The Elephant In The Room

The sports room was abuzz with the sound of heavy breathing and the rustle of sneakers on the polished floor. Mr. Robin, the school coach, stood at the front of the room, his whistle poised at his lips.

"Alright, kids! Squat twenty times, let's go!"

Mia and Shawn stood side by side, their eyes fixed on the floor as they began to squat. But despite their physical proximity, the distance between them was palpable. They hadn't spoken to each other since their last conversation, and the tension between them was starting to become noticeable.

Jaden, who stood on the other side of Mia, raised an eyebrow as he glanced at his friends.

"Hey, what's going on with you two?" he asked, his voice low but neither Mia nor Shawn responded, their faces set in determined expressions.

Just then, Kenzie, who stood beside Mia, lost her balance and bumped into her. Mia stumbled backwards, her arms flailing wildly as she struggled to regain her balance.

In a flash, Shawn stretched out his hands to save her, but Jack beat him to it. "Be careful, Mia, you might hurt yourself," Jack said, his voice smooth as silk.

Mia's smile was radiant as she thanked Jack, but Shawn's expression was a different story altogether. His eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched in annoyance.

Without a word, Shawn turned and walked out of the sports room, leaving Jaden to wonder what was wrong with his friend.

"Hey, Shawn, what's up with you?" Jaden asked, following Shawn out of the room.

Shawn's response was a shrug, his eyes fixed on the floor. "What do you mean?"

Jaden's eyes sparkled with amusement. "I noticed you get upset each time you see Jack with Mia."

Shawn's denial was immediate, his voice rising in protest. "That's not true!"

But Jaden just chuckled, his eyes glinting with knowing. "It is, you and I both know that."

Shawn's face grew hot with annoyance, but Jaden just kept pushing. "Then why did you leave the sports room?"

Shawn's silence was telling, and Jaden's grin grew wider. "See, I'm right."

Shawn's voice was low and fierce. "No."

Jaden's expression turned serious, his eyes locked onto Shawn's. "Come on, Shawn, you can let it out. It's pretty obvious you know."

Shawn's eyes flashed with anger, but Jaden just kept going. "You have a thing for her, don't you?"

Shawn's denial was vehement, his voice rising in protest. "I don't like her, okay?"

But Jaden just smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement. "I never said you did."

Shawn's face grew hotter, his anger simmering just below the surface. "you literally just said that,"

Jaden's expression turned serious, his eyes locked onto Shawn's. "Well, you're right about that."

Shawn's voice was low and fierce. "I don't want to like anyone, not anymore."

Jaden's expression softened, his eyes filled with understanding. "Just give it a try, Shawn. I know you've been hurt, but trust me on this, Mia won't let you down."

Shawn's silence was telling, and Jaden's grin grew wider. "No thank you, I won't let the feelings grow."

Jaden's expression turned serious, his eyes locked onto Shawn's. "So that's why you've not spoken to her. Shawn, I know girls can be awful, but trust me, not all girls are the same. Please, just give it a try."

Shawn's face grew hotter, his anger simmering just below the surface. But then, he seemed to deflate, his shoulders sagging slightly. "Fine, I'll only befriend her, nothing more."

Jaden's grin was triumphant. "I think that'll do. C'mon, let's get back to Mr. Robin's class."

As they walked back to the sports room, Shawn couldn't shake the feeling that he was in trouble. He had agreed to befriend Mia, but he knew it wouldn't be easy. His feelings for her were already complicated, and he had a feeling that things were only going to get more complicated from here.

When they got back to their positions, Mia's curiosity got the better of her. She leaned in close to Jaden, her voice barely above a whisper. "What's going on with Shawn? Why did he dash out like that?"

Jaden's expression was cryptic, his eyes glinting with a knowing spark. "He'll tell you when the time is right," he said, his tone low and mysterious.

Mia's eyes narrowed, her mind racing with possibilities. But before she could press Jaden for more information, Mr. Robin's voice cut through the air, his voice echoed through the sports room, signaling the end of the grueling session. "That's all for today, students. We'll meet in our next class."

As he gulped down a bottle of water, his eyes scanned the room, his gaze lingering on two students. "Jaden Williams and Shawn Wayne, give me twenty now!" he barked, his voice firm and commanding.

Without hesitation, the two boys dropped to the floor, their bodies moving in sync as they began to do the push-ups. The girls in the class couldn't help but stare, their eyes fixed on the two boys, especially Shawn.

Shawn's face grew hot with discomfort as he felt the weight of their gazes. He tried to focus on the push-ups, but it was hard to ignore the admiring glances and whispered comments. "Oh my god, Shawn is so hot!" one of the girls breathed.

Shawn's discomfort turned to annoyance, but he bit back his frustration and continued with the push-ups. He couldn't let Mr. Robin down, and he definitely couldn't let the girls get to him.

As they finished the push-ups, Mr. Robin's expression turned stern. "That's for leaving my class without permission."

With that, he turned and strode out of the sports room, leaving Shawn and Jaden to breathe a sigh of relief. But as Shawn stood up, he caught the eye of one of the girls, who was still gazing at him with admiration. He quickly looked away, to conceal his anger.

Shawn's voice was a low, rough growl, his words barely above a whisper. His eyes, blazing with a fierce intensity, locked onto Jaden's, as if daring him to say a word.

"I need to use the washroom," Shawn spat out, his jaw clenched in a futile attempt to contain the anger simmering beneath the surface.

The air around him seemed to vibrate with tension, as if the very atmosphere was charged with the electricity of his emotions. Jaden, sensing the turmoil brewing within his friend, nodded curtly, his eyes never leaving Shawn's face.

Without another word, Shawn turned and strode out of the sports room, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions and unspoken concerns. The washroom was just a pretext, a flimsy excuse to escape the suffocating emotions that threatened to consume him.

 Mia's eyes was blazing with annoyance. "What's wrong with him?" she muttered, before dashing out of the sports room herself.

Jaden chuckled. "(Sighs) This is what I get for being in a group with love birds."

His eyes sparkled with amusement as he shook his head and followed Mia out of the sports room, leaving the reader wondering what secrets lay beneath the surface of their complicated relationships.