"Ohayohay!" The crowd was going absolutely nuts. Everyone was decked out in blue and yellow, the school colors, except for Mal and Evie. Erin stood at the top of the bleachers with Taylor on her left and Evie on her right. Then, it was Mal and Lonnie. Taylor, Evie, and Lonnie were super into the game while Mal didn't participate, preferring to stick to her indifference. And Erin was a little out of it after her conversation with Jay. That and Tourney games weren't really her thing. But she had to admit that this game was exciting.

"This is a nail-biter, folks," the announcer said, "There's 47 seconds left on the clock. We're all tied up. The Sherwood Falcons, two. The Fighting Knights, two. What a game between Auradon's fiercest rivals."

Jay and Carlos had been sitting the entire game, and despite her feelings towards Jay at the moment, Erin knew that Coach needed Jay in to give the Knights an advantage. Chad hadn't been taken out the entire game, and after taking a quick drink he punched Jay on the shoulder in a friendly manner, exchanging encouraging words. Afterward, Chad ran back out on the field.

As the teams got in their huddles, Erin's eyes wandered to the bench, seeing Coach turn to Jay and say, "You're up." Erin couldn't help the excitement bubble in her chest as he handed Jay a stick. They could actually win! Then, Jay did something that both surprised her and made her proud. He lifted Carlos off of the bench, asking Coach to put him in as well. Like Erin, Coach Jenkins was hesitant, and Carlos was even more reluctant as he weaseled out of Jay's hold, sitting back down. But, Jay wouldn't have it, picking Carlos back up by his jersey. Whatever Jay said convinced the coach to put Carlos in.

Coach huffed and faced the field, and he yelled, "Ameer!"

The player hustled to the sideline as Jay pushed Carlos onto the field before following closely behind. "He's bringing that hothead Jay in from the Isle of the Lost and that little guy Carlos can barely hold a shield," the announcer narrated. Erin huffed and crossed her arms, not likely how quickly everyone is to judge these guys.

"That was rude," Taylor commented.

"Tell me about it."

Evie and Mal were beyond excited for their friends- Mal actually had a genuine smile on her face. They were used to the judgment and would rather focus on the positive right now. Besides, with all the excitement and the roaring crowd, it was hard to get caught up in what the announcer was saying.

Each team broke from their huddles and got set. When the whistle blew, Jay and a member from the other team met in the middle of the Kill Zone, fighting for control of the ball. Jay won and passed the ball to Ben after flipping his opponent over his back. A Falcon was coming in to steal the ball from Ben, but Carlos blocked the player and then proceeded to do a little victory jig, rubbing it in the downed player's face.

Jay got the ball back, making his way through the Kill Zone. He did an impressive hurdling maneuver to avoid being hit all while keeping control of the ball. Then, he passed it to Ben before fully getting out of the Kill Zone. As Jay made it out of the Kill Zone towards the goal, Ben tried to pass it back to Jay, but he was surrounded by Falcons. But Chad made a big block, freeing Jay up for a pass. Ben went wide before passing it to Jay in the middle. Everyone erupted into cheers, seeing Jay make a shot at the goal. But the goalkeeper blocked it, and the Knights' fans collectively groaned while the Falcons erupted into relieved cheers.

The teams set back up, waiting for the goalie to hit the ball out onto the field. Anticipation and nerves were at an all-time high. "23 seconds left. You could cut the tension with a sword," the announcer said.

He wasn't wrong. Erin was practically biting her nails. Taylor slapped her hand away a few times. "Sorry, this is stressful."

"You better be sorry. I painted those!" Taylor whined. Erin playfully rolled her eyes and Tay laughed and nudged her taller friend. Taylor painted Erin's nails a few nights ago. They were a pretty aqua color, complimenting Erin's usual ensemble.

The girls' attention was brought back to the game by a shrewd whistle and they held onto each other in anticipation. The goalie hit the ball to the opposite side of the field. Jay leaped into the air, catching it in his gloved hand above a Falcon player. He began running and juggling the ball on his stick. Defenders from the Falcon team charged him, but Chad made a huge block, protecting Jay as he continued to sprint forward. He passed the ball to Ben. And before defenders could stop him, Carlos blocked them. But he went down himself. Jay picked him up off the ground, practically carrying him through the Kill Zone. Carlos used his shield to protect them against the dragon fire. The dragon fire was relentless as Jay maneuvered him and Carlos through safely, dodging everything that came at them. While Carlos was crouched on the ground, Jay flipped over him, avoiding yet another projectile.

Carlos stood up and ran forward while Jay picked up the ball, juggling it on his stick. Jay and Carlos seemed to be communicating before Jay hit the ball to Carlos who then ricocheted it up in the air. Erin's eyes bulged as Jay jumped over Carlos and picked the ball back up, rushing the goal. Then, he did something else that surprised her. Instead of making the shot, he passed the ball up for Ben who made the shot. He scored! They won!

The crowd erupted into thunderous applause and cheers as the Knights jumped on each other in celebration. Evie, Lonnie, and Taylor screamed so loud only dogs could hear them. Mal and Erin covered their ears.

"What a team! Incredible! And it's the new guys, Jay and Carlos, who set up the prince for the win here. What a victory! An absolutely wonderful end to one of the best games ever!" The announcer said boastfully. The cheerleaders ran onto the field to meet the players as they all celebrated. The stand was going crazy, and Taylor was no different. She was shaking Erin relentlessly. Erin laughed and let Taylor be excited.

"Here they come, folks. The winners of the first tourn-"

Before the announcer could continue, Ben grabbed the mic and ushered the poor man away. Then, he announced, "Excuse me. Excuse me. Can I have your attention, please? There's something I'd like to say."

A hush came over the crowd as everyone waited for Ben to continue. He had a dazed look in his eye as he looked over the crowd before he announced, "Give me an 'M'!"

The crowd followed his lead, forming an 'M' with their arms and shouting, "M". Erin and Taylor looked around confused before sharing a look and shrugging at each other.

"Give me an 'A'!" Ben said into the mic before forming an 'A' with his body. The crowd copied his actions and replied, "A!"

"Give me an 'L'!"

"L!"

"What does that spell?" Ben asked. Erin's eyes bulged, realizing what Ben was getting at. Then, she looked over at Mal to find that the purple-haired girl was just as surprised.

"Mal!" The crowd cheered, looking up at Mal.

"Come on, I can't hear you!"

"Mal!" Everyone shouted louder than before.

"I love you, Mal! Did I mention that?"

Erin caught sight of Audrey sprinting off the field out of embarrassment. Erin sent Taylor a 'yikes' look to which Taylor mirrored. Their heads snapped back to the ground when Ben commanded, "Give me a beat! Whoo!"

"What is happening?" Erin asked.

Taylor shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"I wouldn't know where to start," the red-head replied in awe.

The band counted off and began an upbeat tune. "Did he break up with Audrey?"

Erin shook her head. "Based on her reaction, no."

Erin and Taylor shared another look as Mal used his jersey to stop him from kissing her. Ben took the rejection well and pulled Mal into his side, announcing into the mic, "I love you, Mal. Did I mention that?"

Mal looked very uncomfortable under everyone's watchful eye and Ben's sudden affection. She tried her best to keep a smile on her face, but Erin could tell this was a bit overwhelming for her.

Then, Audrey and Chad stormed up the bleachers, and Audrey grabbed the mic out of Ben's hand. She announced, "Chad's my boyfriend now! And I'm going to the Coronation with him. So I don't need your pity date."

Chad seemed surprised by Audrey's declaration as he fist-pumped the air in celebration. Audrey grabbed his face and kissed him forcefully. Unphased by the scene, Ben grabbed the mic back and asked, "Mal! Will you go to the Coronation with me?"

"Yes!" Mal answered into the mic.

"She said yes!" Everyone cheered. Except for Audrey. She huffed and stormed away, dragging Chad behind her. The clueless boy was still in a daze from the kiss. Erin watched them go as she shook her head.

"She's using him," Taylor commented. Erin didn't say anything, too distracted by Jay climbing up the bleachers. "Rin. You okay?"

Jay pulled Ben away from Mal, and after sending Erin a tentative wave, he dragged Ben down to the rest of the team. "Yeah, I'm okay," Erin fibbed. She knew Taylor could see right through her. But she didn't care. Erin needed to tell herself that she was okay. She felt silly for letting Jay get to her like this.

"What a victory. What a day for the Auradon Knights, finally winning back the trophy after so many years," the announcer said as the team held a trophy in celebration. Erin clapped as everyone cheered and jumped and shouted around her. Well, almost everyone. Evie looked like she was just punched in the gut, ready to kill someone.

Mal saw Evie's scowl too. "I feel really sorry for Audrey."

"You do?" Evie asked.

"Yeah. I feel like if she were talented like you, and she knew how to sew and knew beauty tips, that she wouldn't need a prince to make her feel better about herself," Mal encouraged.

This made Evie blush and giggle, which in turn made Mal join in. Erin smiled and hugged Evie's arm. Evie grasped Erin's hands and rested her head on the redhead's. "I guess I am kind of talented."

"You are definitely gifted."

Erin nodded in agreement. "And you can do way better than Chad."

"Yeah, he's an airhead," Taylor chimed.

Everyone giggled and did a semi-hug, squishing together affectionately. "Thanks, guys."

"Us girls gotta stick together," Erin stated.

They all giggled again. But their giggling was cut short when they heard Jay yell, "Yeah, yeah!"

Looking down at the field, the girls saw Jay being lifted by the team while he was holding the MVP trophy. He pointed up at the group, continuing to celebrate and including the girls in his accomplishment. Mal and Evie cheered him on. So, did Taylor, and Erin even found herself smiling and clapping. There was no denying that she was proud of him, knowing how hard he worked to fit in on the team.

"And here he is. Jay, the most valuable player. How do you like that?"

Erin continued to clap as she asked, "Are you guys coming to the pizza party?"

"That sounds like fun," Evie replied. "What do you think, Mal?"

Mal shrugged nonchalantly. "Might be fun."

"Tony is a wonderful person, and his food is off the charts amazing," Taylor said excitedly.

The bleachers slowly but surely emptied as people funneled off of the field. The girls walked to the front of the school. "We can either walk," Erin stated, "Or we can get a car."

"Is it far?"

"It's closer than the museum."

The girls walked all the way to Tony's. They laughed and talked the entire way. Mal was a little more talkative than usual, contributing to a few conversations as opposed to her usual reserved personality. Evie's mood improved exponentially after the whole Chad thing and the girls' encouraging words. Taylor was practically flying from all the excitement. Then, there was Lonnie. She was bouncing the entire way. And Erin was just happy to be surrounded by her friends, old and new.

"So, Rin, what's going on with you and Jay?" Evie asked.

"Hmm, oh, we're just friends."

"I don't know about that. He wouldn't stop talking about you the other day," Mal interjected.

Mal's words ran on a loop in Erin's head, but she quickly shook it off. And Taylor noticed. She linked her arm with Erin's and the two girls smiled at each other. Erin sighed and said, "That may be true. But I think we're just better off as friends right now."

"So, you do like him?!" Erin didn't answer, knowing Evie wasn't really asking, more like telling. And Erin didn't really know what to say.

Soon enough, the girls arrived at the restaurant, and the party was already in full swing. The team was scarfing down slice after slice of pizza. And it was so loud, Erin could barely hear Evie squealing. "Let's go sit," Erin shouted over the noise.

They did just that, and Tony wasted no time in giving them water and sodas. Not long after, the pizza came out and everyone dug in.

Erin just finished her first slice when someone tapped on her shoulder. Turning around, Erin saw Jay standing there with a sheepish smile on his face. He waved to the table before looking back at Erin. He asked, "Can we talk?"

"Sure," Erin said after hesitating for a bit. "Let's go outside."

Jay nodded and stepped back, giving Erin room to stand. He let her lead him outside and held the door open for her on the way out. The crisp night autumn air immediately bit at Erin's fair skin, and a chill shook her body. "Brrr. It's chilly out," she commented.

"Here," Jay said, taking off his dark red leather jacket. He gently draped it over her shoulders. And Jay couldn't help but smile at the sight of his jacket swallowing her whole.

Erin wrapped it tighter around herself and smiled. "Thanks."

A blush rose on her cheeks, and she was thankful it was dark out and that the cold was already making her cheeks flush. "You sure you won't be cold?"

"I'm sure."

"You wanted to talk?"

Jay nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I wanted to apologize."

Erin sighed, knowing where he was going with this. She felt bad for being so distant from him and felt the need to explain herself. She softly said, "I won't lie. I felt hurt that you could flirt with other girls so easily after everything you said to me. But, I realized that it's silly, and I should be the one apologizing. It wasn't right for me to be upset with you. We're just friends and you are more than welcome to do whatever you want, talk to whomever you want."

"As much as I appreciate that, Rin, I am so sorry. I really do like you," Jay revealed. "But I...I just..."

Erin's brows creased with worry. "Jay, what's wrong?"

"I-I'm just not good enough for you, okay?" Jay stressfully stated.

"What? Jay, that's not true."

"Yes, it is, and you said so yourself. I'm bad news, and that's not fair to you. You're such an amazing person, you don't need someone like me, bringing you down."

"When did I-"

"At lunch the other day."

Reaching out, Erin grasped Jay's forearms before sliding her hands down and holding his large hands in her small ones. "Oh, Jay. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I know. And I laughed at the time. But then I started thinking, you were right."

"So, that's why you distanced yourself," Erin realized.

Jay nodded and squeezed Erin's cold hands. "Again, I'm sorry. I just thought you deserved better than me," he whispered in his husky voice.

"Don't be sorry," Erin replied, "You have a right to feel the way you do. But you're wrong."

A confused look adorned Jay's features, and Erin took her chance to clarify. "When I'm with you, I don't feel like a klutz or a weirdo. When I'm with you I feel safe. I feel normal, and I feel like I can be myself without judgment. I like being with you Jay. I like being around you. You make me laugh, and you help me have a good time and let loose, have fun."

"But we come from such different worlds."

"That never stopped my parents, and that is not going to stop me," Erin stated confidently. "How about we take this slow? Start out as friends, get to know each other better."

"Are you sure?"

In lieu of an answer, Erin stood up on her tippy toes and kissed Jay's cheek, making his cheeks flush. "I'm sure," Erin replied after sinking down to her heels.

"Then, I'd like that. I like being around you too, Erin. I think you may just be a good influence on me," Jay teased. "But don't tell anybody, okay?"

"You're right. We wouldn't want to ruin your bad-boy reputation," Erin retorted. Jay chuckled and pulled Erin's still shaking body into his warm one. She sighed and melted into his warmth.

"How are you so warm?"

Jay shrugged as he rubbed Erin's arms and back. "How are you so cold?"

"That's normal for me."

"I'll keep that in mind," Jay stated. "Let's get you back inside before you turn into an ice cube."

"Good idea."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, he decided to resolve things. What a sweet moment! What's gonna happen next?

Well, that's for me to know and for you to find out!

Until next time, my Guppies!

Love,

KK