I'd been dreaming about this moment for three years. Basketball tryouts. My chance to finally make the team.
As I walked into the gym, I spotted Derek warming up in the corner. He'd been my biggest competition since fifth grade, and honestly, I couldn't stand him. He was always showing off, always acting like he was better than everyone else. The way he smiled at me as I walked past - like he already knew he'd made the team and I wouldn't - made my blood boil.
Coach Martinez blew her whistle. "Pair up for passing drills!"
Of course, Derek walked straight toward me. "Hey, want to be partners?" he asked.
I wanted to say no, but everyone was watching. "Fine," I muttered.
We started passing, and I had to admit - reluctantly - that Derek was good. Really good. His passes were crisp and accurate. When I fumbled one, he didn't laugh or make a comment. He just waited for me to retrieve the ball.
After practice, I was packing up when Derek approached. "Hey, nice hustle out there," he said. "You've got a solid jump shot."
I stared at him, confused. Was this some kind of trick? "Uh, thanks," I managed.
He nodded and walked away, leaving me wondering if maybe I'd had him all wrong. Or maybe he was just trying to mess with my head before the final cuts. I honestly couldn't tell.
Mia stared at her computer screen, her frustration building. The group project was due tomorrow, and Jayden still hadn't submitted his section. She'd sent three reminder texts. Nothing.
She wondered if he was doing it on purpose. Maybe he didn't think the project mattered. Maybe he didn't think she mattered. The thought stung more than she wanted to admit.
Her phone buzzed. Finally - a message from Jayden.
"Hey, really sorry. Been at the hospital with my grandma. Just got home. Working on it now."
Mia sat back, guilt flooding through her. She'd spent the whole afternoon assuming the worst about him, imagining him playing video games while she did all the work. She'd even complained about him to their teacher.
She typed back: "I'm so sorry about your grandma. Don't worry about the project - I can cover your section. Focus on your family."
Three dots appeared, then disappeared. Then appeared again.
"Thanks," Jayden replied. "But I want to do my part. Give me an hour?"
Mia smiled slightly, feeling the tension in her shoulders release. She didn't know what was happening with Jayden's grandmother, and she wouldn't ask - that felt too personal. But she could stop assuming the worst. She could give him the benefit of the doubt.
Carmen sat alone at lunch, picking at her sandwich. Across the cafeteria, her best friend Lucia was laughing with the new girl, Sofia. Carmen's stomach twisted with jealousy she didn't want to feel.
What Carmen didn't know was that Lucia felt terrible. Sofia had approached her that morning, desperate and lonely, and Lucia hadn't known how to say no without being cruel. Now she kept glancing at Carmen's table, wishing she could explain.
Sofia, meanwhile, sensed the tension but misread it completely. She thought Carmen was just an unfriendly person - the kind who didn't welcome newcomers. She had no idea that Carmen and Lucia had been inseparable since kindergarten.
Three girls. Three different perspectives. Three versions of the same moment, none of them quite true.
By the end of lunch, Carmen had decided that Lucia didn't want to be her friend anymore. Lucia had decided she needed to talk to Carmen immediately. And Sofia had decided this school was going to be harder to navigate than she'd hoped.
If only they could have seen into each other's hearts. But they were each trapped in their own perspective, building stories out of fragments and assumptions.