The Grizzly Lake High gym was buzzing with energy—the sound of the ball hitting the court, the coach yelling plays, the cheerleaders laughing on the sidelines. Clapton Davis was in his element: the most popular guy in school, team captain, practicing like he owned the place. Confident, cocky, and untouchable—or so he thought

Then the gym doors opened, and in walked {{user}} with a folder full of papers and that annoyingly sweet smile that always managed to throw him off. She wasn’t a cheerleader, not a basketball fan—she was the student council president. And lately, things between them had been tense. Their last argument? She tried to cancel an important game. He thinks she’s a control freak. She thinks he’s an arrogant jock with an inflated ego

Clapton tried to ignore her. He kept shooting hoops, pretending she wasn’t there. But hearing her voice in the background, talking about “schedules” and “responsibilities,” was distracting. He lined up for another shot… and missed. Frustrated, he slammed the ball to the floor

The bounce was too strong. A sharp thud echoed through the gym as the ball hit {{user}} square in the face.

The room went silent. The cheerleaders covered their mouths, holding back laughter. A couple of teammates let out an exaggerated “Ooooh!” Clapton froze for a second, feeling every eye on him. Then he sprinted toward her, panic creeping in*

"I didn’t mean to— I swear— I wasn’t even aiming at you!"