1. Let's talk about conversion therapy. Conversion therapy is a dangerous practice (so, not therapeutic at all) that attempts to force queer individuals to become cishet (thus "converting" them). It is rooted in the idea that sexual orientation and gender identity are mental illnesses, despite that this factually untrue. This practice has been discredited by virtually all major USAmerican medical, psychiatric, psychological, and professional counseling organizations (and is condemned by every USAmerican mental health organization). Not only does conversion therapy not work, but it is incredibly harmful to queer individuals, increasing issues such as anxiety and depression and even driving some to suicidal ideation. Conversion therapy is unfortunately still practiced, often occurring under "tamer" names, such as "reparative therapy," "promoting healthy sexuality," and even "sexuality counseling." Conversion therapy is banned in only 20 US states. If you are able-bodied and of age, consider contacting your state governments about introducing a bill to ban conversion therapy if you are in one of the 30 states where conversion therapy is still legal. (Information condensed from soyouwanttotalkabout on Instagram.)

This chapter is an 8k beast. Which makes sense, seeing as it is the final proper chapter before the short lil epilogue next week. I cannot believe I made it this far - I mean, 180k words? I never would have thought I had it in me to see such a lengthy story to the end! So much credit goes to all of you, whether you were here from the beginning or just got into the fic as we now reach the end. I'll save most of my sappiness for next week, but know this: thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Your support has meant the world to me and I hope you enjoy this final (official) chapter of No Ordinary Exchange.

xXxXxXx

"Okay, gang!" Claudia said, clapping her hands. "Listen up. This game will not be like any of the others we've attended this year, so we must act accordingly."

Callum was impressed at how quickly she got the entire group's attention. As in, all seven of them: himself, Ezran, Harrow, Amaya, Gren, Runaan, and Ethari. Then again, everyone there knew full well that Claudia was the resident football expert among them, so maybe it wasn't a surprise they all turned to listen.

"Each of us has a VIP pass, which will allow us to get onto the field for the trophy presentation after the game," she continued, tapping the ID that hung on a lanyard around her neck. "The reason we have these is because you're really not supposed to storm the field when the game ends. People will, but we shouldn't." She pouted, and Callum heard her mutter, "Even though I really wish we could," under her breath.

He had to wonder if she'd do it anyway. Callum recognized that he'd probably join her if she did. "What should we do instead of storming?" he asked, attempting to steer the conversation back on track.

"Well, we're still going to walk down to the field. If we show our passes to enough people" - Claudia shrugged - "I'm sure someone will eventually recognize them for what they are and tell us where to go."

Okay, so maybe Claudia didn't know much more about how the night would pan out than the rest of them did. But Callum suspected they'd continue to look to her as the leader regardless. She had the confidence for the position.

"How much longer until the game actually begins?" Amaya signed, Gren translating as she did so. Amaya sat directly behind Callum, with Gren to her left and Runaan and Ethari to her right. Callum sat between Claudia and Ezran, with Harrow on Ezran's right. All things considered, their seats were pretty close to the field, though still elevated enough that they could see what was going on.

"It's supposed to start at 7," Claudia said, "but that's really code for 7:10 because of commercial breaks and the coin toss and all the other fanfare they go through before kickoff happens."

"In other words, soon-ish," was Ezran's simplified answer, earning an amused smile from Amaya and laughter from Gren.

Callum turned around to face Runaan and Ethari, remembering how Rayla had asked him to make sure they were okay amidst the massive crowd and booming noises. "Are you two doing alright?" he called, offering them what he hoped was a comforting smile. "I know being in a stadium" - especially one as giant and tightly-packed as this - "can be a little overwhelming."

Runaan chuckled. "Well, everyone here is so distracted by the prospect of the game that they haven't called us any slurs yet. I'd consider that 'good.'"

Ethari sighed, rolling his eyes. "Forgive him, Callum. That was a poor attempt at humor. Yes, we're both doing fine."

"'Poor'?" Runaan repeated, affronted. "No, it was hilarious."

Callum found himself laughing at their banter, even if Runaan's 'attempt at humor' had made his heart skip a solid five beats. "I'm glad you're having a good time. If you have any questions about the game, feel free to ask me, and I will immediately turn to ask Claudia."

Claudia flashed a quick peace sign upon hearing her name, not even looking up from her phone.

Ethari chuckled. "We'll keep that in mind. Thank you."

Callum gave them a final smile before turning around to face the field again. This time he recognized what Claudia was doing on her phone - reading through the group chat. The realization made him wince with guilt - he'd definitely muted that particular conversation. As much as he loved his friends, the constant buzzing from the thread had gotten very annoying very fast.

But. He supposed he was obligated to check it at least once before the game began.

As expected, Rayla, Soren, and Felix had long since stopped responding. Lucas had an occasional message floating through, though he wasn't big on texting either way.

Emilé: OH MY GOD DUDES IT'S ABOUT TO START

Sonya: we know. i am in your house. dominic is in your house. literally all of us are watching the same thing

Callum snorted at that, earning an amused grin from Claudia. He couldn't help that Sonya was the funniest person in Katolis. It was a privilege - a genuine privilege - to know her and be a part of her inner circle.

Claudia: play nice, guys gals and nb pals. we all want KSU to win

Dominic: guys Felix was a nervous wreck earlier. he had to use his *inhaler* he was freaking out so much. i am,, just a little bit stressed

Lucas: I saw him about ten minutes ago. He's doing fine now

Dominic: really? oml thank you Lucas. you're my hero

He followed his text with the sobbing emoji and several of the one blowing its nose. Callum still didn't particularly understand emoji-speak - mostly because he simply did not care - but he figured that meant Dominic was relieved.

Claudia: okay teams are about to come on the field so byeeeeee

Callum: we'll check messages during commercial breaks

Or he'd try to, at least. Sometimes he got distracted. Mostly by Rayla, whenever she was standing on the sidelines.

Wow, he was so in love. Life was great, wasn't it?

"Here comes Duren," Claudia said, dropping her phone into her purse before pointing at the left side of the field. "We've been designated as the home team - obviously - so we'll enter second."

Callum noticed the sponsored fanfare was equally explosive for both teams, and the cheering for one was also just about as loud as the other. Which made sense. He was pretty sure a number of seats were reserved for each team to help guarantee a relatively balanced crowd. Still, there did seem to be more KSU fans, which even he could have predicted.

"Ooh, here they are!" Claudia said excitedly, bouncing up and down on her heels as Coach Zhou led KSU onto the field. "This is it! Time for us to win a national title!"

"Wooo!" Ezran cheered, waving the pom poms that Claudia had gifted him. "Go Rayla! Go Soren!"

When the referees took to the field for the coin toss, Callum noticed Gren beginning to sign what they were saying to Amaya. The TVs on either side of the stadium were massive, yes, but nonetheless not the greatest for lipreading.

KSU won the toss and chose to defer to the second half. Thanks to Claudia - and now a million games later - Callum actually understood what that meant. After another three or four minutes, KSU kicked off, and the battle for the national title began.

The game had a… dismal and depressing start, to put it gently.

Duren was in perfect sync, neatly evading KSU's defense and scoring two touchdowns within the first quarter easily. So easily that it was downright embarrassing. Callum was worried his dad's face would be etched with a permanent grimace by the end of the night if things continued down such a poor path.

Worse, the opposing team's defense was constantly breaking through KSU's offensive line to get on top of Soren, forcing him to throw quickly and often more clumsily than usual. He and Rayla didn't have their usual chemistry, either, what with him being blitzed and her getting nearly-fouled so many times it was downright painful to watch.

Callum found himself averting his gaze from the field more and more often, focusing on the cheerleaders - Lucas was easily distinguishable with his indigo hair - or on his phone or on the concrete beneath his feet or on literally anything but the game in front of him. Even Claudia was wincing, massaging her temples whenever a play failed in a spectacular fashion.

"This is crap," he heard her mutter multiple times, though never loud enough for anyone else besides himself to overhear. "This is utter bullshit!"

Callum agreed, but he wasn't sure saying so aloud would be comforting to her. "It could be worse," was the pathetic reassurance he ended up using instead. "I mean, they could be three scores ahead?"

As if the universe didn't hate him enough already, that had to be the moment when Duren kicked a field goal, bumping their total points up to 17, which - for all intents and purposes - was three scores ahead.

Claudia glared at him, as if Duren's score was somehow his fault. And okay, maybe he'd jinxed it a little, but surely he couldn't shoulder all of the blame.

"This is… not looking good," Harrow admitted as the team switched sides of the field, absentmindedly rubbing his left wrist. "But we're only one quarter in. There's still plenty of time to turn this around."

"Yeah, 17-3 is definitely manageable," Claudia agreed, though she lacked much of her usual enthusiasm. "It sucks, and there's no real reason we should be this far behind, but it's manageable."

The icy frustration of her tone made Callum cringe. Yikes.

"Why are you being so pessimistic already?" Ezran chastised, though the note of uncertainty in his own voice was undeniable. "They're obviously just… getting into their flow. I know we can still win!"

Callum hoped his brother was right. As things stood, it seemed like KSU could use some of Ezran's infinite luck to help them turn the game around to victory.

Callum could see Rayla's frustration at how poorly she was playing, even despite the distance between his seat in the stands and her own on the sidelines. Soren had sat her down after two three-and-outs in a row and when she'd botched a catch, presumably to remind her the ultimate goal they were playing for and how they were still nowhere close to the end of the game. And, even though Callum knew she wouldn't see the messages, he couldn't help but send her a few encouraging texts.

Callum: you got this

Callum: don't forget - when you win, you get to see an entire album of my childhood photos ;D

Callum wondered if she even remembered that conversation. He did. Not long after they'd joked about his princess pictures, they'd told each other I love you for the first time. That would be a Halloween forever cemented in Callum's mind.

Before he put his phone away, he skimmed through the messages that had been sent in the group chat throughout the first quarter. It was mostly just Emilé in distress, Dominic worried on behalf of Felix, and Sonya indifferent to all of it. Regardless, each of them did seem concerned about the backwards direction in which the game was heading.

Callum grimaced as Soren threw another incomplete pass, this time to a receiver Callum didn't know the name of. Claudia groaned, too, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration.

"Why are you all so glum? Stop worrying!" Amaya signed as she rolled her eyes, her expression daring anyone to disagree with her. "How can we expect them to continue playing well while we sit here and mourn a loss that is yet to happen? We need to keep cheering them on!"

'Mourn a loss that is yet to happen' was… kind of a raw line. Callum could hardly believe she was using it to describe football. If his aunt ever decided to retire from the military, he'd recommend her to become a motivational coach. Her brief speech had worked, lifting their spirits and encouraging them all to get back on their feet and scream as KSU's offense returned to the field.

"Go Soren!" Claudia shouted, standing up on her chair and earning herself a worried look from Harrow, who was probably concerned she'd topple over if she wasn't careful.

When Ezran tried to follow suit, he was promptly stopped by both Harrow and Callum. He had to content himself with jumping up and down and screaming, "Go Royals!"

Although their cheers were washed away amongst the roar of tens of thousands of other fans, Callum had - he had a gut feeling the tide was about to turn. Aunt Amaya's words were that powerful.

The center snapped the ball, Soren dropping back as he caught it. This time, the offensive line held strong, giving him plenty of time to survey the field. His head turned with the slightest movement before he caught sight of Rayla, who had broken away from coverage and was sprinting down the right sideline, completely unguarded.

Callum held his breath as the football soared through the air in a high, sweeping arc. Rayla dragged the tips of her toes along the grass as she reached up to catch the ball, clutching it to her chest as she tumbled out of bounds.

"Yes!" he shouted, jumping up and down like a kid ready for dessert after dinner. "Yes! Go Rayla!"

The referees reviewed the play, confirming it as a completed pass before allowing KSU's offense to move 42 yards down the field. The gain already put them in range for a field goal.

"That was it!" Claudia cheered, pumping her fist and spinning in a circle, a competitive, delighted smirk dancing on her lips. "That was the play we needed." She cracked her knuckles. "This is our game now, boys."

After a short pass to Felix and two quick runs earning a couple yards apiece, KSU ended up nailing a field goal, making the score 17 to 6. An improvement, but there was still plenty of lost ground to cover for KSU to level the score.

"Are you sure that was 'it'?" Callum found himself asking Claudia, his brow furrowing in concern as the opposing team gained fifteen yards on a bullet of a pass. "We still haven't scored a single touchdown yet."

Claudia smirked at him, reaching out to pat his cheek in a way that made him feel like a toddler. "Trust me, Callum. I know when Soren is just getting started." She grinned at the field. "We are about to be watching a whole. New. Game. Just wait."

Well, Claudia had yet to disappoint him when it came to anything football-related. Callum was inclined to believe her. Also, there was a glint in her eyes that made him too nervous to even consider doubting her confidence.

The field goal combined with the frustration of allowing a fifteen-yard first down apparently re-incentivized KSU's defense, because when they took the field on the following play, they held their opposition to only a one-yard gain. Hell, they made it look easy.

"Let's go Soren!" Claudia shouted as the offense returned after Duren punted. Her cries mixed with Runaan and Ethari's gradually-increasing vocal support for Rayla and the wild screaming of every other fan around them. "Show them who the top quarterback in the country is!"

From there, the comeback churned in full swing. KSU didn't score each time they took the field, much less have drastic gains on every play, but they steadily moved forwards, focusing on one first down at a time. Soren nailed pass after pass, Rayla covering most of the deep routes while Felix picked up short ones as needed to keep their opposition off-balance. KSU's running back - Callum was pretty sure his name was Jason? - didn't disappoint, either, finding holes in the other team's defensive lines and speeding through them.

"Yes!" Claudia screamed as Rayla caught a pass dead-center in the end zone - not a single defender near her - for KSU's first touchdown of the game. "That's my girl! Show them who's boss!"

"Yay, Rayla!" Ezran cheered, standing on his seat for a better vantage point as he waved his pom poms around. Harrow had long since given up trying to stop him, and Callum just made sure to check his brother's balance every now and then. "Best wide receiver in history!"

Callum didn't know jack about the history of football, much less anything about wide receivers in particular, but of course his brother was right. Sure, he was maybe a little biased because he was madly in love with Rayla. Still. No one was more talented than her, and no one ever would be, either. And even though she wouldn't see the message until after the game…

Callum: told you so :)

The teasing he'd no doubt have to put up with for sappily texting his girlfriend while she was on the field would totally be worth it.

KSU ended up scoring three touchdowns by the end of the first half - all within the second quarter - and held Duren to only one more field goal, making the score 27 to 20 KSU at halftime,

"Now that is how you take control of a game," Claudia said as the two teams jogged off the field into the locker rooms, sounding ridiculously pleased. Not that Callum could blame her. "All we need to do now is carry this momentum into the second half."

"That won't be a problem," Amaya signed, a proud smile on her lips. "I have complete faith in them."

"I was really impressed with how the team came back after that shaky start," Gren added when Amaya finished. "I knew Soren was talented, but he's improved immensely since last year."

"I know, right?!" Claudia squealed, beaming at him. "They hired a new passing coordinator this summer, you see, so the offense was revitalized to function in an NFL-style fashion, and Soren adapted to it like this." She snapped emphatically, as if proving just how quickly Soren had gotten into the new swing of things. "That means if he goes pro, he'll definitely be the #1 draft pick!"

Callum wondered if Soren had confided in Claudia that he was thinking about taking a gap year, or if he was putting the news off until the season had officially ended.

"And let's not sleep on Rayla!" Ezran added eagerly. "She's so fast! And she just - she practically leaps over the defenders if they dive down to tackle her! It's so cool! I love it!"

His brother's rapidfire speech made Callum wonder if Ezran had been provided caffeine at any point during the first half.

"Her martial arts experience has benefited her more in this sport than I expected," Runaan mused. "But hopefully it has not been detrimental to her form."

Ethari chuckled. "Knowing Rayla, she probably practices of her own accord whenever possible. I doubt she'd allow herself to slack off."

She definitely did not let herself slack off. Callum knew this firsthand. Rayla had once offered to teach him the basics during one of her self-imposed practices, and upon accepting he'd found out very quickly that martial arts was not for him. Nor would it ever be. Which was fine with him. He preferred to sketch Rayla while she practiced, anyways.

As Harrow and Ezran left to get food before the second half started, Callum realized he'd probably missed a million messages in the group chat from when KSU had begun their comeback in the game. Reading them was no doubt going to be… well, "amusing" was an understatement.

Sonya: Dominic is losing it

Dominic: I'M JUST SO PROUD OF FELIX HE'S PLAYING SO WELL

Sonya: send help

Callum saw an opportunity and seized it, sending the 'you're doing amazing, sweetie' gif at the same time Claudia sent a still image of it. They both burst out laughing at the coincidence, high-fiving as Claudia teased, "Great minds think alike!"

Sonya: I'm in a group chat full of idiots

Emilé: thank u for using a gender neutral descriptor to insult us. totally bodacious of u

Sonya: of course. I want to establish my inclusiveness. you are ALL idiots

Callum entertained himself with his friends' messages for a majority of halftime, piping in with his own comments every so often. Lucas wasn't active, seeing as the cheerleaders were still performing along the sidelines as the halftime show occurred.

Callum did stop at one point to talk to his aunt about how long she'd be in town - only a couple more days, he was sad to learn - but she vowed to start writing him and Ez regular emails, which was nice. Apparently there was a lot she wanted to tell them about her new pen pal, Janai. And Callum promised to email her the results of his application to the Xadian exchange program when they were released in a few days, too. He wished she and Gren were able to visit in person more often, but unfortunately it was the nature of their jobs to always be travelling.

"Time for the second half!" Claudia shouted, drawing everyone's attention back to the field. "Here we go! Victory-bound!"

The second half, much like the first, was shaken by a rough start. As energized as KSU appeared to be, Duren's defense had redoubled their efforts, forcing KSU into a quick three-and-out on their first play. Callum couldn't help but grimace at the way the offense practically shuffled off the field - he prayed the disappointing start hadn't killed their motivation entirely.

The mood only worsened as Duren's quarterback lobbed the ball down the field, and though the receiver had to leap into the air to catch it, they managed to land on their feet and fell backwards into the end zone for a touchdown.

"Oh my God, talk about blown coverage," Claudia groaned, burying her face in her hands. "That's embarrassing. If something like that happens again, I'm transferring schools."

Callum had no idea whether she was serious or not. Knowing Claudia… Well.

"Yeah, talk about blown coverage," Ezran echoed, glaring moodily at the field. "That's super disappointing."

Wow. His little brother was truly becoming Claudia's football protegé. What a terrifying timeline they lived in.

Then, as if rubbing salt in the wound, Duren scored a two-point conversion instead of kicking the extra point, which meant they now led the game 28 to 27.

"Oh, we can not let that go unanswered," Claudia growled, clenching her fist. "Come on, Soren! There's still plenty of time to win this!"

Trailing by one point didn't really seem like the worst thing in the world to Callum, especially considering there was still well over a quarter left, but that didn't stop him from loudly cheering for his girlfriend when he saw her returning to the field. "Go Rayla!"

The offense didn't seem rattled that they'd fallen behind. In fact, they continued their tactic from the first half - slow and steady, focusing on getting one first down at a time rather than risking it all with a deep shot. Which, Claudia pointed out to him, also ran the clock down. Apparently because they trailed by less than a single touchdown, she deemed it an acceptable strategy. Callum agreed - the longer KSU's offense held onto the ball, the better.

They were at the 15-yard line. It was second down. The ball was snapped. Soren dropped back to look for a target. When he caught sight of Rayla breaking through the line, he shot the football at her like a bullet before getting bulldozed by a pass rush. Rayla reached up, plucking the ball out of the air and pulling it down into her side before spinning around and -

She was slammed onto the ground back-first as a defender appeared out of nowhere, lowering his helmet and driving his head into her shoulder as he tackled her. The resounding, violent crack echoed through the entire stadium. The hush that fell over the crowd was eerie, as if time itself had chosen not to pass.

Then fans roared back into action, and Callum leapt to his feet at the same time as Runaan. "That's - There's no way that was a legal tackle!" he sputtered, turning to look pleadingly at Claudia. "Right?" A person couldn't be allowed to drive into a defenseless player like that. He refused to believe it.

Runaan was cursing behind him in a language Callum vaguely recognized from Rayla. Ethari murmured gentle reassurances to him at the same time, comforting statements along the lines of "she'll be fine" and "that's how the game is played."

Claudia was chewing her bottom lip as she stared at the field, where Rayla still lay knocked to the ground. "It could have been targeting, but I'd have to see a replay to say for sure."

Callum watched as Felix pulled Rayla to her feet, allowing her to hold onto his forearm as she collected herself. She learned into his shoulder as he helped her walk - hobble - off to the sidelines. Callum didn't miss the way his girlfriend grimaced as she limped, either.

"Claudia! Claudia, they're replaying it!" Ezran exclaimed, pointing at the giant screen on the left end of the field.

Claudia spun around so quickly upon hearing him that she probably should have been concerned about whiplash. Not that Callum could criticize - he did the exact same thing.

Claudia's eyes narrowed as she watched the replay, and Callum could tell she was going over a dozen rules of the game in her mind. "Lowering the head, aiming with the crown of the helmet, or hitting a defenseless player above the shoulders," she mumbled as the play was shown again, this time in slow motion. She paused, then nodded. "Oh, that is the easiest targeting call they could ever make. It's by the book - the defender lowered his head and charged her with the top of his helmet!"

"What does that mean?" Runaan asked, scowling at the field. "'Targeting'? Is he going to be punished for it?"

"Targeting is a penalty for an illegal tackle," Claudia explained. "If the targeting call here is confirmed - which it will be, if the refs are even half-decent - the player that hit Rayla will be ejected from the remainder of the game and KSU will move forward half the distance to the end zone. The reason it's such a harsh consequence for the penalized team is because targeting is dangerous, since it involves hitting a defenseless player in a vulnerable area. It's a safety issue."

"Is Rayla hurt?" Amaya signed. A concerned frown tugged at the corners of her lips, the expression matching the anxiety that bubbled in the pit of Callum's stomach.

Claudia shrugged helplessly. "She could be. But" - she held up a hand to silence all of their panicked questions before they could come, which was smart, because Callum had absolutely been about to barrage her with them - "but, notice she hasn't been taken off the field into the locker room yet. We can take that as a good sign."

Callum found himself scanning the sidelines, but he was unable to find his girlfriend's jersey or even her white hair amidst the sea of red and gold. Rayla was tough, he knew. And in the replay, the defender hadn't - he hadn't hit her neck or anything. Her head hadn't snapped backwards when she'd hit the ground, either. So the chances of her being injured were… less. Not zero, but at least he'd managed to reassure himself.

If only a little bit.

"After review," the head referee said, his voice booming through the stadium's speakers, "personal foul. Targeting. Defense #43. Half to the distance to the goal, automatic first down. Defense #43 is disqualified for the remainder of the game."

"Yes!" Claudia screamed, jumping to her feet. "Good call!"

And although Callum wondered if he should have felt maybe a twinge of guilt for being so happy to see the defender escorted off the field, the fact of the matter was that he did not. Not at all, not in the slightest - really, he couldn't care less! A bad play had been made. Consequences were consequences.

When the KSU offense returned to the field, Rayla wasn't with them. Callum's stomach rolled as this realization hit him like a sledgehammer, but he took a deep breath. Panicking wouldn't help him, much less do anything for Rayla, seeing as he was currently trapped in the stands with every other person in the crowd. He quickly glanced at his phone, eyes widening at the '30+ missed messages' notification.

Right. The group chat. They were probably freaking out, wondering what was going on with Rayla and if she was okay. He'd have to answer them later - hopefully he'd know more by then.

When the center snapped the ball, Soren clutched it to his chest and charged forward with the offensive line into the end zone. A quarterback sneak, Callum thought the play was called? Possibly? Whatever play it was, it worked, and after the extra point KSU was up 34 to 28.

"One more time," Claudia muttered. "If we score one more time… We'd have it. I know we would."

"But can our defense stop them from scoring?" Ezran pointed out, absentmindedly plucking at his pom pom while the teams changed sides on the field as the third quarter ended. "I mean, we definitely need to score again, but we can't forget how good their offense is, too."

"I think our touchdown will slow them," Claudia said after a pause, giving Ezran a confident smile. "That targeting call followed by our score rattled them, since it took one of their best players off the field. All we need to do is capitalize on that."

Claudia was right. The other team's offense was rattled - they completely overshot two deep throws back to back and didn't provide the necessary coverage for their tight end on the third play. Even their punt that followed was mediocre, leaving KSU only a few yards behind the line for midfield.

"You sure know a lot about football," Gren remarked regarding Claudia's commentary, impressed. "I don't think I'd understand half of what's going on as well as I am if it weren't for your explanations."

Claudia laughed at the praise. "Thank you! I wanted to play football so badly when I was little, but I learned very quickly that I didn't have the body type for it. Instead I decided to learn everything I possibly could about the sport! That way I could help Soren when he played."

Harrow chuckled. "I imagine having two children so obsessed with a singular activity was quite tiresome for Viren, especially when you were younger."

"God, you have no idea. He kept trying to convince Soren not to try out for the team in high school!" Claudia shook her head, a satisfied smirk creeping onto her lips. "I bet now that we're 15 minutes away from a national title he's glad Soren didn't listen to him."

Callum seriously doubted Viren was watching the game, but he didn't want to put a damper on his friend's pride in her brother, so he kept that negative thought to himself.

KSU's offense - with Rayla still nowhere to be seen - ended up not scoring, though they bought up time on the clock with each play. Their defense once again held the opposition's offense to a three and out. The football game had essentially transformed into a game of cat and mouse, where the defense on either side of the ball refused to budge and let more points be scored.

"Look!" Ezran exclaimed, pointing at the area of the sideline closest to their seats. "Rayla's back!"

Callum leaned so far forward over the metal railing that apparently Claudia felt the need to grab the back of his shirt and brace him. All things considered, probably a fair concern on her part. Tension eased from his shoulders as he caught sight of his girlfriend, who had her helmet back on and appeared ready to return to the game. Which was… very much like her. That in itself was a relief to see.

"Oh, shit!" Claudia shouted, releasing his shirt to slam her hand against the steel bar of the railing. "Dammit! Now they're within scoring range!"

"Wait, what? What happened?" Callum asked, looking wildly around the field, having missed Duren's entire play because he'd been so focused on Rayla.

Claudia sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Their quarterback lofted the football and a tight end managed to grab it out the air and run for like thirty freaking yards. Now they're at our twenty with four minutes to go."

Sometimes it felt like Claudia was speaking in code whenever she got invested into a game, but Callum was pretty sure he'd gotten the gist of her complaint. "So… Things are not going so great."

Claudia looked like she wanted to race down the stadium steps, vault over the railing onto the field, and play the game herself. "That is a much kinder way to put it than what's going through my head right now, but yes, things are… not great."

"Come on, Royals!" Ezran shouted, waving his pom poms. "Defense! Defense! Don't let them score!"

Concise and heartfelt cheering, Callum supposed.

The tension in the stadium was starting to make his heart rate jump as the two teams lined up on the field. If Duren scored, it wouldn't be impossible for KSU to win, but with the play clock winding down to close to three minutes… Winning would not be a pretty sight, if they managed to pull it off.

Claudia's disgruntled expression gave vibes of wanting to tear her hair out. Probably for the better that she'd put it up in a ponytail for the night. "Defense, now is the time to make a stand," she muttered anxiously, spinning her silver dragon-esque ring around her left pinky finger. "We need to hold them. We need - We need an interception, or a -"

"Fumble!" Callum shouted as he leapt upwards, both pleased that he'd remembered the term and ecstatic to see that Duren's quarterback had just had the football punched out of his arms while trying to make a run for a first down. A KSU defender dove onto it - turnover recovery.

Their entire group began cheering - Runaan and Ethari, too, once they were provided a quick explanation of what happened - as the referees reviewed the play and confirmed it as a fumble before KSU's offense was sent back onto the field. This time, Rayla was in her usual position, lined up to the right.

"Come on, Rayla," he found himself whispering over and over as the center snapped the ball. His eyes didn't leave her figure as she battled the defender for ground before breaking free and sprinting down the sidelines. It was as if she was ten times faster than any other player could hope to be. All she had to do was look upwards for the football after Soren had thrown it, opening her arms and not even turning around as it soared through the air before landing neatly in her arms. From there, it was a straight shot to the end zone.

A perfect play.

"Touchdown!" Ezran shouted, waving his pom poms while jumping up and beaming at his friend's success. "Yes, Rayla!"

The cameras in the stadium all zoomed in on Rayla's face as she tossed the football into the stands, the casual smirk on her face practically screaming that's what you get for targeting me.

God, Callum loved her. And was also incredibly attracted to her.

The screen switched to showing Soren as he jogged off the field towards Coach Zhou, tapping his ring finger on his left hand as if to say let's get me fitted for the championship ring already!

Claudia burst into delighted laughter. "That's my Sor-bear! Best quarterback in college football history!"

As the special teams unit came out onto the field for KSU, Callum noticed his dad was staring intently at his phone, which was weird considering how the tide of the game had just turned yet again in their favor. Why wasn't he watching KSU play? But before Callum could even ask what his father was reading, Harrow shut his phone off and turned to face Ezran, whispering something in his youngest son's ear.

Ezran promptly shifted to face Callum. "Dad needs us to switch places."

Okay. Maybe Callum didn't have to ask for his question to be answered? He had no reason to argue, so he did as instructed, giving Claudia a confused shrug when she sent him a questioning look about his unexpected movement.

"Is something wrong?" Callum asked his dad, having to practically shout to be heard over the roar of the crowd.

Harrow's eyes were filled with an indescribable excitement - an expression Callum wasn't sure he'd ever seen quite so strongly on his stepdad's face before. "I really shouldn't be telling you this," he began, speaking just loud enough for Callum to hear him, "so you'll have to pretend you don't know until you get the official email -"

Official email?

Wait.

Holy shit. No. No way. It was impossible -

"- but Callum, you got in! You're going to Xadia!"

Time slowed to molasses around Callum as his dad's words sunk in.

Xadia… He was going to Xadia. Xadia! For an entire year!

"Oh my God!" he exclaimed, practically tackling his dad into a hug. A hug that Harrow did not hesitate to return. "This is - This is the best day of my life!" The endless hours put into the application, the assistance he received from his friends as he put his resumé together, Rayla dealing with his frustration day after day in helping him perfect his personal essay -

And now the ultimate goal had been achieved. "I can't - I can't believe it! You're not" - Callum shook his head - "this isn't a joke, right?" Surely it was too good to be true.

Harrow chuckled, squeezing Callum's shoulder after releasing him from the hug. "No joke. You're Xadia-bound. Your flight is already booked for August. You did it!"

Callum was on top of the world. If he could do this, if he could be accepted into an international exchange program, then he could do anything.

"All we need is one more first down!" Claudia cried, standing on top of her seat. Her action both redirected Callum's attention to the game, reminding him of the second victory he might get to celebrate tonight, and also blocked Gren's view. Gren, being Gren, simply leaned to the side to look around Claudia with an amused smile. "One more first down to run the clock enough to take a knee! Now or never, Royals! Let's get this title!"

The center snapped the ball to Soren, who handed it off to KSU's running back before faking a pass. A simple play, but effective. The running back took to the edge, darting forward for an easy, easy first down.

Callum knew what that meant.

Game.

He was screaming so loudly he knew he'd have no voice for a week, but he couldn't bring himself to care, instead making himself scream even louder. They'd done it.

"That's the game!" Claudia shouted, jumping up and down and pulling Callum into a tight hug as she spun around in a circle. "Yes! We did it! We won! We won!"

Soren took a knee on the field, the play clock winding down closer and closer to zero.

Callum returned Claudia's embrace, adrenaline pumping through his veins. He almost felt like crying - tears of joy, of course, but tears nonetheless.

"Come on!" Claudia exclaimed, beginning to pull him towards the stairs. "We need to get to them!"

Callum burst out laughing. "I thought we weren't supposed to storm the field!"

"Don't be such a Debbie Downer! And it's not really storming the field if we're allowed to be down there, right?" She tapped her VIP pass smugly. "So are you gonna be a stick in the mud or are you gonna come with me?"

Callum turned around to face the rest of their ragtag group. "Are you guys coming?"

"I think we're going to wait until the crowd lessens some," Ethari said with a laugh, slipping his hand into his husband's. "But we'll keep watching the screens until then."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Well, except Ezran, who evidently wanted to join them, but was given a stern look from Harrow. Callum would have felt bad if he hadn't still been on cloud nine.

"Let's go!" Claudia said, tugging him away. "To the field!"

This time, Callum allowed himself to be pulled downwards, laughing so hard he felt like he'd never stop as they raced down the steps and pushed through a railing to get onto the field. He got a curious sense of déjà vu from running hand-in-hand with Claudia towards a massive crowd in search of Rayla and Soren - perhaps he'd done this before, a lifetime ago.

The giant screens at either end of the field showed a group of KSU players dumping Gatorade over Coach Zhou as he jogged onto the field before the cameras panned over to Soren, Rayla, and KSU's running back all being lifted into the air by the rest of their team. It was a ridiculous but also the most incredible, fantastic sight.

Every time someone tried to stop them from moving further onto the field, they flashed their VIP badges. The technique always resulted in whoever stopped them moving aside, either embarrassed or begrudgingly, to allow them to continue. Red and gold confetti rained down around them, and the sheer volume of sound booming through the stadium would have normally caused Callum to pass out, but tonight? Tonight, nothing could get to him. In fact, all he wanted at that moment was to get to Rayla.

He was going to Xadia. And he wasn't supposed to tell a single soul about it for another week… But surely there was an exception to every rule.

"I think I see them!" Claudia exclaimed. "Ooh, it looks like they're being interviewed!"

"- your biggest supporters?" Callum caught the end of the reporter's question as he and Claudia edged closer to their friends without breaching the unmarked but very real 'do not cross' line. "Family, friends, anyone?"

"Always our team and Coach Zhou, first," Soren said, Rayla nodding in firm agreement. His arm was slung around her shoulders. Both their helmets had been tossed somewhere off to the side. "We wouldn't have been able to do this without their teaching, their dedication, and their constant pushing us to practice and improve. This win belongs to them."

"I still remember the team welcoming me with open arms even at tryouts, before I'd even been named a player," Rayla added. "Considering the more aggressive reactions I was used to receiving by that point, it was a huge breath of fresh air to be part of something where I was wanted. No one on the team or the coaching staff ever tried to lessen my value just because I was Xadian."

"Our friends and family were just as supportive, too," Soren continued, earning another nod from Rayla. "Amaya - she's like the doting parent I never had. She changed her vacation time just so she could be here tonight to support me, and I couldn't be more grateful to her for that." A huge smile broke out onto his face. "Of course, my little sister, Claudia, has been my biggest supporter ever since we were kids. She's here tonight, with a bunch of our other friends. I would have stopped playing a long time ago if it weren't for her encouraging me to keep at it. She always said I'd go on to lead my team to a championship." He laughed. "I guess she was right!"

The reporter chuckled in response. "Well, KSU has your little sister to thank for this victory, then!"

Soren's grin only widened. "Hell yeah it does! This one's for you, Clauds!"

Claudia looked like she was going to burst into tears. Callum gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"What about you, Miss Moonshadow?" the reporter asked. "Any friends or family here for you tonight?"

Rayla laughed. "Well, most of my friends are Soren's friends, so keep that in mind. But yes, my" - she paused, frowning - "what do you call them in Katolis?" She snapped her fingers. "Oh, my guardians are here! Runaan and Ethari flew all the way from Xadia a few days ago just to watch me play tonight. They bought the tickets before the playoff seats had even been announced, so it means a lot that they had such faith in me from the beginning."

"Wow! That's incredible. They must be so proud of you right now."

Rayla laughed again. "Well, they told me they were proud of me before the game started, so I hope they haven't changed their minds!" Her eyes lit up. "Oh, how could I forget?" She beamed at the reporter before sweeping her gaze around the crowd. "He's been at my side since the first day I arrived in Katolis. He's my best friend and my #1 supporter and he's -" Her gaze landed on Callum, and he could have sworn his girlfriend was radiating joy. "He's right there! Callum, come here!"

The cameras swivelled towards him, and heat blossomed across Callum's cheeks at the sudden attention on himself, especially as Claudia released his hand to nudge him forward.

But there was no reason to be nervous. He was going to Xadia next year. A whole, entire year to spend with Rayla. Nothing could stop him now.

So Callum did what he'd wanted to do all evening - he ran up to his girlfriend, cupped her face in his hands, and pulled her down into a fiery kiss that made fireworks explode in his stomach like it was New Year's Eve all over again. The cheering of the crowd swelled to its peak as Rayla wrapped her arms around his waist to pull him closer to her, learning into the kiss as if it was the last one they'd ever share. And God if needing to break for air wasn't the most agonizing choice Callum ever had to make.

"#1 supporter, huh?" the reporter said with an amused twinkle in her eye. "I think I understand now."

Rayla laughed, taking Callum's hand in hers. "Callum is my best friend and boyfriend. He was one of the first people to actually approach me at KSU, and we hit it off so well that I don't think a day has gone by where we don't talk, even if we can't always see each other in person." She squeezed his hand, a sentimental smile tugging at her lips. "I've never had to go at anything alone because Callum is always right there with me." She winked at the camera before them. "Basically, I thank my lucky stars every day that he reciprocates my feelings!"

"Well, this is a beautiful example of the power of love," the reporter said with a wide smile. "What a wonderful moment. I wish the two of you the best of luck, and congrats again, Miss Moonshadow, on your victory here tonight."

"Thank you!"

The reporter turned to speak to Coach Zhou, and Rayla pulled Callum aside so they were out of the center of the ever-growing mass of people. She gave him an amused smile. "So… You decided to broadcast our relationship on national television?"

Callum flushed a shade of red darker than her uniform. "Ah… maybe?"

"I assume you didn't think about how the group chat is going to explode because of that, either."

"Er… Not in particular, no."

Rayla burst out laughing before pressing a kiss to the tip of his nose. "You are perfect. At least now when people ask if we're together we can just refer them to that clip."

It was Callum's turn to laugh. "That sounds weirdly efficient."

"I know, right? I'm full of so many brilliant ideas like that."

"A genius, a poet, incredibly gorgeous, a national champion" - Callum shook his head, grinning at her - "you, Rayla Moonshadow, are the most amazing person I have ever met. I am the luckiest person in the world that you fell for me."

"Are you kidding me? Bold words coming from someone as kind and intelligent and handsome and brave as yourself." She squeezed his hand again. "I meant what I said to the reporter. I wouldn't have made it to here, to tonight, if I hadn't had you by my side."

Callum desperately wanted to kiss her again. But that would have to wait - his news had to come first. "There's something I want to tell you, actually," he said, reaching out to brush confetti from her shoulder pads, "although I don't want to distract from your win. But if I tell you, you have to keep it secret for a few days. Until everything is… made official."

Rayla frowned, her brow furrowing with confusion and mild concern. "Uh… okay? This is good news, right?"

Callum laughed. "It's great news. The metaphorical cherry on top of the perfect ice cream sundae that tonight has been." He took a deep breath before standing on his tiptoes and whispering into her ear, "I got in. I'm going to Xadia University next year."

Rayla's eyes widened as his words sunk in, but before Callum could say anything else, she captured his lips in another deep kiss - saying, maybe, what words could not. Callum melted into the action, this time wrapping his own arms around her waist. When the need for air became imminent once more, they still remained close, gently pressing their foreheads together instead of pulling away.

"This - This is the best night of my life," Rayla said, tears of joy unabashedly welling in her eyes. "I will never be this happy again."

Callum couldn't help but laugh at her dramatic reaction. "I wouldn't go that far. You don't want to peak in college." He sighed dreamily. "But it is pretty incredible."

She closed her eyes, humming in contentment. "I feel like I can do anything right now. No one would be able to stop me."

Callum laughed again. "I know what you mean." He was filled with such raw confidence and blissful joy that he feared he might explode from trying to contain it all. "But whatever we do, we'll do it together."

A gentle smile flickered onto Rayla's lips. "Together."

And even though Callum was in a stadium miles away from his house, surrounded by thousands of strangers and blinded by the bright lights beating down on all of them… he'd never felt so at home. Because he had Rayla by his side. Rayla was home.

And that was everything.

xXxXxXx

I mean, how could I not let KSU end with a perfect season? They deserved their happy ending :) Also, y'all BEEN KNEW Callum would get into the exchange program lmaooo. I couldn't deny him an extra year with Rayla. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! See you next week for the epilogue!