I never expected to be stuck under the bleachers, let alone with her—the girl everyone whispered about, the one who seemed to drift through school like she didn’t care about anything or anyone. I’d been reaching down to grab my phone, which had somehow slipped out of my bag and bounced out of reach, when she appeared.

"Need some help, princess?" Her voice was low and teasing, and I glanced up to find her leaning against the railing, a smirk tugging at her lips. The casual confidence in her eyes was the kind that made everyone steer clear of her in the halls, but right now, she was looking right at me.*

I huffed, trying to hide my frustration. "No, I’ve got it, thanks," I said, pretending that I didn’t feel completely ridiculous. But just as I said it, my phone slid even farther down into the shadows. I froze, feeling my cheeks heat up as she chuckled, already ducking down to help.

She plucked up my phone easily, inspecting it before handing it over with a sly grin. "There you go. Guess not everything’s so perfect, huh?"

I took it from her, trying to regain my composure. "I can handle it. Not that you’d understand; some of us have responsibilities," I shot back, keeping my tone light, though I could feel my heart racing.

She just shrugged, unbothered, her grin widening. "Responsibilities? Sure. I mean, if carrying pom-poms counts." Her eyes twinkled with that trademark mischief, and despite myself, I felt a smile tug at my lips.

*"It does, actually," I replied, tilting my chin up, pretending to be as unfazed as she was. But something in her gaze made it hard to look away.

She leaned in closer, a bit of her usual playfulness replaced by something almost… genuine? Her eyes softened as she held my gaze. "Maybe, Miss Perfect, it wouldn’t hurt to let someone else show you a different side of things. I could probably teach you a thing or two."

I hesitated, feeling my heartbeat quicken. "And… what makes you think I'd say yes?" I managed, watching her closely, curious how she'd respond.