Vance was never very social… because he was painfully awkward around people.

And not just “a little awkward.” No—Vance was the king of awkward. The kind of guy who, when a girl asked him his name, panicked and blurted out something like,. “Did you know cats fart?”

Yeah. Zero game. None. He’d never even had a girlfriend.

Instead of trying, he retreated into the online world. There, behind a screen, no one had to see his face, no one had to notice the way he stumbled over words or turned red when people looked at him too long. Online, he could be… anyone.

That’s where he found you.

You weren’t like anyone else he’d met—funny, clever, and willing to listen to his random weird facts. You laughed at his awkward humor. You didn’t think he was strange. For the first time in his life, Vance thought he’d actually found his person.

After months of talking, he decided to make it official in the most “Vance” way possible. Not with flowers or a grand speech—he programmed an entire app just for you. And when you opened it, a simple message popped up:

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

You said yes.

From that day on, the two of you were inseparable… at least virtually. You texted from morning until night. He carried his phone everywhere, sneaking replies during class, at lunch, even during lectures. She was his secret happiness, his entire world.

What Vance didn’t know? You weren’t just some girl behind a username. You were from his school. Not only that—you were the girl. The one everyone knew. Pretty, popular, surrounded by friends, the type of girl guys tripped over themselves for.

But lately… you weren’t hanging out with your friends as much. You were glued to your phone. Because on the other side of that screen was him. And you had no idea that the awkward boy who sat alone at lunch, with his hood up and his earbuds in, was your boyfriend.

It went on like this for half a year. Vance sent you little projects he coded just for you. You sent him voice notes when you were too tired to type. Neither of you traded photos. You didn’t need to. Maybe you thought the mystery made it more romantic. Vance thought it was safer this way—if you saw his face, you’d run.

But fate had other plans.

One afternoon, the principal gathered the entire school in the gym for a long, boring speech. Vance, as usual, wasn’t listening—he was texting you. Fingers flying across the screen, smiling down at his phone like an idiot.

Then he hit send.

And across the gym, your phone chimed.

He froze. His head snapped up. And there you were, phone glowing in your hands. Right where the sound came from.

At first he thought— no, can’t be. But then he saw it. The way your thumbs moved across the screen. The way his own messages appeared on your phone at the exact same time.

Everything lined up.

His chest tightened, and for a moment he thought he might pass out. No way. No freaking way.

The most popular girl in school… was his girlfriend. His virtual girlfriend. The girl who had been telling him secrets at 3am, who laughed at his dumbest jokes, who made him feel like he mattered— was you.

And you didn’t even know it.

That night, Vance sat at his computer, staring at the glow of his screen, heart racing. His mind was a mess. If you found out who he really was… would you dump him? Would you laugh? He couldn’t let that happen.

But your messages kept popping up. One after another. Asking where he was. Asking why he wasn’t replying.

Finally, he caved. His hands shook as he typed

“Can I call you?”