Chapter 6
After that day, Adelaide never saw Frederick again. She didn't reach out to him either.
The morning coffees stopped appearing. Even his texts dwindled to almost nothing.
For the first two days, Frederick still sent apologies—though every message dripped with accusation.
[Melissa's already sensitive enough. Why did you have to embarrass her right then?]
[My dad already agreed to give the cheer squad extra funding. What more do you want?]
[Coach Rivera said Melissa has real talent. Why are you the only one blocking her from the squad?]
[Adelaide, can't you just cut me some slack for once?]
Adelaide read every message. She didn't reply to a single one.
Frederick stopped texting after that.
The cold war lasted a week.
Adelaide threw herself into pre-competition cheer practice, refusing to let Frederick occupy her thoughts. Melissa didn't show up at the practice field again either.
During a water break, Greta came over and nudged her shoulder. "So what do you want for your birthday? I've been saving up my allowance."
"Birthday?" Adelaide glanced at the date on her phone. It hit her—her birthday was the day after tomorrow. The same day as the football team's season opener.
Greta stared at her in disbelief. "Adelaide, can you please relax for five seconds? The competition matters, but so does your birthday. I heard Frederick already reserved a spot at a bar downtown. Your favorite—the one with live blues."
Greta's boyfriend was on the football team, so she always knew things Adelaide didn't.
Adelaide's fingers curled slowly into a fist. He'd planned a birthday party for her?
Her phone buzzed. A message from Frederick.
Not the usual lines—no 'just calm down' or 'let's talk this through.'
[Game's the day after tomorrow. I saved you a seat in the stands. Section C, front row, dead center—best view in the house. Come watch me play.]
Adelaide stared at the words. Her thumb hovered over the screen for a few seconds.
He remembered to save her a seat.
She knew that spot—directly facing the fifty-yard line, the best vantage point in the entire stadium. She'd sat there every single time she watched him play.
Adelaide closed her hand around her phone.
Maybe he was planning a surprise. Maybe he remembered her birthday and was using the game as an excuse to get her there, then surprise her in front of everyone.
She took a deep breath and typed back one word: [Okay.]
On game day, Adelaide woke up early. She stood in front of the mirror for a long time.
She chose a white sundress, kept her makeup light, and slipped on the diamond studs he'd given her.
Birthday wishes poured in from friends and family all morning.
None from Frederick.
She told herself he was saving it. He'd say it in person. That was even better.
By the time Adelaide arrived at the stadium, the stands were already packed.
She made her way through the crowd toward Section C, front row, found the center seat—and saw Melissa.
She was wearing Frederick's team jacket, her hair loose around her shoulders, makeup flawless. She held a strawberry latte in one hand, leaning sideways to chat with someone next to her.
Frederick's teammates filled the surrounding seats. When they spotted Adelaide, their expressions shifted. Awkward.
"Adelaide? You're here too?" Melissa's voice pitched with theatrical surprise. "Frederick said he saved me the best seat. He probably didn't know you were coming. There might be some seats further back?"
Adelaide said nothing.
There were no seats left in the front row of Section C.
She walked to the second row and found a spot in the far corner. From here, she could barely see the field.
The game started.
Frederick stood on the field in his red jersey, blazing under the sun like a flame.
He was on fire—scored within the first five minutes.
The crowd erupted.
Melissa leaped from her seat, waving her arms wildly. "Go Frederick!"
She screamed loud enough for everyone nearby to hear. People started whispering.
"Is that Frederick's girlfriend? She's cute."
"No way. I heard his girlfriend's the cheer captain."
"I think that's his stepsister? But also an ex? Forbidden romance vibes?"
Adelaide's face remained perfectly still as the whispers swirled around her. Her eyes stayed locked on Frederick.
He sprinted, passed, scored. Every now and then, he'd glance toward the stands.
But he was looking toward Melissa's direction. He never noticed Adelaide at all.
At halftime, Melissa grabbed a Coke and ran down to the sideline to hand it to Frederick.
He took a sip and ruffled her hair. The two of them laughed together, picture-perfect sweet.
When Melissa jogged back to the stands, she had something extra—Frederick's sweat towel draped over her shoulder like a badge. Like a claim.
She paused as she passed Adelaide's row. "Adelaide, Frederick was amazing today, wasn't he? Did you see his plays?"
Adelaide didn't answer. From where she sat, she could barely see anything.
Melissa leaned down, bringing her face a little closer. "Oh, and Adelaide—happy birthday. Make sure you have a good day, okay?"
She smiled, straightened up, and walked back to the front row. She folded the towel neatly and placed it on her lap.
Adelaide sat motionless. Her fingers slowly tightened around the hem of her dress.
Melissa remembered today was her birthday.
Which meant everything Melissa had done today was deliberate. Every single thing—calculated to twist the knife.
Adelaide glanced down at her phone. A shipping notification from a luxury retailer—an order set for delivery today.
She blinked. Then exhaled slowly.
Frederick had always hated dealing with membership accounts, so he'd been using her loyalty card to earn points.
She read the order details. Then she raised her head and looked out at Frederick on the field.
He was high-fiving his teammates, grinning wide. Then he seemed to glance in her direction, his smile especially bright.
Adelaide closed her eyes. Drew in a long breath.
Then she told herself: it was the season opener. It mattered. The fact that Frederick still remembered to get her a gift—that was something.
He was just busy. The game was intense. He simply hadn't had a chance to say anything to her yet.
Maybe after the game, he'd come find her. With a cake. With flowers. Walking toward her in front of the whole team, saying those two simple words—'happy birthday.'
She could wait a little longer.
