The ticking of the clock rings around a small room; it's painted with a cloudy white color. There are three small-sized beds on the right side of the room, each with a small table, and faded blue curtains separating one bed from another. On two of the beds lay two teenagers, one a girl and the other a boy, wearing the same soccer uniform.
The door creaked open, revealing Alex and June, who were weighed down by plastic bags heavy with takeout. Practice had stolen their lunch hour, and the savory scent of the food felt out of place in the sterile, quiet room.
Alex pulled a chair close to Shaine's bedside. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the edge of the mattress and cupping his chin in his hands. In the dim light of the infirmary, his gaze softened as he watched the steady, rhythmic rise and fall of Shaine's chest. For a fleeting second, the stoic athlete vanished, replaced by a boy whose heart was clearly visible in the small, unconscious smile tugging at his lips.
June, never one to miss a moment of vulnerability, caught the expression instantly. He sauntered over and gave the back of Alex's chair a playful nudge. "I saw that, you know. That sappy little grin."
Alex rolled his eyes, refusing to break his stoic attitude. Unbothered by the cold reply, June dragged a second chair over, spinning it around to sit backward with his arms draped over the headrest. He mirrored Alex's stare, looking down at Shaine's peaceful face. "Seriously, dude, just confess already. It's been years. The whole team is practically taking bets on it; even the new girl figured it out within five minutes."
Alex slightly shakes his head. "Heck, like I can do that, I can't even bring up a conversation without a stutter or two."
June sighed, his gaze lingering on his friend with a mix of pity and frustration, along with a glint of tease. "You're a coward, Alex." He ruffled his own hair, standing up and pacing a small circle. "And what makes it worse is that Shaine is too dense to see what's staring her in the face."
Alex rolled his eyes once more and tuned out the noise. He was lost in the quiet pull of the moment, his eyes traced the soft lines of Shaine's sleeping face until the words began to spill out, unbidden.
"You're something else," he murmured, his voice barely a breath. "How can someone this cute be that terrifying on the field?" His hand moved instinctively, his fingers trembling slightly as he brushed a stray lock of hair away from her forehead, finally clearing the view of her face.
From the other side of the privacy curtain, June went silent, sensing the sudden change of the air.
"Seriously, how are you this oblivious?" Alex let out a breathless, private laugh. A genuine smile tugged at his lips. "You're too loud, too carefree... Do you have any idea how many times I've fallen for those stupid jokes? Or that smile you wear after making every goal?"
"God, man, you are so damn cheesy!" June's voice exploded from behind the curtain, shattering the silence, and he couldn't contain his personal remarks on such cheesy dialogues.
Alex snapped his head toward the fabric, his face flushing crimson. "Shut up!" he hissed through gritted teeth.
"You guys... are way too loud."
Alex's heart stopped. He froze, his hand still inches from her face, as he slowly turned back to the bed. Shaine's eyes were half-open, her voice dry and a tad sleepy. She looked up at him, her lips parted slightly in a daze, and Alex felt the world tilt and crack. Did she hear me?
"You... you're awake," he said, stuttering.
'Fuck, fuck, fuck, did she hear all of those cheesy things I said!? ' he yells to himself.
Shaine slowly got up from lying down and sat up with her eyes blinking slowly to adjust to the light. She held her head and grit her teeth, her eyes shut tight with small groans that were sour and dry.
Alex stood up instinctly, reaching out to steady her. He kept his hands on her shoulders, his grip firm yet careful as he helped her find her balance. "You okay?" he asked, his voice low and steady. In his concern, the panic of his accidental confession seemed to momentarily vanish.
"Just a bit dizzy," Shaine replied, offering him a soft, tired smile. "But I'm perfectly fine."
The look caught him completely off guard. It was like a bolt of lightning to the chest: a sudden, sharp reminder of exactly why he was so lovestruck.
The moment was shattered when June swept the privacy curtain aside with a wide, toothy grin. "Hey, hey! Look who's finally back with us. How's the head, Shaine?"
Shaine gave a small nod and a chuckle, her fingers reaching up to tame her messy hair. "Better," she murmured, her eyes flicking toward Alex with a playful, unreadable glint. "Though I'm not sure if I was dreaming... I think I heard some pretty interesting things while I was half-conscious."
The two boys exchanged a quick, wary glance, their heads tilting in synchronized confusion. Or at least, they tried to look confused.
"What kind of things?" June asked, dropping back into the chair he'd occupied earlier with a mischievious grin that was already starting to widen.
Shaine tapped her index finger against her chin, her brow furrowing in concentration. "I'm not sure... it sounded remarkably like a confession," she stated.
The air in the room seemed to vanish. Alex's eyes went wide, his entire body locking up as if he'd been frozen in place. Beside him, June was vibrating with the effort of holding back a roar of laughter. He lasted exactly three seconds before he broke, his cackle echoing off the sterile infirmary walls.
Shaine tilted her head at the display. "What's the matter with you?" she asked, her voice calm but genuinely baffled.
"Oh, nothing," June wheezed, wiping a tear from his eye. "It's just, yeah, that was definitely a confession."
Alex snapped his head toward his friend, his expression shifting into a glare so deadly it could have withered a field of crops.
June offered an awkward chuckle, realizing he had just tossed a grenade into the room. "I'll... just be over here if you need me," he muttered, retreating behind the safety of the privacy curtain.
"As if I'd ever need you, you traitor," Alex hissed under his breath, his knuckles white as he gripped the edge of the bed due to both irritation and nervousness.
Shaine watched them, a playful glint dancing in her eyes. "I didn't realize one of you was harboring a secret crush," she said, her voice bright with curiosity. "So, come on, which one of you is it?"
In a desperate sense for a distraction, Alex grabbed a bottle of water and thrust it toward her. A faint, tell-tale crimson was beginning to creep up his ears. "No one," he muttered, his free hand flying to his face to adjust his glasses. "It was probably just a fever dream. Your brain is playing tricks on you."
"It was Alex!" June's voice boomed from the other side of the fabric, loud and clear.
Alex yanked the curtain aside with a violent snap, his gaze boring into June, who was lounging by Elly's bed. "If you don't shut your mouth this second, I will personally snap your neck in two," he growled, his knuckles whitening as his hand balled into a trembling fist.
June didn't say a word; he simply raised his hands in mock surrender and made an exaggerated show of zipping his lips shut, still with a mischievous glint still dancing in his eyes.
"Wow, Alex," Shaine's voice drifted over, filled with amusement. "I never pinned you for the romantic type. So, who's the unlucky, I mean, lucky girl?" she joked, her grin widening as she leaned forward, practically waiting for an answer.
Alex turned back to her, his mouth hanging open in a silent, panicked gap. A few unintelligible stammers died in his throat as he cursed June's entire bloodline in his head.
Shaine blinked, her head tilting as she let out a lighthearted chuckle. "Oh, come on. You can tell me! It's just us in here, right?"
"Come on, Alex. It's not like it's a crime to tell her," June chimed in, his laughter echoing in the small space.
Alex's head snapped toward him, his gaze murderous. "One more word out of you and I'll open a faucet in your neck," he hissed, a threat so sharp it sent June's hands flying to cover his mouth.
Is the universe seriously forcing my hand right now? Alex screamed internally. He cleared his throat, his heart hammering against his ribs as he turned back to Shaine. She was still there, head tilted, that soft, effortless smile making his face flush a deep crimson. He looked away for a split second; Like hell I can do this!, before forcing himself to meet her eyes again.
He sank into the chair, the pressure of the moment settling over him. "Shaine... look," he started. She hummed a response, her attention entirely on him. "You're the coolest person I've ever met. We've known each other for a long time…well, long enough to know what I'm trying to say." He let out a nervous, breathless chuckle.
Shaine laughed with him. "That's sweet, Alex, really. But you can save the compliments for later. Just tell me who the girl is!"
Alex let out a heavy sigh, his resolve finally snapping. He reached out and caught her right hand, pulling it toward his chest. Shaine jumped slightly, her eyes widening as she felt the frantic thump of his heart through his shirt. His glasses sat low on his nose, framing a face that was unmistakably, painfully red against his fair skin.
June slowly peeked over the edge of the curtain, his eyes shimmering with a mix of devious anticipation and pure excitement. He looked like a man watching the season finale of his favorite show, and he wasn't about to miss a single second of this special moment.
"Shaine, I... I like—"
"AAHH!"
A piercing scream ripped through the room, shattering the confession. Elly had bolted upright in his bed, his chest heaving. He wasn't looking at the door or the ceiling; his gaze was pinned to their joined hands with an expression that was impossible to read.
"Elly? Are you okay?" Shaine asked, her voice tight with worry.
Elly didn't blink. He stared blankly at the spot where Alex was still clutching her hand until Alex, feeling the heat of the stare, scrambled to let go. Elly let out a dry cough and slowly settled back into his pillows, his face a mask of sudden, eerie calm. "I'm fine. I'm fine now." Alex smiled toward Elly and stood up from his seat; he walked up to the nurses' table and sat down on the visitor's chair. June came walking towards him, laughing a little.
June let out a heavy sigh, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. "I guess the universe isn't in a romantic mood today," he muttered, his excitement fading into a shrug.
Alex watched Shaine and Elly for a long moment. They were lost in their own world now, their voices a soft, rhythmic hum as they chatted and laughed, the tension of the game finally washing away. A faint, determined smile touched Alex's lips. I'll get there, he promised himself. Just not today.
He turned his gaze toward June, his expression shifting into something dangerously sweet. "But before I 'get there,' June... you and I need to have a little chat."
June's throat tightened as he let out a dry, nervous chuckle. "Chat? About what? There's nothing to discuss, buddy!" He tried to play it off, slinging an arm around Alex's shoulders. He knew exactly what was coming: a lecture at best or a bruised rib at worst.
"Oh, there's plenty," Alex said, the light glinting off his glasses as he pushed them up the bridge of his nose.
June scrambled backward, his hands up in a defensive frame. "I was a wingman! I was helping!"
"That," Alex hissed, his eyes narrowing into a lethal glare, "was the complete opposite of helping."
The two devolved into a hushed, frantic argument, completely oblivious to the fact that Shaine and Elly had stopped talking and were now watching them with twin expressions of bewilderment. "Awe man, I didn't get to know who's the girl Alex likes," Shaine said, pouting with her hands up on her chin. Elly looked at his cousin with a brow raised.
"No girl can be as dense as you," he said. Shaine looked back at him, tilting her head.
"What do you mean?" she asks, only earning a small sigh of disappointment.
Shaine blinked, her gaze drifting between the two boys as their bickering turned into a blur of muffled shouts, pointing fingers, and playful pushes and punches. I'll never understand how they work, she thought, a small, tired smile tugging at her lips. She turned away from the noise, resting her chin on her hand as she looked out the infirmary window. Below, the late afternoon sun cast long shadows over the courtyard where students moved in slow, golden clusters, their laughter muffled by the glass.
"Hungry?" June's voice broke through her trance. She turned back to find him offering a burger, the savory scent suddenly making her stomach growl. After the frantic energy of the match, an all-consuming hunger had taken hold of her.
She took a large, grateful bite, her gaze drifting toward the far wall. The infirmary was painted a clinical, blinding white, and two framed paintings hung above the nurse's station: vibrant, golden sunsets that seemed to glow against the pale background.
A sound, sharp and high, sliced through her quiet thoughts. It was a child's laughter, faint as a memory, drifting in from the window. Shaine's head snapped toward the glass, her heart skipping a beat, but the courtyard was nearly empty. I'm losing it, she thought, forcing her attention back to her meal. But the unease wouldn't leave her. The air felt too heavy, the colors of the sunset too bright, and the world felt like a puzzle piece that had been forced into the wrong spot.