Blair's POV
Blair stood in front of her mirror, tying her hair into a sleek low ponytail. Her white tennis skirt flared lightly at her thighs, paired with a navy crop top that hugged her figure. She slipped on white ankle socks and matching tennis shoes, giving herself one last look before whispering to her reflection, "Today, we avoid James. Focus. No distractions."
She jogged downstairs to find her mum and Victor having coffee in the living room.
"Morning," she said, grabbing a pancake from the plate on the table.
Victor smiled. "Ready for today's big sport?"
Lily laughed and nudged her. "She's only good at running."
"Don't underestimate me, Mum," Blair said with a teasing grin, stuffing a bite of pancake in her mouth.
Just then, Cassie came downstairs dressed in a deep green tennis skirt and a black tank top. Her brown curls were pulled into a high puff ponytail, and she carried her pink and white tennis racket slung over her shoulder.
"Good morning," she greeted, snatching a grape from the bowl and popping it into her mouth. "You ready?"
"Yep." Blair grabbed her bag and waved goodbye to Lily and Victor. "Goodnight in advance!" she joked, and both parents laughed.
The ride to the college was smooth, Cassie scrolling through her phone while Blair stared out the window. As they reached the venue, Blair's nerves tingled.
"Same college " she muttered under her breath. "There are thousands of students here. "
"Don't think too hard, Blair," Cassie said. "We're here."
The tennis court was buzzing with energy. Players were already warming up, a few snack booths were set up under canopies with lemonade, granola bars, and fruit skewers. The courts themselves were surrounded by small clusters of students chatting and laughing, holding rackets and wearing crisp whites.
As they stepped onto the court area, Blair spotted Mary, Judy, and Grace by the bleachers, laughing a little too loudly.
"Ugh," she muttered. "They came too?"
Cassie scoffed. "Wannabe baddies chasing clout. I'm avoiding them."
Blair nodded. "Smart."
Just then, Jazmine and Maddie approached from the left. Maddie wore a navy tennis romper, her braids pulled back into a slick bun. Jazmine rocked a white cropped polo and pink pleated skirt with her curly hair in two buns.
Blair leaned into Cassie. "Did you tell Jazmine?"
Cassie shook her head. "No. I don't want her thinking I'm only friends with you because of James. I'll tell her later."
"You gonna talk to James?"
Cassie hesitated. "Maybe. I don't know."
Before they could say more, Jazmine and Maddie reached them, exchanging hugs and warm greetings.
"Let's kill it today," Maddie said with a smile, and the group walked off to start selecting teams.
---
Blair volunteered to grab drinks while the others picked teammates. She moved through the crowd, past the booths, and grabbed two lemonades. As she turned, her eyes froze on a car pulling up.
Out stepped Caleb in a navy sports shirt and grey shorts, sunglasses perched on his head. Andrew followed in an oversized white tee, black joggers, and a tennis bag slung casually over his shoulder. And then James—tall, confident, jaw clenched slightly—got out in a black fitted shirt and tennis shorts, looking like he belonged on a GQ cover.
She panicked. Their eyes met.
James looked directly at her, gaze unreadable. He started walking toward her.
Heart racing, Blair spun around and speed-walked back to where Maddie stood, drinks in hand.
"James is here," she whispered.
Maddie glanced toward him. "Okay. So? Deep breath. Stay cool. Avoid him if you have to. You can do this."
Blair nodded, still flustered. Meanwhile, James slowed down as he watched her walk away, confused and irritated.
Cassie spotted him next and walked up to him. "Can we talk?" she asked.
James shrugged, hands in his pockets. "About what?"
"You've been sleeping with Mary behind my back," she accused, voice shaky but angry.
James sighed. "Wow. That's your business now?"
"You know I like you. You knew how much I loved you. And you slept with Mary—one of my best friends!"
"I never told her I liked her. She came to me. It's not like we were dating, Cass. Don't act like I owe you something from high school. Grow up."
Cassie stood frozen, pain mixing with confusion in her eyes. She turned quickly and walked away, blinking back the tears.
---
James found Blair again, this time near the sidelines. "Maybell," he said casually.
Blair barely looked at him. "Hey."
"What's with the attitude?" he asked, raising a brow.
Blair stared ahead. "Stay away from me, James."
Without another word, she walked toward Cassie. As she left, Caleb strolled up beside James with a smirk. "Damn. You've pissed off both my sisters. That's gotta be some kind of record."
Blair found Cassie giggling with a tall, dark-haired guy. He was clearly good-looking, with tousled hair and dimples that peeked out when he smiled. Blair noticed the faint tear tracks on Cassie's cheeks but said nothing.
She smiled, not wanting to interrupt the moment, and turned around to head back to the court.
Her phone buzzed.
Unknown Number
Hey it's Oliver. You down to hang tomorrow? Come by my college. - O
Blair blinked. "Damn," she muttered. She had completely forgotten she agreed to the date.
She replied: Sounds like a plan.
Grabbing her bag, Cassie's, and their rackets, Blair waved to Maddie and Jazmine. "I'm going to sit out for a bit."
She went back to where Cassie and the mystery guy were, plopping down next to them with a sigh—putting as much distance between herself and James as possible.
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