I dribbled the ball, letting the rhythm of the bounce calm me down as Sophia and I fell into our usual practice routine. But today, our usual banter had taken a serious turn.

"This is a complicated situation," Sophia said, catching the ball with a hum of frustration.

"Exactly," I sighed. I couldn't shake the feeling of anxiety that had settled in my stomach since yesterday's conversation.

She looked at me thoughtfully as she passed me the ball. "Do you think we should ask Daph about what Blake said?"

I shook my head, catching the ball from her. "It's better if she doesn't know about his interest."

"Why?" She arched her eyebrow.

"Because..." I passed her the ball. "It'll only make Daph uncomfortable. You know how shy she gets around people. If she finds out Blake likes her..."

Sophia caught the ball smoothly and finished my thought. "She'll be extra awkward around him."

I nodded, trying to ignore the throbbing in my head from lack of sleep. "We need to keep him away with no one noticing."

I couldn't get a wink of sleep last night because of the storm in my head. In the morning, I took two cups of coffee to keep me awake, but it wasn't helping.

"How are we going to do that?" She asked, her brow furrowed as she tossed the ball into the hoop with a satisfying swish.

"We need to stick with Daph all the time," I said, making her scoff.

"That's nearly impossible."

"Okay, then as much as we can," I replied, feeling the frustration build as I made a quick shot and scored.

"And how are you going to stop Blake's plan for the party?" She raised a point I'd been dreading.

I made another shot, hoping it would clear my head. "We can't stop Daph from going. So we'll have to keep them apart the whole night."

"Just to remind you." She crossed her arms. "Elijah's parties are invite-only, and we aren't invited."

I felt a wave of panic crash over me, and I let out a groan. "Shit, shit!"

"Exactly." She smirked.

I took a deep breath. "We need to get that invite from Elijah."

Sophia looked at me, waiting for more. "How?"

"I'll have to think of something-"

"I'm not lying!" The shout cut through the gym like a knife. We turned to see two of our team members, Susan and Erica, locked in a heated argument. The rest of the team had stopped their stretches, watching the drama unfold with wide eyes.

"He told me himself!" Susan thrust her phone screen towards Erica, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and hurt. "He texted me!"

"Ok. Fine." Erica threw her hands up, her face a mask of frustration. "I didn't tell you because I knew you'd lose it."

Sophia nudged me, her eyes darting between the girls who seemed ready to explode. "Stop them."

"Why?" I frowned, still confused about what was going on.

She rolled her eyes. "Because Vivian's not here, and you're the captain."

"Oh, right..." I mumbled, suddenly aware of my responsibility, and jogged towards the chaos.

"Why in the world would you sleep with my ex?!" Susan's voice cracked with a mixture of betrayal and fury.

"He's your ex, Susan!" Erica's voice was defensive. "You guys broke up months ago. You said you were over him!"

"That doesn't give you the right to hook up with him! You're my best friend!" Susan's voice was a high-pitched shriek now, her face flushed with emotion.

"It was just one night! You're overreacting!" Erica snapped back, her hands balled into fists.

The rest of the team watched in stunned silence. They were lucky Coach Vivian had been called away by the principal. Otherwise, they'd be running laps for interrupting practice with their boy drama.

"Hey!" I jumped between them, forcing a smile. "Let's take a step back and handle this like adults."

"Adults?" Erica scoffed, her eyes blazing. "It's hard to act mature when some people can't even handle their own emotions."

"And you're just a back-stabbing traitor!" Susan's voice was thick with tears, her cheeks wet with frustration. "A f**king slut!"

The other girls' gasps echoed in the gym, and Erica turned red.

"And you're just a clingy bitc*h ex who can't let go!" Erica shot back. "No wonder he left you!"

"Why you-" Susan lunged at Erica, but I intervened, grabbing her by the shoulders.

"Easy, Susan." I tried to keep my voice calm but firm. "We need to talk this out."

"Talk?" Susan pushed past me, her voice cracking with finality. "There's nothing left to say!"

She stormed out of the gym, flipping Erica the bird as she left.

"Drama." Erica rolled her eyes and walked to the bleachers while I stood there scratching my head.

Why would two best friends tear each other apart over a guy?

Sophia walked over, shaking her head. "Well, that escalated quickly."

I exhaled. "Yeah, the drama doesn't even begin to cover it."

➽─────────❥

The next day, I walked into Riverside High with a steely determination to score an invitation to Elijah's party. In chemistry class, I tried to steer every conversation towards the party, but Elijah just laughed it off each time, closing the topic.

Friday was my last chance, and with no classes together, I took the risk of intentionally bumping into him in the hallways and cafeteria. I sacrificed every ounce of my self-respect, trying to hint, suggest, and outright ask about the party, but all my efforts seemed futile.

"I can't believe I failed." I groaned, trudging out of the high school gates with Daphne and Sophia flanking me.

"It's alright." Sophia patted my shoulder. "You did your best."

"I did more than my best!" I whimpered. "It was so awkward trying to bring up the party over and over. Still, nothing."

"You can come with me," Daphne offered, trying to lift my spirits.

"That'll just make me look desperate." I sighed.

"Aren't you?" Sophia teased, giving me a playful side glance. I shot her a mock glare.

"I'm just trying to help my friend."

"I won't go," Daphne declared as we reached Sophia's car.

"Are you crazy?" I shrieked, turning to her. "Of course you'll go!"

"But you guys won't be there," Daphne murmured, playing with her fingers. "What's the point of going if I can't talk to him?"

"Hey..." I placed my hands on her shoulders, trying to be encouraging. "You can do this. We'll be at Soph's house, spying for you. If you need any help, we'll come to the rescue. And..." I glanced at Sophia. "Just stay away from Blake."

"Why?" Daphne frowned.

"Well-"

"Speak of the devil..." Sophia interrupted, nodding towards the parking lot. I followed her gaze to see Blake and Elijah walking towards their car. "And the devil's here."

Blake, looking every bit the part of the high school heartthrob, barely glanced in my direction. He flashed a smile at Daphne and headed towards his car, with Elijah beside him.

I made eye contact with Elijah and tried to mask my disappointment with a bright smile. He opened the passenger seat door, and just as I was about to turn away, he called out to me.

"Yeah?" I turned back, seeing him smile warmly.

"You're coming tonight, right?" The flicker of hope inside me ignited into a full blaze and my face broke into a huge grin.

"You bet I am."

➽─────────❥

Sophia's laughter filled the room as she carefully applied mascara to Daphne's eyelashes.

"I still can't believe you got invited at the last moment," Sophia said, her voice tinged with amusement.

"I don't know if it was pure luck or the result of my two days of torture." I giggled as I brushed my hair to make a ponytail. "But I should start giving myself more credit."

"Efforts never go to waste," Sophia murmured, her attention now on finding the right lipstick shade.

"I wish you could've come too." Daphne pouted.

"It's alright." Sophia winked and pointed towards her binoculars. "Spying is more fun besides..." Her gaze flickered to me. "You've got yourself covered."

I flashed a toothy grin and finished wrapping my hair into a ponytail.

"What's your plan for tonight?" Daphne asked, and I wondered if I should tell her or not.

"To get you close to Elijah," Sophia said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Yeah, but what exactly?"

"I just need you to keep your eyes on Elijah," I explained. "Wherever he goes, we'll follow."

"And?"

"We'll start a conversation with him, join in on whatever party games he's playing, and dance with him."

"Dance?" Her eyes widened in horror.

"Well, it's a party, so that's kind of expected."

"But how-"

"Just relax and get ready, Daph," I assured her. "I'll handle the rest."

I stood in front of the mirror in Sophia's room, tugging at the hem of my oversized black tee. The bold "New York" logo stretched across the front, loose and perfectly worn in. I straightened my white athletic shorts and gave myself a once-over.

It was simple, laid-back-exactly my style. The high socks and white sneakers grounded the look, giving off that effortless tomboy vibe I felt most comfortable in.

Casual, confident, unbothered.

Just how I liked it.

"Done!" Sophia declared, and my eyes drifted to Daphne, who was twirling in front of the full-length mirror.

Daphne was wearing a white dress-of course she was. The soft, tiered fabric swayed with every spin, the kind of dress that seemed to float around her like a cloud. The bodice was ruched, hugging her figure in a way that made her look impossibly delicate. A tiny bow at the neckline and the puff sleeves only added to that angelic vibe Daphne always had going on.

"That dress is so... you." Sophia beamed in approval.

Daphne stopped spinning and grinned. "You think? I wasn't sure if it was too much."

"Nah." I shrugged, eyeing the way the fabric flared at her waist. "You look like you're floating on air, as usual."

Daphne laughed softly. "And you look like you're about to hop into a basketball game."

"Exactly," I smirked. "Why change what works?"

We stood side by side, assessing each other's outfits in the mirror. My tomboy look with a loose tee, shorts, and sneakers, and Daphne's soft, feminine vibe in that dress that seemed to belong to another world. But that was us, always opposite, and somehow always in sync.

"Do you think we look too different?" Daphne asked, adjusting the puff sleeves for what seemed like the hundredth time.

I shook my head. "Nope. We're just right." I glanced over again. "Besides, it's a party, not a runway. You'll probably float through the crowd, and I'll just... vibe in the background."

Daphne smiled, giving her a gentle nudge. "And yet, somehow, you always manage to stand out more than anyone."

I rolled my eyes, but a smile tugged at my lips.

"Let's get out of here." Sophia shooed us. "The party's not gonna wait for your outfit to twirl itself to perfection."

As we walked out of Sophia's house and approached the house in front, my breath hitched for a second when my eyes caught Blake's car among the others, but I shook it off and took a deep breath to calm my nerves.

Elijah's house was enormous. Its stone façade gave it a classy but laid-back vibe, with perfectly placed windows catching the evening light. The front yard was meticulously manicured, with shrubs and flowers guiding up the steps. Warm lights flanked the front door, making the entire house glow.

The arched windows, the soft tan walls, and that massive driveway screamed money without shouting it, like everything about Elijah, really. Even though the size of the house was intimidating, there was something about it that felt welcoming. Probably the cozy porch light flickering just by the entrance.

I took a deep breath, glanced at Daphne beside me. "Well, here we go." I muttered, stepping onto the stone path, feeling a mix of excitement and dread.

This night was going to be something.

➽─────────❥