SOPHIA HAD committed to tell Jasmyne everything on Monday at the ice arena. Convinced that Luca's lack of interest in Lillian after the football game was a misunderstanding, Sophia brought Lillian along.

"I'm telling you, that man has zero interest in me," Lillian declared, sitting on the couch. "How do you know?" Jasmyne asked. "He barely talked to me at the party," Lillian responded. "That doesn't necessarily mean anything," Sophia said.

"What time is this Monday Question?" Lillian asked. "Whenever the boys finish practice," Jasmyne replied. "Luca will come up the stairs, we'll ask him a question, and I guarantee he'll say something to you," Sophia added.

"What's the Monday question again?" Jasmyne asked. "What's the best Starburst flavor?" Sophia replied. "Ooh, that's a good one," Lillian chimed in.

"Now, tell me everything," Jasmyne insisted, turning to Sophia. "Yes, girl talk," Lillian grinned. Sophia sighed, taking a seat between them. "He took me to Panera for our first date," Sophia began.

"Yeah, we know that part, but what happened after you guys left?" Jasmyne asked. "After we found out you and Mark were also there, we decided to grab our food and eat in the Taco Bell parking lot," Sophia explained.

"Taco Bell?" Lillian questioned. "It was the closest place we could think of, plus it was empty," Sophia explained. "Okay, then what happened?" Jasmyne asked. "We just ate our food and talked," Sophia shrugged. "That's it?" Lillian asked.

Sophia grinned, glancing down at her hands in her lap. "What?" Lillian asked. "We kinda made out in his car," Sophia admitted. "Like you were on his lap in the driver's seat making out?" Lillian asked, seeking clarification. Sophia nodded. "I was so close to taking my hoodie off, but when I tried to, I accidentally hit the horn on the wheel, and we both jumped and laughed," she explained.

"Wait, wait, wait. You were close to taking your hoodie off? Were you guys gonna...you know?" Jasmyne asked. "I don't know," Sophia admitted. "I've never done anything before. I've never even really made out with a guy before."

"You don't have to rush into anything, Soph. Ethan wouldn't push you. If you're not ready, then that's okay," Jasmyne reassured. "Yeah, you guys just got together. There's no need to rush into anything," Lillian added. Sophia nodded. "Yeah," she said.

"Now, tell me about your date with my brother," Sophia said. Jasmyne smiled. "We just went to Panera and hung out. He kept asking me questions about myself, and we really got to know each other," she explained. "So, can we rule out that this isn't the last date for you two?" Sophia asked.

"This is definitely not the last date for us," Jasmyne confirmed. "Did you two kiss?" Lillian asked. Jasmyne sighed. "No, not yet," she said. "I feel like we should see where it goes before."

"I feel so single when I'm around you two," Lillian sighed.

"Well, there is a boy who may be interested in you. Just talk to him, Lil. What's the worst that could happen?" Sophia suggested.

"He could end up not liking me," Lillian expressed her concern.

"Do you always think so negatively?" Jasmyne chuckled.

"Yes, it's one of my many great qualities," Lillian replied with a hint of humor.

____

AFTER PRACTICE, Sophia and Jasmyne set up the camera at the top of the steps, waiting for the boys' arrival. Lillian stood beside the girls, waiting with them.

"So they just come up the steps, and you ask them questions?" Lillian asked.

"Basically," Jasmyne shrugged. Finally, Rutger made his way up the steps as their first interviewee. "Yeah, watch," Sophia said, starting the camera.

"Hey, Rut," Sophia said, making Rutger turn towards her. "What's the best Starburst flavor?" she asked.

"Uh, cherry for sure," he replied, then made his way to the locker room. "See, it's as easy as that," Jasmyne said.

Lillian nodded. "So that's all? You just ask them questions, and then they leave?" she asked.

"Yep," Sophia confirmed. Suddenly, Mackie appeared at the top of the steps.

"Mackie, congrats, you're contestant number two," Jasmyne said. "Alright, what's the question?" he chuckled. "What's the best Starburst flavor?" Jasmyne asked.

"Fruit punch," Mackie said confidently. Sophia shook her head at him. "You're disgusting," she said. "What? It's good," he defended.

"It's not even an original flavor," Mackie shrugged. "It's still good," he said, then walked away.

The girls continued interviewing players like Dylan, Phillipe, and Seamus until Ethan, Mark, and Luke came upstairs. Sophia suddenly felt a wave of warmth as soon as her eyes landed on Ethan's face, his sweaty hair draped over his forehead. He was laughing at something Luke said, and Sophia hoped that if she was blushing it wasn't noticeable.

"Ah, the holy trinity," Lillian sighed. "What's she doing here?" Mark asked.

"I was invited," Lillian grinned. "We're trying to set her up with Luca. Speaking of which, where is he?" Sophia asked.

"Still on the ice. He'll be up in a second," Ethan replied. Sophia nodded, trying to hide her smile desperately.

She locked eyes with Ethan, pretending as if they hadn't just made out in his car the other day. Something was thrilling to her about their secret. Sneaking around, pretending to be friends in front of everyone–it all added to the excitement.

"So, what's the question today, girls?" Luke asked, resting his arm on his stick. "What's the best Starburst flavor," Jasmyne replied.

"Orange for sure," Luke said. "Nah, bro, it's pink," Ethan chimed in. "Agreed. It's superior to all the other flavors," Mark added.

"Superior? Okay, Shakespeare," Lillian chuckled. "Superior is a word, Lillian. Read a book," Mark teased. "I read books," Lillian defended.

"Since when? I've never seen you pick up a book unless it's for school," Sophia said. Lillian smirked, then turned to Sophia.

"Let's talk about the books you read," she suggested. Sophia froze. "Let's not," she quickly replied. "Wait, what books do you read?" Jasmyne asked.

"Uh, don't you guys have to get to the locker room?" Sophia asked, turning to the boys. Ethan leaned on his stick, smirking at Sophia.

"What books do you read, Soph?" he asked. Sophia was definitely blushing now, unable to hide it. Ethan just laughed and left with Mark to the locker room.

"I don't get it," Luke said, walking with them.

After the boys left the room, Luca walked up the stairs, holding his helmet. "Hey, girls," he nodded in greeting. "What's the question for today?" he asked. "What is the best Starburst flavor?" Sophia replied. Luca shrugged, "Probably...cherry. I don't know, that's probably my favorite," he added, then walked towards the locker room.

Lillian shifted her attention to the girls after he left. "He didn't even acknowledge me," she said. "He might've just been in a hurry; he was the last guy," Sophia suggested as Jasmyne turned off the camera. "Or maybe he doesn't like me," Lillian said. "You're overthinking it. Maybe he's waiting for you to make the first move." Jasmyne reassured her. Lillian simply shrugged.

"We should grab our stuff; the guys will be dressed soon, and I want to say bye to Ethan before I leave," Sophia said, smiling. Lillian chuckled, "I can't even be mad at you guys because you're so cute." she said. "I'm heading over to the house with Mark. Why don't you guys tag along?" Jasmyne proposed. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea," Sophia said then turned to Lillian. "Yeah, that's fine. Hanging out with the guys sounds fun, anyway." she agreed.

"Great, so it's settled. I'm going to put this in the office," Jasmyne declared. "Okay, we're gonna head down to the front," Sophia replied. Jasmyne nodded and walked towards the office, while Lillian and Sophia made their way to the front.

"Hey, Lillian," a familiar voice interrupted their walk in the hallway, causing the girls to stop in their tracks. Lillian turned around to find Luca standing in front of her. "Hey," she replied. "I'll be outside," Sophia informed Lillian and then walked away.

"Hey, uh, sorry I didn't say hi when I first saw you," Luca apologized. "Oh, it's fine," Lillian reassured. "It's not that I didn't want to talk to you; it's just—" "Luca, I get it. We met at the game, and I wasn't what you were expecting. It's okay," Lillian interjected.

"Is that what you think?" he asked. "You were everything I expected you to be, which was scary for me because you seemed so cool and chill, meanwhile, I was freaking out the whole time," Luca admitted. Lillian was surprised by Luca's words. She didn't expect this reaction from him.

"When I met you, I thought you didn't have any interest in me," Luca admitted. "I thought that after you met me, you didn't have any interest in me," Lillian confessed. "Well, looks like we both got the situation wrong," Luca chuckled. Lillian sighed, "Yeah, I guess," she chuckled.

The two stood in silence for a moment until Luca spoke up. "Let's start over. I'm Luca, and it's nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you, and I'd like to get to know you better," he said making Lillian smile. "It's nice to meet you, Luca. I'm Lillian, and I would love to get to know you," she replied. "Great, how about we grab lunch before the game on Friday?" Luca suggested.

"I'd love that," Lillian said. "I'll pick you up at one," he replied, smiling, then walked towards the exit. Lillian smiled to herself, feeling a warm, fuzzy sensation inside her—a feeling she'd never experienced with a guy before. Luca was actually interested in her. Everything she had assumed was all in her head. Lillian had always felt like a guy would never choose her, but Luca's desire to get close to her lifted a weight off her shoulders.

____

SOPHIA SAT on the bench and waited for the guys to arrive. Her gaze swept across the leaves transforming into vibrant colors, signaling the impending arrival of fall in Ann Arbor—a season she adored. Each passing day brought a crisper breeze, heightening the anticipation in the air.

"Excuse me, miss, is this seat taken?" Ethan asked as Sophia turned to find him standing in front of her. She giggled. "Well, I was saving it for this guy." Ethan hummed, nodding, "One lucky guy." Sophia laughed. "Sit down, you dork."

Ethan sat beside her, discreetly wrapping his arms around her when he ensured no one was watching. "You know, this whole sneaking around thing is kinda exciting," he said. Sophia turned to him, nodding in agreement, "Yeah." Ethan smiled, leaning in to kiss her. As their lips met, Sophia deepened the kiss.

"Ahem." Startled, they pulled away, only to find Lillian standing in front of them. "If you're going to keep your relationship a secret, maybe save the make-out sessions for more private places," Lillian suggested with a playful grin.

Ethan sighed, moving his arm away from Sophia's shoulder. "Hey, how did your conversation with Luca go?" Sophia asked. "Actually, really well," Lillian replied, settling into the space between Ethan and Sophia, making Ethan groan. "I was sitting there," he complained. Lillian turned to Ethan. "You're fine."

She turned back to Sophia. "He told me he's interested in me. Turns out, my worries were all in my head the whole time," she said. "See, I told you." Sophia chimed in. "Yeah, he mentioned he thought I wasn't interested in him. We're grabbing lunch before the game on Saturday." Lillian continued.

"Oh my god, I'm so happy for you," Sophia grinned. Just then, Jasmyne and Mark appeared, holding hands as they walked over. "Hey, guys. Are you ready?" Jasmyne asked.

"Yeah, let's go," Ethan said, rising from his seat. "Uh, I'm gonna drive with Ethan," Sophia announced. Mark turned toward her, scanned her up and down, and then nodded. "Okay. The girls can ride with me," Mark suggested.

When Mark wasn't looking, Ethan winked at Sophia. "Let's go," he said, leading the way to his car with Sophia.

Mark watched as Sophia and Ethan hopped into the car, exchanging laughter and smiles. He didn't dwell on it; after all, that was the usual dynamic between them. Ethan and Sophia were friends, and Mark was aware of Ethan's genuine care for Sophia. So, he casually dismissed the feeling and climbed into his car. However, that feeling stayed in the back of his mind as he drove away.

END OF CHAPTER

hey, sluts and whores!

this chapter was really just a filler chapter cause I didn't wanna get right to the game. the next chapter will be kinda a filler chapter but I promise to have a little spice in it 🤭

as always live laugh love the Michigan Wolverines 😻