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Todd Anderson, a Creative Writing major, is a writer and photojournalist for his school’s publication, where he also serves as the editor-in-chief. He’s an achiever and one of the school’s prized students. Despite his reserved and quiet nature, he’s determined to make a name for himself. He dislikes distractions and rivalries, but then there’s Neil Perry—his academic rival from high school (and likely to remain one if they choose the same course in college). Neil, who enjoys tormenting him, is the worst part. The real kicker? Todd can’t avoid him because Neil is Charlie Dalton’s best friend, and Charlie just so happens to be Todd’s brother.
Neil Perry, a charismatic and intelligent Performing Arts major, is the respected captain of the school’s basketball team and an exceptional actor. Known for being outgoing and friendly (the complete opposite of Todd, whose circle of friends can be counted on one hand), Neil has already performed in several school plays and played in numerous winning basketball games. Todd, however, views Neil as a bit of a faker—or perhaps Neil just enjoys provoking him.
Todd and Neil used to be close friends when they were children, introduced by Charlie when Charlie’s parents adopted him, and his biological brother Jeffrey’s parents passed away in an accident. Neil often invited Todd to hang out when he visited Charlie’s house, but that changed once Neil began teasing him. They stayed in touch, but the dynamic shifted as they became academic rivals, and their constant bickering eventually pushed them apart.
Todd used to vent to Jeffrey, a second-year college student at that moment, about how Neil always seemed to outscore him or poke fun at him in class. Jeffrey, ever the calm one, would reply, “Not everything is about school, Todd. Yes, I’m focused on academics too, but don’t let it control your life. Besides, Neil is just comfortable around you. Weren’t you two inseparable when you were kids?”
Fast forward to the present: The Slam League Championship. Todd is there to cover the event and support his school, which is facing off against Evergreen Valley Academy. He knows some of the players, especially the shooting guard, Stick Miller, who has a thing for Todd. Everyone knows it.
The game is about to start when Todd, holding a coffee in hand, accidentally bumps into some students, spilling his drink all over his clothes. The students apologize profusely, but Todd just offers them a lean smile and assures them it’s fine—even though it’s a total lie. His shirt is stained, and he didn’t bring a sweater to cover it up. What was he thinking wearing white today? Todd wonders.
He heads to the nearest restroom to clean up, and after he’s done, his phone buzzes. He wipes his hands on some tissues before checking it.
3 Musketeers
Jeff: @Toddy, where are you? The game is about to start.
Toddy: I’m on my way. @Charlie, can I borrow your other jersey? My shirt got stained. Thanks.
Charlie: Okay, it’s in my locker. No problem.
Jeff: I’m behind the bench. I saved you a seat.
Toddy: Alright, I’ll be quick.
Todd hurries to Charlie’s locker, grabs the jersey inside without checking it thoroughly, and puts it on. He doesn’t bother changing out of his stained shirt and rushes to the venue.
He arrives at the arena and begins adjusting his camera when he notices students staring at him in surprise. He figures they probably want him to take their photo and post it on the school’s social media. He tests the camera, and when it focuses on a familiar face—Neil’s—smirking, it’s not the usual smirk he’s accustomed to. This one is wider, more playful.
“Looking good, darling,” Neil says playfully.
Todd sighs. “Look, Neil, I don’t have time for this. If it wasn’t our school playing tonight, I might actually consider supporting the other team.”
“Why? Because Stick is on their team?” Neil leans down, steps closer to Todd, who’s flushed all the way down to his neck.
Neil opens his mouth to say something else when the whistle blows, signaling the start of the game.
“See you later, Toddy,” Neil ruffles Todd’s hair and winks before joining his teammates.
Todd finds Jeffrey and sits next to him. He notices his brother’s knowing smile, just like the others.
Annoyed, Todd blurts, “What?”
“Nothing,” Jeffrey says, clearing his throat to suppress his laughter. “Did you check the jersey before you put it on?”
Todd looks at the jersey, turns it around, and his eyes widen when he sees “Perry 26” on the back.
“Oh my God!” he exclaims, loudly enough to attract the attention of people nearby. “Oh my goodness! Is this why people have been staring at me? Please tell me this can’t get any worse.”
His brother rubs the back of his neck. “I think you might want to check your Twitter. You’re kinda trending.”
Todd immediately opens his phone and, to his horror, sees #Anderson/Perry trending.
He finds posts with a picture of him wearing Neil’s jersey, taken from behind so Neil’s name is clearly visible.
Slam League Championship Updates: Todd Anderson, the well-known campus journalist, was seen wearing a jersey with the name of renowned basketball player and captain Neil Perry. Is there a secret romance between them?
He scrolls through the comments. Some of Neil’s fans are clearly frustrated and jealous, while others are commenting on how good they look together. One comment catches his eye.
“Neil’s jersey number is #26, and I looked up Todd’s birthday… IT’S FREAKING NOVEMBER 26!”
Todd doesn’t know why Neil wears number 26, and he doesn’t want to deceive himself into thinking it’s for any special reason related to him.
So caught up in the chaos, he can’t focus on the game. He notices more glances and snickering from the crowd, but he’s snapped back to the present when the whistle blows, signaling the end of the first round. Charlie walks toward them, grinning.
“Charlie, I swear to God, if this is one of your schemes, I’m going to kill you,” Todd glares at him, causing Jeffrey to laugh.
“Calm down. I’m sorry. I forgot to tell you I brought home my jersey and borrowed Neil’s, but I forgot to give it back to him,” Charlie explains.
“Look, I know I’m not the best role model when it comes to relationships. I dated every girl and guy in sight,” Charlie continued.
“And you’ve always seen me as someone completely absorbed in academics—” Jeffrey interrupts. “But hey, we’re sorry if we made you think everyone’s stuck in their own little world like we are. You gotta let go of that ‘tough guy’ act. You’re hiding something, and it’s time to embrace it. Not everyone—hell, not every person—is like us. Trust me, Neil's a great guy. You should see him in a decent light for once.”
Todd just stares at his brothers, surprised by the sudden seriousness in their voices. He clears his throat. “Alright… let me just… I still need to take some photos for our posting.”
He walks past Charlie, feeling their eyes burning into his back.
Later, he’s down on the court taking pictures and tracking the scores when he feels someone’s presence behind him. Turning around, he sees Neil.
“N-Neil, I’m sorry! I thought this was Charlie’s jersey. My shirt got caught in my coffee spill, and I had to borrow his,” Todd explains.
Neil smiles. “Nah, it’s fine. They said we’re the talk of the town on the internet.”
Todd rolls his eyes. “I assume you’re enjoying the attention. If my shirt hadn’t been stained, I’d totally take this off.”
“Don’t. It looks good on you. You look good,” Neil grins, his smirk widening.
He steps closer. Todd steps back, but Neil keeps moving toward him. When Todd can’t step back any further, he’s gently pushed into a seat. He thought Neil would stop, but of course, he doesn’t. The taller boy leans down, their faces so close that Todd’s grip on his camera tightens.
“If we win this game, you’re going to tell Stick that he has no chance with you, and you’ll go on a date with me,” Neil murmurs, still grinning, before leaning back and grabbing the towel resting on the back of Todd’s chair.
Neil rejoins his team, leaving Todd flabbergasted, unable to speak or process what just happened.
The game is intense, each team doing their best to protect the ball and score. Their school ends up ahead, and Neil seals the win with a three-point shot as the buzzer rings.
Afterward, Todd leaves the arena, still shaken. On the way home, he’s sitting in the back seat of Jeffrey’s car while Charlie calls shotgun. He ignores the looks from his brothers in the rearview mirror. He’s still wearing Neil’s jersey, and the scent of the brunet on it isn’t helping.
The next day, neither of his brothers were home, and their parents were at the supermarket buying the monthly groceries. Todd was engrossed in his laptop, sorting through the photos he took the previous night, making sure everything was perfect before posting them on the publication’s account when he heard the doorbell.
“Wait!” he shouted when it rang once more.
He rushed downstairs and opened the door, revealing a smiling Neil.
“Neil,” he mumbled, unsure if the other boy heard him. “Charlie’s not here.”
“Oh, I’m not here for Charlie. I’m here for you,” Neil replied.
Todd was stunned for a moment. “If it’s your jersey, I have it upstairs. I’ll wash it in the laundry first before returning it.”
“No, it’s not about that.” Neil shook his head, chuckling. “Can I come in?”
Todd realized Neil was still standing outside. Embarrassed, he opened the door wider. “Oh, yeah, sure. Sorry.”
They were now standing close to each other, and Todd swore he could feel Neil’s breath on his lips.
“Ahm, so why are you here?” Todd asked.
Neil smirked. “We won.”
“Yeah? I know, I was there. Congrats.”
Neil leaned down, their faces now only inches apart. “I was serious about that date, Anderson.”
Todd rolled his eyes, chuckling. “You literally came to our house just for that?”
The taller boy straightened up, and Todd was thankful for that, because the earlier contact had made his stomach do a somersault.
“Sure.”
“In two conditions. First, you must stop your fangirls from attacking me. Seriously, Neil, they’re so oblivious. Second, stop pestering me, for Christ’s sake.”
“Well, it’s not my fault. You made them jealous last night. And for the record, I’m not pestering you. You just really look cute every time I tease you,” Neil replied. “And I like you.”
Todd wanted to run upstairs and shut the door to his room because of how red his face was at the moment.
“So, your way of showing and telling me that you’re interested in me is to annoy me?” he said, trying to play it cool.
Neil smiled. “I bet so, but if you want to experience the right way once you’re in a relationship, I’m in.”
“Okay, 8:00 o’clock tomorrow night, and I’m picking the restaurant, Perry.”
Neil’s smile widened before he wrapped his arms around Todd’s waist, while Todd threw his arms around Neil’s neck.
Todd pulled away from the hug. “Wait, I have a question.”
Neil’s eyebrows furrowed. “What is it?”
“I saw a comment on the internet where they claimed your jersey number was connected with my birthday. Is that true?”
Neil chuckled. “Yes, I thought you were going to figure it out from the beginning.”
“Well, I’m not delusional, alright?” Todd replied.
Neil smiled and poked the tip of Todd’s nose before wrapping him in another hug.
One year later
Todd was stuffing his belongings into his bag after the meeting for their publication when his friends approached him.
“Todd, we’re picking up some coffee. Do you want to come?” Chris, their news writer, offered.
“Oh, I’m actually going to the sports court. Neil’s team is practicing for the game next week,” he replied, earning a playfully annoyed sound from Meeks, who was their Website Publishing Head.
Todd laughed. “Sorry, guys, I’ll make it up to you next time.”
“You better, Anderson. Now go and cheer for your man,” Chris said.
He bid them goodbye before walking to the other side of the campus. Once he reached his destination, he saw the team still in practice, so he quietly sat in the corner where Neil could spot him. He took a notebook and a pen from his bag and began to write.
Minutes later, Neil called his name, and Todd looked up from his paper.
“Hey,” he mumbled.
Neil sat next to him. “Hey.”
“Practice’s over?” Todd asked, wiping some of the sweat from Neil’s face and neck. Neil mumbled a soft ‘thank you.’
“Yeah, I’m just going to go shower. I’m all sweaty,” Neil replied.
“Alright, I’ll just wait for you outside.”
“Okay,” Neil said before kissing Todd on the forehead and heading to the restroom.
Todd was standing outside, busy with a conversation on his phone when someone hugged him from behind. He turned around to see it was Neil and wrapped his arms around the boy’s middle.
“Tired?” he asked gently.
“Mmm,” Neil hummed.
“They teased me, said I’m a cool guy, but when it comes to you... once you showed up, I’m being a baby.”
Neil’s face was buried in the crook of Todd’s neck, so he couldn’t see it, but he knew the boy was pouting.
“Neil, dear, aren’t you just proving them right?”
Neil lifted his head from Todd’s neck but didn’t remove his arms from around Todd’s waist.
“Hey, you should be on my side,” he argued.
Todd just laughed at him. “Right, sorry, sorry. Let’s go home so you can rest already.”
“Can I sleep at your house again?” Neil pleaded.
“Well, let’s see if Jeff is okay with it, or if he’ll grill the shit out of you,” Todd teases.
With that, they walked toward Neil’s car. Neil opened the passenger seat door for Todd before going to the driver’s seat. Once they reached Todd’s house, they greeted his adopted parents and brothers first before heading upstairs to Todd’s room. Neil threw himself onto Todd’s bed.
“Come lay with me, baby,” Neil called.
Todd ignored him and opened his phone. “Oh goodness, there’s already a post of us from earlier,” Todd said without looking at the brunette in his bed.
“Really?” Neil’s voice was a bit muffled because his face was pressed into Todd’s pillow.
“Yeah, it says ‘Neil Perry and Todd Anderson were seen hugging and being romantic. The journalist will probably watch the athlete practice for the upcoming championship game.’ I can’t live in my introversion now that I’m dating the famous basketball player and actor,” Todd chuckled.
Neil got up and hugged Todd from behind, kissing his temple before resting his chin on his shoulder.
“Romantic, huh?” he whispered. Todd smiled. “Hmm, that’s what they say.”
“Well, the amazing journalist and writer is my boyfriend, so I’m not surprised their eyes are always on us,” Neil replied.
Todd turned to look at him and kissed Neil’s cheek before resting his head on Neil’s chest. “You flatter me.”
Neil chuckled and cupped Todd’s face, their faces so close they were breathing the same air.
“Can I?” he mumbled. Todd nodded.
He closed the gap between them, their lips pressing together. It was simple but passionate as they moved in sync.
Neil may be an incredible player who always made sure the ball was secured and wouldn’t be stolen by others from him, but he never minded when the blue-eyed, honey-blond boy stole his heart.