Mario exhaled slowly and leaned against one of the benches, his usual easy confidence stripped away.
Ross folded his arms and leaned back slightly against the lockers, watching him closely.
"Alright," he said calmly. "We're alone. Talk to me."
Mario rubbed the back of his neck, as if unsure how to begin.
"I wasn't just here to watch the game today," he said finally.
"I mean, yeah, you dropped 120 points like it was nothing, and everyone's losing their minds, but that's not why I came."
Ross's brows lifted slightly. He had expected as much.
"I figured," he said.
Mario's expression darkened with hesitation.
He paced a few steps, then stopped and faced Ross directly.
"There's something I need to tell you," he said. "Something I should've told you a long time ago. I didn't because... I thought maybe you'd never need to know. Maybe I can still fix it. Maybe I'd get lucky. Maybe it would never come up."
Ross stayed silent, giving him space.
