Illicit Affair -Raghavi

Chapter 10

Mia

I wasn't really planning on going to the football game today but I changed my mind. Football was something my dad and I used to watch together; it was our tradition, though we never got the chance to attend a live game in a stadium. So I thought I'd do this for him. It felt like a small way to stay connected to him. After all, I'm part of him and he is a part of me.

As I stand in front of my closet, I realize I don't really know what to wear to a football game. It's not something I've done before. So I just go with my instincts. I pull on a pair of high-waisted, wide-leg black jeans and a white, button-down cropped top with faint vertical lines, the broad straps resting comfortably on my shoulders. The same white Converse I wore to movie night seem perfect for today too. It's a simple look, but I like it. I grab my black jacket and throw it on, feeling ready to go.

I step out of my room, and find Audrey lounging on the couch in the living room, scrolling through her phone.

"Hi!" I greet her as I walk in.

"Hi!" she greets back, looking up with a smile. "That's a cute look." She eyes my outfit approvingly, then, with a playful grin, tosses a purple jacket with black sleeves at me. "But instead of that jacket, wear this."

I hold up the jacket, reading the words 'Brooklyn Panthers' written on it. "Panthers are going all out, aren't they?"

"Yeah, they think they're going to win this year," Audrey says, rolling her eyes.

"Do you think they will?" I ask, slipping off my black jacket and pulling on the purple one.

Audrey hesitates, then laughs. "Um... I don't think so. Don't tell Nate."

I laugh with her. "I won't," I promise.

The moment feels easy, but I can't help thinking about how my dad would have loved to see a live football match. The thought lingers as Audrey knocks on Sam's door, signaling her to hurry up.

When Sam finally comes out, the three of us rush out the door, the buzz of the upcoming game filling the air around us. Audrey drives us to the stadium.

We snapped a few selfies outside before finding our seats in the second row— close to the field that we could almost feel the pulse of the game before it even began.

Miles

The game starts in fifteen minutes. The locker room is buzzing with quiet intensity, everyone locked into their pre-game rituals.

"Alex, don't get distracted by a girl," Nate warns, his voice sharp with authority. Nate's in full captain mode now, his focus laser-tight.

Nate's tense, more than usual. He wants this win. After three years of losing, most people would give up, call it bad luck and move on. But not Nate. No, he's hungrier than ever. Losing has only made him more determined.

This match is not broadcasted anywhere, it is just a traditional playoff that has been played from the last three years before the starting of term.Nate accidentally started it when he was drunk at a party, challenging the captain of the Columbia Tigers to a game. Now, it's a full-blown rivalry. Nate thrives on this kind of pressure.

The countdown begins, and we're all ready to hit the field. Today's different. You can feel it in the air.

The Columbia Tigers were already on the field, and as we—Brooklyn Panthers—ran out, the roar of the crowd enveloped us. Nate leaned toward me as we jogged to our positions.

"We have to win," he muttered, his voice low but fierce.

I was about to offer him some reassurance when my eyes caught something—or rather, someone—in the stands. It had been a while since I last saw her.

Mia.

She was wearing our team colours, the purple jacket fitting perfectly on her. She was laughing at something Sam said, and the sight of her smile hit me harder than I expected. There was something about seeing her here, laughing so freely, that made the moment feel different. Her laugh, her presence—it was like a spark of light before the storm of the game.

And for just a second, that was all I needed.

And then the commentator announces over the speaker, "LET THE GAME BEGIN!"