Chapter 24: Penny
The bell rings and the whole classroom jolts meske like someone electrocuted a nest of squirrels. Papers rustle, chairs scrape back, and everyone makes a break for the door like it’s the starting line of the apocalypse.
Tyler slings his backpack over one shoulder and modges me lightly with his elboss,
“You need to grab anything before we go?
I shake my head, swinging my men bag onto my shoulder. ‘Gotta run to the admin office, though. I missed a couple classes last week because of rehearsals I need to hand in my excuse papers before they send a search party.”
He grins, easy and warm. “You’re so responsible.”
I roll my eyes at him but secretly
ly file the compliment away for later. It’s not every day you get praised for being mildly organized
“I’ll be back in a few,” I say, squeezing his hand quickly before heading down the hallway.
The admin office is tucked into a depressing little corner of the main building — all beige walls, buzzing fluorescent lights, and a sad ficus that looks like it gave up sometime around 2006. I drop off the papers, sign the ancient clipboard the secretary slides across the counter like a relic from another era, and head back toward the courtyard.
It doesn’t take long. Five minutes, tops
But when I get back, Tyler isn’t alone anymore.
–
He’s standing with Jonathan Jo, the same guy who’d been weirdly nice to me at that team event a few weeks ago and another guy I don’t know, probably another teammate. Zoe’s there too, perched against the stone railing like she’s posing for a low–effort Instagram story, laughing at something lo says.
For a second, I hesitate.
It’s not like they’re doing anything wrong- they’re just talking, laughing. But still, there’s something about it that twists uncomfortably under my ribs. Something small. Sharp. Easy to ignore if you try hard enough.
I square my shoulders and walk over
me first. His face breaks into a wide grin and he steps toward me without hesitation, reaching for my hand.
Tyler spots me f
same moment and flashes me a grin all dimples and boyish charm like he’s auditioning for a toothpaste commercial.
To catches my
hes my eye at the sa
“Hey, Penny,” he says, voice low and easy.
I smile hack because I’m not a monster. “Hey, lo.”
I glance at Zoe, polite “Hey, Zoe
She gives me a half–smile–the kind of smile you give someone right before you tell them there’s spinach in their teeth.
But whatever. I’m not here for her approval.
Tyler squeezes my hand and leans down a little. “Good news,” he says, all excited energy. “Coach opened up the field for a bit. We’re gonna run dailis – nothing serious. You should comy watch for an hour, and then we’ll all go grub pizza.”
Before I can answer, Zoe pipes up, figging her hair over one shoulder. “Sounds good.”
Chapter 24: Penny
Tyler flashes her a quick grin–friendly, natural but then Imaheshlately turn back to me, eyes soft
“It’ll be fun. COIL
And somehow, despite the tiny coll of weirdness tightening in my stomach, I find myself nodding-
“Sure,” I say, “Sounds Jun. ”
He beams, squeezing my hand again, and just like that, everything inside me softens a little,
Tyler leads me toward the back of the school, through the maze of crisscrossing paths that snake between the buildings. I trall a step behind him, our hands linked, trying not to overthink it.
The athletic department building is massier — newer than the rest of the campus, all glass walls and sleek metal beams that glitter under the weak fall sunlight. Beyond it, the field sprawls out like a green ocean–wide, open, vibrant.
The grass looks freshly cut, bright and almost painfully green. There’s a track circling the field – faded red lines peeling a little at the edge and a handful of battered soccer goals stacked like forgotten furniture off to one side. The faint smell of fresh grass, sweat, and something vaguely rubbery hangs in the air.
The bleachers stretch along one side, tall and silver and slightly blinding where the sun catches on the metal.
I climb up a few cows, settling halfway up where I can see everything without feeling like a creepy stalker.
The guys dump their bags near the edge of the track and jog onto the field, kicking at each other’s heels and shoving like oversized puppies.
Zoe trails after them for a few steps before veering off and collapsing dramatically onto the bottom row of the bleachers, already scrolling through her phone like her life depends on it.
For a few minutes, it’s just them lo, Tyler, and the others goofing around, trying to out–slide–tackle each other, missing the ball half the time, laughing like the point isn’t to win but just to be louder than the rest.
I pull my hoodie tighter around me and let myself just watch.
Tyler looks… happy.
Not the kind of happy you put on
The real kind.
for someone else.
The effortless kind.
He’s got this way about him–like he’s a walking magnet for good energy. Like he’s hardwired to make everyone around him feel lighter, brighter, important
And that’s the thing, isn’t it?
He makes everyone feel special.
Not just me.
I watch him laugh as jo slaps the ball out of his hands, watch him jog back to his spot, tossing a grin over his shoulder at Zoe, who’s still pretending not to pay attention but definitely is
It’s not jealousy, exactly, that flickers in my chest.
It’s something thinner. Sadder
12/3
Chapter 24: Penny
Not that I’m mad he’s friendly. Tyler’s always been good at that making people feel sen, making the world feel a little less sharp–sized.
It’s just….
When someone shines that Night on everyone, it stops feeling like it’s meant just
I shift a little on the bench, wrapping my arms around my knees, and force myself to look away, letting my eyes wander across the field instead.
A few minutes later, Rebecca and a couple of other girls -1 recognize them vaguely from the soccer team fan club–show up, chattering and laughing too loudly, and slide onto the row of bleachers closer to the Belt.
Zoe perks up immediately, abandoning her phone and leaning in to whisper something that makes them all giggle like they’re sharing state
I tilt my head back and close my eyes for a second, letting the weak sunlight wash over my
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