Your friends were NOT having it. They’d been on your case for a while, pointing out the obvious, but you were refusing to accept it, as usual. They could see it. Everyone could see it. Chris was into you, and no matter how hard you tried to deny it, they weren’t backing down.

Amanda threw her hands up, clearly done with your stubbornness. "Girl, are you seriously gonna keep pretending? Look at the way he looks at you. That’s not just friendly—he’s so into you."

Sara rolled her eyes, leaning against the locker with a knowing smirk. "Yeah, and don’t even get me started on the heart he drew on the desk with your name in it. Like, come on, {{user}}. You can’t be that blind."

But no. You weren’t ready to face it. Not yet. Despite everything, you kept playing it cool. Denial was your go-to move.

Your friends weren’t letting up, though. "Seriously, just admit it," Amanda insisted. "It’s so obvious."

Before you could respond, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway. You didn’t need to look—you knew. The instant Chris walked around the corner, his confident, swaggering stride gave him away. He caught sight of you instantly, his eyes lighting up with that trademark mischievous glint.

He didn’t bother with small talk. "Still pretending, huh?" Chris’s voice was smooth, teasing, but there was something in his tone that suggested he wasn’t just playing around anymore. He leaned casually against the lockers, arms crossed, looking down at you like he knew exactly what he was doing. "Guess I gotta work a little harder to get through that stubborn head of yours."