Friday night's light
1860 Words
Crystal’s POV
If there was one thing Lockwood High loved more than gossip, it was football.
Football at Lockwood wasn’t just a sport—it was practically a religion.
And Bryan Carter?
Bryan was their god.
The entire school vibrated with excitement as students flooded the stadium in black-and-gold school colors. Music blasted through giant speakers while cheerleaders rushed around preparing for kickoff.
Normally, nights like this were my favorite.
The energy.
The attention.
The lights.
Everything about it made me feel alive.
But tonight?
Tonight felt different.
“Heads up!”
A pom-pom smacked me directly in the face.
“Ow!” I glared at Ashley while the other cheerleaders burst into laughter.
“You’ve been spacing out for twenty minutes,” Ashley said. “What’s wrong with you lately?”
“Nothing.”
“Liar.”
I adjusted my cheer uniform quietly.
The short black-and-gold skirt suddenly felt too tight against my skin, and the stadium noise felt louder than usual.
Ever since Bryan admitted—well, not exactly admitted—but basically admitted he cheated…
Nothing felt normal anymore.
Especially us.
We hadn’t officially broken up.
Not yet.
Which honestly made everything worse.
“You guys are still together?” Trish asked softly beside me.
I shot her a look. “Subtle.”
“I’m serious.”
I sighed.
“I don’t know.”
And that was the truth.
Part of me wanted to scream at Bryan forever.
Another part wanted desperately to believe he still loved me.
Three years doesn’t disappear overnight.
Right?
Coach Ramirez clapped loudly, pulling us back into formation.
“Focus, ladies! Full stadium tonight. No mistakes.”
The cheer squad immediately straightened.
The roar of the crowd grew louder as the football team finally stormed onto the field.
And there he was.
Bryan.
The stadium erupted instantly.
“CARTER!”
“MVP!”
“LOCKWOOD!”
Bryan raised his helmet confidently while cameras flashed around him.
Typical.
My chest tightened painfully.
God.
Why did he still look so perfect?
It was unfair.
Like the universe, I personally decided to make heartbreak more difficult for me.
His eyes searched the sidelines immediately.
Searching for me.
When he found me standing beside the cheerleaders, something softened in his expression.
Relief.
Then he smiled.
The same smile that ruined my common sense every single time.
I hated myself for smiling back.
Nick’s POV
I hated football games.
Not because of the sport itself.
But because football games at Lockwood felt like giant reminders of social hierarchy.
The rich kids sat in the front row laughing loudly while scholarship students mostly blended into the background unless they played sports.
Which I didn’t.
I sat high up in the bleachers wearing my old gray hoodie while the crowd screamed around me.
Jax appeared beside me carrying enough snacks to feed an army.
“You look miserable.”
“I am miserable.”
“You say that every game.”
“Because every game is terrible.”
Jax ignored me while aggressively opening candy.
“You know what your problem is?”
“I’m sure you’re about to tell me.”
“You keep staring at Crystal like a tragic Victorian poet.”
I nearly choked.
“Lower your voice.”
Jax gasped dramatically. “So you admit it!”
“I admitted nothing.”
“You literally sound jealous every time Bryan touches her.”
“I don’t—”
“Oh my God.” He pointed accusingly. “You do.”
I rubbed my face tiredly.
This was why conversations with Jax felt dangerous.
He noticed too much.
The stadium lights brightened as the announcer’s voice echoed loudly through the speakers.
“Welcome to tonight’s game! Lockwood High versus Westview Academy!”
The crowd exploded.
Cheerleaders rushed onto the field.
And then Crystal appeared.
The entire stadium practically paused.
Even from this distance, she stood out effortlessly.
Her brunette curls bounced behind her as she performed with the squad, smiling brightly beneath the lights.
Everyone around me noticed.
Guys whistled loudly.
Girls stared.
And Bryan?
Bryan watched her like she hung the stars.
Which honestly confuses the hell out of me now.
If he looked at her like that…
Why cheat?
Why risk losing her?
It made no sense.
Jax leaned closer.
“You think they’ll survive this scandal?”
“No.”
The answer came too quickly.
Jax blinked.
“Damn.”
I stared toward the field quietly.
“People like Bryan don’t change.”
Crystal’s POV
By halftime, my legs felt like jelly.
Cheerleading looked easy until you spent hours jumping, smiling, flipping, and pretending your life wasn’t collapsing.
“Water break!” Coach Ramirez shouted.
The squad scattered immediately.
I grabbed my water bottle and headed toward the benches while trying not to think about the hundreds of eyes constantly watching me.
Because tonight they weren’t just watching the game.
They were watching me.
Waiting.
Judging.
The scandal surrounding Bryan and I had become school entertainment.
I hated it.
“You okay?”
I looked up.
Bryan stood in front of me, sweaty and breathing hard from the game.
God.
Why did he have to be attractive even while exhausted?
“I’m fine.”
“That’s your favorite lie lately.”
I looked away.
The tension between us felt heavier than ever.
Bryan sat beside me slowly.
“Can we talk after the game?”
“We’ve been talking.”
“No,” he said quietly. “We’ve been arguing.”
My throat tightened.
Before I could answer, screaming erupted nearby.
A group of girls rushed toward Bryan asking for pictures.
Of course.
Bryan sighed under his breath.
“I’ll find you later.”
I nodded slightly.
But something inside me already felt tired.
Tired of uncertainty.
Tired of doubt.
Tired of pretending things weren’t broken.
As Bryan walked away, I noticed Katrine standing near the sidelines watching us.
Smiling.
A cold chill ran through me instantly.
Nick’s POV
Something felt wrong.
I noticed that the second halftime ended.
Bryan kept checking his phone between plays.
Crystal looked emotionally exhausted.
And Katrine?
Katrine looked way too entertained by everything happening.
I frowned slightly from the bleachers.
Jax noticed immediately.
“You look like Batman solving crimes.”
“Katrine’s planning something.”
“Who?”
“The blonde girl.”
“Ohhh.” Jax adjusted his glasses dramatically. “The evil one.”
Accurate.
The game resumed loudly as Lockwood scored another touchdown.
The stadium exploded with cheers.
Bryan removed his helmet briefly while teammates celebrated around him.
Then his phone buzzed.
Again.
This time I noticed something else.
Katrine glanced down at her phone too.
And smiled.
My stomach tightened.
No way.
No freaking way.
“Jax.”
“Hm?”
“You still have that photography zoom lens?”
He blinked. “Why?”
“Just answer.”
“…Yeah?”
“Can I borrow it?”
Jax stared at me suspiciously before slowly handing over his camera.
I adjusted the lens carefully toward the field.
Toward Bryan.
Toward his phone screen.
The image sharpened slightly.
Not perfect.
But enough.
And the second the text appeared—
my blood went cold.
Meet me behind the locker rooms after the game ❤️
From Katrine.
I lowered the camera slowly.
“You okay?” Jax asked.
No.
No, I was absolutely not okay.
Because Crystal had no idea.
And somehow…
I was the only person who did.
Crystal’s POV
The game ended with Lockwood winning.
Again.
The stadium roared with excitement while fireworks exploded above the field.
Football players celebrated wildly.
Cheerleaders screamed.
Students flooded the field.
Normally Bryan would spin me around dramatically after every victory.
Tonight he barely looked at me.
And that hurt more than I expected.
“Crystal!”
Ashley rushed toward me excitedly.
“Party at Dylan’s house tonight!”
“I don’t know if I’m—”
“You’re coming,” Trish interrupted firmly.
“I’m tired.”
“And depressed.” She grabbed my arm. “Exactly why you need to come.”
I sighed heavily.
Maybe distraction wasn’t the worst idea.
Bryan jogged over moments later while removing his gloves.
“You heading to Dylan’s?”
“Maybe.”
His eyes softened slightly.
“Come with me after?”
My heartbeat betrayed me instantly.
Because despite everything…
Part of me still wanted him.
Still loved him.
Still hoped.
“I’ll think about it,” I answered quietly.
Bryan stepped closer.
“Crystal—”
“Yo, Carter!”
One of his teammates called him loudly.
Bryan cursed softly under his breath.
“I’ll find you later.”
Then he left again.
And somehow that felt symbolic.
Nick’s POV
I shouldn’t care this much.
Seriously.
This entire situation had absolutely nothing to do with me.
Yet here I was standing outside the stadium watching Crystal laugh weakly with her friends while Bryan disappeared toward the parking lot.
Toward the locker rooms.
Toward Katrine.
“Dude,” Jax muttered beside me, “you look homicidal.”
“I’m thinking.”
“Dangerous.”
I ignored him.
Should I tell Crystal?
No.
Absolutely not.
That would make me look obsessed.
Or jealous.
Or both.
And honestly?
Maybe Bryan wouldn’t actually go.
Maybe I was overthinking.
But deep down…
I already knew.
Because cheaters rarely stopped cheating after getting caught once.
My jaw tightened.
Crystal deserved better.
The thought came so naturally it almost hurt.
Jax suddenly grabbed my arm.
“Wait.”
“What?”
He pointed discreetly toward the far side of the stadium.
Bryan.
Walking quickly toward the back area behind the locker rooms.
Alone.
A few seconds later—
Katrine followed.
My stomach dropped.
“Oh, this is bad,” Jax whispered.
Very bad.
Because at the exact same moment—
I noticed Crystal looking around for Bryan.
Crystal’s POV
Something felt wrong again.
That horrible instinct returned suddenly.
Sharp and unsettling.
I scanned the crowd automatically.
No Bryan.
Weird.
I pulled out my phone.
No messages.
“Looking for lover boy?” Ashley teased.
“Shut up.”
But even as I laughed weakly, anxiety twisted deeper inside me.
Then I noticed something strange.
Nick standing near the bleachers staring at me intensely.
Not creepy intense.
Urgent intense.
Like he wanted to say something.
Before I could process it, he started walking toward me.
Fast.
“Crystal.”
I blinked in surprise.
“Nick?”
He looked tense.
Really tense.
“What’s wrong?”
He hesitated.
Like he was debating something internally.
Then finally—
“Don’t go to Dylan’s party.”
Confusion spread through me instantly.
“What?”
“Just… trust me.”
“Nick, what are you talking about?”
His jaw clenched.
“Bryan’s lying to you.”
My stomach dropped.
“What?”
Before he could answer—
my phone buzzed.
Bryan.
Relief hit me immediately.
Maybe Nick was wrong.
Maybe I was overthinking everything.
I answered quickly.
“Bryan?”
Heavy breathing met my ears first.
Then a girl’s voice.
Laughing softly.
Followed by Bryan’s voice whispering:
“You’re insane, Katrine…”
And then—
a kiss.
- Writer
