Episode 2: The Sideline View
779 Words
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If there was one place Aria spent most of her Friday nights, it was sitting on the cold aluminum bleachers of the high school stadium.
The autumn air was crisp, forcing her to bury her face into a thick knitted scarf. Below her on the field, the bright stadium lights illuminated the varsity soccer team. Aria’s eyes, however, weren't tracking the ball. They were locked onto jersey number 10: Ethan.
He moved with an effortless grace that completely contradicted how aggressive the sport was. With a swift flick of his foot, he passed the ball directly to Leo (jersey number 7), who crossed it right into the back of the net. The crowd erupted.
Aria jumped to her feet, cheering loudly, her heart swelling with a mix of sibling pride and something entirely different. Down on the field, Leo and Ethan slammed their shoulders together in a celebratory high-five. Ethan looked up toward the bleachers, scanning the crowd until his eyes locked onto Aria. He raised a hand, flashing her a quick, dazzling grin before jogging back to the center line.
Aria sat back down, her cheeks flushing warmer than the hot cocoa in her thermos. *He looked at me.*
An hour later, the game was over, and the stadium had mostly emptied out. Aria waited near the exit gates, shivering slightly as the temperature dropped.
"Hey, tiny human," Leo's loud voice rang out. He walked up, his hair damp from the post-game shower, throwing a heavy arm around her neck. "Did you see that assist? I practically handed him that goal."
"You both played great," Aria laughed, straining under his weight.
"Don't let him lie to you, Ari. He almost tripped over his own cleats in the first half," Ethan said, walking up beside them. He looked ridiculously good in his team track jacket, his dark hair still a little messy.
"Traitor," Leo scoffed. "Anyway, Mom said she left lasagna in the oven for us. I'm starving. Let’s go."
As they started walking toward Leo's beat-up sedan, a group of senior girls from the cheer squad walked past. One of them, a gorgeous brunette named Chloe, lingered behind, stepping right into Ethan’s path.
"Great game tonight, Ethan," Chloe said, her voice dropping into a sweet, practiced tone. She reached out, lightly touching his arm. "A few of us are heading to the diner down the street to celebrate. You should come with us."
Aria’s stomach instantly dropped, feeling like ice. She suddenly felt incredibly young, incredibly small, and entirely invisible. She looked down at her worn sneakers, gripping the strap of her backpack tightly.
Leo stopped walking, glancing back at Ethan with a knowing smirk. "Go ahead, man. I can take the brat home."
Ethan looked at Chloe, then his eyes flicked down to Aria. He noticed her shivering, her hands buried deep in her pockets, looking like she wanted to disappear.
Ethan gently stepped back, breaking Chloe's touch on his arm with an apologetic smile. "Thanks, Chloe, but I'm beat. And I promised Leo I’d help him study for the history midterm tomorrow. Next time, alright?"
Chloe looked disappointed but nodded, waving as she walked away.
Leo stared at Ethan in utter disbelief. "Since when do you care about a history midterm? You have an A!"
"Since I decided I didn't want to freeze to death at a diner," Ethan replied smoothly, catching up to them and giving Aria’s backpack strap a playful tug. "Plus, someone’s gotta make sure Little Ari doesn't freeze into an ice cube. Look at her, she’s shaking."
Before Aria could say a word, Ethan unzipped his varsity track jacket, slipped it off his shoulders, and draped it right over her. It was huge on her, swallowing her frame completely, but it was incredibly warm—and it smelled entirely like him.
"Better?" Ethan asked, his voice soft.
Aria looked up at him through her bangs, swallowing hard. "Yeah. Better. Thank you."
Leo watched the interaction, his protective big-brother radar pinging for a brief second. He narrowed his eyes at Ethan, his tone joking but with a underlying layer of seriousness. "Hey, watch it, Vance. Don't go spoiling my sister. You're supposed to be my best friend, not her knight in shining armor."
Ethan laughed, tossing an arm over Leo's shoulder. "Relax, man. She's like a little sister to me too. Come on, I want that lasagna."
*Like a little sister.*
The words stung, pulling Aria right back to reality. She pulled the oversized jacket tighter around herself, burying her nose into the collar. It was the perfect comfort, and the ultimate reminder of the line she wasn't allowed to cross.
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- Writer
