Chapter 1

Ivy stood at the edge of the crowded school hallway, her eyes following Justin as he effortlessly made his way through the throng of students. His laugh echoed down the corridor, drawing the attention of nearly every girl in sight. But it wasn’t just his good looks or his charm that made him popular—it was the ease with which he moved through life, always with a smile on his face and a joke at the ready.

  Justin was the kind of guy everyone wanted to be around, and Ivy had been by his side for as long as she could remember. To the outside world, they were the perfect pair of best friends. But to Ivy, it was something much more complicated.

  She watched as Justin leaned in close to a group of girls, his voice dropping to a low murmur. The girls giggled, their eyes wide with admiration. Ivy rolled her eyes, unable to suppress a smirk. Typical Justin, she thought.

   Always the flirt, always the center of attention. But then, his gaze caught hers from across the hall, and a grin spread across his face. he excused himself from the group without a second thought. The girls’ disappointed glances followed him, but Justin didn’t seem to notice. His focus was entirely on Ivy as he made his way over, that familiar grin spreading across his face.

“Hey, Ivy,” he greeted, slinging his arm around her shoulders like he’d done a thousand times before. “Guess what?”

Ivy looked up at him, arching an eyebrow. “Let me guess—you finally learned how to tie your shoes?”

He laughed, shaking his head. “Nope, better than that.” He paused for dramatic effect, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “I’m dating Kulture now.”

Ivy’s heart sank at the mention of the queen bee’s name. Kulture had been after Justin for as long as she could remember, and now she’d finally gotten what she wanted. Ivy forced a smile, hoping it didn’t look as strained as it felt. “Kulture? Wow… that’s… something.”

Justin didn’t seem to notice the hesitation in her voice. “I know, right? She’s been dropping hints for weeks, and I figured, why not? She’s pretty cool once you get to know her.”

Ivy doubted that. Kulture was the type who ruled the school with an iron fist, and she’d never bothered to hide her disdain for Ivy. The feeling was mutual. But she wasn’t about to tell Justin that—not when he looked so damn happy about it.

“Yeah, cool,” Ivy echoed, trying to sound casual. She quickly changed the subject. “So, are we still on for the ride home?”

“Of course,” Justin replied, oblivious to her discomfort. “I’ll grab us some snacks from the vending machine before we head out. My treat.”

The bell rang, cutting their conversation short. Justin flashed her another grin before heading to his next class, leaving Ivy alone with her thoughts.

As she watched him walk away, Ivy couldn’t shake the unease settling in her chest. Kulture was bad news—everyone knew that. And the idea of Justin dating her made Ivy’s skin crawl. But what could she do? She was just the best friend, after all. The girl who was always there but never quite enough.

With a sigh, Ivy slung her backpack over her shoulder and made her way to class. Justin was living with her now since his parents were always out of town, and that meant more time together. 

Ivy had wrestled with the idea of telling Justin how she felt for as long as she could remember. She’d had a crush on him since she was six, back when they used to play tag in the backyard, and she thought he was the cutest boy in the world. But over the years, as their friendship deepened, her feelings became more complicated. Telling him how she felt seemed impossible, especially since Justin never showed any sign of liking her in that way. To him, she was more like a sister, someone he trusted completely—a status that was both a blessing and a curse.

He shared everything with her, every secret, every thought. He even once confessed that he sometimes wished she was a guy, so they could be even closer. That comment had stung, but Ivy had buried the hurt, laughing it off at the time. She knew she should be grateful to be his best friend, but she couldn’t help wishing for more.

Lost in her thoughts, Ivy leaned forward, resting her head on the table, when Justin suddenly slid into the seat beside her.

“Sorry, I’m late... was smashing Kulture in the locker room,” Justin said with a chuckle, his tone casual, as if he was discussing the weather.

Ivy’s heart clenched, but she forced a smile, masking the turmoil beneath. “That’s... good,” she replied awkwardly, struggling to keep her voice even.

“Did you get the snacks?” she asked, trying to shift the conversation to safer ground. She glanced at him, momentarily getting lost in his blue eyes, but quickly caught herself.

“Yeah, two bags of chips for you and a Pepsi,” Justin said, handing them over. Ivy smiled, taking the snacks from him, grateful for the distraction.

But Justin’s perceptive nature didn’t miss the slight tension in her demeanor. He tilted his head, concern flashing in his eyes. “You seem down. What’s up?”

“What? Me? No, I’m okay,” Ivy quickly replied, hoping her forced cheerfulness would convince him. But Justin wasn’t so easily fooled. He gave a small nod, though it was clear he didn’t entirely believe her.

“I know it’s weird that I broke up with Tiffany,” Justin said, his voice softer now. “I mean, I know you liked her.”

Ivy’s stomach twisted at his words. If only he could see how little she cared about his ex-girlfriends. In truth, she had been thrilled when he broke up with Tiffany, feeling like the happiest girl in the universe at that moment. But how could she ever admit that to him?

“Oh... no, no... it’s your choice, remember?” she said, hoping she sounded supportive, even as her heart ached with every word.

Justin leaned back in his chair, contemplating something. “Do you think Kulture is good for me?” he asked, the question laced with uncertainty.

Ivy bit her lip, her mind racing. She knew Kulture wasn’t good for him, but how could she say that without sounding like a jealous best friend? Instead, she opted for the truth she knew Justin would appreciate.

“As if you aren’t going to smash other girls,” Ivy said, her voice tinged with playful sarcasm.

Justin burst out laughing, his laughter warm and infectious, the sound that always made Ivy’s heart flutter. “You know the drill,” he said, still chuckling.

And that was the problem. Justin wasn’t loyal, and Ivy knew it was a big red flag. Any sane girl would run in the opposite direction, but her heart stubbornly refused to see it that way. It didn’t matter how many girls he dated or how many he left behind; she couldn’t stop herself from wanting him. 

She just wished he could see her the way she saw him.

~~

The ride home was filled with Justin's usual chatter, this time about all the girls he planned to hook up with that week. While it seemed like just another talk between him and his closest friend, every word Ivy heard felt like a tiny dagger to her heart.

"What if you get HIV?" Ivy asked, her voice laced with concern as they entered the house.

"I use condoms," Justin replied confidently, heading to the mirror to fix his hair.

"Condoms can break, you know," Ivy pointed out, taking the comb from his hand and gently brushing his hair herself.

Justin smirked, glancing at her through the mirror. "See, when I want to have sex, I make sure I get the best condoms. But you wouldn’t understand."

Ivy paused, her hands still in his hair. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

Justin chuckled, a teasing glint in his eyes. "I mean, you're a virgin."

"A proud one," she shot back, resuming her careful strokes with the brush.

When she finished, Justin took her comb and began brushing her hair, a ritual they had done for years.

"I’m literally obsessed with your hair," he said, his fingers moving through the strands as if he hadn’t said the same thing a hundred times before. Ivy rolled her eyes, knowing full well that despite his words, he was more into blondes. She had even dyed her hair blonde once, only for Justin to laugh and tell her it didn’t suit her. She had promptly returned to her natural brunette.

"I know, I have the best hair," Ivy said with a chuckle, trying to mask the sting of his earlier comment.

Justin laughed too, dropping the brush. "I know, I know."

Before they could say anything else, Ivy’s mom, Emily, called out from downstairs. "Ivy, Justin!"

They both jumped up from the chair, sharing a glance.

"Did you do something wrong?" Justin asked, eyebrows raised in curiosity.

Ivy shook her head, her thoughts racing. "Did you leave your used condoms lying around?"

"No," Justin said quickly, though a hint of worry crossed his face.

They made their way downstairs, where Emily was waiting for them in the living room. As soon as Justin caught sight of her, he asked, "Are we in trouble?"

Emily shook her head with a smile. "No, no. It’s good news."

Both Ivy and Justin visibly relaxed, smiling back at her.

"Okay... Trevor is coming to spend the holiday," Emily announced, her voice bright with excitement.

Both Ivy and Justin gasped in unison.

"Not Trevor again..." Ivy muttered under her breath, her mind already dreading the chaos that was sure to follow.

To Be Continued...