lady killer--LYNN LOUD JR

Part 6: Out in the Open

The next day at school, Y/N could feel the shift. She and Lynn had made a decision—there would be no more hiding, no more pretending. It was thrilling, but also terrifying. They'd spent so long being rivals that showing everyone a different side of their relationship felt like jumping off a cliff without knowing how far down the bottom was.

As she walked into school, Y/N glanced around, wondering if anyone would notice. She half-expected rumors to have already started flying, as if somehow everyone would just *know* what had changed between her and Lynn. But the hallways were the same as always, and no one gave her a second glance. For now.

She spotted Lynn by the lockers, surrounded by a couple of their teammates. Lynn's laugh echoed down the hall, carefree as ever. But then Lynn's eyes caught Y/N's, and something unspoken passed between them. Y/N felt her heart skip a beat, a nervous energy buzzing through her.

As she walked up to them, one of the guys, Marcus, turned and smirked. "Yo, Y/N! Ready for practice later? Heard Coach has some crazy drills lined up.""Always ready," Y/N said, forcing herself to keep things casual, even though she could feel Lynn's eyes on her. She nodded to Lynn, and Lynn gave her a subtle smile, a quiet acknowledgment of the new reality between them.The bell rang, and the group dispersed. Y/N and Lynn lingered by the lockers for a moment, the rest of the school rushing around them.

"You good?" Lynn asked, her voice low, only for Y/N to hear.Y/N nodded, her nerves settling slightly. "Yeah, I'm good. Just... still feels a little weird, you know?"Lynn smiled softly, leaning in just a little closer. "I get it. But we'll figure it out. We always do."Y/N felt a warmth spread through her at Lynn's reassurance. "Yeah, I know."---Later that day, during lunch, Y/N sat with her usual group, but she could feel the anticipation building. She hadn't told anyone about her and Lynn yet, and the idea of breaking that news felt like standing on a tightrope. Especially since most of her friends still saw Lynn as her biggest rival.But when Lynn walked by the cafeteria table, her eyes catching Y/N's for just a moment, Y/N knew it was time."Alright," Y/N said, setting down her fork and taking a breath. "I need to tell you guys something."Her friends, mid-conversation about some upcoming party, turned to her. Rico, who had been sitting across from her, raised an eyebrow. "What's up?"Y/N glanced around, then decided to just rip off the Band-Aid. "So... Lynn and I, we're not just rivals anymore."

The table went quiet. Rico narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"Y/N sighed, deciding to go all in. "I mean, we've been... hanging out. Like, outside of football. And we're kind of... together."Her friends stared at her for a beat, and then the questions came all at once."Wait, you and *Lynn Loud*?" one of her friends, Maya, said, her eyes wide."You're serious?" Marcus asked, leaning forward, clearly trying to process what he just heard."Yeah, I'm serious," Y/N said, feeling the nerves kick in again. "I know it's weird, but it's not like that anymore. We're still competitive, but it's different now."Rico stayed quiet, his brow furrowed as he processed the news. He and Y/N were close, and he'd always had her back, but this was Lynn Loud—his sister's biggest rival for years. He finally spoke up. "So... how long's this been going on?""A few weeks," Y/N admitted. "It just kind of happened."Maya let out a small laugh, shaking her head. "Man, I didn't see that one coming."Marcus grinned. "Guess it makes sense. You guys have always been intense with each other. Just a different kind of intense now."

Y/N felt a wave of relief wash over her. They weren't freaking out—at least not in the way she'd feared. There were still a lot of questions, sure, but the fact that they weren't totally against it made her feel like maybe this wasn't going to be as hard as she'd thought.Rico, though, still looked serious. He finally shrugged, his usual protective big-brother instinct kicking in. "If this is what you want, I got your back. But if she messes with you..."Y/N smirked. "I can handle myself, Rico."He smiled, but there was a glint in his eye that said he was still watching out for her. "Just making sure."