Skates & Cleats

2

Taylor hurried down the quiet streets of her neighborhood, her breath forming little puffs in the chilly Pennsylvania air. Her heart was still racing, but it wasn't just from sneaking out—it was from the time she'd spent with Travis. She could still feel the warmth of his presence and the excitement of his words. A goofy smile tugged at her lips as she jogged the last few yards to her house, trying to ignore the knot of worry forming in her stomach.

Getting out had been easy. Getting back in was going to be the tricky part.

As Taylor reached her house, she carefully pushed open the front gate, wincing at the slight creak. The windows were all dark, save for a faint light coming from the hallway upstairs. She breathed a sigh of relief—her parents were most likely asleep. Now she just had to sneak past them and get back to her room without making a sound.

Carefully, she opened the front door and tiptoed inside, her soft sneakers barely making a noise on the wooden floors. She had almost made it up the stairs when she heard a voice behind her.

"Taylor?"

She froze. Her heart dropped into her stomach as she slowly turned around, seeing her eleven-year-old brother, Austin, standing in the hallway in his pajamas, blinking at her in confusion.

"Oh no," she whispered to herself, mentally preparing for the worst.

"What are you doing?" Austin asked, his voice louder than she wanted it to be. "Where were you?"

Taylor's mind raced. She quickly put a finger to her lips and rushed down the stairs to him, her eyes wide with urgency.

"Shh, shh!" she whispered. "Austin, keep it down. You're going to wake up Mom and Dad!"

Austin crossed his arms over his chest, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "Where were you, Tay? It's the middle of the night."

"I, uh..." Taylor bit her lip, her mind scrambling for a reasonable excuse. She knew her little brother was sharp—too sharp for his own good. She couldn't lie to him. Not fully, anyway.

"I went to meet someone," she finally admitted in a hushed voice, hoping it wouldn't escalate into anything bigger.

Austin's eyebrows shot up. "Someone? Who?"

Taylor glanced nervously toward the stairs, making sure their parents weren't coming down. "Okay, look," she said, grabbing his arm and pulling him toward the kitchen, where they could talk without being overheard. "I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to tell Mom and Dad."

Austin raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued now. "Why would I tell them?"

"Because..." Taylor sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Because I wasn't supposed to leave the house. They'd ground me for, like, a month if they knew."

Austin's expression shifted, a mix of concern and curiosity crossing his face. "Okay, fine. I won't tell them—if you tell me what's going on."

Taylor hesitated, but there was no other way out. She took a deep breath, then leaned in closer. "I met a boy."

Austin's eyes widened in shock, and his mouth dropped open. "A *boy*? Since when do you meet boys?"

"Keep your voice down!" Taylor hissed, clapping her hand over his mouth. She glanced nervously toward the stairs again before releasing him. "It's not like that! We just hung out, okay?"

Austin's eyes sparkled with mischief as he smirked. "You like him, don't you?"

Taylor felt her cheeks flush. "What? No! I mean... maybe. He's nice, okay?"

"What's his name?" Austin asked, grinning now. "Is he cute?"

Taylor groaned, covering her face with her hands. "Why did I tell you this?"

"Because you need me to keep quiet," Austin said, his grin widening. "Come on, what's his name?"

Taylor sighed, defeated. "His name is Travis. Travis Kelce. He plays football."

Austin raised an eyebrow, his grin fading a bit as he considered this new information. "Football? He's not from around here, is he?"

"No," Taylor admitted, leaning against the kitchen counter. "He's from Ohio. His team came here for a game, and I... I don't know, we just hit it off."

Austin studied her, clearly not expecting his sister to admit something like this. "So, what did you guys do?"

"We went out for ice cream," Taylor said, her voice softening as she thought about the night. "We just talked, that's all. He's funny and sweet. It was... really nice."

Austin leaned against the counter next to her, a small smile playing on his lips. "So you like him."

Taylor groaned again, but she couldn't hide the small smile tugging at her lips. "Yeah, okay, maybe I do."

Austin nudged her with his elbow, his grin returning. "You better be careful, or I'll tell Mom and Dad you're sneaking out to meet boys."

"Austin!" Taylor's eyes widened in panic. "You promised! Please, don't say anything. They'll ground me for life!"

Austin looked at her, considering it for a moment before sighing. "Alright, I won't tell. But you owe me."

Taylor's heart flooded with relief, and she threw her arms around him in a grateful hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the best little brother ever."

Austin pulled back, wrinkling his nose. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But you owe me big time, Tay. This is serious stuff."

Taylor nodded eagerly. "I'll do anything. Just... please keep this between us."

Austin smirked, clearly enjoying the upper hand. "Alright, deal. But you better tell me more about this Travis guy. I'm gonna keep an eye on him."

Taylor chuckled, rolling her eyes. "Oh great, now I've got my little brother playing protective big brother."

Austin puffed up his chest, pretending to be tough. "Someone's gotta look out for you."

"Yeah, yeah," Taylor said, ruffling his hair playfully. "Just don't tell anyone, okay?"

"Not a word," Austin promised, but his grin told Taylor that he'd milk this for all it was worth later.

---

With Austin's promise secured, Taylor snuck upstairs and quietly slipped back into her room. She collapsed onto her bed, letting out a long sigh of relief. That had been too close. Her heart still raced, but now it was a mix of excitement and nerves—about sneaking out, about getting caught, and about the boy she'd just met.

She smiled as she thought about him, his goofy grin, and the way he'd asked her to hang out again. She pulled her phone out from her pocket and saw a new message from him waiting for her.

*Had a great time tonight. We should do it again.*

Taylor's heart fluttered as she typed back: *Me too. Let me know next time you're in town.*

As she hit send, she glanced at the door, knowing she'd have to be extra careful from now on. But despite the risk, she couldn't help but feel excited about what was to come. Travis wasn't just some football player—he was someone who'd managed to make her smile, and for now, that was enough.

She hugged her pillow tight, her mind replaying the night's events. Tomorrow would bring more challenges, but for now, Taylor allowed herself to drift off to sleep, her thoughts filled with ice cream, skates, cleats, and the boy from Ohio who had unexpectedly made her night unforgettable.