جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 10

If there’s one thing I regret about TikTok, it’s how a thirty-second video can ruin your entire life.Case in point: me, Lila Bennett—straight-A student, aspiring journalist, certified nobody—currently sitting on my bed at midnight with greasy hair in a messy bun, ranting into my front camera about the one person I swore I’d never talk about.Jason Cole.Yes, that Jason Cole. The walking stereotype of every high school rom-com: quarterback, straight white teeth, a jawline sharp enough to cut glass, and an ego so inflated it probably has its own zip code. He’s also the reason I never volunteer to answer questions in history class. Because Jason Cole has mastered the art of leaning over my desk, whispering, “What’s number three?” while flashing me that stupid grin teachers fall for every time.So, naturally, when my best friend texted, “Lila, you should totally expose him on TikTok for stealing your pens again,” I did what any normal, sleep-deprived teenager would do.I pulled out my ph

There are bad days. And then there are Jason Cole days.By the time the final bell rang, I was one sarcastic comment away from throwing my entire backpack at his smug face. Which, by the way, would have been totally justified considering what he pulled in front of Alex Rivera.Alex. My crush since freshman year. The only boy who’s ever offered to carry my books without being asked. The only boy who doesn’t treat me like I’m invisible. And now? Thanks to Jason, he officially thinks I’m dating someone else.Not just anyone. Jason. Freaking. Cole.I stormed out of school with my earbuds jammed in, blasting my “Angry Girl Energy” playlist at full volume. If I didn’t get all this pent-up frustration out soon, I was going to explode.Lucky for me, my best friend Ava was waiting at our usual spot by the front gates, sipping a bubble tea like she was born to play therapist.She took one look at my face and groaned. “What did he do now?”I yanked out an earbud and practically shouted, “He told

High school is a lot like a stage. Some people are born for the spotlight—guys like Jason Cole, quarterback, golden boy, practically sponsored by the universe. Others, like me, do just fine in the background. Not invisible, not forgotten, just… steady. Reliable.That’s the role I’ve always played.Which is why I almost dropped my books when I walked out of chem class and saw Jason with his arm around Lila Bennett.Lila.The quiet girl who sits two rows over. The one who always has a sarcastic comment ready if you actually take the time to ask her opinion. The one I thought… well, maybe someday I’d work up the nerve to ask out.But apparently, I waited too long.Because there she was, pressed up against Jason like it was the most natural thing in the world.At first, I thought it had to be some kind of joke. Jason’s type is cheerleaders, Instagram models, girls who already know how to flirt with a camera. Not Lila, with her messy ponytail and sarcastic eye rolls. Don’t get me wrong—she

If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s playing a role. Quarterback? Easy. Class clown? Done. Fake boyfriend? Apparently, I’m a natural.The thing is, I didn’t expect to actually enjoy it.Walking down the hallway with my arm around Lila, watching everyone’s heads turn,it’s like having front-row seats to my own comedy show. Half the guys look confused, half the girls look like they want to stab her with a cafeteria fork, and Lila? She looks like she’s silently praying for lightning to strike me.Worth it. Every single time.“Babe, you forgot to smile,” I teased earlier, and the glare she shot me could’ve melted steel. Seriously, if looks could kill, I’d be a chalk outline by now.But here’s the thing no one else knows: underneath all that sarcasm, she’s actually kinda cute when she’s mad. Not that I’d say that out loud.At lunch, I slid right into the seat beside her and stole a fry. Her friend Ava nearly exploded with excitement.“You two are adorable!” Ava squealed.Lila groaned, lik

Being Lila’s best friend is a full-time job.Seriously. The girl has a talent for overthinking everything, underestimating herself, and denying the obvious. Exhibit A: Jason Cole.If anyone else had the most popular guy in school wrapped around their finger, they’d be milking it. But Lila? She’s acting like she’s trapped in some government witness protection program. I swear, she doesn’t see what I see.And what I see is chemistry. Sparks. The kind of banter that rom-coms are made from.Take today, for example.In the cafeteria, Jason sat next to her—again—and stole her fries—again. And Lila’s reaction? A glare so deadly it could’ve taken out a small nation. Except here’s the thing: she didn’t actually stop him.She pretends she hates it, but I can tell. The tiny curve at the corner of her mouth, the way she doesn’t move her tray further away. Girl is so busted.Meanwhile, Jason looked like he was having the time of his life. He kept leaning close, whispering in her ear like the cafet