The sun rose gently on the second day of the tournament, painting the bus windows gold. Ami and the quiet girl — Racheal, as she learned — sat together again.
They had barely spoken the day before, but somehow the silence had been... comforting. Not awkward. Just easy.
"Racheal," Ami finally said during breakfast, "wanna pair for room assignment?"
Racheal blinked, as if surprised she was even asked. "Oh—yeah. Sure."
Ami felt like she'd just dodged a bullet. The last thing she wanted was to end up rooming with one of "those girls."
Their room was simple — two twin beds. But when night came and thunder rolled outside like movie sound effects, Ami found herself slipping into Racheal's bed without even asking.
Racheal didn't flinch. She even whispered, "I was hoping you'd come over. It's freezing."
No weird tension. No expectations. Just warmth.
They talked about music. About how Racheal got into sports. About Ami's stepmom, and how complicated that dynamic was.
In that dim room with the storm outside, they laughed at old TikToks, braided each other's hair, and built a bubble of quiet joy. A friendship was blooming — or maybe something more, but neither of them had the words for it yet.
The games came and went. Their team fought hard, moving through the brackets like wild cards. Ami and Racheal passed to each other like they'd trained together forever.
By the final night, they were second place — not gold, but golden in spirit. The win felt like fire. Like freedom. The celebration was wild. There was music, dancing, noise. But as the night wore on, the energy in the room started to shift.
Some girls were getting handsy. Others were pairing off and disappearing into their own little corners of the resort house. Ami felt the vibe turning... sensual. And she wasn't in the mood to be caught in that whirlwind.
So she nudged Racheal. "Wanna go back to the room? Just... us?"
Racheal nodded. "Honestly, yeah."
Back in the room, they ditched their shoes, grabbed a bag of chips, and threw on a scary vampire flick — one of those classic low-budget ones with dramatic violins and way too much fog.
They huddled close on the bed, munching chips and hiding behind each other during the gory parts. When the snacks ran out, Racheal offered to go get more.
She returned a few minutes later to find Ami totally immersed in the movie, eyes wide, heart clearly racing.
So Racheal, feeling mischievous, crept behind the couch. Quiet as a shadow.
She leaned down slowly… and whispered near Ami's neck in a creepy voice, "I vant to suck your blooood…"
Ami screamed.
Chips flew. The blanket launched like a parachute.
"Racheaaaal!" she yelled, chasing her around the room like a horror movie gone goofy.
Racheal shrieked and dove onto the bed, but Ami pounced after her, pinning her down playfully like they were kids acting out a scene. "Now it's my turn to be the vampire."
She leaned in, fangs bared in her best impression.
But instead of biting, she froze. Their eyes locked. The laughter quieted.
Ami's face was inches from Racheal's.
They both went still.
And then — so naturally it didn't even feel like a decision — Ami leaned in and kissed her.
Soft. Surprising. Sweet.
She pulled back instantly. "I— I didn't mean to— I'm sorry—"
Racheal just looked at her, cheeks red, heart open. "It's okay. I'm into girls too."
The silence that followed was warm, not awkward. Like they had finally stepped into the space they'd been dancing around all week.
They stayed there, fingers gently tangled, foreheads touching, whispering into the night. No pressure. Just presence.