Maya stood alone in her dorm room, abandoned by the two people who'd been circling closest to her truth. By morning, she discovered that isolation was just the beginning of her problems.
Word spread faster than Maya thought possible. By the time she reached morning practice, everyone seemed to know something had gone down between Ethan and Mateo. Nobody said it outright, but the evidence was everywhere. Sidelong glances when she entered the locker room. Conversations that stopped mid-sentence. The kind of sudden silences that meant her name had just been spoken.
Great. Now I'm the subject of team gossip.
Jake caught her eye and quickly looked away. Two sophomores whispered behind their hands. Even Coach Martinez gave her a longer look than usual when taking attendance.
On the field, it got worse.
