MasukCALLA“I’m just saying there’s more to Ryder than you think.”I stare at him, waiting for him to explain but I get nothing. I’m not even surprised anymore. Miles has been saying some version of this ever since Ryder came back, always warning me about him without ever giving me anything I can actually hold on to. Nothing beyond what I already know. I shake my head and push the front door open. “You always say that and honestly I don’t know what to do with it.”I don’t wait for him to come up with a response. I walk inside, leaving him to follow behind me or not. By the time I make it a few steps into the house, he is speaking again.“You know what I’ve always loved about you?”I turn to him.“You have always wanted to see the good in people. You give the good ones the credit they deserve,” he says, moving a little closer. “But you don’t give the bad ones nearly enough criticism. I just want you to be careful because I’d hate watching you get hurt.”I have managed to stay quiet about h
CALLADriving home with Miles feels so much like old times that, for the first few minutes, I almost forget everything that has changed.My hands rest easily on the steering wheel while he sits in the passenger seat, scrolling through his phone before abandoning it in his lap. His own car is somewhere with his friends, which is nothing unusual.There have been so many times over the years when one of us has ended up driving the other somewhere that I don’t even think twice about it anymore. School events, late, trips to the beach and parties... There are probably more memories of Miles sitting beside me in this car than there are of anyone else.For a little while, it really is just us. It feels easy and familiar talking and joking about school. It’s like slipping back into something that has always known how to fit.Then the conversation fades, and the silence that follows lasts less than five minutes before I start overthinking it. I glance at him once then again. The third time, he
RYDERWhen I step onto the ice, the familiar chill hits me like a homecoming.This is my rink. My team. Some of the guys nod or clap me on the shoulder when I skate out. Others, the ones who orbit Miles, barely glance my way. Jake keeps his head down, acting like I’m not even here. I get it. He must be feeling like I’m replacing him even though I’m not. I’m just reclaiming the spot that was mine before everything went to hell. He knows it. Everyone does.My legs feel strong, my hands are steady, thanks to the regular practice out there. The adjustment here is more mental than physical— remembering the rhythm of these players, the way they move.Coach blows the whistle before practice even starts and skates over, his phone pressed to his ear. “I have an emergency,” he calls out. “Miles, you’re in charge. Keep things organized and productive. No bullshit.”Miles nods once. “Yes, Coach.”The second the door closes behind the coach, I know what’s coming. Miles skates to the center, takin
RYDERI spend the rest of the afternoon after lunch half watching Calla without really trying to.Part of me is still stuck on that photo. Who the hell would do that? And why her? I have been turning it over since lunch, trying to figure out if it’s random or if someone actually has a reason to mess with her. Either way, it sits wrong. I keep catching myself looking for her just to make sure she is okay.She doesn’t look away anymore. Not like before.Our eyes catch across the room or in the hallway and she just holds it a second longer than she used to. Sometimes the corner of her mouth lifts softly, like she knows she shouldn’t but does it anyway. It’s nothing that would make anyone look twice but it still hits me harder than it should. We are still keeping this private. That was the deal. Still, she is not treating me like something embarrassing anymore.I’m at my locker after classes, spinning the combination, when she and Brina walk past. Calla is looking straight ahead until I c
RYDER I get to the old classroom block first. Calla is nowhere in sight. I lean against the wall, arms crossed, trying not to check the time every ten seconds. She is probably looking for a way to slip away from Miles and Brina without raising suspicion. It’s ridiculous, this whole secret date thing. All I want is— I shake the thought away. I knew what I was signing up for. My mind keeps drifting back to what happened this morning. The way Miles came at me in front of everyone, accusing me of being some kind of stalker. I still have no clue what’s that about. Sitting through classes thinking about it was a painful experience. I kept hearing the anger in his voice and the crowd watching. And Calla... she stepped in and stopped it from turning into an actual fight. I appreciate that more than she probably realizes. I was holding myself back for her sake, but I was seconds away from defending myself if he threw the first punch. Still, it sucks being the secret especially in moments
CALLAI barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, those headlights appeared again in my rearview mirror, too persistent. By morning I was exhausted both physically and mentally. I almost told my parents at breakfast, but the words stuck in my throat. What would I even say? That someone followed me home? They would probably brush it off or turn it into another lecture about being responsible. Driving to school was even worse. I double checked my mirrors the entire drive, expecting that car to show up.I’m walking across the senior yard toward my first class, when someone suddenly grabs me from behind. I nearly jump out of my skin, letting out a sharp gasp as I whip around. Miles and Brina are standing there, both of them laughing. Miles’s smile fades quickly when he sees my face.“Whoa, Calla. You okay? You look like you saw a ghost.”My heart is still hammering. I force a breath and decide to just say it. “Actually... no. Something weird happened yesterday after I left the game.”I t
CALLAI follow Ryder down the hall, my backpack tight against my shoulder. He doesn’t say a word other than “let's try a different study spot”. He just walks, purposefully and confidently. I keep up, my heart thumping, trying not to let the knot in my stomach betray me.He opens a door at the far e
CALLAI try to ignore the lingering heat of Ryder’s touch from yesterday, but it’s impossible. Every time I take a step, every time I bend to grab a book from my locker, I feel it there, a small, unsettling weight I can’t shake. I tell myself it’s nothing but just a little accident I should get ove
CALLAThe worst part about heartbreak isn’t crying. It’s showing up the next morning and pretending nothing happened.The hallway is loud with lockers slamming and laughter echoing through the building. Senior year banners and hockey tryouts posters are taped above the lockers and on walls. Of cour
CALLAWith all due respect,” I say carefully, “I don’t think—”“It’s non-negotiable, Miss Pierce,” he interrupts gently. “This arrangement works to both your benefit. You are in need of additional academic credit this semester, are you not?”Heat floods my face. I nod yes, because while my grades a







