Jealousy in me.

Kelly’s POV

The image won’t leave my mind. No matter how many times I blink, how many times I shake my head, it comes back. Ivan’s hand on Shirley’s waist, his gentle smile as he guided her across the dance floor, the way he looked at her like she was the only girl in the room.

It burns inside me. I hate it. I hate that it was not me.

Shirley doesn’t deserve him. She doesn’t even know how to dance, yet Ivan made her look like a star, like she belonged in his arms. I have wanted that for months, ever since the first time Ivan walked into the cafeteria and every head turned. The famous boy in school. I started having feelings for him starting then.

* * * * * * * * * *

The hallway buzzes with chatter as students rush to their lockers, but all I hear is my own heart pounding. I lean against the cool metal, gripping the strap of my bag, fighting the jealousy that claws at me. I should be happy for her, she is my best friend. But instead, every time I picture his hand holding hers, a sharp pain twists in my chest.

Shirley doesn’t understand what it means to love someone like Ivan. She doesn’t know how long I have admired him, how many times I have daydreamed about him noticing me. She does not know the way I’ve stayed after practice just to catch a glimpse of him walking by or how my stomach flips whenever I hear his name.

No, she doesn’t know. And maybe she never will.

Last night, when she came to me glowing, eyes sparkling as she whispered how magical it had been, I wanted to scream. Instead, I smiled weakly, pretending I was tired. Pretending I didn’t care. But inside, I hated her. Because Ivan should have been mine.

At lunch today, she looked at me with those innocent eyes, asking what was wrong, as if she didn’t know. As if she couldn’t see how much it hurt. I walked away because if I had stayed, I might have said something I couldn’t take back.

But walking away doesn’t solve anything. It just makes the fire inside me burn hotter.

I love him. I do. More than Shirley ever could. I have studied the way he moves, the way he laughs, the way he brushes his hair out of his eyes. I know him in ways Shirley hasn’t even begun to understand. And I can’t sit here and let her steal what I’ve been longing for.

No. I won’t. I imagine his smile directed at me, his hand holding mine, his voice saying my name in that low, gentle way. My heart races just picturing it. I could give him everything, loyalty, devotion, and love that would never fade. And I will make sure he starts seeing me.

Shirley may have had one night, one stolen dance, but I will have forever. She doesn’t even know how quickly things can change in this school, how fragile attention is. Ivan is popular, admired, he won’t stay interested in a shy girl like her for long. Not when I am here. Not when I am ready to fight for him.

I straighten my shoulders, lifting my chin. The jealousy still burns, but it feels different now. Sharper. Stronger. Like a blade I can wield.

“I will make him mine,” I whisper to myself. The vow feels powerful on my tongue, unbreakable. “No matter what happens, Ivan will be mine.”

And as I walk down the hall, the world blurs around me. I see only him in my future, his smile, his touch, his name entwined with mine.

Shirley may think she is the one holding his heart, but she has no idea who she is up against.