Friday Night Rules

The Homecoming game against Crestview was supposed to be legendary. Our Northwood High **Bull**dogs versus their Crestview **Bear**s. Classic rivalry stuff. But I wasn't thinking about touchdowns or halftime shows—I was hyperventilating about what happened in the parking lot earlier.

I'd finally worked up the courage to ask Kayla to the after-party. My golden retriever Max had given me this look that morning, like "dude, just do it already." Even my little sister's judgmental **cat**, Luna, seemed more confident than me.

So I asked. And she laughed.

Not mean-laughed. Like, actually laughed and said, "Oh my god, Marcus, you're so random." Then her friends showed up and suddenly I was invisible again.

Now I'm sitting in the student section, Max waiting at home probably wondering why I didn't take him for his evening walk, Luna probably plotting world domination, and me wondering why high school social dynamics feel like some extreme sport nobody signed up for.

The announcer's voice crackles over the speakers: "Touchdown, Crestview **Bear**s!"

The crowd groans. My best friend Jenna throws her hands up. "They're absolutely destroying us, Marcus. This is painful."

"I know," I say, but I'm barely watching the game.

That's when I see Kayla walking down the stadium steps with her friends. She spots me, hesitates, then heads over.

"Hey,**Marcus**," she says, tucking hair behind her ear. "About earlier..."

My heart does that thing where it forgets how to heart.

"I wasn't laughing at you," she continues. "I was laughing because my friends were literally daring me to ask YOU to the party, and then you asked ME first. It was, like, fate being weird."

I blink. "Wait, what?"

She grins. "So? Are we going or what?"

The **Bull**dogs score. The crowd erupts. Jenna screams, "YES! FINALLY!" and high-fives me.

I look at Kayla, who's actually smiling at me like I'm someone worth noticing. I think about Max waiting at home, about Luna's secret approval, about how the worst moments can flip into something decent in like three seconds.

"Yeah," I say, feeling something that's almost confidence. "We're going."

High school's still **bull**shit sometimes. But maybe, just maybe, I'm starting to figure out how to play the game.