Chapter 2 Speaking on Behalf of Others

Stephanie's POV

I froze in place, my whole body trembling.

When Lorenzo saw me, he shrugged off Jessica's hand from his shoulder and said, "Honey, don't get the wrong idea. Jessica said she wanted to work out this morning too, so I brought her along."

Before I could respond, Jessica let out a sharp laugh. "Lorenzo, I actually feel sorry for you. With a girl that skinny, all bones and no curves—sleeping with her must be like lying on a bed of nails."

Several girls around us burst into laughter, their voices sharp with mockery.

I was shaking with rage, biting my lip so hard I tasted blood. My face burned.

Jessica walked up to me, a smile plastered on her face, but her eyes were glacial. "With that flat figure, you shouldn't even be on the cheerleading squad. Oh, wait—I heard the mascot crew next door is looking for people. Those costumes are so thick, nobody can tell you've got nothing up top. Sounds perfect for you."

The laughter around us grew louder, like I was some kind of circus act.

The mascot crew—the people who bounced around the field in bulky cartoon costumes, faces completely hidden.

I knew exactly what Jessica was doing. She was humiliating me in public.

Lorenzo reached out and grabbed my cold hand, pulling me forward. "Alright, that's enough."

As he led me away, Jessica kept going, her voice carrying across the track. "Lorenzo, when you get bored of her, come find me. I promise I'm a lot more fun to touch!"

After we'd put some distance between us and them, Lorenzo let out a tired sigh. "Stephanie, that's just how Jessica is. Don't let her get to you."

I stared at him in disbelief. "Lorenzo, she humiliated me like that, and you want me to just let it go?"

He scratched his head, irritation flickering across his face. "She didn't mean anything by it. She was just messing around."

"Messing around?" My voice rose. "She was hitting on you right in front of me. You think I didn't hear that?"

"That was a joke too!" Lorenzo's patience was fraying. "Stephanie, I thought you were more mature than this. I didn't think you'd be so petty."

"I'm petty? Don't you know she's been gunning for my captain spot? She did this on purpose!" I shot back.

He waved a hand dismissively. "I know, but that's just her personality—she's blunt. If you blow this out of proportion, you're just going to look insecure."

Watching my own boyfriend defend another woman right in front of me, I felt something cold and heavy settle in my chest.

"Forget it. Just go." My voice came out flat and cold.

"Don't be like that." Lorenzo wrapped his arms around me from behind, nuzzling his chin into my hair. "I promise, from now on I'll keep my distance from Jessica, okay?"

I turned to look at him, tears pricking at my eyes. "Really?"

He kissed my cheek, his voice softening. "Really. If anyone messes with you from now on, I'll have your back."

I didn't say anything else. I acted like I'd forgiven him, but my chest still felt tight.

He coaxed me in a low voice for a while longer before finally saying, "I'll meet you for lunch at noon."

I nodded, and we each headed back to our own classes.

At lunchtime, Lorenzo didn't show. I was getting used to this by now. I walked into the cafeteria alone.

After I finished eating, I wandered to the stairwell, found a random step, and sat down. My hands dangled between my knees as I stared blankly at the floor.

I replayed the scene from this morning over and over, my chest still aching.

Jessica and I not getting along wasn't exactly breaking news—it had been going on for a while. Logically, I should've been immune to her jabs by now.

But the problem was, this time she'd mocked me right in front of Lorenzo.

I was angry, mostly because I cared what Lorenzo thought of me.

After all, I loved him.

I thought back to the first time I saw Lorenzo. He'd been riding his bike through campus and accidentally crashed into me as I was leaving the training room.

That day he wore an all-white athletic uniform, and he looked almost radiant in the sunlight, like he was glowing.

He didn't even stop to apologize—just scooped me up and ran straight to the nurse's office. Through the haze of sunlight, I watched the sweat slide down the back of his neck, and my heart hammered so hard I thought it might burst.

After that, Lorenzo started showing up at the training room door, always bringing my favorite desserts.

We fell into it naturally and quickly became the couple everyone on campus knew about.

He was my first love. Our first kiss happened in a secluded corner of the back field.

That night I looked up at the moon, felt the warmth of his lips, and heard nothing but the pounding of my own heartbeat.

I was certain then that I loved him. Why else would my heart race like that every time I was with him?

In my mind, that was love. Wasn't it?

"Um... excuse me, sorry to bother you." A clear male voice cut through my thoughts.

I jerked my head up. A guy in a denim jacket with a guitar case slung over his back stood a few feet away.

I recognized him. His name was Martin Allen. Every time we had open practice, he'd sit in the stands with his camera, snapping photos. Afterward, he'd edit a few and send them to the cheerleading squad's group email.

So I'd always had some vague awareness of him.

"Are you okay?" He hesitated, then walked over and sat down on the step beside me.

"I'm fine." I turned my face away, my voice coming out hoarse and rough.

Martin was quiet for a few seconds. Then he pulled a deck of cards from his jacket pocket.

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye.

He slid the cards out of the box, shuffled them absently with his head down, then held them face down and extended them toward me.

"Pick one." He looked at me, his eyes holding a flicker of anticipation.

"Why?"

"Just pick one."

I sniffled and randomly pulled out a card—the seven of hearts.

I kept the card face down in my palm, curious to see what he'd do next.

He took the remaining cards back, shuffled again, then flipped over the top card from the deck—it was my seven of hearts.

Just as surprise started to register, he shook his index finger. "Nope. Not this one."

He tossed the card casually into the air. When it fell, he caught it with a quick flick of his wrist, then handed it to me with a gentle smile. "This is your card."

I took the card and saw that at some point, he'd drawn a crooked smiley face on it with a black marker. It looked ridiculous.

"See? Your card's smiling at you. Trying to cheer you up." His voice was soft.

I stared at that smiley face for two seconds, suddenly feeling a rush of warmth. I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. I reached out and shoved his shoulder lightly. "What kind of terrible magic trick is that?"

"Terrible magic for a terrible mood." He rubbed the spot where I'd hit him, grinning like an idiot. "As long as it works."

After his little performance, my mood really did lighten.

We chatted easily, and I was surprised to discover that he'd actually been a fan of mine for a while.

"Thanks for today." I meant it.

"Don't mention it." Martin scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed. "Being able to help you makes me happier than it makes you."

I looked at him, a warm feeling slowly spreading through my chest.

Turns out, Lorenzo wasn't the only person who cared about me.

Just as we were settling into a comfortable rhythm, a cold, sharp voice cut between us. "Stephanie, what are you doing here?"