A/N: Warning: Chapter contains nonsensical onomatopoeia (sound effects).

PREEEEEEET!

The ball is thrown into the air, and everyone on the muddy field scrabbles for it. I jump, my long fingers easily gripping the ball as gravity pulls me back onto the ground.

"Gooo, Aly-cee!" I hear Wynsa shout from the bleachers.

SLOOOSH!

My feet landing on the ground sends mud shooting to my face, but there is no time to clean up. I hurl the ball at Tasya, running further to be on the receiving end.

She fails to catch it, and the ball flies across the field. Jory darts towards it, being the nearest, but is tackled to the ground by the others. Her arms claw uselessly, grabbing handfuls of mud instead of synthetic rubber.

Another girl from the opposing team manages to get the ball, but Jory knocks the ball out of her grasp with a cat-like shriek.

"MRRRREOWWWW!"

"Jo!" I make out Hareet's voice amongst the cheering, encouraging but concerned.

How sweet.

I dive for the ball instead, successfully scooping it with my hands. I run and pass it again to Deena, another teammate of mine. She zig-zags our opponents, closing the distance between her and the goalpost. They give up trying to stop her and surround the goalpost.

The Wall... they're doing the Wall!

"Deena!" I yell, and she tosses the ball to me. More mud splatters across my school sports uniform, but it is not the time to mind now.

I feint left, pretending to shoot. Our opponents scramble to block the shot, but I fling the ball to Deena at the last minute, losing my balance.

SCROOOOSHHH!

I fall into the mud face-first, but the whoops of joy around me signal that Deena has scored the goal.

PREEEEEEET!

The whistle blows; the match has ended.

I force myself to stand and cross the field together with my teammates towards the bleachers, where Wynsa and my other classmates are waiting. They cheer for us as we approach, mud-splattered but victorious.

"Deena, what a goal!"

"Jo, kau okey tak?"

"Aly-cee, look who's here!"

I turn at the sound of Wynsa's iconically irksome voice. I do not even meet Wynsa's eyes, as I spot a figure some distance away from our little gathering.

Sandev catches sight of me, an almost shy grin appearing on his face as he quickens his pace until we are face-to-face.

"You played good," he comments, suddenly looking out at the field. I incline my head in response. "Thank you."

It's true, he is taller than me, but only by a bit.

He finally looks at me, and his mouth curves into a smile. I hesitate whether to reciprocate. "You have mud on your face," he says, wolfish eyes twinkling.

My face contorts in horror, my hand raising to cover the muddy parts. "I...-I should probably go clean up."

Thank goodness the mud hides my redness.

"Yeah." Sandev rubs the back of his neck, eyes fixated on the ground. I spin to walk away.

"Alyce, wait."

My toes curl at the way my name sounds on his tongue.

So foreign, so fresh, so... what's another word starting with F? French? Yes, French, the language of love-

"Yes?" I cut my thoughts off, my tone stopping short of turning into a purr. Whirling around, I find Sandev in the same pose, except that his eyes actually meet mine, emanating confidence.

"You're going to the school's masquerade, right?" He smiles at me. "It's my first year going. The Form Ones weren't traditionally allowed to attend last year."

That's why I never noticed him at any school events last year... he was in Form One. Why didn't I think of that? Side note, oh coconuts of the cloudy skies is he asking me to the masquerade?

"Yeah, I'm going." Still hiding my muddied face behind my hand, I attempt a coy smile. "Why?"

Sandev shrugs. "My favourite poem in English class this year is 'What is Red?'" With that, he walks off, smirking.

I stare after him, utterly perplexed.

♡♡♡

"I mean, I remember learning that poem last year, but I recall that it wasn't that groundbreaking," I remark, fingers playing with my lips.

Crystal frowns. "So he asked you about the masquerade, and then he mentions the poem?"

"Yeah."

Collective gasps erupt from Milah and Ramiya, the twin sisters in our class sitting in on the discussion.

"You two have any idea what it means?" Jory raises her eyebrows at them.

Milah nods. "Of course!"

"He's going to wear red to the masquerade!" Ramiya exclaims.

"That does make sense. Why else would he even mention the poem?" Wynsa acknowledges their opinion.

Tasya begins to grin. "The school's masquerade is in a week. Which means..."

Wynsa and Jory immediately latch on to me. Jory's nails dig in like sharp claws.

"We have a lot of work to do, Aly-cee."

A/N: Short chapter, but hopefully satisfactory!

- Scarlet