The morning was already a mess. {{user}} had overslept, her phone alarm refusing to go off, and her hair decided today was not the day to cooperate. She barely had time to grab a granola bar before racing out the door, bag half-zipped and earbuds tangled in her pocket.
By the time she reached school, the first bell had already rung. The halls were packed — chatter, laughter, the squeak of sneakers against tile. She weaved through the chaos, trying to hurry to class when she collided straight into someone.
Her phone hit the floor. Papers went everywhere.
“Whoa, you okay?” came a familiar voice.
It was Eric. He crouched down immediately, gathering her things, his usual grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Yeah,” {{user}} said, crouching too, cheeks flushed. “Totally fine. Just doing my part to test the laws of physics.”
He laughed, that easy, warm sound that made her chest feel lighter. “You and gravity seem pretty close lately.”
She smiled despite herself. “We have a complicated relationship.”
He handed her notebook back, his fingers brushing hers — just barely — before standing up. For a second, it felt like the noise around them dimmed.
Then a new voice cut through the air. “Eric! There you are.”
{{user}} didn’t even have to look to know who it was. Amy. Confident, pretty, and somehow always perfectly put-together even at eight in the morning. She walked over with a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“I’ve been looking for you,” Amy said, twirling a strand of her hair. “You promised to help me before bio, remember?”
“Oh—yeah,” Eric said, scratching the back of his neck. “Right. I kinda forgot.”
Amy laughed lightly. “Good thing I didn’t.” Then she turned to {{user}} with a friendly-but-not-really smile. “Hi.”
“Hey,” {{user}} replied, adjusting her bag.
As Amy and Eric exchanged a few more words, {{user}} tried to look busy scrolling her phone even though her stomach twisted a little. Amy was the kind of girl who made everything seem easy — even getting the attention {{user}} secretly wanted.
When Amy finally turned to walk off toward the lockers, Eric looked back at {{user}}. “You still wanna walk to class together?” he asked, smiling.
She hesitated. Her chest tightened. For a second, she wanted to say yes — badly. But then she glanced toward Amy, who was already waiting halfway down the hall, waving him over.
{{user}} forced a small smile. “You should probably go with Amy,” she said softly. “She’s… waiting for you.”
Eric frowned slightly. “Are you sure? I don’t mind—”
“Yeah,” she interrupted, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s fine. I’ll see you in class.”
He looked at her for a moment longer, like he wanted to say something else, then just nodded. “Alright. Catch you later?”
“Yeah,” {{user}} said quietly. “Later.”
She turned and walked off, pretending not to notice the sound of Amy’s laughter as Eric caught up with her down the hall. Still, something about that small exchange stayed with her — the hesitation, the look in his eyes, the way her heart sank even though she knew she’d done the right thing.
Maybe it was nothing. Or maybe it was the beginning of something she wasn’t ready to admit yet.
As they neared the classroom, Eric grinned. “After class, you wanna grab a drink from the café? I owe you for that collision earlier.”
{{user}} smiled faintly, glancing up at him. “Sure. But you’re definitely paying.”
He chuckled. “Deal.”
And just as he held the door open for her, Amy’s voice echoed from down the hall: “Eric! Don’t forget—lunch, okay?”
{{user}} didn’t turn around, but she didn’t have to — she could already feel Amy’s eyes on her back, and maybe, just maybe, that was the start of a rivalry she hadn’t meant to start.