Chapter 2: The Mate Revelation

Lila.

The gym smelled of polished wood and faint sweat, a smell that somehow seemed sacred here at Northvale Academy. I hugged my books closer as I stepped inside, forcing myself to breathe normally.

My heart raced anyway.

This was it.. the first real introduction to the cheer squad and, indirectly, to the hockey teams I’d supposedly be “supporting.”

“Oh heavens be my strength” I slowly whispered…

I had spent the last couple of days keeping my head down, following Aunt Margaret’s rule to blend in and be invisible.

And now here I was, about to be scrutinized by the school’s most popular girls, while Mr. Leo stood beside me, grinning like nothing could go wrong when everything was already going wrong.

“Everyone, quiet down!” his voice rang, piercing through the chatter. He clapped his hands once, his enthusiasm vibrating across the gym. “I’d like you to meet our promising members .”

The cheer squad collectively groaned. Brielle, the cheer captain, shot me another look sharp enough to cut glass. I immediately swallowed hard.

These girls didn’t need my introductions. They already knew… They knew I was here for tryouts. And it was obvious they did not want me.

The whispers began immediately.

“She’s the newbie?”

“Oh yes.. shes the one who dodged a ball and now Leo thinks she’s a top notch”

“Mr. Sunshine thinks she can take over?”

Brielle’s smirk stretched across her face, a predator’s grin. “We’ll see about that.”

I clenched my fists behind my shorts, fighting the urge to flee as every single muscle in my body screamed for me to stay invisible, but Mr. Leo’s warm, steady gaze anchored me in place.

After introducing the rest of the girls he finally turned to me…

“This is Lila Carter,” he continued brightly, completely ignoring the hisses and rolling eyes acting like he couldn’t see them. “She’ll also be joining the cheer squad for tryouts starting today. I want you all to welcome her and show her the ropes!”

The girls barely concealed their disdain. A few of them muttered under their breaths. “Show her the ropes? Hah.” “She’ll choke before she hits the first jump.”

Brielle stepped forward, chest out, her blonde hair perfectly in place. Her sweet yet scornful voice echoed across the gym. “Let’s make this fun. Don’t make them think they’re already part of the team.. especially her,” she sneered, eyes locking on me.

I forced a polite smile and nodded, my stomach twisting. ‘You can do this…. Just one routine…. One tryout…. Then get out.’

Before I could dwell on my nerves, a commotion near the entrance drew our attention. Heads turned, and whispers stopped mid-word.

A group of hockey players had entered the gym… tall, athletic, confident. And at the front, a handsome guy stood…

“Kael” someone whispered.

Brielle’s eyes immediately found him. I could practically see her thoughts floating on her head. She lifted her chin, fluttered her lashes, and struck a pose meant to radiate charm. His gaze skimmed past her entirely.

I felt embarrassed on her behalf.. but then every instinct in me screamed, He wasn’t looking at her…

Instead, his eyes had found me in the little crowd.

A jolt shot through my chest, and my knees threatened to buckle. The gym seemed to shift, the air thicker around us. I felt exposed under his attention, as a strange pulse of recognition and curiosity raced through me.

Brielle’s smirk faltered. Her voice rose, sharp and theatrical as she cleared her throat. “Ladies! Gentlemen! The star players of the hockey team have graced us with their presence!”

A collective hush fell over the gym. The cheer girls and tryouts turned instinctively toward the door, craning their necks.

“Wow!” someone whispered behind me, but I didn’t move.

Brielle’s hand shot out, stopping us. Her eyes drilled into mine. “Lila!!. Start.”

My throat immediately went dry. I swallowed and nodded, stepping forward. I set my feet, the familiar rhythm of routines I had practiced all night in secret but I knew it was more than obvious that I wasn’t ready for what I was about to do.

My hands gripped the pom-poms that had been handed over to me like anchors as the first beats of the cheer chant played in my mind….

I started moving, careful at first, small motions… but then the routine took over. Muscle memory from all the books and videos I had devoured yesterday guided me.

Spins, jumps, steps… all flowing a bit naturally. And for a moment, I forgot the squad, Brielle, even Mr. Leo. There was only me and the movement.

Then the door opened.

“Jace is here too?” A girl next to me whispered.

I felt it before I saw him.. Like the weight of a storm pressing down on my chest. My face turned automatically toward the doorway as if some invisible tether demanded it.

He came through the doors with a scowl, every step purposeful, and the noise in the gym dimmed as though everyone instinctively gave him space.

And there they were. Both Kael and Jace, standing there, staring. Kael’s piercing gaze hadn’t left me, dark and calculating.

Jace’s shadowed eyes locked onto mine, an intensity that made the routine falter for a split second. My knees wobbled almost imperceptibly, a step missed, and I caught myself just in time.

If Kael was a ray of sunlight perfectly edged in steel, then Jace was night incarnate… storm in his stride, shadow in his eyes. And just like Kael, the moment he saw me, he stopped.

Brielle’s voice echoed behind me, sharp and very commanding. “Keep going, Carter!”

I glanced at Brielle, whose confident sneer had faltered into a wide-eyed shock. The cheer squad behind her whispered, gasped, and stepped back. Mr. Leo, still beaming, didn’t notice the tension thick enough to strangle a person.

I turned back to face her, forcing a composure I didn’t feel. But then I froze for just a tiny heartbeat of a second…. The gym, the girls, the music… all faded into the background. Only those eyes existed.

Two pairs of eyes on me, burning, disbelieving.

What was happening? Why me?

The chatter of the cheer squad blurred, Mr. Leo’s voice drowned out. There was only the suffocating awareness of them… both of them… watching me like they’d just seen a ghost.

And then, almost together, too soft for anyone else to notice but sharp enough to slice me open…

“Mate!”

My eyes widened in shock and confusion. My heart pounded painfully against my chest immediately the word resounded in my brain.

What???

My hand unconsciously covered my chest where my heart was located, but my eyes were fixed on them carefully.

“Mate…”

“Mate!”

I gasped as they repeated the words, then also watched in shock as both of them turned to each other in shock before they turned to look at me again.

“What the hell!”

“Impossible!”