Almost Perfect

The late afternoon sun streamed through the gymnasium windows, casting long shadows across the floor as we gathered in the locker room, prepping for our last period: soccer practice. The first week after the exams was always a mixed bag—some people were still riding the high of doing well, while others were just relieved it was all over.

"So, who's ready to hear the results?" Ryan grinned, leaning against the lockers as we all gathered around, still in the process of changing into our practice gear.

Ethan rolled his eyes, tossing his shirt into his locker. "If I have to hear about one more person bragging about their ranks, I might just throw up."

Julian smirked, nudging him. "Come on, man, you know you're curious. Plus, we all know who's going to top the charts anyway."

Logan glanced at me, a knowing smile tugging at his lips. "Speaking of, our resident genius over here might have something to say about that."

I shot him a look but couldn't stop the small grin that slipped through. "I mean, I did alright."

Zach's eyes widened as he pulled out the printed results from his locker. "Alright? You got first rank in almost everything—except that one subject. What happened there?"

I exhaled through my nose, scratching the back of my head. "Yeah… got 10th in history. Brain fried on the last essay. Probably didn't help that I was sick during revision week."

Ryan let out a low whistle. "Dude, if you hadn't tanked that one, you'd be sitting at the top of the first years right now. Instead, you're fifth overall. What a plot twist."

Ethan snorted, crossing his arms. "Fifth place, huh? Still, that's not too shabby. But seriously, what happened? You're usually a machine."

I shrugged. "You know me—I need to go over things at least once before the exam, or it doesn't stick. Missed out on my usual routine."

Julian turned to Zach with a grin. "And speaking of rankings, looks like someone else has been quietly killing it. Third overall, with a bunch of firsts, seconds, and thirds? Not bad at all."

Zach smirked, a glint of pride in his eyes. "Yeah, guess I did alright too. But hey, someone had to pick up the slack when Daniel decided to take a break in history."

Logan chuckled. "You two are ridiculous. Here I am just happy to have passed everything, and you guys are competing for the throne."

Zach leaned against the lockers, watching me with that familiar knowing look. "Though, maybe someone was a little distracted this time around?"

Julian raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Who's this 'certain someone'?"

I shot Zach a dry look. "You're way too interested in my life."

But I knew ignoring them wouldn't help, so I sighed and relented. "It's nothing serious. Just Leah—that girl from the mall. We've been talking a bit."

Logan smirked. "So, our boy's been occupied, huh? Who knew the mighty Daniel could be thrown off his game by a girl?"

"Not thrown off," I corrected, rolling my eyes. "Just… balancing priorities. Besides, she's cool. It's nice to talk to someone outside this madhouse once in a while."

Ryan grinned. "Well, don't let her be your downfall, man. We need you at the top of your game—both in exams and on the field."

Ethan laughed, giving me a playful shove. "Yeah, but maybe next time, ask her to help you study history. Couldn't hurt, right?"

I scoffed but couldn't hold back a small smirk. "You guys are relentless. But hey, at least I've got something to aim for next time. I'm coming for that top spot."

Zach clapped me on the back. "That's the spirit! Just don't forget us little guys when you're up there, Mr. Almost-Perfect."

As we stepped onto the field, the teasing still lingered in my mind. It was strange—this kind of easy banter, the back-and-forth jabs that didn't feel like a challenge or an attack. It wasn't something I used to have. Back then, there was no one to joke with. No circle. No one waiting for me after school or throwing insults that weren't meant to cut deep.

I wasn't lonely. At least, that's what I always told myself.

But somewhere along the way, these guys stuck around. I didn't ask for it, didn't even notice when it happened, but here we were. Somewhere along the way, this group became different.

I glanced at Ethan and Julian throwing punches at each other's arms like idiots, Zach still riding his high over his rank, and Logan shaking his head at all of us like he wasn't just as bad. Ryan grinned like he had something planned, and Jared and Owen were already kicking a ball around.

It felt… natural.

And now, Leah.

A whole new equation I hadn't even considered before.

I wasn't sure what it meant yet, but if there was one thing I did know—it was that things were shifting. And I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

Shaking off the thought, I focused ahead. There were more important things to worry about—like the game in front of us. And maybe, just maybe, reclaiming that top spot next time.