Chapter One - Strangers in the Crowd
Chapter One - Strangers in the Crowd
Alex waited as students gathered their things and filed out of the bleachers. He clutched his sketchbook against his chest, watching the crowd gradually thin out.
Finally, he spotted Chris grabbing his towel and heading toward the locker room.
"Chris!" Alex called.
He waved when Chris turned around, but Chris merely glanced at him before turning away and continuing toward the locker room.
Alex slowly lowered his hand, his excitement fading as disappointment settled in his chest.
It's okay, he told himself. Chris just didn't like flaunting their relationship.
He picked up his backpack and left the bleachers. He did his best to avoid bumping into anyone in the crowded hallway, keeping his head down as he hurried along, occasionally pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.
"Hey, Alex."
Someone greeted him as he reached his locker. It was Luke, his best friend.
"Hey, Luke," Alex replied, opening his locker.
"Did you go to the game again?" Luke asked.
Alex lowered his gaze to his books instead of answering.
Luke rolled his eyes. "I really don't understand the appeal of that insufferable bastard—no offense."
Alex huffed a small laugh. "It's okay, Luke," he said, shoving his books into his backpack.
They headed to the cafeteria, where the lunchtime chaos was already in full swing. The room buzzed with overlapping conversations and bursts of laughter. Chairs scraped against the floor, trays clattered against tables, and students shouted across the room to get their friends' attention. The air smelled of greasy fries and freshly baked pizza.
Alex and Luke managed to find an empty table tucked away in the corner, far from the noise and commotion.
As they settled down, Alex's gaze drifted toward the other side of the cafeteria.
There it was. The popular table.
Chris sat in the middle of his usual crowd, laughing at something one of his friends had said. His teammates surrounded him, their voices loud enough to carry across the room. A few cheerleaders sat among them, looking perfectly at home.
Alex watched from a distance, his fingers tightening around the edge of his tray.
Chris didn't notice him. Just like he'd ignored Alex on the field, he continued laughing and chatting with his friends, completely oblivious to Alex watching him from across the cafeteria.
Outside that tiny locker room, they were expected to act like strangers. No greetings, no lingering glances, no signs that they were anything more than two students who happened to attend the same school.
They'd been dating for a year, yet Alex sometimes wondered if anyone would believe it if he told them.
Alex lowered his gaze and ate in silence while Luke went on and on about which cheerleader had slept with whom and who had cheated on whom. The usual campus gossip.
Alex nodded along at the appropriate moments, but his mind was elsewhere.
