The Boy Uniform

5: But Of Course Secrets Get You...?

The morning after the party felt like a hangover, even though Eva hadn't had a drop to drink. She couldn't shake the lingering tension from her encounter with Chase, and the way he had looked at her, as if peeling back her layers, left her uneasy. This was her second full day at Crestwood, and already she felt like the ground beneath her feet was shaky.

Landon, however, was in great spirits. He was sprawled across his bed, his arms behind his head, grinning like he'd just discovered gold.

"Dude, you seriously lucked out with Chase noticing you. I mean, you're probably on his radar now. No one messes with the guy who's got Chase Hartley's attention."

Eva grunted noncommittally as she tied her sneakers. She didn't want to be on Chase's radar. She wanted to blend into the background, to skate through the school year unnoticed.

"Well, anyway," Landon continued, pushing himself up from the bed, "I'm heading to the gym. You coming?"

Eva shook her head. "Nah, I think I'll just... take a walk. Clear my head before class."

Landon shrugged. "Suit yourself. But you should come to practice this afternoon. I told the guys you'd be checking it out. Might as well get involved, right?"

"Right," Eva muttered, trying to smile but feeling her nerves twist. The thought of being in the locker room again, surrounded by all those boys, was enough to make her stomach flip.

Once Landon left, the dorm room fell into silence, and Eva sat there for a moment, trying to figure out how she was going to navigate the next few months. She thought it would be easier, just pretending to be one of the guys. But the reality of it—the locker rooms, the physical closeness, the constant need to act a certain way—was overwhelming.

She grabbed her jacket and slipped out the door, heading for the quietest part of the campus she could find. The grounds were peaceful in the early morning, a light mist hovering over the grass. For a brief moment, Eva could almost forget where she was. Almost.

But, of course, fate had other plans.

As she rounded the corner near the football field, she heard voices—familiar voices. Her heart sank as she spotted Chase and a few of his friends running drills on the field, clearly prepping for their afternoon practice. There was no turning back now without looking suspicious, so Eva kept walking, hoping they wouldn't notice her.

"Grayson!" Chase's voice rang out from the field, freezing her in her tracks. Of course he'd noticed.

She turned slowly, plastering a neutral expression on her face as Chase jogged over, his dark hair damp with sweat, his athletic shirt clinging to his chest. Eva forced herself to maintain eye contact, though it took every ounce of willpower not to look away.

"Morning," Chase said, flashing that disarming smile. He looked entirely too awake and too alert for this early in the day.

"Morning," Eva muttered, keeping her voice low. "Didn't expect to see you out here this early."

"Gotta stay sharp," he replied, casually tossing a football between his hands. "What about you? Taking a morning stroll?"

"Something like that," Eva said, shifting uncomfortably under his gaze.

Chase studied her for a moment, then jerked his head toward the field. "Come on. Kick the ball around with us."

Eva's stomach dropped. "Uh, I don't really—"

"Oh, come on," Chase interrupted, that smirk creeping back. "You're not one of those 'I'm too cool for sports' types, are ya?"

She was about to argue, but then she realized refusing would probably just make things worse. She couldn't afford to draw more attention to herself. "Fine," she muttered, walking toward the field.