truth or dare - game on series #1

Cameron

The locker room was loud—guys talking, laughing, hyping each other up—but it all felt distant, like I was underwater. I sat on the bench, my elbows resting on my knees, staring down at the floor. My jersey hung loose on my shoulders, and my hands were clenched into fists, but for once, it wasn't from excitement or adrenaline. It was from stress. From frustration. From knowing that I wasn't ready for this game, not mentally.

It was bad. I could feel it. My focus was off. My energy was off. I tried to shake it, rolling my shoulders and bouncing my leg like that would somehow get my head in the right place, but it didn't. My body felt heavy, like I was dragging a weight behind me.

"Cam, you good?" Liam asked, sitting beside me, nudging my shoulder.

I forced a nod. "Yeah. Just thinking."

He didn't buy it. None of them did. I knew that because Drew, who was usually too busy making dumb jokes, had been watching me with a frown since we got here. Luke kept looking over like he wanted to say something but didn't know how to start.

"Dude, we got this," Liam said, slapping my back. "We've been working for this all season. Last time, they got lucky. Tonight, we take it back."

I nodded again. "Yeah. Right."

Drew leaned against the lockers, crossing his arms. "Man, you gotta get your head in the game. I don't know what's going on in there, but this team needs you. We need our captain to not look like he just crawled out of his own grave."

I let out a breath, rubbing my face. "I know, okay? I know. I just—I don't know how to get it together."

They all went quiet. Even Liam, who always had something to say. That's how I knew it was bad.

Then Luke spoke up, his voice quieter than usual. "Is it your dad?"

My jaw tightened. I didn't answer, but that was enough confirmation.

I heard Drew mutter something under his breath before he sighed. "I swear, man, he's got you wrapped in this cycle, and every time he pops up, it's like you shut down."

"He's coming to watch," I said, my voice stiff. "And you know how that goes."

They all did. They'd seen it before—me playing with a weight on my back, trying to prove something to someone who would never be satisfied. Trying to earn approval that would never come.

Liam exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "Look, forget him. Seriously. This isn't about him. It's about you. About us. About this team. He doesn't get to be in your head."

Easy for him to say. He didn't grow up in that house. He didn't spend his whole life trying to measure up to impossible expectations.

I leaned back against the locker, staring at the ceiling. "It's not just him," I admitted before I could stop myself.

I didn't say her name, but they knew. Of course they knew.

Drew groaned. "Of course. Of course it's Stella."

Liam whistled lowly. "Man, you're really down bad, huh?"

"Shut up."

Luke, ever the logical one, asked, "Did something happen?"

I didn't even know where to start. Should I have told them about running into her? About the look on her face when she saw Liv? About how she ran from me like I was something to escape?

"Nothing happened," I said finally. "That's the problem."

Silence. Then Drew clapped his hands together. "Alright, listen up, lover boy. You can mope after we win this game. But right now, you need to snap the hell out of it. You think Stella wants to see you losing? Looking like a damn zombie on the court? No, she wants to see the guy she fell for. The guy who doesn't let anyone—his dad, himself, or anyone else—get in the way of who he is."