Blue Ticks

Ten: Unexpected Encounters

The weekend came as a much-needed break. After another quiet but tense breakfast with Mom, where she again asked gentle questions about the money, Maya convinced me to go to the mall with her.

The place was packed with weekend shoppers. We wandered through stores, Maya kept trying on everything while I mostly watched and occasionally snapped photos on my phone. It felt good to do something normal for once.

We were laughing over a ridiculous oversized hoodie in one store when I felt someone watching us. I turned around and my stomach did a little flip.

Kai and Tyler were walking toward us with a couple of teammates. Kai’s eyes found mine immediately, and a small smile tugged at his lips. Tyler lit up when he saw Maya.

“Hey,” Tyler said casually, hands in his pockets. “ I didn’t expect to run into you guys here.”

“Same,” Maya replied, smiling. “What are you doing at the mall? I thought you hated shopping.”

Tyler shrugged. “Kai needed new shoes for practice. We got dragged along.” He glanced at the pile of clothes Maya was holding. “ You finding anything good?”

We ended up browsing together. It felt surprisingly easy. Maya and Tyler fell into their usual banter, teasing each other while picking out random things. Kai stayed close to me, quietly giving his opinion when I tried on a couple of sweaters.

At the checkout, Maya and I put our items down. I was doing quick math in my head when Tyler stepped up beside us.

“I got these,” he said simply, pulling out his card before either of us could protest.

“Tyler, you don’t have to ” Maya started.

“It’s cool,” he said with an easy grin. “I want to. You two have been fun to hang out with lately.”

He said it so casually like it was no big deal to him. I muttered a quiet thanks, still a little uncomfortable, but he just waved it off.

After leaving the store with our bags, Tyler turned to Maya. “My parents are out of town again. The house is basically empty. You guys want to come over? We can order pizza and watch something. Low-key.”

Maya looked at me. I hesitated for half a second before nodding. “Yeah, okay.”

Tyler’s house was big but not intimidating. It felt lived-in despite the size. We settled in the basement rec room with pizza and drinks. The conversation flowed easily, we mostly listened to hockey stories from the guys and Maya roasting all of them.

At some point, Tyler suggested, “Let’s play Never Have I Ever. Keep it chill.”

We all agreed. Tyler started.

“Never have I ever snuck into the girls’ locker room,” he said, grinning.

One of the other guys drank. Then it was Maya’s turn.

“Never have I ever had a crush on someone in this room,” she said, eyes sparkling.

Tyler drank immediately, looking straight at her. Kai took a sip too, his gaze sliding to me. I felt my face heat up but didn’t drink. Not yet.

When it was my turn, I thought for a second. “Never have I ever kissed someone at school.”

Kai drank, eyes locked on mine. The memory of the darkroom hung between us. Maya drank too, laughing as she pointed at Tyler.

The game got more revealing as it went on. Tyler admitted he’d been nervous to talk to Maya for months. Maya teased him about it. Kai stayed mostly quiet, but every time it was his turn, his answers felt directed at me.

Eventually the other teammates left, leaving just the four of us. Tyler and Maya migrated to the big couch, talking quietly, bodies close. Kai and I ended up on the smaller loveseat.

“You’ve been quiet tonight,” he said softly, his arm resting along the back of the seat behind me.

“Lots on my mind,” I admitted.

He shifted closer. “Same.” His fingers brushed my shoulder lightly. “That kiss in the darkroom… I haven’t stopped thinking about it.”

“Me neither,” I whispered.

The moment stretched. Then he leaned in and kissed me again, slower this time, more sure. His hand cupped the back of my neck gently as I kissed him back, heart racing. It felt real. Dangerous. Perfect.

We broke apart when we heard Maya laugh loudly at something Tyler said. Kai rested his forehead against mine for a second, smiling.

“I like this,” he murmured. “Hanging out like normal people.”

I smiled back, but the weight of everything I was hiding sat heavy in my chest.

Later, as Maya and I got ready to leave, Tyler walked us out.

“Next time, my treat again,” he said casually to Maya. “No arguments.”

She rolled her eyes but smiled. “You’re impossible.”

On the ride home, Maya couldn’t stop talking about Tyler. I stayed quiet, replaying the kiss with Kai and wondering how long I could keep pretending everything was normal.

The streetlights blurred past as Maya chattered on about Tyler’s laugh, the way he looked at her, and how surprisingly sweet he was underneath all that hockey-bro energy. I nodded at the right moments, smiling when she teased me about Kai, but my mind was elsewhere. Every time I closed my eyes, I could still feel Kai’s hand on my neck, the warmth of his lips, the way he made the noise in my head go quiet for those few precious minutes.

But the Blue Tick app was waiting in my pocket like a ticking bomb. Another request had come in while we were at Tyler’s house. Another secret I’d have to deliver. Another lie I’d have to tell Mom tomorrow morning when she asked how my day went.

How many more nights like this could I have before everything falls apart?