Ben's POV
Ben barely had time to catch his breath after the morning announcements before the four of them—Ryan, Anna, Savannah, and himself—found their usual seats in class. The buzz about tryouts still hadn't died down, and even the teachers seemed to know it was the only thing on anyone's mind.
As soon as the bell rang and the teacher stepped out for a moment, Savannah spun around in her chair to face Ryan and Ben, eyes sparkling.
"So…" she said, drawing out the word. "Basketball tryouts. Monday."
Ryan leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his expression unreadable as always. "Yeah."
Ben, on the other hand, gave a sheepish grin. "We're starting to train today."
Anna, sitting beside Savannah, perked up. "Training?"
"Every day after school," Ryan said, casually. "Just working on the basics. Getting into rhythm."
Savannah raised an eyebrow. "Well, look at you two. Determined. I like that."
"We're not the only ones with big plans," Ben shot back with a grin. "What about you two?"
Savannah's grin widened. "Glad you asked. Cheerleading tryouts. Also Monday."
Anna gave a small smile, a bit more reserved but still excited. "We figured… new school, new start. Why not?"
Ben nodded. "That's actually pretty cool."
Savannah leaned forward slightly, looking between the two boys. "So, if you two make the team, and we make the squad…"
"We'll be cheering for you," Anna added, her voice soft but sincere.
Ryan glanced toward her briefly, something flickering in his expression. "Guess there's pressure now."
Savannah smirked. "Just a little. No pressure or anything—but you better not trip or miss a shot. We'd hate to waste our cheers."
Ben laughed. "Great. Just what I needed—two critics in pom-poms."
Anna chuckled, and for a brief second, all four of them shared the kind of moment that felt normal. Like friends. Like they belonged.
The teacher returned, and the room settled, but the energy between them lingered. The countdown to Monday had officially begun—not just for basketball or cheerleading, but for the start of something that none of them could quite define yet.