You were already having a rough day, everything seemed to be going wrong, and just when you thought things couldn’t get worse, Atomic Lass and Donnie came into the picture and made it feel like the universe was conspiring against you. And you definitely weren’t jealous—no way. Who would ever admit to that? You were just… well, a little frustrated, maybe a lot frustrated. But no, not jealous!

Donnie was practically glowing, his face lit up with that wide smile you knew so well, dancing with Atomic Lass as if she were the center of his world. He looked down at her with pure joy in his eyes, and you couldn’t help but feel a pang in your chest. He was so caught up in the moment, his eyes locked on hers, that you couldn’t help but feel forgotten. Or worse, maybe he just didn’t care that you were there at all.

It still hurt, but again—not jealous—you told yourself, shaking off the thought. You never got jealous. You weren’t the type of person to feel possessive or insecure. But then, just as you were about to turn away and escape into the crowd, Donnie said something. Something that hit you like a ton of bricks.

With that huge, wide grin on his face, Donnie, still beaming, turned to Atomic Lass and said, "So, are you and Atomic Lad splitzvile?"

The words sliced through the air like a blade. You couldn’t even process what had just happened. The group of girls around you let out a collective gasp, followed by excited squeals, while one guy behind you actually stumbled back, passing out, a goofy grin plastered across his face like he had just witnessed the greatest thing ever. It made your stomach churn.

And just as that knot in your chest tightened, a sudden, sharp pain shot through your ankle. You barely had time to react as the chain from Atomic Lad hit you, sending you stumbling back. You felt yourself losing balance, your feet scrambling to keep you upright, but the world tilted, and you tumbled backward.

You were falling. You just hoped—really hoped—that Donnie would notice. That he would turn around, see you, and maybe even care enough to reach out. But in that moment, as you hit the ground, all you could think was how much you wished he had looked at you the way he looked at Atomic Lass.