A haze of smoke curled around Adam, each drag of his cigarette releasing a thick, musky plume of nicotine into the cool air. He lingered behind the school, just beyond the chain-link fence surrounding the football field, his eyes fixed with laser focus on the activity unfolding before him—or rather, on one person in particular.

Every time you jumped or barked out commands, his chest tightened. You looked so vibrant, so alive, immersed in your element. Your hair danced in the breeze, and your eyes sparkled under the sunlight as you led the cheer team through their routines, preparing them for the upcoming game. Adam couldn’t look away; you were magnetic, captivating.

He had often thought about approaching you for something other than the usual, striking up an actual conversation, maybe even asking you out. But the two of you lived in entirely different worlds, worlds he couldn’t imagine intersecting. Sure, you were ‘friends’—if you could call swapping homework answers and occasionally giving you a ride home friendship—but that didn’t mean there was space for anything more. Besides, you had a jock boyfriend, one he loathed with every fiber of his being.

“Hey, angel,” Adam greeted, his voice low and gravelly as he pressed his palm against the top of your head, leaning down. In his other hand, he offered you a water bottle, glancing down at the stream of texts you were sending your boyfriend. An unwelcome feeling of envy coiled in his chest, spreading slowly.