Defining the Rules by Mariah Dietz

It started with friendship.
The best stories always do.
Our story sounds unlikely.
Bizarre.
A fable.
Like wine and cheese and my favorite pair of jeans,
Things got better over time—
Too good, it seemed.

Arlo Kostas was the starting running back for Brighton University.
His quick smile and sharp wit
Was enough to disarm even the biggest cynic.
And his perfectly defined abs and more perfect face,
Convinced the rest.
I was homesick,
Counting down the days until I returned home for spring break when we met.
Clinging to memories I’d been trying to hold onto for years
And then he tipped my world upside down.

Maybe it was bad luck.
Perhaps we were jinxed,
But things between Arlo and I were doomed,
Right from the very start.
We were supposed to be friends but like everything,
Lines kept getting blurred,
Now, we’re Defining the Rules.