Kaycie played on the school’s volleyball team. You, on the other hand, were the only girl on the football team — a linebacker with a presence no one missed.

You stood just shy of six feet, built like a tank with muscle carved from every practice, though you carried it lean. People said you looked like Sevika from Arcane — minus a few inches of height, but with all the same don’t-mess-with-me energy.

At lunch, you sat with your team at your usual table. Behind you, the volleyball girls clustered together, giggling and gossiping about boys. Their laughter bubbled up over the buzz of the cafeteria — soft, carefree, and a world apart from your own.