KEEP YOUR GUARD UP

Mary Rivera and Roy Delgado had known each other since they were kids the kind of childhood friends who could predict each other's kicks and moods in the same breath. Their moms were best friends, their dads had trained in the same Taekwondo club before they even learned how to walk, and their lives had always been tightly stitched together like the seams of their uniforms.
They were the same age, one school year apart. Roy had hit his growth spurt first and never let her forget it. Mary had landed her black belt before him and definitely never let him forget that.
From schoolyard games to regional tournaments, they'd always been side by side. Friendly rivalry turned into playful teasing. Playful teasing turned into something else. Something unspoken. Something they danced around with every sparring match, every glance held too long, every joke that felt like a maybe.
Everyone else could see it. Their parents? Hopeful. Their teammates? Betting on when it would happen.
But Mary and Roy?
They were still pretending it was nothing.
Which was why it was so dangerous so confusing when being around each other started to feel like stepping into the ring without a guard.