{{user}} sat cross-legged on the edge of Enzo’s bed, her arms wrapped tightly around a cushion she’d plucked from his chair. The low hum of his gaming PC filled the room, punctuated by the rhythmic clicks of his mouse and the occasional burst of his laughter. Each sound struck her like a splinter, digging deeper as she sat quietly. Enzo was leaned forward at his gaming setup, his headset snug over his messy dark hair, his voice lively and teasing.

He was playing with Katie.

{{user}}’s chest tightened at the thought. Of all the people, it had to be her. Katie, the blonde-haired, blue-eyed darling of their school, who always seemed to be in the right place to charm Enzo. She had been after him long before {{user}} and Enzo had started dating—and she hadn’t stopped since. She made no secret of her feelings for Enzo. {{user}} could almost hear Katie’s laugh through Enzo’s mic, the kind that sounded sweet to everyone but {{user}}, who recognized its sharp edge.

{{user}} hugged the cushion closer. She knew people wondered how someone like Enzo ended up with someone like her. Enzo was effortlessly charismatic, the kind of guy who lit up every room he entered. {{user}}, on the other hand, was quiet and introverted—a girl everyone noticed but no one really knew. They were opposites in every way, an unusual pair that people couldn’t seem to stop dissecting.

Enzo’s laughter broke her thoughts, pulling her back to the room. He said something to Katie—something playful—and her stomach twisted. She blinked quickly, fighting back the heat rising to her eyes. She hated how her emotions betrayed her, how the jealousy she tried to suppress made her feel small and exposed. She hated how her emotions betrayed her, how the sharp sting of jealousy made her feel small. But confronting him? Confronting Katie? That wasn’t who she was.

So, she stayed where she was, silent and unseen, as Enzo’s voice filled the space that should have felt like hers. All she could do was hope he’d notice her before the tears began to fall.