The air buzzed with excitement as the school intramurals finally began. Banners in every color waved from the railings, chants echoed in the gym, and students hustled to and from events in their vibrant team shirts. It felt like the entire campus had turned into one giant, over-caffeinated sports festival.
Ellie stood near the edge of the court, adjusting the belt on her taekwondo uniform. Her fingers tugged at the hem of her dobok as if it might calm her nerves. But really, she wasn't nervous about the matches. She had trained hard. She knew what she was capable of.
What had her stomach flipping was something or rather, someone else.
Kyla.
Up in the bleachers, Kyla stood with the cheer squad, her ponytail bouncing as she practiced the last of their routine. She caught Ellie's eye and beamed, raising her pom-poms with a wink. That was all it took. The butterflies in Ellie's stomach went from flutters to full-blown gymnastics.
"Focus, Ellie," Tisha muttered, tossing her a water bottle. "You're not here to flirt. You're here to obliterate."
"I'm not flirting."
"You're staring. Hard."
Ellie just smiled. "I can do both."
The first match started with little fanfare. Ellie's opponent bowed. She bowed back. Then, in a flurry of swift footwork and clean kicks, Ellie had her on the ground in less than two minutes. The crowd roared.
Tisha whooped from the sidelines. "Let's gooo! That's my girl!"
The next few matches blurred into a whirlwind. Ellie moved like she was born for this — calm, calculating, confident. Every time she landed a clean strike, the cheers grew louder. By the time she reached the semifinals, even students from other teams were chanting her name.
Up in the stands, Kyla had gone from cheerleader to full-on hype woman. She screamed until her voice cracked, jumped higher than the rest of her squad, and nearly fell over during one especially enthusiastic round of cheers.
"You got this, Ellie!" Kyla shouted. "Kick their soul out of their body!"
"Someone give her water!" Cassandra gasped between cheers. "She's going feral."
Irene snorted. "It's cute. Wild, but cute."
Ellie didn't miss a beat. The moment she saw her final opponent's stance, she knew it would be tough. This girl was taller, stronger-looking, and had a reputation for being undefeated.
But Ellie wasn't intimidated. She nodded to the referee. The whistle blew.
They clashed like thunder. Kicks were blocked. Punches deflected. Neither backed down. At one point, Ellie landed hard on the mat, wind knocked out of her. But she stood back up, steadying herself. Kyla stood too, hands clasped over her heart.
Then Ellie saw the opening. A tiny shift in her opponent's footing. She spun. Her foot connected perfectly with her opponent's torso.
The gym went silent for a breath.
Then exploded.
"Ellie wins!" the referee called out, raising her hand.
Kyla screamed. Tisha almost tackled someone in excitement. Veilah was crying. Cassandra pretended to faint dramatically while Irene fanned her with a cheer card.
Ellie, panting and flushed, barely had time to react before Kyla barreled down the bleachers and wrapped her in a hug.
"You did it! You amazing, deadly noodle!"
Ellie laughed, holding her close. "I was thinking about you the whole time."
"Gross," Tisha muttered as she approached. "Can't believe love powered those kicks."
"Power of gay love compels her," Veilah chimed in, sniffing.
Anastasia tossed Ellie a towel like she was a celebrity. "For your sweat. And also your tears. But mostly your sweat."
They all sat down on the grass outside the gym for a break, passing snacks around and reliving every dramatic moment.
"Did you see when Ellie did that spin thing?" Irene asked.
"The back hook kick?" Ellie replied.
"No, I mean the move that looked like a tornado. I almost screamed."
"You did scream," Cassandra pointed out. "And dropped your drink."
"And then blamed me," Veilah added.
"Okay, fine. But it was worth it."
Kyla leaned her head on Ellie's shoulder. "You were incredible."
Ellie looked down at her. "You weren't so bad yourself. That pyramid looked dangerous."
"Almost died twice. But I smiled through the fear."
They shared a soft laugh. The sun dipped lower, casting everything in a golden hue. There was still noise all around them students yelling, drums echoing, feet racing across the courts but in that moment, everything else faded.
Later, during the awarding ceremony, Ellie was called up to the stage. A medal hung around her neck, flashing in the gym lights. She turned toward the crowd. Kyla stood in the front row, hands cupped around her mouth.
"You're the best!" she shouted.
"And you're loud!" Ellie shouted back, laughing.
Afterwards, they all went to the canteen for a victory snack. The group crowded around two tables pushed together, ordering milk tea and fries like it was a five-star celebration.
"To Ellie, the undefeated champion!" Anastasia raised her cup.
"And to Kyla, the cheerleader with lungs of steel," Cassandra added.
"May their love be stronger than Ellie's roundhouse kick," Irene declared.
Ellie blushed. "Okay, okay, enough."
Kyla just giggled. "Never enough."
As the sky darkened and the day came to an end, Ellie looked around at her friends at their laughter, their chaos, their relentless teasing and felt something warm settle in her chest.
This was her place.
Her people.
And maybe, just maybe, her happy ending was no longer a someday dream.
It was already happening.
Absolutely! Here's the revised version of the next chapter written in a more **natural, humanized tone** like how real people talk and experience things, keeping the flow casual, warm, and heartfelt, just like you'd hear it in real life:
Ellie woke up the next morning with her legs sore, her hair a mess, and an empty milk tea cup dangerously close to spilling on her pillow. She blinked at the ceiling, completely still for a second, like her body needed to load.
Then everything came rushing back.
The matches. The medal.
Kyla.
She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. Her phone buzzed beside her. Twenty-seven new messages from the group chat.
**Team Chaos (pls don't change the name again)**
Tisha: *"Still limping. My dog looked disappointed."*
Cassandra: *"He should be. That cartwheel was illegal."*
Irene: *"Ellie, you're trending. Saw three posts of you on my feed. One called you 'The Roundhouse Queen.'"*
Kyla: *"She's also my lockscreen. Do not perceive me."*
Veilah: *"I rewatched the final kick six times. I cried five of them."*
Tisha: *"You cry during TikToks."*
Veilah: *"And what about it??"*
Ellie smiled and sent a quick reply.
Then she checked her private messages.
**Kyla:**
> *Hey champ. You alive? Legs still attached? Want to hang out later? I have leftover brownies and I demand your presence. Maybe forehead kisses too. Just saying.*
Ellie groaned and flopped back on her bed, hiding her face with a pillow.
She was officially whipped.
That afternoon, they all met under the big tree near the quad their usual spot. The intrams energy was still hanging in the air, like a scent that hadn't faded yet. Booths were being packed up. A stray streamer floated by like a lonely jellyfish.
Tisha arrived first, wearing shades like she'd been through war. "Nobody ask," she said, sitting down with a loud sigh. "I tried recreating one of Kyla's cheer jumps. In Crocs. Regret."
"You are the reason insurance exists," Cassandra muttered.
Kyla was already on the grass, lounging next to Ellie with a suspicious grin and a Tupperware full of brownies. "Payment for your time," she said, shoving one into Ellie's hand.
"This is bribery," Ellie mumbled through a mouthful. "I approve."
Irene dropped next to them with a couple of juice boxes. "Hydration. Because I care. Unlike some people." She gave a pointed look at Tisha, who was double-fisting iced coffee like her life depended on it.
The conversation spiraled quickly into chaos.
"Did you see Ellie's spinning kick thing?" Cassandra said, grabbing a fry from Veilah's snack bag.
"You mean the tornado kick?" Ellie asked.
"No, the one that looked like you were trying to summon lightning," Irene added. "I legit thought time slowed down."
Veilah gasped dramatically. "I think I blacked out. And also maybe screamed."
"You did scream," Kyla said, laughing. "You dropped your drink on my shoe."
"You're welcome. It added emotional tension to the moment."
Ellie rolled her eyes, grinning. "You're all so dramatic."
"And yet, here we are," Tisha said, raising her cup like a toast.
Kyla leaned her head on Ellie's shoulder. "So. How's it feel to be the girl everyone's talking about?"
Ellie looked down at her, cheeks heating. "Weird. But also... kinda cool?"
Kyla grinned. "You deserve it. I've never screamed that hard for anyone."
"You screamed harder than the actual team mascot."
"I'm emotionally invested, okay?"
Their fingers brushed for a second. Ellie didn't move away.
Then Veilah gasped again she had a talent for it. "Wait. Are you guys about to kiss or something?"
Ellie blinked. "What—"
Tisha was already reaching for her phone. "Please do. I need content."
"Irene, get the popcorn," Cassandra whispered like it was a spy mission.
"You guys are actually insane," Ellie muttered, covering her face.
Kyla leaned closer, whispering just loud enough for her to hear. "Let's save the drama for later. Just us."
Ellie lowered her hands, looked at her, and smiled. "Okay. Promise?"
"Promise."
Later that night, everything felt quieter.
Most of the students had gone home. The booths were packed, the banners rolled up, the noise of the day replaced by the soft sounds of crickets and the hum of campus lights.
Ellie and Kyla walked together, slowly, side by side. There wasn't a rush. Just... a calm kind of silence.
"This is where I almost died," Kyla said, pointing at the patch of grass where their cheer pyramid nearly collapsed.
"You were wobbling like a bobblehead," Ellie laughed.
"I was terrified! But I looked cute, so it's fine."
They walked a bit more. Then Kyla stopped, turning to face her.
"I meant what I said earlier. You were amazing."
Ellie looked at her, heart thudding louder than the drums during the opening parade.
"You helped," she said softly. "Hearing your voice... it kept me steady."
Kyla smiled. "I can be loud for a reason."
"You always are."
"Rude," Kyla grinned. "But fair."
The silence returned, but it felt different now. Softer. Full.
Ellie reached up, gently tucking a strand of Kyla's hair behind her ear. Kyla leaned into her touch without hesitation.
And then, finally, their lips met.
It was simple. No sparkly filters or violin music. Just two girls standing on a quiet field, kissing like the rest of the world could wait.
When they pulled back, Kyla smiled like she'd just won a prize.
"You taste like chocolate and pride," she whispered.
"You're such a dork."
"But I'm your dork."
Ellie rolled her eyes. "Yeah. You are."
The next morning, everything was back to normal.
Sort of.
Because when Ellie and Kyla walked into school hand in hand, the world exploded.
"TISHA, I TOLD YOU!" Cassandra yelled.
"I'm collecting my 50 pesos!" Tisha called across the room.
"You people need help," Ellie said under her breath.
Kyla just beamed and leaned in. "Told you we'd be iconic."
By lunch, someone had drawn a doodle of them on the whiteboard: a stick figure doing a spinning kick and another with pom-poms. Hearts everywhere. It was awful. But Ellie couldn't stop smiling.
As the week went on, the buzz of intrams faded. Teachers started piling on homework again. Clubs met. Quizzes came back. Life continued.
But now, Ellie had something new.
Or someone new.
Sometimes she'd be walking down the hall, and Kyla would fall into step beside her, fingers brushing until they linked hands.
Sometimes she'd be stretching before practice and hear Kyla yelling from the bleachers, even when she wasn't supposed to be there.
Sometimes she'd just look up from her seat and catch Kyla staring like she was the only person in the room.
It wasn't loud. It wasn't dramatic.
But it was steady.
Warm.
Real.
Maybe this wasn't some passing high school crush.
Maybe it was more than that.
Maybe love didn't always feel like fireworks and slow-mo movie scenes.
Maybe sometimes, it felt like stolen brownies, teasing group chats, bruised legs, loud cheers, and a girl who showed up for you again and again.
And maybe, just maybe, Ellie didn't have to wait for her happy ending anymore.
Because it had already begun.