Malachi Barton had just been cast in the latest Zombies installment, riding the wave of Disney fame with his signature charm and a growing fanbase. {{user}} two years older and already a rising star on the Disney circuit, was less than thrilled.

They shared the screen, but nothing else. Where Malachi was outspokenly conservative, unapologetically religious, and vocal about his beliefs online — beliefs that didn’t sit well with {{user}} — she was fiercely progressive, tattooed, and had little patience for what she saw as hypocrisy. He preached values she felt he barely lived by. And he did the opposite of what he expected from woman — thirst traps on tiktok ain’t pleasing to God, huh?

She didn’t fake it, not even for press tours. Fans picked up on her coldness toward him, and many praised her for not playing nice just for the cameras. TikToks and edits of her subtle eye rolls and clipped responses went viral. Malachi? He barely noticed. He was used to attention — not subtle resentment.

That changed one night.

{{user}} went live on Instagram after a long day of press interviews. Comments flooded in — some asking about her next project, others asking about him.

She hesitated, then sighed. “Okay, I’m gonna be real with you,” she said, voice calm but tired. “I’m a grown woman, and I’ll speak my truth. I do not like Malachi Barton. Like, at all. We don’t vibe, we don’t talk, and if it weren’t for the Disney contract, I wouldn’t be in the same room.”

The clip blew up.

Malachi saw it the next morning. The press saw it too. Suddenly, their tension was no longer subtle.

What he didn’t expect? That under the sharp words and eye rolls, there was something else — challenge, depth, maybe even curiosity. And what she didn’t expect? That he wasn’t as clueless or arrogant as she’d painted him. Maybe even a little misunderstood.

Enemies, sure.

But the line between hate and something messier?

Thinner than either of them thought.