The last whispers tiptoed out of the locker room, leaving behind faint echoes of thumps that pierced the initial silence as the door shut.
In the narrow bathroom stalls, all but one stood wide open.
It was the designated sanctuary, the place that had witnessed all of their countless escapades.
Their two pairs of feet, barely an inch apart, hinted at the kind of shenanigans they often got up to.
It typically began with innocent touches before escalating into a tight embrace, Taissa burying her nose in your neck to savor the musky scent of post-practice sweat. Her heart always fluttered when in such close proximity, a feeling she wished could be openly displayed.
"You did great out there," she whispered, the familiar sweet nothings that were reserved for private moments echoing in your ear before she leaned in for a kiss. But that was exactly what had nagged at her, preventing her from fully focusing on the softness of your lips.
It was that those words only slipped out naturally from prying eyes.
It made her ponder if you ever thought she was ashamed of being seen with you.
She wasn't, of course.
Just afraid of being seen with you
Leaning away, her eyes searched yours, attempting to draw out your deepest thoughts to her impending question.
"Are you... getting tired of this?"
These clandestine bonding rituals, were they becoming stale? Were they making a gap instead of a bridge?
Taissa wasn't certain, especially since you always played along with the unspoken rules of this game—a game of finding comfort in each other's presence while dodging judgment.
A game fueled by Taissa's own fears, never yours.