Opposite Attraction

Chapter Two: Late Night Calls & Loud Opinions

Scarlett kicked off her sneakers the second she stepped into her apartment, tossing her bag onto the couch like it had personally offended her.

“Finally,” she muttered, flopping onto her bed.

Her phone was already in her hand before she even got comfortable. One tap. One call.

Sam picked up almost instantly.

“Well?” Sam’s voice came through, loud and dramatic. “Did you finally dump that walking red flag?”

Scarlett smirked, staring at the ceiling. “Oh, I didn’t just dump him… I ended him.”

Sam gasped. “No way. Tell me everything.”

Scarlett laughed, rolling onto her stomach. “I told him straight up I was done. No sugarcoating. No soft landing. Just—boom. Goodbye.”

There was a pause… then Sam burst out laughing.

“About time! That boy was getting on my nerves and I don’t even go to your school,” Sam said. “Honestly, Tom acts like he’s some kind of prize when he’s just—ugh—a whole embarrassment.”

Scarlett snorted. “Exactly! Like, where did he get that confidence from? Because it definitely wasn’t from reality.”

“Please,” Sam scoffed. “His attitude is louder than his personality. And that says a LOT.”

They both broke into laughter, the kind that made your stomach hurt and your worries disappear.

Scarlett wiped a tear from her eye. “I swear, dating him felt like babysitting someone who thinks he’s grown.”

“More like babysitting someone who wants to be impressive but fails every single time,” Sam shot back.

“Stoppp,” Scarlett laughed, kicking her legs in the air. “You’re actually killing me.”

Sam chuckled, then her tone softened slightly. “Anyway… enough about that disaster. Let me tell you about my man.”

Scarlett raised an eyebrow, already smiling. “Ohhh, here we go.”

Sam sighed dreamily. “He literally called me this morning just to say good luck for my test. Like, who even does that anymore?”

Scarlett smirked. “Someone who actually knows how to treat a girl?”

“Exactly,” Sam said proudly. “He listens, he remembers things, and he doesn’t act like he’s doing me a favor by being decent.”

Scarlett chuckled softly, shaking her head. “Wow… must be nice.”

“It is nice,” Sam teased. “Maybe one day you’ll find someone who isn’t completely hopeless.”

Scarlett rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of curiosity behind it. “Please, I’m not in a rush. I just got rid of one headache, I’m not looking for another.”

Sam laughed. “Yeah, yeah. Keep saying that. You always say that right before someone interesting shows up.”

Scarlett smirked, staring up at the ceiling again.

“Trust me,” she said confidently, “no one’s catching my attention anytime soon.”

But for some reason…

A certain cold, quiet football player flashed briefly in her mind.

Scarlett frowned slightly, then shook her head.

“Yeah,” she muttered under her breath, “definitely not.”