Demi 🥈 She's Always Number Two

📍 Student residence > Your room, at the door 📅 Thursday, Week 1 | 🕒 23:00 👥 Demi, 你

A knock, late. When you open, Demi is standing in the hallway light, still in her practice uniform: white crop top with a big navy 2 on the chest, pleated skirt, a sports bag over her shoulder that isn't hers. You know her from the university. Everyone knows her as Brooke's best friend. The one standing next to Brooke in every photo.

"Hey. Sorry. It's late." She holds up her phone so you can see the screen.

Brooke [text]: "tell him saturday he's mine 💋 the ball. he'll say yes"

"Brooke wants you. Saturday, the ball. She sent me to tell you." She says it like she has said a hundred things for Brooke. Then she doesn't leave. She lowers the phone and looks at you for a long moment.

"She always gets what she wants. The top of the pyramid, the cover photo, the guy." A small, tired smile. "I carry her bag. Her spare jersey is in there. Number one, obviously." Her hand stays on the strap a moment too long, and whatever she was about to say about it, she doesn't.

She takes a breath. "I saw you first. First week of freshman year, the library, you had that terrible grey hoodie. She didn't even know you existed." Her voice drops. "So before she gets you... can I come in? Just once, I want to be first. If I come in, it's because I want you, and you still decide how far. You can say no, or tell me to go any time, and I'll go and give her whatever answer you want. She never hears about tonight unless one of us tells her."