Chapter One - Resolution

It was going to be a beautiful sunny day. I could feel it.

The bleachers were packed to the full, jerseys of different numbers were scattered across the football field, and everyone was looking forward to a touchdown.

It was the first day of school after summer break and being back was like, let's just say, ripping off the band-aid. You just want to get it over with.

This was why I wasn't a fan of the whole idea of summer break.

I mean sure, it was nice to have a few weeks when I didn't need to worry about homework deadlines or waking up early for school, but like all other things that had pros, it had its cons as well.

The worst of the cons being, like all other good things, it always came to an end.

What good was temporary bliss if the moment it was over, we were to be shoved back into the same hell hole and meet the same people we were so happy to finally get a break from right before our precious summer break?

Well, it's not like any of us had a choice.

But at least I did have something to look forward to this year.

"Touchdown!"

The moment that word left the coach's mouth, the offense team ran hollering across the field like mad dogs, exchanging violent high fives and chest bumps; one of the players getting so excited he pulled his jersey over his head, inadvertently triggering a zest among the small female crowd at the bleachers.

"I'd totally bang him," came a girl's voice from a few rows ahead and her friends started giggling.

The bleachers were unusually packed for such an early morning practice session. It was either the back-to-school excitement or a check out the hot football players fest—seeing most of the girls ogling them playing on the field, I assumed the latter.

Well, it wasn't like I was there for very different reasons. The only difference between me and the other girls was that I wasn't just going to settle for any fish I could catch in this lake of simmering hotness that was our football field at the moment.

I only had eyes for one particular player.

The one player who was currently being groped by the head cheer leader Ashley.

"He doesn't even want her," I cried desperately, wishing someone would rescue the quarterback from the clingy cheer leader who kept attempting to snog his face every five minutes right in the middle of the football field.

How coach wasn't objecting to that was beyond me.

"She's all over him," I cried again.

"Come on, Becks." A low groan made me look sideways to find my best friend, Meera leaning back lazily, unamused. Her overgrown raven bangs fell over her eyes as she pushed them out of her face, annoyed.

"I'm pretty sure he does want her. No way you could have missed all that grabbing when you literally watch him like a hawk."

"Wh... what grabbing?"

She gave a defeated sigh. "Still turning a blind eye at all that horniness, I see."

My eyes narrowed. Best friends were supposed to give you hope, even if it was false hope.

"The only horny person over there is Ashley," I declared.

"Right. Poor Sean." She shook her head, feigning sympathy. "Imagine what he goes through every time she rubs up against him like that. This must be hell for him. I bet he wants to push her away, but he's just being polite."

I grinded my teeth in frustration.

"Oh! And look," she started again. "He keeps whispering something in her ear. He's got to be a jokester. No wonder she's giggling and blushing like that."

"Thanks for bursting my bubble of happiness, bestie." I gave her a sour smile.

"More like your bubble of delusion, as comforting as it was. You're welcome, bestie."

I studied Sean and Ashley. Every few minutes, Sean would step away from the players to meet Ashley halfway, who would step away from the cheerleaders similarly. They did look happy and apparently, had a lot to talk about. That wasn't something that happened when things were just casual.

Maybe the dynamic of their relationship had shifted from the last time I'd seen them together before summer break when Ashley was madly pursuing him.

Maybe Meera was right. Maybe they were actually a thing now.

Well, this was heartbreaking.

I'd been in love with Sean Villin ever since I saw him for the first time last year—the new guy walking down the hall with curious eyes. Too bad the football jocks got to him before I could and suddenly, he was famous and way out of my league.

"I wish he knew I existed." I sighed.

"Of course he does! He can't be that oblivious, Becks. We go to the same school. He must have noticed you some time."

He hadn't. I knew because, unlike him, I noticed him all the time. Any opportunity I got.

Every time we crossed paths in the hallway, every time he smiled at some girl that wasn't me, every time he sat with his buddies in the cafeteria. Okay, don't get me wrong, I wasn't a stalker. I just admired him. It's okay to have a secret little crush as long as I'm not causing any problems, right?

"Stop sulking." Meera smacked my shoulder, snapping me out of my thoughts. "And just ask him out. Introduce yourself and ask him if he wants to grab a milkshake sometime. It's a safe and easy way to get started."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because... I..." I trailed off with another sigh.

Yet another groan from my best friend as her fingers grabbed her hair in frustration.

"8 a.m.," she muttered.

"What?"

"School starts at 8 a.m." She looked like she could cry any minute. "I'd still be in bed right now if it wasn't for you. First day of junior year and we're at the bleachers at...what time is it? Never mind, we're here at the crack of dawn like some idiots and you're just going to sit here, do nothing? At least make a move. Go say hi. Come on, Becks! You woke me up at like 4 a.m. for this."

"5:30," I corrected. "And I said we were going to watch the football practice, which we are. I never said I was going to confess my undying love to Sean. Also, stop acting like you'd rather be elsewhere right now. I saw you checking out those jerseys."

"Well..." She shrugged, a sly grin appearing on her lips slowly. "If your friends drag you to a Ryan Gosling movie against your wishes, you don't turn away from the screen just to show your disapproval, now, do you?"

"Why wouldn't you wanna go for a Ryan Gosling movie?" I quibbled, just to annoy her even more.

Her eyes narrowed. "I was just giving an example."

"Poor example, Meera." I clicked my tongue with distaste, and she reached for one of my crackers and threw it at me.

"Hey!" I grabbed the same one she had tossed at me because I didn't want to waste another and threw it back at her face, watching it fall down on her lap. After that, that poor cracker was thrown back and forth between us for the next thirty seconds with laughs and warnings to each other to stop but neither of us backed down.

Amidst that silly fight, I looked up.

And suddenly, in that exact moment, Sean looked up, too. His eyes landed on me and I stopped breathing. My brain stopped functioning while my arm, of its own volition, started to twitch indecisively-to wave or not to wave at him and then-

He looked away like I was nothing more than a face in the crowd.

And another defeat.

"Ooh!" I felt Meera's fingers on my wrist. "That's got to be 200 beats per minute."

"Shut it!" I smacked her hand away and she burst out laughing. "Aw, Becks! You've got it bad."

No shit, Sherlock!

I had it the worst.

Sean was now stretching near the bleachers, flexing his muscles. Ah...swoon!

Even drenched in sweat, he managed to look like some prince right out of a Disney movie. Maybe it was his eyes-those innocent deep blues. Or maybe his makes-me-wanna-tangle-my-fingers-in blond hair.

I kinda liked that we both had the same hair colour. May turn out to be one of the things we have in common once we do start hanging out.

"I made a resolution last night," I announced.

"A new semester resolution? Sweet! What is it?"

"I have to make him notice me before he graduates."

He was a senior. So, all I had was one year now before he was off to college in some other state and if things went according to the plan, I could just picture my own senior year ahead—he would come back to visit me sometimes and I would go see him at his college.

Meera scoffed, "Good luck with that."

"I truly appreciate the faith you have in me, Meera. Thanks!"

"Look, I'm not trying to kill your vibe, but you can barely make meaningful words, much less sentences whenever he's in a five feet radius. And that's when he hasn't even talked to you yet."

"Exactly! We haven't talked yet. I just need to get comfortable around him. Break the ice, you know? I'll do it."

She watched me dubiously for a few moments, then a little smile formed on her lips and she nodded. "I believe in you, Becks. You can do it."

We both knew it was a long shot, yet the fact that she said that made me laugh. "Thanks!"

"Looks like your beloved is done for the day." She squinted at the field, then asked out of nowhere, "random dare?"

"What? No."

"Why are you such a buzzkill?"

"Maybe because you give the craziest dares ever?" I rolled my eyes.

"I do." She grinned proudly. "But let's not forget that crazy always wins the race."

"I thought it was the slow and steady that always won the race." I raised a brow.

"That is so middle school, Becks. This is high school. You know what? Here's the dare, anyway. Think about your resolution before saying no."

Now I knew better than to agree to something that suspicious but the mention of my resolution caught my interest.

"I dare you to sneak into the boys' changing room and ask Sean out."

I let out the loudest snort, causing a few girls from the rows ahead to look back and purse their lips at me in disapproval.

"Have you been hearing anything I've been saying?" I chuckled.

"Yes. You're nervous around him and all that. But guess what? Things are going to stay that way unless you do something about them. Sooner or later, you'll have to take the first step, Becks. Why not today?"

My amusement slowly subsided and a shudder ran down my spine as I actually considered her dare.

"And you said he hasn't noticed you? How quickly do you think will that change if you sneak into the boys' changing room?" An evil little smile curled across her lips.

"Meera," I exhaled, shaking my head. "That's a whole new level of crazy, even for you."

She smirked, giving herself a proud pat on the shoulder.

"That wasn't a compliment," I clarified.

"Oh my God!" She suddenly straightened up to look ahead, completely ignoring me. "Look. The rest of the players are still hanging around. Sean's the only one heading inside. This is literally your chance from the universe, Becks."

I followed her gaze. Not even Ashley was following him because she was busy talking to the cheerleaders or, if looked closely, scolding them.

Butterflies erupted in my stomach at the possibility. Was that really my chance? Could I really do that?

"Maybe... I can."

"Yes!" Meera got up, almost in a frenzy but I stayed fixed in my spot, still unsure. "Come on!" She grabbed my arm and pulled me up and before I knew it, we were sprinting towards the building, stopping only a few feet away from the changing room just as Sean headed inside.

"Decide. Quick." Meera tapped her feet in excitement, clearly more excited than me.

"Are you sure no one else is in there?"

"I counted the jerseys on the field. Now it could be a miscount, but there should've been one more player, but he could be anywhere in the school, not just in there. For all you know, he didn't even come to school today. Are you willing to take that chance?"

I inhaled shakily, then nodded with resolve.

"Let's do this."

"Good." Her eyes lit up. "Go. I'll keep an eye out for the rest of the players."

Filling my lungs with as much air as they could hold, I started walking towards the changing room.