Chapter 1
The final bell of the day rang across the high school in 2016, reverberating through the hallways like a declaration that the long school day had finally ended. Lockers slammed shut in rapid succession, students surged toward the exits, and the familiar tide of laughter and chatter filled the building.
Ryan drifted down the corridor, his backpack slung carelessly over one shoulder.
He was good-looking—kind, thoughtful, and effortlessly capable at school. Teachers favored him, and people trusted him without question.
Yet beneath that ease lay a quiet hesitation, a trace of shyness that held him back—costing him more opportunities than he cared to admit.
And, as always, the moment he stepped into the corridor, his eyes found Jessica- like they didn’t know how to look anywhere else.
Her auburn hair. The way she dressed. The way she moved.The quiet grace with which she carried her books.
She was simply... elegant... different... impossible to overlook.
She stood by the window near the entrance, sunlight pouring through the glass behind her. For a brief moment, the scene looked almost cinematic-her hair catching the light as she laughed freely with the person standing beside her.
That person, of course, was Oliver.
Oliver leaned casually against the wall, twirling Jessica’s pen between his fingers with the effortless confidence of someone who believed he owned the place. Students passing by glanced at him the way they always did: with a mixture of curiosity and caution.
Oliver was the kind of name people already knew.
He skipped classes without consequence, got into fights that spread through the school as rumors before lunch, and attended late-night parties people spoke about in hushed tones. Teachers distrusted him. Parents warned their children about him.
His friends-Emillios, Jake, and Ezekiel-lingered nearby, never too far from him. Only when he was with Jessica did they step away, giving him space without needing to be told.
A few students shift slightly as Oliver moves, their voices drop without anyone saying why.
“That’s Oliver,” Amelia whispered to Sophia. “Didn’t he literally break Jeffry’s nose last week?”
“Yeah... and somehow he didn’t even get suspended,” Sophia muttered.
Natalie made a face. “I mean, Jeffry’s not innocent either. They’re both messy. Always fighting over dumb stuff—girls, power, reputation... whatever.”
She rolled her eyes. “Honestly, they’re like... made for each other.”
“I know,” Sophia said, “but it’s still so unfair. The school never comes for Oliver the way they do everyone else.”
Natalie shrugged. “Pretty privilege. Or like... favoritism. He’s got people covering for him. That’s the difference.”
There was a short pause before Amelia spoke again, quieter this time.
“I kinda feel bad for Jessica... There are literally so many people who would do anything just to talk to her.”
Her gaze drifted toward the window.
“And she picked him.”
Sophia exhaled. “Yeah... I don’t get what she even sees in him.”
Yet somehow, Jessica—their best friend—seemed to see something else entirely.
“He’s a good person—funny, clever, confident. Just misunderstood by most,” she would say.
Oliver, on the other hand, never complained. To him, it was simple: she was fond of him. Her reputation elevated his own, offered the validation he sought—and, most importantly, improved his grades and academic standing.
---
Ryan looked away before Oliver or Jessica could ever notice him looking.
“Ryan.”
He didn’t need to turn to recognize the voice.
Lily stood beside him, holding her books against her chest. Her expression was gentle, though tinged with a certain weariness. She had witnessed this scene countless times-Ryan staring at Jessica while pretending he wasn’t.
“You’re doing it again,” she said.
“Doing what?” Ryan replied, though he already knew the answer.
Lily tilted her head slightly toward Jessica and Oliver.
“The staring.”
Ryan sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.
“I’m not staring.”
Lily allowed herself a small smile.
“You are a terrible liar.”
“What am I supposed to do?” said Ryan. “I’ve tried to talk to her—more than once. She never gave me a chance.”
For a moment, they stood in silence.
Across the hall, Oliver said something that made Jessica burst into laughter. She playfully punched his shoulder.
Ryan looked away-
like it hurt a little too much to keep watching.
Lily noticed.
She always noticed.
The strange thing about their situation was that everyone seemed to understand the truth except the people who most needed to hear it.
Lily liked Ryan.
Ryan liked Jessica.
Jessica liked Oliver.
And no one was looking at the person who was looking at them.
But Oliver? Oliver remained an enigma.
Some days he behaved as if Jessica mattered to him. On other days, he barely acknowledged her existence.
Ryan had watched the pattern repeat itself over and over.
Jessica waiting for Oliver to show up.
Jessica lighting up when he finally did.
Jessica pretending she wasn’t disappointed when he vanished again to spend time with someone else.
Lily gently nudged Ryan’s shoulder.
“You know,” she said softly, “you deserve someone who actually notices you.”
Ryan exhaled slowly.
“I just... don’t understand it.”
“Understand what?”
“Him.” Ryan gestured toward Oliver. “He barely cares about her. One day he’s talking to her, the next he disappears completely. And she still follows him around like he’s the only guy in the world.”
Lily watched Jessica laugh at something Oliver had said.
Then she turned back to Ryan.
And suddenly an idea formed in her mind.
It wasn’t entirely honest... but it felt like the only chance she had to obtain what she secretly desired.
“Ryan,” she said.
“Yeah?”
“What am I to you?”
Ryan shrugged lightly.
“We’re just friends.”
The words came easily-
like they didn’t cost him anything.
But for Lily, they did.
“And friends help each other, right?” Lily said.
“Of course,” Ryan replied. “But why?”
Lily hesitated briefly.
“I have an idea,” she said. “What if we made her jealous?”
Ryan blinked in confusion.
“What?”
Lily leaned closer, lowering her voice as if they were conspiring about something serious.
“Think about it. What if we acted like we liked each other?”
Ryan frowned.
“That sounds... strange.”
“Not really,” Lily replied quickly. “We’d just spend more time together. Walk to class together. Laugh a little more than usual. You know... make it look like something is happening.”
“And why would we do that?”
Lily subtly gestured toward Jessica.
“To see if she reacts.”
Ryan hesitated.
“You mean... make her jealous?”
“Exactly.”
He knew this was a bad idea.
He still didn’t say no.
He rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding her eyes.
“I don’t know...”
Lily smiled reassuringly.
“I’m doing this for you, Ryan. If Jessica sees someone else likes you, maybe she’ll realize what she’s missing.”
That part sounded reasonable.
What Lily didn’t say-what she kept hidden-was the truth.
She just wanted to be with him-pretend or not.
“Alright,” Ryan said.
He didn’t realize-
he was about to hurt someone who never meant to hurt him.
“We can try.”
Lily tried to conceal how happy those words made her feel.
“Great,” she said casually.
But inside-
her heart was racing.
Because for the first time,
Ryan had said yes to her.
Even if it was only pretend.
