Nathan shouts it loud enough for half the school to hear: “Let’s go get drunk!” His grin is unstoppable, a mischievous glint lighting up his eyes. It’s so out of character that I laugh in spite of myself, covering my mouth. People pause mid-step, looking our way, curiosity practically buzzing through the air. I try to wave it off, whispering, “No, absolutely not.” But I’m smiling too, and he knows it.
"We have to celebrate!" he insists, as if this is non-negotiable. I shake my head, laughing, but I’m already opening the passenger door to his car. His excitement is contagious, and after the week we’ve had, I could use a bit of impulsive fun, even if it’s just coffee.
We drive toward our usual spot, a cozy café with big windows overlooking the park and coffee that’s borderline magical. It feels like the perfect escape. I watch the sun glint off the storefronts as we pull up, feeling lighter than I h
Tamrin crosses the café with an unreadable expression, her eyes darting between me and Nathan. She stops just short of our table, and I can’t tell if she’s nervous or just annoyed."Mind if I join you?" she asks, and her voice is softer than I expected.Nathan leans back, his lips curling into a smirk. “Back to yell at me some more?” His tone is light, but the words feel heavy, hinting at something I didn’t know had happened between them. I glance at him, then at Tamrin, searching for some kind of explanation.She rolls her eyes, but there’s a slight pinkness in her cheeks. “I didn’t scream at you, Nathan,” she says, though her voice is defensive, and it makes me wonder just what I missed.I can’t help it—I look at Tamrin, silently asking her for an explanation, but she just shakes her head, clearly unwilling to dig up whatever tension had passed between them. Before I can press her,
The silence is thick, but it’s not uncomfortable—at least not for everyone else, from what I can tell. Liam is sitting across from me, and I can feel the weight of his gaze, though he’s not looking at me. His eyes are trained on Celeste, a steady, unwavering stare that makes me feel like I’m witnessing something private, something I shouldn’t be part of.I glance at Nathan, who’s toying with his phone, but I don’t miss the way he keeps cutting looks in my direction. He’s been doing it ever since I walked up to them, like he’s suspicious of every word I might say or every move I might make. I get it, I guess. We haven’t exactly been on good terms since... well, since I yelled at him the other day. But I’d been angry, hurt. All I’d wanted was to make sense of why Celeste had shut me out.My gaze drifts back to Liam, who still hasn’t stopped looking at her, and I try to understand what I’m
I can feel my stomach twisting as I sit there, watching Liam and Celeste with this gnawing feeling that I’m not understanding something huge. There’s an undeniable tension between them, but it’s nothing like I thought it was. And the longer I sit here, the more frustrated I feel, like I’m the only one on the outside looking in on some inside joke.The words come out before I can stop them, sharper than I mean them to be. “Do you… do you miss my cousin? Presley?”I know I’m crossing a line, but I can’t help it. If what I’m seeing is true, if Celeste and Liam are actually… well, if there’s something between them, then she’s not just keeping secrets—she’s betraying Presley, her friends, everyone. I know my question sounds bitter, but right now, I don’t care.Liam’s expression doesn’t falter. He just looks at me with a half-smile, friendly but… colder
Nathan’s laughter fills the car, warm and carefree, and I glance over at him, half envious, half amused. He’s always so relaxed, so unfazed by what other people think. Meanwhile, I’m a mess—still replaying Tamrin’s probing questions, the look in her eyes when she realized there was something between Liam and me. The worst part is, she’s right. And now it’s all hanging in the air, out there for anyone to judge.“You shouldn’t care what she thinks about you, Celeste,” Nathan says, glancing at me with an easy smile, like he’s stating the obvious. “Honestly, most people aren’t worth the worry. Let her think whatever she wants.”I shake my head, my chest tightening. “You know I do care, though. I wish I didn’t, but I really, really do.” I sigh, leaning my head back against the seat, the weight of it all bearing down on me. “I wish I was like you, Nathan. You just&hell
Later that night, my phone buzzes with Liam’s name lighting up the screen. I can’t help but feel a flutter of excitement before I open the text, which quickly evaporates as I read.Liam:Why’d you leave with Nathan instead of me?I bite my lip, uncertain how to respond. I should have seen this coming, but the last thing I want is for this to turn into an argument. I start typing, choosing my words carefully.Me:It wasn’t about you, Liam. Tamrin was there, and she’s already suspicious. If she sees me with you too much, she’ll go straight to Presley.I stare at the screen, waiting for the three dots to pop up. A part of me hopes he’ll understand, that he’ll get that I’m just trying to keep things from exploding into more drama. When his reply finally comes, it’s clipped.Liam:I don’t care what Tamrin or Presley thinks.
The walk to Sadie's place is a blur, every step heavy with the anger bubbling inside me. I can't believe what I just saw. Celeste—of all people—wrapped up with someone like Liam? The whole scene replays in my mind, and my chest tightens with a mix of jealousy and hurt.I finally reach Sadie's house and knock, practically vibrating with the need to spill everything. She opens the door, and before she can even greet me, I burst out, "You won’t believe what I just saw."Sadie raises an eyebrow. “What? What happened?” she asks, motioning for me to come inside.“I had coffee with Celeste, Nathan… and Liam.” The words fall out of my mouth like a confession, and I watch as Sadie’s expression shifts from curiosity to something sharper.“Wait—coffee? With Celeste?” Sadie’s tone is cool, but I can sense something simmering beneath it. “Are you telling me you’re hanging out wi
The sun’s just about to dip below the horizon, casting this deep orange light over everything as we step onto the carnival grounds. It’s cool, that kind of perfect evening breeze coming off the ocean. The sound of waves rolling up the shore blends with the laughter and music around us. I glance over at Celeste and see her smiling, her hair catching the last bit of daylight, and for a moment, I feel… content. Peaceful, even.Nathan is already pulling ahead, grinning like a kid on holiday, dragging us toward the game booths. There’s a lightness to the whole scene that feels rare these days. It’s almost surreal.“Come on, Liam,” Celeste teases, looking over her shoulder at me. “Let’s see if you’re any good at carnival games or if it’s all talk.”I laugh and pull her gently toward the shooting game booth, waving a couple of tickets to the guy behind the counter. “Think you’re up for a real challenge?” I ask, raising an eyebrow as I hand her a plastic rifle.C
The carnival’s music and laughter fill the air, but my focus is entirely on the two figures in the distance—Celeste and Liam, standing by one of the game booths, his arm just brushing hers as they both laugh. My heart pounds as I watch them, each laugh of theirs twisting something in me. Sadie’s words flood back: Maybe we judged her too harshly… Maybe we’re wrong about all of this. It feels like a thorn in my side, nagging at me as I linger on the edge of the crowd.They’re close, too close. The way Liam’s looking at her, even from here, I can feel the intensity. I can’t stop the thought from creeping in—what if they really are together? I can’t shake it, and it’s eating me alive. Suddenly, I realize I need to talk to her, to find some kind of answer in her face, some way to know the truth without jumping to conclusions. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll apologize. I push my way through the crowd, my feet carrying
I messed up.I could see it the second Tamrin’s lips pressed into a thin line, her arms folding across her chest in that way girls do when they’re deciding if they’re really mad or just annoyed. I had gotten cocky—too many questions about Celeste, too fast. Tamrin might stop talking, and I can’t have that.I force a slow smile, keeping my expression soft. “You’re mad.”Tamrin doesn’t say anything. Just stabs at the last bi
The night started off perfectly. Trevor showed up with a dozen roses—deep red, the kind that makes you feel like you’re the most special girl in the world. He even brought my favorite iced coffee, the way I like it—extra caramel, extra cream.I was glowing. Floating. Five dates in, and Trevor had been everything I could’ve asked for. Sweet, thoughtful, affectionate. It was almost enough to make me forget the disaster of our first date. Almost.We’re sitting
Nathan is sitting across from me, his brows knitted together in that way they always are when he’s worried about me. His concern feels like a weight pressing against my chest, adding to the suffocating anxiety that’s been building since I found out about Tamrin and Trevor.I’m trying to act normal, like everything is fine, but I can feel my hands trembling in my lap. I don’t think Nathan buys it. He’s been watching me too closely for the past twenty minutes while I pr
I can’t believe how different tonight feels. From the moment I step out of the car, Trevor is standing there, waiting, looking sharp and giving me this heart-melting smile. He opens the car door for me like some scene out of a romance movie, and for a second, I can’t help but wonder if this is the same guy from our first date.“You look stunning,” he says, his voice soft but sincere, and I can feel my cheeks heat up.The restaurant he’s chosen this time is
The second Sadie says his name—Trevor—I feel my stomach drop, like I’ve been yanked into some icy abyss. My blood feels like it’s turned to sludge, my feet rooted to the floor, frozen in place. I know who she’s talking about. I know. And I also know I can’t let her see even a flicker of recognition on my face.I take a deep, quiet breath, trying to calm the panic threatening to bubble over. Sadie is sitting across from me, her face etched with concern, and she k
I wake up with a heaviness in my chest that I can’t shake. Last night, I couldn’t stop replaying Trevor’s smug face and the way Tamrin laughed off his disgusting comment. Every instinct in me is screaming that this guy isn’t just bad news—he’s dangerous.And then there’s Tamrin. How do I even begin to help someone who doesn’t want to see the truth? It’s not like she’d listen to me. Not now. But someone has to know, someone who might have a
I pace back and forth in my room, phone pressed tightly to my ear. The ringing feels endless, but I keep waiting. Sadie always takes forever to answer, but I need her right now. My heart is buzzing, and I’m practically bursting with excitement. Finally, the ringing stops, and her voice comes through, flat and uninterested."Hello?""Sadie!" I say, trying to keep my voice from sounding too desperate. "I have a date. I need your help. Please, can you come over?"There’s a pause, and I can practically hear her rolling her eyes on the other end. "A date, huh?" she says. "And you want my help?""Yes!" I say, ignoring the edge in her tone. "I need your magic touch. You’re the best at this kind of thing, Sadie. Please."Another long pause. Then she sighs. "Fine. I’ll be there in an hour."By the time she arrives, I’m practically vibrating with energy. The second I see her walk through the door, I let out an excited squ
I lean back in my chair, phone still in hand, letting the faint hum of the television fill the silence. Tamrin’s reply is still fresh on the screen, her cheerful acceptance of another date. It didn’t take much to get her to agree—just a few words crafted with care and a touch of desperation.The key to manipulating people like Tamrin is understanding their hunger. She’s starving for attention, validation, anything to make her feel less invisible. I gave her just enough on our first date to plant the seed. Sure, I acted aloof, even dismissive, but I knew that would keep her chasing. And now? Now she’s hooked.I scroll through our conversation from earlier tonight.Trevor: Hey, Tamrin. I’ve been thinking about our date, and I feel terrible about how I acted. I was nervous, and I handled things badly. You didn’t deserve that.I imagine her face when she read it, the little