The Rugby Captain Favorite Enemy

Selene

"I'm just saying, if Coach makes us do one more pyramid drill in ninety-degree weather, my edges are going to revolt and leave my scalp permanently," Maya gasped, fanning herself with a glittery pom-pom.

The entire cheer squad burst out laughing, crowding around the benches in the main courtyard.

Selene laughed along, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead. "Oh, please. Your edges survived the National Championship qualifiers last year. They can handle a little afternoon sun. Besides, if anyone's collapsing, it's going to be me. Running those bleachers in this heat is a hate crime."

"Yeah, but you looked hot doing it, Cap," Tasha chimed in, nudging Selene's shoulder. "Did you see the media team filming our stunt transitions earlier? They were practically drooling."

"They weren't drooling at the stunts, Tash. They were just waiting for one of us to drop so they could post it on the campus feed for clout," Selene shot back, rolling her eyes with a smirk. "Kingsford Academy Media Team thrives on our misery. It's their literal business model."

"True!" Maya giggled. "If you don't look perfect on the 'Kingsford Chronicle' page, you basically don't exist."

"Then it's a good thing we always look perfect," Selene said, flipping her high ponytail.

The girls cheered, laughing loudly. The vibe was immaculate, loud, and full of the chaotic energy that kept their squad bonded. Selene loved these girls. Being a plus-size scholarship kid in a school overrun by trust-fund billionaires wasn't easy, but when she was leading her squad, she owned the room. Or in this case, the courtyard.

"Loud as usual, Brooks. Do you guys ever actually practice, or is this just a daily screaming convention?"

The sharp, smooth voice cut right through their laughter like a blade slicing through silk.

The courtyard instantly went quiet.

Selene didn't even need to turn around to know who it was. That low, arrogant tone belonged to only one person in the entire country.

Ryder Kingston.

She slowly turned around, slinging her gym bag over one shoulder before crossing her arms tightly over her chest. There he stood. The golden boy himself. Captain of the undefeated rugby team, heir to a massive financial empire, and the most frustratingly handsome guy to ever walk the earth. He was still in his mud-stained rugby jersey, his dark hair messy from practice, smelling like sweat and expensive cologne. His intense gray eyes were locked dead on her, completely ignoring the rest of the squad.

"Oh, look. The neanderthals are out of their cages early today," Selene fired back, her voice dripping with sweet sarcasm. "Shouldn't you be out on the field slamming your heads together for a piece of leather, Kingston?"

A few of the girls muffled their giggles behind their hands.

Ryder didn't blink. A slow, infuriating smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he stepped closer, invading her personal space. "We actually just wrapped up a perfect scrimmage. You know, real athletic work. Not just jumping up and down and clapping."

"Jumping up and down?" Selene stepped toward him, matching his energy, her eyes flashing. "We just took home the National Title three months ago, Ryder. We bring more trophies to this school than your entire roiled-up defensive line combined. So you can take that condescending attitude and get the fuck out of here. This isn't the rugby section of the campus."

"Could've fooled me," Ryder murmured, leaning down just enough for his breath to brush against her ear. His voice dropped to a private, dangerous frequency that sent an annoying shiver right down Selene's spine. "You're making enough noise to wake the dead, Selene. And frankly, your little ponytail flip is distracting my boys from across the quad."

"Then tell your boys to keep their eyes on the ball and off my squad," Selene snapped, stepping back to glare at him. "Or better yet, check your own eyes, Kingston. Because you seem to be staring pretty hard yourself."

"Hey! Watch your mouth, Brooks!"

The shout came from the left side of the courtyard. Selene glanced over and saw Jax, one of the senior rugby players, walking up with three other guys from the team. They all looked big, sweaty, and completely full of themselves.

"Yeah, Brooks, watch your mouth," Jax sneered, stepping up beside Ryder. "You're talking to our captain. Show some respect to the guys who actually bring the funding into this school."

"Funding?" Maya stood up from the bench, her hands on her hips, her eyes blazing. "Are you blind, Jax? Our squad literally brings in three major corporate sponsorships! You guys just break the turf and demand new locker rooms every semester!"

"Oh, look, the little flyers think they have a voice," another rugby player, Miller, laughed mockingly. "Go practice your little dances somewhere else. The men are trying to walk through here."

"Men? Where? All I see is a bunch of overgrown toddlers who need a nap," Tasha yelled back, stepping up right next to Selene.

Within seconds, the entire atmosphere shifted from a petty argument to an absolute powder keg. The rest of the cheer squad stood up, forming a solid wall behind Selene. The rest of the rugby team backed Ryder up, their massive frames towering over them, but none of the girls showed a single ounce of fear.

"Say that again, cheerleader," Jax growled, taking a threatening step forward toward Tasha.

"She said what she said!" Selene barked, stepping directly into Jax's path and shielding her friend. "Touch her, or even step into her space again, Jax, and I will personally ensure you're suspended for the big game on Friday. Don't test me."

"You think you have that kind of power, plus-size?" Jax scoffed, a nasty smirk spreading across his face.

Ryder stepped up right next to Jax, his eyes locking onto Selene's with an intense, icy glare. Instead of backing down or stopping his teammate, Ryder used the moment to press his own advantage.

"He's right, Brooks. Your squad is getting way too comfortable thinking you own this campus. You're just decoration for our home games."

"Decoration?!" Selene yelled, her blood absolutely boiling. She stepped right up to Ryder, her chest nearly touching his jersey. "We are national champions, you arrogant prick! We work twice as hard as you do, but because your daddy buys the scoreboard, you think you can talk down to us? You're nothing but a spoiled brat hiding behind a title!"

"Keep testing me, Selene," Ryder hissed, leaning in close, his jaw clenching so hard a muscle twitched in his cheek. "You think your little attitude makes you untouchable? You're just a scholarship kid trying to play queen. Sit down before you get hurt."

"Make me, Kingston!" she screamed back.

The entire courtyard erupted.

The rugby players started shoving forward, screaming insults at the girls. The cheer squad didn't back down for a second, yelling right back and pushing against the giant athletes. It was absolute chaos. Hands were flailing, gym bags were dropped, and everyone was screaming at the top of their lungs as the two most powerful teams on campus completely collided in a bitter turf war.

"Oh, look at this drama!"

A loud gasp came from the edge of the courtyard.

Selene looked over through the chaos and felt her stomach drop.

It was Bianca Ashford, Ryder's glamorous, billionaire queen-bee girlfriend, flanked by her elite inner circle. And right behind her were three members of the Kingsford Academy Media Team, their high-end DSLR cameras and phones raised, red recording lights blinking brightly. They had captured everything. Every insult, the screaming, the shoving, and most importantly, the toxic, explosive fury between Ryder and Selene.

"Ryder, babe, what is going on here?" Bianca marched over in her designer shoes, her eyes darting between Selene and Ryder with pure disgust. "Why are you even wasting your breath arguing with her?"

"Get those cameras out of here, Bianca," Ryder warned, his voice tight, though he still didn't break eye contact with Selene.

"Oh, don't blame the media, Ryder! Look at this mess! She's causing a scene, as usual," Bianca sneered, pointing a perfectly manicured finger at Selene. "She thinks just because she leads the cheer squad, she can disrespect the people who actually belong at this school."

"Shut your mouth, Bianca!" Selene yelled over the crowd. "Your boyfriend started this, so tell your little media puppies to record that!"

"We're leaving," Ryder barked at his team, finally stepping back from her.

He grabbed his sports bag from the ground, his intense gray eyes crashing into Selene's for one final, agonizing second. There was a dark, unreadable fury swirling in them.

Then, without another word, he stormed off toward the field house, his team following loudly behind him.

"Ryder! Wait!" Bianca screamed, scurrying after him, her media lackeys following right behind them like vultures, their cameras still rolling.

"Oh my God," Maya whispered, pulling out her phone as the courtyard finally quieted down. "Selene... look at the campus app."

Selene pulled her phone out of her pocket. Her hands were shaking from pure adrenaline.

The notification popped up immediately, a bright red banner across the top of the Kingsford Academy network.

[VIDEO LIVE]: CAPTAINS CLASH! Rugby King Ryder Kingston and Cheer Captain Selene Brooks explode in courtyard brawl! Total campus warfare between our top athletes! Watch the full fight inside!

The video already had over two thousand views in less than sixty seconds. The comments were flying in at lightning speed.

"Holy shit, they look like they want to kill each other."

"The tension between them is literally insane. Did you see how close they got?"

"Bianca looked so embarrassed lol."

"The rugby team and cheer squad are going to completely ruin the season if they keep fighting like this."

Selene stared at the screen, a heavy weight sinking into her chest.

This wasn't just a school argument anymore.

This was a national academic and sports powerhouse. The media teams were ruthless, and now, millions of people were going to see this video by tomorrow morning.

"Selene..." Tasha asked quietly, looking at her with wide eyes. "What are we going to do?"

Before Selene could answer, her phone buzzed again.

This time, it wasn't a campus app notification.

It was a direct, official email from the administration.

FROM: Office of the Vice Principal

TO: Selene Brooks, Ryder Kingston

SUBJECT: EMERGENCY MANDATORY MEETING

Miss Brooks and Mr. Kingston,

Due to the disgraceful public display and viral media coverage in the main courtyard this afternoon, you are both required to report to my office tomorrow morning at precisely 8:00 AM.

Your conduct is an embarrassment to the prestigious reputation of Kingsford Academy. Severe consequences will be discussed.

Do not be late.

Selene locked her phone, her breath catching in her throat.

Two days until their next massive home game, the biggest media event of the semester, and she was about to face the wrath of the most ruthless vice principal in the country.

And the worst part of it all was that she had to do it with Ryder Kingston.

Could anything be more embarrassing?