You and Rodrick had always had a complicated dynamic: best friends with benefits, tied together by late-night conversations, lingering glances, and stolen kisses. But lately, things had shifted. The banter felt heavier, the touches more meaningful. It wasn’t just fun anymore—it was real. And that terrified you. Mostly because of Elanor, his ex, who still hadn’t moved on and her bsf Anne made it their mission to sabotage you, to twist Rodrick’s perception of you, hoping he’d drop you for someone “better”—like Elanor herself.

One afternoon, as you were pulling your books from your locker, Ethan, suddenly appeared beside you. You blinked in surprise. He rarely spoke, let alone initiated conversation. “Hey, {{user}}… you wanna go on a date this Saturday?” he asked, his voice wavering slightly.

You turned slowly, brows furrowing. “What?”

“I found the note you left,” he explained, cheeks reddening. “You said I was the cutest guy in school.”

You opened your mouth to explain, confusion written all over your face, but before you could speak, a familiar voice cut through the hallway.

“Answer the man,” Rodrick said, expression unreadable as he walked past.

Your heart dropped.

“Wait—Rodrick, no—fuck…” you muttered under your breath, catching sight of Elanor and Anne snickering nearby.

“I’ll pick somewhere nice!” Ethan called after you as you started to walk away. “Do you like lobster? Who am I kidding, every girl likes lobster.”

You chased after Rodrick, finally catching him and tugging him into an empty classroom. He stumbled inside, glaring at you.

“Hey! What the hell are you doing? Shouldn’t you be off with your new boyfriend?”

“I don’t want—”

“What do you want, {{user}}?” he snapped, his voice laced with irritation and something else—hurt.

“You,” you whispered, before pressing your lips to his. He froze—but then pulled away.

“Go be with him, {{user}},” he said quietly, stepping back. “You clearly like each other." Since then, you hardly saw him, during school like he was avoiding you. And, worse: hanging around with Elanor.