So, Saturday rolled around like it always does, half the excitement of being awake on a weekend, half the dread of having to train in the gym. Oh, how I hated all those trainings. But what could I do?. Lara was already bouncing around like she'd had five cups of coffee, jabbering about everything from the cafeteria drama to the new music playlist she discovered. Jade, on the other hand, was her usual calm self, quietly sipping her water bottle, occasionally chiming in with a witty little comment that made Lara laugh even harder. I somewhere in the middle, trying to keep up their pace.
We were walking through the hallways, joking and teasing each other as usual, when Ethan passed by. He was going for basketball training I guess.
Honestly, I wasn't thinking about him or anything. It was as if he was everywhere I was, and who knows he might be secretly stalking me. How ridiculous... Why would he be?
Ethan was calm, tall, built and has that effortless presence that somehow made everyone around him behave a little differently. Guys gave him nods like, "Yeah, that's my guy," and girls subtly whispered as they blushed. I noticed him, sure, but I wasn't staring. Totally.
He moved down the hall with that calm, athletic stride, like he was gliding rather than walking. Even though he looked straight ahead most of the time, he still managed to interact with people, shaking hands with a few guys, nodding at a teacher, flashing that faint, unreadable smile at someone in the crowd of students. The girls around him? Flushed. Little giggles. Classic.
I tried to focus on Lara and Jade, but I couldn't help noting how… natural he looked, commanding attention without even trying. I mean, really — this was the guy who apparently skipped a year, already popular without knowing it, and just casually passing through the hallway made a few girls blush like they'd just seen a unicorn.
"Earth to Tasha," Lara said, nudging me. "You're spacing out again. What now?"
"Nothing," I mumbled quickly, though of course, my mind wasn't exactly empty.
Jade laughed softly, her ponytail swaying. "He is… nice to look at," she admitted, not even teasing. Just stating the obvious.
"Ha!" Lara snorted. "Nice? Girl, your eyes are literally following him down the hall. I saw it."
"Lara!" I hissed, but she was already laughing, clearly not planning on letting it go anytime soon. Jade just shook her head at lara, grinning quietly.
Anyway, after surviving the hallway without any tripping incidents, no bumping into anyone, which I counted as a personal win, we headed to the gym. Saturday was game day for basketball, apparently, and we decided to watch for a bit before our own training. That was when I realized just how… serious Ethan was about basketball.
I mean, I knew he played, sure, but seeing him in action was a different story. His movements were smooth, calculated, and almost hypnotic. The way he dribbled, pivoted, and shot the ball—it was like watching someone move in slow motion, but also faster than anyone else on the court. He had this aura of control, confidence, and… I don't know, magnetism. It made it impossible not to glance at him whenever he moved.
The crowd was reacting too, of course. Girls whispering, blushing, cheering. Even a few of the guys were watching him a little differently than usual, clearly impressed. And there he was, completely calm, focused on the game, but still managing that subtle charm.
Then it happened. Ethan did this one move, I don't know... It seemed physically impossible and I could not contain my reaction. My smile went wide, dimples and all, and my eyes opened a little wider in disbelief. I probably looked like a puppy who just discovered ice cream for the first time.
"Oi, Tasha," Lara whispered, elbowing me lightly. "Puppy eyes again, huh? I see you."
I rolled my eyes at her, muttering, "Shut up," but my grin didn't fade. Jade just giggled quietly, shaking her head like, "You're hopeless."
I glanced back at Ethan—he was dribbling again, teammates around him, completely unaware (or maybe aware, who knows?) of the effect he had on the crowd. It wasn't even about me noticing him; it was about… well, how could anyone not notice him? He had that aura that made it impossible to look away.
After the game, we stayed for our usual Saturday training session in the gym. Tasha mode: focusing on stretches and warm-ups, trying not to flail too much, and definitely trying not to let anyone see how much I was still replaying that one unbelievable move.
I noticed him again across the gym. Ethan, casually chatting with a teammate, tossing a basketball back and forth, warm-up routine almost finished. And then, suddenly, he looked over, caught my eyes—and smiled. Small, subtle, but enough to make my chest feel a little weird. Maybe a wink, maybe not—it was so fleeting, but my heart definitely skipped a beat.
"Oh my gosh," I muttered under my breath. Lara and Jade noticed immediately.
"What?" Lara asked, barely containing her laughter.
"He… nothing," I said, trying to act casual, but my face was probably redder than a tomato.
Lara snorted. "Yeah, right. Totally 'nothing.' Look at you. Heart doing somersaults."
Jade giggled quietly, shaking her head. "You're adorable, Tasha."
I buried my face in my towel, muttering, "Shut up, both of you." But honestly? I was grinning like an idiot anyway.
Training started properly after that, and somehow, even with the teasing and my general clumsiness, it felt… lighter. I wasn't tripping over my own sentences in my head. I wasn't worrying about library projects or homework. I was just… there. Stretching, doing drills, occasionally glancing up to see Ethan still practicing nearby, keeping the small, teasing smile for me.
Lara, of course, couldn't leave me alone. Every time I looked at Ethan, she whispered something like, "Ohhh, there she goes again," and nudged Jade to get her reaction. Jade, ever the peacemaker, would just roll her eyes and giggle, clearly amused by both of us.
That tiny moment, the glance, the smile, made my whole morning worth it. My heartbeat was slightly different. It was just a fleeting moment that I didn't want to end.
By the time we finished training, I was sweaty, exhausted, and ridiculously happy. Lara was still teasing, of course, and Jade was laughing quietly at both of us. But I couldn't stop replaying that tiny exchange with Ethan—the small, almost mischievous smile, the subtle wink, the way he seemed to notice me... Well, did he?
Just… sometimes, when the timing was right, he had this way of being around that made me notice. And somehow, that was enough to keep me smiling all the way home.