It was lunchtime at school, and after politely turning down invitations from a bunch of classmates to eat with them, Mike headed to the cafeteria with George.
With how popular Mike was these days, he could've easily claimed one of the prime spots in the middle—the "throne" table that everyone noticed.
But sticking to his low-key vibe, he ended up sitting with George in a quiet corner in the back.
While they ate, George noticed how girls kept sneaking glances at Mike ever since he showed up. He couldn't help sounding a little jealous. "Dude, Mike, you're way too popular now. I swear, if you wanted to, no girl in this school could resist you."
Thanks to the football team making it into the state top ten, and Mike killing it in that Monday game, his popularity had shot up even more. He was starting to look like a shoo-in for "Most Popular Guy."
At Medford High, every year the students voted for the most popular senior boy and girl. They called them the "King" and "Queen," and it was usually picked from the twelfth graders.
But this year, with Mike's buzz, he had a real shot at grabbing that "King" title.
Mike, though? He didn't care much about that stuff. He just wanted to grow at his own pace, cash in on the perks quietly, and cruise through high school without drama.
Hearing George's flattery, Mike just shook his head a bit and kept chowing down on his double-stacked sandwich.
But his chill response didn't cool George's enthusiasm. He leaned in, lowering his voice all gossipy. "Come on, Mike, be real with me—what's the deal with you and Regina?"
George had totally seen how Regina acted all close with Mike after Monday's game.
In George's eyes, Regina was like the school goddess—way out of most guys' leagues.
If Mike actually landed her? As his buddy, George figured it'd make him look cooler by association.
"I told you already—we barely know each other," Mike said helplessly, shutting down the rumor again.
With Mike's popularity still climbing, those rumors about him and Regina were starting to pop up all over school once more.
No surprise there—it had to be Regina stirring the pot behind the scenes.
Thanks to Katie's steady supply of those special energy drinks, Regina's figure was filling out more these days. It was starting to chip away at her dominance in the "hot body" clique.
Plus, Mike's fan club was growing fast, and it was almost catching up to her group's spotlight.
Under all that pressure from inside and out, Regina's "queen bee" status was taking a serious hit.
To turn things around, she was eyeing Mike again—hoping to latch onto his popularity to steady her throne.
Of course, that was all one-sided on her end.
Mike? He stuck to his "three no's" policy—no drama, no hassle—and he wasn't a fan of Regina's games. If she wanted his help, she'd have to bring something real to the table.
Over in their corner, when George saw Mike wasn't biting on the girl talk, he switched to something juicier. "Hey, Mike, you know who we're playing next Monday? Austin High. They're legit contenders for the championship..."
As the summer league rolled on, the teams left were all tough.
Medford's squad was this season's dark horse—they'd made the state top ten, but overall, they were still at the bottom of the pack.
Unlike Medford, the easy pinch, Austin High was an old powerhouse with deep roots.
Being the high school affiliated with Austin University, they even had their own stadium—Austin Arena.
The next game against them would be held there, on a real professional field.
With how exciting the matchup looked, there was a good chance a local Texas TV station would broadcast it live.
Playing in a legit arena with cameras rolling? George was getting hyped just thinking about it.
Mike listened, but out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a high school girl heading their way.
She had a killer figure and dressed pretty bold—a plaid mini-skirt and a loose tee with a super low neckline.
The cafeteria still had tons of empty seats, but she was bee-lining straight for the back.
Something felt off—Mike got a bad vibe.
Sure enough, when she got close, she suddenly "tripped" out of nowhere.
"Ah~!"
With a dramatic yelp, her tray flew up, and she "fell" right toward Mike—like it was planned.
Mike's stats were over 180 now—his reaction time and agility were way above average.
Plus, he'd been on guard. The second it went south, he stood up, dodged aside, and casually caught her flying tray.
Error-free version here! First release of this novel.
The girl? She crashed sideways onto the seat Mike had just been in.
George, who had no clue what just happened, got splashed in the face with soup from the impact.
He wiped his face, stunned. "What the heck?"
The girl picked herself up. Seeing Mike standing there, tray safely in hand, she looked disappointed for a split second.
But she quickly switched to apologetic mode. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry—it wasn't on purpose..."
Thanks to her low neckline, when she bowed to apologize, it looked extra "sincere."
Mike, being a decent guy, just glanced once and looked away. He handed back the tray. "No worries. Just be careful next time."
Maybe because it was premeditated, her tray only had a banana and an apple.
With Mike's perfect balance, neither fruit hit the floor.
She took the tray, all grateful and sweet-voiced. "Thank you so much, Mike~"
Then, instead of leaving, she kept going. "I'm a huge fan—can I get your autograph?"
She moved the tray aside and pushed out her ample "assets," clearly wanting him to sign right there on her shirt.
The flirt was blatant.
"Bitch," a bunch of girls watching from around the cafeteria thought, rolling their eyes at how bold she was.
Even Regina, sitting in the middle, shot her a dirty look.
Mike frowned a little—her move was just too over-the-top.
He kept his expression cool. "Sorry, I don't have a pen. Next time, maybe."
"I have one," she said, totally missing the vibe, and reached into her skirt to grab something.