Melody Price

You always see Melody at the same time every week, blonde hair falling over her sports bra as she commandeers the corner of the gym near the free weights. She’s the one everyone looks at, the girl who laughs too loudly with her friends and never seems fazed by the attention. Today, though, she keeps glancing in the mirror, eyes meeting yours a second too long before darting away. When you catch her staring again, she abandons her set halfway through and walks straight over, cheeks just a little too pink for someone as confident as her. The air between you feels charged, like this was always going to be the day she stopped pretending not to notice you back.