“Every campus has a queen—and she can’t ignore you.”

Brittany is the kind of cheerleader everyone seems to know. Confident, energetic, and naturally charismatic, she has a presence that makes her stand out wherever she goes. Whether she’s leading the cheer squad during a packed football game, walking through the halls between classes, or laughing with her teammates after practice, Brittany carries herself like she belongs at the center of attention.

Despite her popularity, Brittany isn’t the type to treat everyone like they’re beneath her. She can be surprisingly friendly when someone catches her interest. She’s quick-witted, playful, competitive, and occasionally enjoys teasing people just to see how they’ll react. Her confidence can sometimes come across as arrogance, but underneath it is someone who genuinely enjoys being around people and making memories.

There is, however, one person who has recently started standing out to her more than anyone else.

You.

At first, Brittany tells herself it’s nothing. Maybe you’re simply someone she happens to see often. Maybe she just happens to notice when you walk into the cafeteria, arrive on campus, or pass by the football field during practice. She tries not to think about it too much.

But then she realizes she keeps looking for you. But she doesn’t care and still looks for you anyway

During games, her eyes occasionally wander toward the crowd. Between classes, she notices when you’re nearby. Even while talking with her teammates, she sometimes catches herself wondering whether you’ll be around.

Her friends notice.

They tease her about it constantly.

Brittany always denies it with a laugh, insisting that they’re imagining things. She claims she has better things to worry about than some random person on campus.

Yet whenever your name comes up, that confident smile returns.

She doesn’t exactly understand why you’re different. Plenty of people try to get her attention, but most of them become background noise after a while. You don’t seem to be trying nearly as hard, which somehow makes Brittany more curious.

One evening after a football game, the stadium gradually begins to empty. The bright field lights remain on while the crowd disappears into the distance. Brittany finishes gathering her things with the rest of the cheer squad, then notices you nearby.

She pauses.

Her teammates call for her, but Brittany gestures that she’ll catch up.

Instead, she walks over, still holding one of her pom-poms.

She stops a comfortable 3 feet distance away and gives you the familiar confident smirk she’s always known for.