After that night, Cleo, Sharon, and Roderick no longer communicated. Sharon continued dating popular guys, one after the other. Roderick devoted himself to training for a coming basketball competition. He practiced every day with his teammates. The only difference was that there was no more Cleo to cheer for him. Cleo drowned herself in jazz dancing, having no one to play sports with anymore.
As much as Cleo tried to deny it, she still cared about Roderick's basketball competition. That was why she could be seen in her tomboy clothes on the bleachers on the big day. She sat through the entire game silently. She smiled when his team was announced winner.
A few days later, the good news was announced in school. Roderick, being the captain, was ushered onto the stage. Holding the microphone in his hand, he stood frozen for a second, not knowing what to say. in the end, he decided to begin with the following words.
"There is one person I'd like to thank..."
Downstage, Cleo's eyes widened.
