To Renna Rose Lancaster, Aadam Callahan was her first taste of magic-the boy who made her world feel livelier, brighter, like anything was possible. Together they crafted a bond that felt unbreakable-a universe where dreams were shared under starlit...
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My phone buzzed beside me, and Isla's name lit up the screen. I hit 'answer' and placed her on speaker.
"Renna! Are you knee-deep in poster madness too?" Isla's voice was warm, a playful lilt to it that made me smile. "Because I'm over here with a room full of Cameron posters, and my roommate thinks I'm holding a pop-up art class."
I grinned, instinctively glancing down at the small glitter smudges on my own fingers. "Well... I couldn't just sit there with nothing on game day, right?" My fingers traced the outline of his name I'd already drawn in the corner."Besides, I have to show a little team spirit."
Isla's laugh was full of warmth. "A little spirit? Oh, love, sounds like you're trying to outshine the whole team. Cam's going to get a laugh out of this, though. I swear, he'll be up there on the court making faces."
"Maybe it'll distract him enough to let Aadam score a few more points for the team." My voice softened as I traced the letters carefully, almost like they were fragile.
"Oh, no, no, no," Isla interjected with mock horror. "Now you've turned this into a competition. If you think I'm letting your cheer sign outshine mine, you're sorely mistaken."
I glanced down, a slight blush creeping into my cheeks as I smoothed out Aadam's jersey, which lay neatly folded beside me.
My fingers ran over the familiar feel of the fabric, tracing the number on the back, the worn, comfortable feel of the cotton.He really wanted me to wear this.
"Mm-hmm," she drawled."Honestly, that lad's lucky to have you cheering for him. And I can't wait to see that look on his face when he spots you in the crowd, all decked out for him."
"Yeah... I hope he likes it," I murmured, adding a final curl to the "G" in Gladiators, making sure it was bold and a little bit fancy. "I just want everything to be... perfect."
"Renna." Isla's voice turned softer, sincere. "He's going to love it. Trust me."
"Isla... do you think he'll even see it from the court?" I asked, hesitant, feeling silly for worrying over something like this.
"Oh, please," she replied, with that confidence that only Isla could manage. "He'll see it from space, Renna. You're going to be the brightest spot in the entire court."
"Oh! Don't forget Cameron's poster!" I added quickly, trying to keep my thoughts from drifting too far.
Isla laughs, and I can practically see her rolling her eyes. "Cam's going to get a laugh out of this-my cheer sign might just end up being a bit of a prank. Thinking something along the lines of, 'Number One Benchwarmer,' you know, something to keep him grounded."
