Roxie was already exhausted by the time the final bell rang.

The pep rally was only three days away, and practice had been brutal. Kendall had been more difficult than usual, throwing off counts and making passive comments loud enough for the rest of the squad to hear.

On top of that, Roxie still had the admin meeting and her mom’s words stuck in her head.

She just wanted to go home, finish whatever homework she had, and sleep. But as she was packing her bag, her phone buzzed with a message from Mr. Callahan.

Lab report is due Monday. Finish it this weekend. No extensions.

Roxie stared at the message for a few seconds before sighing. She knew what that meant. She would have to meet with Zac again.

She had been avoiding being alone with him since the bleachers, since every quiet second with him somehow turned into another problem. But if they did not finish the project soon, it would only add more problems to her already long list.

After a few minutes of hesitation, she texted him.

Roxie: We need to finish the lab report. Library after school?

His reply came almost immediately.

Zac: Bleachers are quieter. Same spot as last time?

Roxie stared at his message. She did not want to meet in the gym again. It felt too personal. But the library would be crowded, and she did not want people seeing them together and starting more rumors.

She typed back slowly.

Roxie: Fine. 5:30.

Roxie arrived at the gym a little after practice. Most of the lights were already off. Zac was sitting on the lowest bleacher with his notebook open and his bag on the floor beside him.

He looked up when she walked in.

"You came," he said.

Roxie dropped her bag and sat down, keeping some space between them. "We need to finish this."

They started working on the last part of their lab report. For the first ten minutes, they kept the conversation focused on the project. Roxie tried to concentrate on the calculations, but her eyes kept drifting toward Zac.

She noticed the faint stubble along his jaw. It made him look a little older. His blue eyes were focused on the paper as he wrote something down. From the corner of her eye, she could also see the broad shape of his shoulders under his hoodie.

She remembered hearing girls talk about how good his body was, and she hated that she was thinking about it now.

Zac glanced up and caught her looking. He leaned closer to see her paper. "You mixed the second and third observation."

"I did not."

"You did."

Roxie checked the notes.

She had.

She changed it without looking at him. "Don’t look happy."

"I’m not."

"I can feel you looking happy."

"That sounds like a you problem."

"Your face is a me problem."

Zac’s mouth curved. "That’s the nicest thing you’ve said to me."

"It really wasn’t."

He laughed and went back to the conclusion.

For once, the packet actually kept them busy.

Roxie checked the observations while Zac copied the calculations into the report, his handwriting messy enough to annoy her but still somehow readable. She passed him the notes. He passed back the eraser. They stayed on task long enough that Roxie almost trusted it.

Then Zac leaned back and stretched his legs out, looking at the last question.

"What do you usually do when you’re not doing cheer?"

Roxie’s pen stopped.

She looked at him because that had nothing to do with the lab report, and he was already looking back like the question had made perfect sense in his head.

Their eyes met for one second too long.

Roxie looked back at the packet. "Sleep."

"Liar."

She glanced at him. "Excuse me?"

"You don’t seem like someone who sleeps enough."

"That’s rude."

"That’s observation."

"That’s still rude."

He shrugged. "So?"

Roxie looked back at the packet. "Movies."

"What kind?"

"Any kind."

"That’s vague."

"Because I said it hoping you wouldn’t ask follow-up questions."

Zac smiled. "Didn’t work."

Roxie sighed, but it did not have much force behind it. "I like watching actors. How they change their face, how they make people believe things without saying too much. It’s interesting."

Zac was quiet for a moment, like he was deciding whether to answer honestly.

Roxie shifted her pen between her fingers. "What?"

"Nothing," he said. "That’s just more interesting than sleep."

"I regret answering."

"No, you don’t."

"I do a little."

"What’s your favorite movie?"

"That is the kind of question that starts fights."

"Coward."

Roxie narrowed her eyes. "You’re calling me a coward while asking about movies?"

"I’m calling you a coward because you won’t answer."

"What do you do when you’re not letting the whole town worship you?"

Zac’s eyebrows lifted. "That was smooth."

"I know."

He looked down at the packet, then at his hands. "I cook."

Roxie stared at him.

He noticed. "What?"

"You cook?"

"Yes."

"Like cereal?"

"Wow."

"I’m just asking."

"I make actual food."

"That doesn’t fit."

"With my face?"

Roxie gave him a look. "Yeah, Prescott. It’s all about your face."

Zac’s mouth curved. "You’d marry me if you tasted my stew."

Roxie’s pen stopped.

It was such a stupid thing to say. Worse, he said it easily, like the word marry was nothing.

She looked back at the packet. "Your confidence is disturbing. I’m talking about your whole football boy situation."

Zac laughed, but it was different this time.

Smaller.

Roxie looked at him before she could stop herself, because that laugh sounded less like the one he used in hallways and more like something that had slipped out before he could fix it.

Fuck off, Roxie.

He probably laughed like that with everyone when there were no girls watching from lockers and no teammates waiting for a show. She was not special because he knew how to cook stew and had a mom who taught him basic survival.

Still, her pen stayed still for a second too long.

This was the problem. Zac kept proving her wrong.

He was supposed to be loud and stupid and too full of himself. He was not supposed to be good at chemistry. He was not supposed to cook stew with his mom. He was not supposed to sit beside her in an empty gym and make her laugh when she had spent the whole day trying not to fall apart.

A curl slipped forward over her cheek as she bent over the packet.

Before she could push it back, Zac reached out.

Roxie went still.

His fingers brushed the curl away from her face, light enough that he could have pretended it had been nothing. He tucked it behind her ear, then dropped his hand back like even he knew he might have crossed a line.

"You have nice hair," he said. "Probably everyone says that."

Roxie’s stomach turned over in a way that made her want to stand up and leave immediately.

Instead, she stayed where she was.

Stupid.

"You should see it when I wake up," she said, then regretted it the second the words left her mouth. That was way too personal.

Zac’s eyes stayed on hers.

"I can imagine," he said.

Roxie’s face warmed.

His mouth twitched, but he did not push. That should have helped.

It did not.

The gym had gotten too quiet around them. Roxie looked down at the packet, but the numbers were useless now. Zac was still close, still watching her like he knew she was thinking about running.

His gaze dropped to her mouth.

Roxie should have moved.

She didn’t.

Zac leaned in a little, slow enough to make her heart kick hard against her ribs.

Then Roxie turned her head.

His breath brushed her cheek before he stopped.

For a second, neither of them said anything.

"I uh, I need to go."

Zac’s ears were red again, which made her face burn harder.

Roxie grabbed her folder and shoved the packet inside before her hands could shake. "We have enough for the report."

"We still need the conclusion."

"You’re smart. Make one up."

"That’s not how conclusions work."

"It is tonight."

She stood and slung her bag over her shoulder. "Send me your part later."

Zac looked up at her. "Roxie."

She hated how different her name sounded when he said it without teasing.

"I’m going home," she said.

He nodded once.

She left before he could change his mind.

The hallway outside the gym was mostly empty.

Mostly.

Kendall was leaning against the wall near the trophy case with Marissa and Tori beside her.The second Roxie stepped out, Kendall looked at her face, then at the gym door behind her.Her smile spread slowly.Roxie stopped.She should have known Kendall would be waiting for something to use.

"Well," Kendall said, loud enough for her friends to hear. "Look who’s coming out of the gym all flushed."

Marissa snickered.

Tori lifted her phone slightly, not filming yet, just making sure Roxie saw it.

Roxie adjusted the strap of her bag. "Move."

Kendall pushed away from the wall. "Did you and Prescott finish chemistry?"

Roxie stared at her.

Kendall’s smile widened. "Or was it biology?"

Tori laughed.

Roxie’s fingers tightened around her bag strap. "Move, Kendall."

"Why?" Kendall stepped closer. "You scared comeoneis going to find out you’re still sneaking around with him?"

"I said move."

Kendall tilted her head. "You really can’t help yourself, can you? First the bus, then the bleachers, now this. It’s kind of sad."

Roxie tried to step around her.

Kendall moved with her.

"Just admit it," Kendall said, her voice sweeter now. "You like the attention."

Roxie looked at her. "You would know."

Kendall’s smile twitched.

Marissa made a small sound.

Roxie should have walked away then.

She knew that.

But Kendall leaned closer, eyes bright and mean.

"You’re still acting like you’re better than everyone," Kendall said. "With your ugly face and your fake little queen act."

Roxie went still.

Kendall’s eyes dropped to her hair.

"And that color," she said, her mouth curling. "God, it’s so tacky."

Roxie’s fingers tightened around her bag strap. "Move."

Kendall stepped closer. "You think it makes you look special, but it just makes you look like a desperate."

Roxie’s face went still.

Kendall smiled.

"Honestly, it makes you look like a slut."

Then Kendall reached out and yanked Roxie’s hair.

Pain shot across Roxie’s scalp.

Her bag hit the floor.

Roxie grabbed Kendall’s hair back before she could think.

Kendall screamed.

Marissa yelled. Tori’s phone came up.

The gym door flew open.

"What the hell?"

Zac crossed the hallway fast, but Kendall still had Roxie’s curls twisted in her fist.

"Let go of her!" Zac shouted.

The hallway went quiet for half a second.

Kendall froze, eyes wide.

Roxie froze too, because Zac Prescott did not sound charming. He sounded furious.

"She attacked me!" Kendall cried.

Zac got between them, one hand closing around Roxie’s wrist while his other arm pushed Kendall back. His eyes stayed on Kendall’s hand.

"Your hand is still in her hair," he snapped. "Let go."

Kendall’s face went red. "She started it."

"Kendall," Zac said, louder this time. "Let. Go."

Kendall released Roxie’s hair.

Roxie let go a second later, breathing hard, her scalp burning and her hands shaking.

Kendall stumbled back into Tori. "Come on."

Marissa grabbed Kendall’s bag from the floor, and the three of them hurried down the hallway like they were afraid someone would stop them.

Roxie reached for her bag, then froze.

The phone.

Tori had filmed it.

Roxie swallowed hard.

She was in deep shit.