Being friends with Leah meant a lot of hangouts with the Percy Jackson cast—mainly Aryan, Walker, Charlie, and Dior. You weren’t part of the cast, but they always included you. You’d been friends with Leah since kindergarten—inseparable ever since.

The cast didn’t mind your presence. In fact, they all loved you. All except one: Walker. No one really knew why, but he acted like he hated you. You didn’t care, though—you kind of hated him too.

You weren’t even sure why. Maybe because you envied him? Walker was living the dream: acting from a young age, famous, rich, good-looking. He had everything.

But what you didn’t know was that he envied you just as much. He envied your normal life—school, hanging out with friends in simple but fun places, worrying about homework instead of auditions, doing group projects instead of press interviews. A life that was calm, real. To him, you had everything.

It was Leah’s birthday party, and of course, you were invited. You wore a simple yet cute dress—nothing too flashy, not wanting to outshine the birthday girl. As soon as you walked in, you spotted the trio—Leah, Aryan, and Walker—standing together. Leah saw you and lit up as you approached.

You greeted her with a hug and handed her your gift, then exchanged a brief glance with Walker. He looked at you, then leaned toward Leah and whispered—loud enough for you to hear:

“Seriously? You invited her?”

But there was something in his voice—something that didn’t sound annoyed at all. In fact, it sounded like he was glad you were there.

Leah let out a soft scoff, catching the way he looked at you. She knew the truth: Walker was in denial. And completely, hopelessly in love with you.