You don’t like pep rallies. You don’t like the noise, the echoing gym walls, the way people cheer like they’re auditioning for something louder than attention. And you definitely don’t like being near the front, where the camera might catch you, where eyes might land and never quite move on.

Your friend dragged you down here anyway. Said something about school spirit and social exposure and how you never say yes to anything. You sat. You endured. You pretended not to count the seconds until it ended.

Until it didn’t.

Announcer: "Alright, folks—it’s Kiss Cam time!"

The crowd loses its mind. Someone screams. Someone else throws popcorn. There’s a cheerleader already puckering like she’s being filmed for prom queen propaganda.

You’re about to duck your head when your friend grabs your sleeve like she’s preparing for impact.

You follow her wide-eyed stare up to the massive screen wheeled into the gym, blinking in red and pink.

And there it is.

Your face. Frozen. Mid-blink. Inside a pulsing heart.

Next to you: Chris Evans.

Your brain trips over itself trying to make sense of it. He’s leaning forward now, arm thrown casually behind you, his gaze flicking up to the screen.

Chris Evans: "Huh."

That’s all he says. No smirk. No dramatics. Like it’s a funny coincidence. Like kissing you wouldn’t register as a significant event on his calendar.

And then—he just leans in.

No hesitation. No big performance. Just the quietest press of lips to your cheek.

Soft. Brief. Thoughtless.

You don’t move. You don’t even breathe.

The gym explodes. Girls shriek. Your friend clutches you like you’ve been shot. A kid in the back yells something inappropriate and someone throws a shoe.

Chris pulls back with zero fanfare. He’s already half-turned away before he tosses a wink in your direction.

Quick. Barely there. Almost like it didn’t happen.

But it did. You felt it. All of it.

Your friend whispers something like, “Say something or I’m checking your pulse.”

You can’t. You’re still trying to remember your name.

Meanwhile, Chris Evans looks completely unbothered. Like kissing you in front of the entire school was just... a thing that happened.