SWAPPED

I was lost in my headphones when my bedroom door flew open.

It was Nora — my annoying stepmom.

Judging by the look on her face, she was furious, so I quickly pulled my headphones down around my neck.

“I knew it!” she snapped. “It’s that damn phone and those headphones. No wonder you couldn’t hear me screaming your name like a maniac.”

I sighed dramatically. “How can I help you, Mother?”

She rolled her eyes. “Would you mind explaining why you hit someone at school?”

For a second, I froze.

I already knew this story had been exaggerated by none other than Vanessa — my stepsister and full-time professional liar.

“I didn’t hit anyone,” I said. “I only pushed Marga after she insulted me and threw my books on the floor. I was defending myself—”

She didn’t even let me finish.

“That still didn’t give you the right!” she cut in sharply. “Vanessa already told me everything. Are you saying she lied about how bad the situation was? That you didn’t provoke that poor girl?”

My eyes widened in disbelief.

“Excuse me? She started it!”

“No, young lady,” Nora yelled. “Tomorrow, you are going to school and apologizing to that poor girl. What will her mother — my friend — think about my parenting?”

I threw my hands in the air. “No. I’m not doing that. And you can’t force me to. I’m twenty-two years old, I can do what I want!”

A slow smirk spread across her face.

“Then let’s see what happens when your father hears about this.”

I rolled my eyes. “Fine. Tell him. We’re all adults anyway. The worst he can do is look at me like I’m some disappointment… like you people always do.”

Her expression hardened instantly.

Without another word, she turned around dramatically and slammed the door behind her. As she walked away, I could still hear her muttering insults under her breath — though honestly, I didn’t care enough to listen.

Anyway, it was just another reminder of how unwanted I was in that house.

Ever since we were kids, Vanessa had always found a way to create some ridiculous story about me just to make me look like the villain. One time, she framed me for stealing a table tennis bat at school. I got suspended for three whole weeks and humiliated almost every single day because of it.

Then, a year later, she finally confessed.

Crying dramatically, of course.

She blamed it on “the devil’s temptation” and admitted she had stolen the bat herself and hidden it in my bag.

And Dad?

He grounded her for two days.

Two.

After that, everything went back to normal like nothing had happened. Meanwhile, I was the one who had suffered for something I never did. Even after the truth came out, some students still whispered about me in the hallways.

“Can’t believe Miss Theft was actually innocent.”

I laughed bitterly at the memory.

Grabbing my skateboard, I left the house with my headphones on and sad music blasting in my ears. The cold evening air brushed against my face as I skated through the quiet streets, trying to clear my head.

Then suddenly—

Someone grabbed me from behind.

I yelped in shock, lost my balance, and crashed straight onto the pavement.

“Oh my God,” a familiar voice burst out laughing. “That was the most dramatic fall I’ve ever seen.”

I looked up and groaned.

Gregory.

That idiot always found ways to catch me off guard.

He was laughing so hard he could barely breathe while I sat there on the ground, glaring at him like I wanted to run him over with my skateboard.

Finally, he stretched out a hand to help me up.

“You seriously need better balance,” he teased. “You fell like a panda that forgot gravity existed.”

I frowned. “Shut the hell up, dummy. One day I’m actually going to hit you with this skateboard.”

“Aw, there she is,” he grinned.

Before I could snatch it back, he grabbed my skateboard and started walking ahead of me.

“You can’t stay mad at me forever,” he said casually. “Come on, give me your hand.”

I rolled my eyes but slipped my hand into his anyway.

And together, we walked quietly down the street.We strolled quietly through the park until we reached the old pond. The evening sky reflected across the water in soft shades of orange and blue while swans glided peacefully across the surface, their gentle sounds echoing around us.

Gregory and I sat side by side on the wooden bridge, our legs dangling above the water.

“Mmh,” I began casually, nudging his shoulder. “So… how did things go with Tatiana?”

“Oh, Tatiana?” he smirked. “We made out. And honestly? That girl is wild. I think I like her way more than I should admit.”

I forced out a laugh, trying to bury the jealousy clawing at my chest.

“Wow,” I muttered. “Sounds like you and Mrs. Tats had the perfect date.”

He turned toward me then, his eyes locking onto mine.

And suddenly everything went quiet.

The swans. The breeze. The entire world.

There was something painful about looking at him for too long.

Because Gregory had always been my person. The only one who stayed. The only one who noticed when I was hurting even before I said a word.

And somewhere along the way, without meaning to, I fell for him.

Hard.

But Gregory could never like me that way… right?

Girls liked Gregory. Beautiful girls. Confident girls. Girls who wore expensive perfume and looked perfect even while laughing. Meanwhile, I was just Mona — awkward, angry, sarcastic Mona.

So I buried my feelings deep where they couldn’t ruin our friendship.

Because if I ever confessed and he didn’t feel the same way…

I’d lose him.

“Hey,” he said softly, pulling me out of my thoughts. “Where’d you disappear to?”

I blinked quickly, startled.

“Oh— nowhere. I’m just thinking.”

He chuckled under his breath. “You think too much.”

Before I could answer, he suddenly stood up.

“Come on,” he said, already pulling off his shirt. “Let’s go swimming.”

My brain short-circuited instantly.

“Oh no. Absolutely not.”

But Gregory ignored me completely, kicking off his shoes while unzipping his hoodie.

And unfortunately for me, my eyes betrayed me immediately.

His wet dark hair falling over his forehead. The lines of his shoulders. That stupid grin.

Dear God.

“No, seriously,” I protested nervously. “I don’t think I wanna swim.”

“Shush,” he interrupted playfully. “You’re coming with me. You think I haven’t noticed the sadness in those beautiful eyes?”

Before I could process what he’d just said, he jumped straight into the pond.

The loud splash echoed through the park.

I stared at the water dramatically. “You know this is probably illegal, right?”

“Since when does Monalisa care about rules?” he called out, laughing.

I hesitated before sighing. “Fine. I’ll jump in… but only if you promise to look away.”

Gregory laughed again. “Mona, I’ve literally seen you in a bikini before.”

“Still. Turn around, idiot.”

“Okay, okay,” he groaned teasingly, turning around and raising his hands. “Your Majesty’s privacy shall be respected.”

I rolled my eyes, smiling despite myself.

A few moments later, I slipped into the cold water beside him.

The pond was freezing at first, making me gasp, but Gregory immediately splashed water at me with an evil grin.

“Oh, you’re dead.”

I splashed him back hard enough to make him choke on water.

For the next few minutes, there was nothing but laughter, splashing, and chaos echoing across the pond.

And somehow… whenever I was with Gregory, the world felt lighter.

Safer.

Like maybe life wasn’t entirely awful.

Then slowly, the laughter faded.

The water around us grew still.

Gregory drifted closer without realizing it — or maybe he did.

My heartbeat stumbled violently in my chest.

He was so close now.

Close enough for me to notice the tiny droplets of water sliding down his skin. Close enough to feel the warmth of his breath despite the cold night air. Close enough that every nerve in my body felt awake.

His eyes locked onto mine again, darker now, softer somehow.

And God…

The way he looked at me nearly destroyed me.

Neither of us spoke.

We didn’t need to.

Our fingers brushed beneath the water, sending a sharp electric feeling rushing through my spine. My breath caught instantly.

Gregory’s gaze flickered down to my lips for the briefest second before returning to my eyes.

My heart was beating so hard I was sure he could hear it.

The space between us disappeared inch by inch until I could barely think anymore.

And in that moment, with the moonlight dancing across the water and his hand slowly intertwining with mine beneath the surface, I didn’t want the world to interrupt us ever again.