Chapter 1859

"Let's meet at the gym after five tonight. Anyone who wants to try their luck, just

show up."

The second Tyler said it, the whole group burst out laughing.

"Come on, Tyler, don't get ahead of yourself," someone joked. "We're all varsity athletes here. We're not exactly pushovers-some of us even have black belts. Don't go making promises you can't keep."

Tyler didn't respond. He just glanced at Fiona, then looked away, as calm as ever.

His quiet confidence made a few people frown. Was he really that good? No one could say for sure, but they all tried to convince themselves there was nothing to worry about.

Fiona was about to start her game when her phone buzzed. Nash had made a new group chat with just her and Tyler.

Nash: What are you up to this time?

Tyler: Just curious!

Fiona smirked, fingers flying over the screen.

Fiona: Guess you'll find out soon enough.

She couldn't help but imagine Amy's face if she came back and found all her friends had become Tyler's biggest fans. Amy would probably lose it.

With Tyler's challenge hanging in the air, everyone was counting down the minutes to five. Some people were so hyped, they skipped dinner and started hanging out in the gym at 4:30, shooing away anyone who tried to use the court.

Learning secret moves from Tyler felt like joining an exclusive club. Having a little self-defense up your sleeve? Totally worth it.

By the time it was almost five, the basketball court was packed-guys and girls alike, all watching the clock Tyler still hadn't shown up, and the tension in the room kept building.

"Where is he? It's almost five. School ended ages ago. Did he just talk big and bail?"

"No way. I just saw him and Fiona in the cafeteria. They were still eating, even though class ended forever ago. Who knows what they were doing."

"It's five already! Why aren't they here? Maybe he got cold feet."

The crowd started grumbling, their patience thinning by the second.

Suddenly, someone yelled, "Hey, look! It's Fiona and Tyler!"

Every head turned as the pair walked in, everyone's eyes following them like they were celebrities.

Tyler raised a hand in apology. "Sorry, we're late. The entrance was packed. Took us a while to get through."

The group instantly realized-the

crowd at the door was their own fault. They'd tried so hard to keep outsiders out, they'd ended up blocking Tyler and Fiona too.

Awkward.

"So, who's up first?" Tyler asked, glancing around.

Fiona found a spot in the corner, popped in her earbuds, and settled in to watch. She was really just here to see if Tyler was still as good as she remembered. As for Nash, he was nowhere to be seen-even though he'd promised he'd be here at five sharp. He'd vanished right after class, and now he wasn't answering any messages.

"I'll go," someone volunteered, stepping forward.