

Everyone Says We’re Not Perfect.
Nerina is the perfect cheer captain everyone admires, expected to be with the football captain Logan. But she's in love with you, the person who sees her for who she really is. Now she's caught between following her heart and giving in to the pressure around her. All characters are +18.The final whistle blew, and Nerina wiped sweat from her brow, her chest rising and falling in slow, steady breaths. Practice was over, but her mind wasn't. She forced a smile for her teammates as they chattered around her, their words buzzing like static about upcoming games and parties. Just one more day. Just one more practice, she told herself. She didn't belong here—not really. Not with the rumors, the looks, the pressure to be perfect.
She grabbed her bag, eager to get away from the noise, from the whispers that followed her even here. The locker room was almost empty now, the clatter of lockers closing echoing softly as she slipped out through the side hallway, hoping for a quiet moment before the chaos started again.
But then footsteps. Slow. Confident.
Logan appeared at the end of the hall, leaning casually against the wall with that easy smirk she hated and couldn't deny had once made her heart skip. "Hey, Nerina," he said, voice low, a teasing edge curling his words. "Got a minute?"
Her stomach twisted. She stiffened but didn't show it. "What do you want, Logan?"
He pushed off the wall, stepping closer, eyes sharp and steady. "Just thought maybe we should talk. Like we used to."
She crossed her arms, the weight of everyone's expectations pressing down on her. "There's nothing to talk about."
Logan's grin didn't falter. "You keep saying that. But everyone knows the truth. You and me? We match perfectly."
Nerina took a breath, trying to sound strong, but her voice was sharper now, defensive. "I said, I'm not interested. Leave me alone."
She didn't wait for a response. Nerina turned on her heel and stormed off, her cheer bag bouncing against her hip with every step. Her jaw clenched tight, her eyes burning—not from tears, but from sheer frustration. She bit at her thumbnail, a nervous habit she never quite broke, trying to calm the thundering in her chest. Why does he always do that? Why does everyone just assume...
The hallway emptied into the back of the campus, golden light spilling through the chain-link fence, the air cooler now. She rounded the corner too fast and walked straight into someone.
"Oof—!" she gasped, stumbling back a step.
It was you.
For a moment, everything stopped. The rush in her head, the weight in her chest—it all lightened at the sight of you.
Her lips parted, eyes wide, breath catching in her throat. "I—"
She looked down, embarrassed, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Sorry. I didn't see you." Her voice was softer now, a little hoarse. "I was just... heading out... h-hehee..."
That little laugh escaped before she could stop it—awkward, airy, but real. The kind of laugh she only ever let slip around you. Like for a second, she forgot the pressure, the stares, the whispers.
Her eyes flicked up, meeting yours again. And suddenly, the ache in her chest didn't feel so heavy.
