CHAPTER 244: CHAPTER 231: A DATE?

The morning air felt crisp, the streets already humming with life. Charlotte Graves stood at the edge of the sidewalk, waiting. It was 9 a.m. sharp. She smoothed the hem of her light-blue dress, her reflection bouncing back faintly from the shop window nearby.

"Do I look... beautiful in this?" she whispered to herself, tilting her head and checking her hair again in the mirror. The confident captain of the Thunderhawks girls’ team was nowhere to be seen, this was Charlotte Graves the older sister, nerves pricking her chest like pins.

Her mind drifted back to the moment that led her here.

...

It was after practice yesterday. The team was cooling down, water bottles cracking open, jokes filling the gym. Ethan was wiping sweat from his brow when Charlotte suddenly walked toward him.

"Ethan... can you come with me tomorrow?" she asked, voice steady but her eyes betraying the faintest tremor.

The gym fell silent for a heartbeat. Then—

Kai immediately smirked, stretching his arms behind his head.

"Hoh... a date, huh?"

Lucas nearly choked on his drink.

"Sis, you..." His yellow eyes widened in disbelief, like someone had stolen his air.

Ryan, the self-proclaimed playboy, practically fell on his knees. He clutched his chest dramatically.

"Ethan, I can’t believe it... you got the prettiest girl in our school! Senior Charlotte! Why not me?! Why not me?!" His voice cracked as if his whole world had collapsed.

Brandon, sighing like a babysitter yet again, grabbed Ryan by the collar before he made a scene on the floor.

"Don’t be overdramatic, Ryan. You cried last week when the cafeteria lady smiled at Ethan."

Evan, calm and sharp as always, folded his arms.

"You really are it, Ethan. No wonder coach trusts you." His tone was neutral, but his eyes said so this is how legends start.

Louie leaned against the wall, a sly grin pulling at his lips.

"As expected of master..." His voice carried both admiration and envy, though no one knew if he was serious or joking.

Coonie, expression unreadable as always, gave the smallest shrug.

"Heh."

Jeremy, the hopeless romantic, clasped his hands together, eyes sparkling.

"Is this... true love?"

Charlotte’s face flushed crimson. She turned to the group, waving her hands.

"G-Guys! Can you please be quiet for a second?! It’s not like that!"

But the more she protested, the deeper the red on her cheeks spread, betraying her every word.

From the back, Ayumi Brooke quietly observed, her gaze sharp and knowing.

(You’re clearly red, Charlotte... you don’t fool anyone.) She thought, hiding her smirk behind her water bottle.

And Ethan? He just stood there, dumbfounded, caught in the whirlwind of teasing voices. His blond hair stuck slightly to his forehead, and for once, he didn’t know what to say.

"(A date? With Charlotte? No, no, it’s just helping her... right? Right?! Why does my chest feel like it’s on fire then...?)" Ethan thought, his heart thumping louder than he wanted to admit.

Charlotte quickly grabbed her bag and looked away, mumbling: "I just... need help picking basketball shoes. That’s all. Nothing else."

But her heart wasn’t steady. And so, under the glowing lights of the city, Charlotte now stood waiting, tugging nervously at her dress again. Her lips curved into the faintest smile.

"Still... why does this feel so different?"

Charlotte’s phone buzzed in her hand. It was already past nine.

She bit her lip, shifting her weight from one foot to another, sneakers tapping against the pavement.

"(Why am I even nervous? It’s just Ethan... just that stubborn blond guy who always tries too hard. I’ve known him since he teaches me back then. So why does my stomach feel like this...?)"

She glanced at the mirror of a parked car again, smoothing the dress. It wasn’t overly fancy just simple, casual but for some reason, it felt like too much.

Then she heard footsteps.

Ethan came jogging from the corner, slightly breathless, his shirt loose and casual. His eyes caught hers immediately, and for a second, both froze.

"(She... really dressed up? For shoes?!)" Ethan thought, his throat dry.

"(Don’t overthink, Ethan, don’t overthink... it’s not a date. Not a date! Just shoes. Shoes!)"

Charlotte tilted her head, trying to act composed, though the redness on her cheeks betrayed her.

"Y-you’re late." she said quickly, folding her arms.

Her tone was sharp, but her voice was softer than usual.

Ethan scratched his head, sheepish. "Sorry. Got caught up with... uh... Lucas. He wouldn’t stop talking about Harbor again."

Charlotte sighed, then chuckled despite herself. "That sounds like my brother."

The silence that followed wasn’t awkward, it was charged. Neither quite looked at the other, but their hearts raced all the same.

Finally, Charlotte broke it.

"So... shoes. Let’s go."

"Y-yeah. Shoes." Ethan echoed, trailing beside her.

As they walked, Charlotte sneaked a sideways glance.

"(He doesn’t even realize how clueless he looks. But... that’s why...)"

She shook the thought away before it finished, her cheeks warming further.

Meanwhile, Ethan kept his gaze on the street ahead, fists tightening slightly in his pockets.

"(Why does this feel heavier than a game? My chest... it won’t calm down. Damn it, Ethan, what is this?!)"

The streets of New York were already alive, filled with the sounds of honking cars, chatter from morning walkers, and the occasional bark of a dog being dragged along too quickly by its owner. Amid all that noise, Ethan and Charlotte walked side by side, the atmosphere between them strangely heavy for what was supposed to be the simplest of errands.

Charlotte glanced at her reflection in the store windows as they passed, tugging on her dress with an awkward cough. She looked like someone who was supposed to be attending a Sunday brunch, not hunting for basketball shoes.

"(Why did I wear this? Ugh, I look like I’m trying too hard. No, Charlotte, it’s fine. You just didn’t want to look like some sweaty athlete. Totally normal. Totally normal.)"

Meanwhile, Ethan shoved his hands into his pockets, trying desperately not to look at her too long. His blond hair was messy from the summer breeze, and every few steps, he found himself sneaking glances at Charlotte, only to quickly look away before she noticed.

"(Why is my heart beating like this? It’s just shoes. Just shoes! Why does it feel like the fate of the world depends on me not screwing this up?)"

When they reached the entrance of the giant sneaker store, the automatic doors whooshed open, releasing a blast of cold air-conditioned relief.

"Wow," Ethan muttered. "This place is... huge."

Rows upon rows of sneakers lined the walls, neon signs flashing NEW ARRIVAL!

and LIMITED EDITION!A few kids were darting around with basketballs in hand, testing out sneakers on the in-store mini court.

Charlotte took a deep breath, then marched in with forced confidence. "Okay, let’s do this."

The first hurdle came almost immediately.

"Hi there!" chirped a too-cheerful salesman in a neon polo shirt. "Looking for a couple’s set today? We’ve got matching Jordans, very popular!"

Charlotte froze. Ethan nearly choked on his own breath.

"W-what?!" Charlotte’s cheeks flared pink. "N-no, we’re not—!"

Ethan waved his hands frantically. "Yeah, not—! Just... Friend! Just shoes!"

The salesman raised an eyebrow, smirking knowingly. "Right, Friends. Got it." He gave a wink before walking away.

Charlotte buried her face in her hands. "(Kill me. Kill me now.)"

Ethan scratched the back of his head, trying to hold back a laugh. "Well... at least he gave us a discount option?"

"Don’t even start."

They started browsing. Charlotte walked down the aisles with determined eyes, scanning every shelf.

"This one?" Ethan held up a pair of bright pink sneakers.

Charlotte gave him the blankest stare. "...Do I look like I’d wear cotton-candy explosions on my feet?"

Ethan grinned. "Well, they’d definitely distract the other team."

"Ethan."

"Okay, okay." He quickly put them back, but not without chuckling to himself.

A few aisles later, Charlotte paused at a sleek pair of black-and-gold high-tops. She picked one up, her eyes softening.

"These look... kind of cool."

Ethan leaned down, inspecting them. "Not bad. Matches your style."

She raised a brow. "My style?"

"Yeah, you know... serious but with a little flash. Like, you look calm on the outside, but on the court, you light up. Like these shoes."

Charlotte blinked at him, her heart skipping a beat. "(Wait, did he just... compliment me? That was kind of smooth. Too smooth. Ethan, what are you—?)"

Before she could respond, Ethan quickly stood back up, rubbing his neck. "Or, uh, maybe I’m just overthinking sneakers."

Charlotte suppressed a smile. "You’re ridiculous."

Of course, trouble struck again when Charlotte decided to try on the shoes.

She sat on the bench, slipping off her sandals. Ethan knelt down without thinking, grabbing the shoe for her.

"Here, I’ll—"

Charlotte’s eyes widened. "E-Ethan! You don’t have to—"

But he was already tying the laces carefully, his head bent close to her knee. For a brief, dizzying second, Charlotte forgot how to breathe.

"(Oh my god. Is this really happening? He’s... tying my shoes? Why does this feel more intimate than holding hands?!)"

Ethan, meanwhile, was mentally screaming. "(Why am I doing this?! Am I her servant? Her... her butler?! No, stay calm. It’s just laces. Normal, everyday laces. Why is my face so hot?!)"

When he finally looked up, their eyes met for a split second. Both of them quickly looked away, faces red.

Charlotte cleared her throat, standing up quickly. "I-It fits fine! Let’s just... test them."

"R-right."

The two stepped onto the mini court at the back of the store. A few kids had stopped playing, watching curiously.

Charlotte dribbled the ball, testing her steps. She spun, took a jump shot, and the ball sailed clean through the hoop.

"Nice." Ethan said, genuinely impressed.

Charlotte smirked. "Captain of the girls’ team, remember?"

Then she tossed the ball at him. "Your turn."

Ethan caught it awkwardly. "Wait, I wasn’t—"

"Go on."

Muttering under his breath, Ethan dribbled once, twice, then threw up a shot. It bounced off the rim with an embarrassing clang. (The shot was missed due to his delicate heart pftt)

The kids in the court burst out laughing.

Charlotte tried oh, she really tried not to laugh. But the snort escaped. Then another. Soon, she was clutching her stomach, laughing uncontrollably.

Ethan turned red, glaring at her. "Oi, don’t laugh! I wasn’t warmed up!"

"You—pfft—looked like—like a baby giraffe!" she wheezed.

"Unbelievable," Ethan muttered, though the corners of his lips tugged upward.

After a few more tries (and several more missed shots), they returned to the bench. Charlotte’s laughter had softened into a smile she couldn’t quite wipe away. Ethan sighed dramatically, but even he was smiling faintly.

"So..." Charlotte finally said, hugging the shoebox against her chest. "Thanks for coming with me."

Ethan shrugged. "It’s nothing. Just... shoes."

But his chest still thumped unevenly, betraying the words.

Charlotte looked at him, her lips curving into a softer smile. "(Why does it feel like more than that...?)"

The two walked out of the store, side by side again. The city buzzed around them, but neither spoke for a moment, both lost in their own thoughts.

And for some reason, even though it was just "shoe shopping" the air between them felt warmer than ever.

To be continue