! That's what they're all staring at…" she rolled her eyes dramatically.
"Tsss, boys… such perverts," I shot back, shaking my head as I tried to stifle a laugh.
The playful banter continued, and they insisted I retry the stance, egging me on with their shouts.
"Serena! Serena!" They shouted in unison, rushing toward each other for an enthusiastic hug.
Ah, the feeling of being around these crazy boys.
The game finished and I was still catching my breath. I emptied my water bottle in a matter of seconds.
I glanced over at my other classmates still absorbed in their matches while heading towards the bleachers where my team and Ashly were laughing and chatting.
As I got closer, I noticed Noah's eyes scanning my outfit. When our gazes met, he quickly looked away, rolling his eyes in that signature Noah way.
"Why don't you all change? You are practically dripping with sweat," he said, his tone laced with sass even as he avoided looking at us directly.
Ashly lifted an eyebrow and gave herself a sniff. "We don't stink!"
"Exactly," I chimed in, giving myself a quick whiff for good measure.
Noah shrugged, unimpressed. "I didn't say you guys stink. I said you sweat, so get changed." His focus remained elsewhere, not willing to engage with us.
Sassy Noah, I thought, smirking as I plopped down between Ian and Ashly.
"He's right, Sar. I'll escort you to the locker," Sam joked, and Alex playfully landed a punch to Sam's stomach. "Hey, just kidding, dude!" Sam howled with laughter.
Meanwhile, Alex shot a glance at Noah, who had now risen to his feet. I looked up to see him fixated on me.
"I told you to change..." he said, a firm edge to his voice that could cut through the noise of the field.
Just like that, my jaw nearly dropped. I turned to Ashly and Ian, who simply shrugged in response, seemingly entertained by the showdown.
"Go. Get. Changed." Noah's piercing gaze held mine, daring me to defy him.
What is he mad about?