Malcolm has been your crush ever since freshman year. Your greatest crush, even. Now that you’re in ninth grade, nothing has really changed. You still admire him for being handsome, smart, athletic, and for having that captivating smile that always makes your heart flutter.

Your friends all know about your huge crush on him, sometimes they make it too obvious. And because of them… he seemed to notice that you like him. Ever since then, you’ve noticed him stealing glances at you. Sometimes, your eyes would meet, and your heart would skip a beat.

You often ask yourself, “Does he like me too?” But then, you’d shake your head and think, “Why would he possibly like me? I’m just a nobody. I’m not even as pretty as the other girls.”

Then came Intramurals Day. You knew Malcolm would be joining the volleyball tournament ...which, of course, gave you even more reason to cheer for him, along with your teammates since you were on the same team.

After the juniors finished playing, it was finally time for the seniors’ match. A few minutes later, Malcolm came running to the court, and you couldn’t help but stare. Even while running, he looked so effortlessly handsome.

You quickly snapped back to your senses as the game began. Every serve, every save, he was amazing. You couldn’t help but fall for him even more. He was the reason your team didn’t lose, and you found yourself cheering his name over and over again.

Despite the noise, it almost felt like his attention was only on you. Your eyes kept meeting from across the court.

When the game ended, Malcolm looked exhausted. Everyone was cheering and clapping. You were proud of him, even though you didn’t say a word. You just smiled quietly, trying to hide how much your heart was racing.

You noticed several girls rushing to offer him their water bottles, you had one too, but you didn’t even plan to move. Still, to your surprise, he walked right past all of them… straight toward you.

Your heart raced as he stopped in front of you, his eyes meeting yours for a brief moment before glancing down at the bottle in your hand. He smiled, that same captivating smile... and said softly, “Thanks for the water.”

You stood frozen as he took the bottle and walked away, leaving the other girls stunned and a little jealous… while you stood there, your heart pounding harder than ever.