Are you the Worst?

10: A Total Transformation

◇ T E N ◇

A Total Transformation



The night was quiet when Eve returned to Tia’s house. The Christmas lights still twinkled gently outside the windows, and the soft hum of carols played on the stereo in the living room. Tia’s parents had gone to bed early, exhausted from all the holiday cooking and celebrations. Tia was curled up on the couch with a holiday romance novel, while Eve made her way to the guest room.

As she entered the room, Eve finally remembered the paper bag Ames had handed her earlier at the gym. It had been sitting untouched in her lap during the drive back, her mind too tangled with thoughts of the afternoon they’d spent together. She gently placed the bag on the bed, opened it, and carefully pulled out the contents.

Her breath caught in her throat.

It was the NYU hoodie—the exact one Ames used to wear in his photos, the one she always teased him about wanting during their online chats. The familiar purple, soft fabric smelled faintly of laundry detergent and something warmer, something like memory. It was slightly oversized, just how she liked her hoodies. Her fingers grazed over a folded piece of paper tucked into the front pocket.

> Another promise I had. This is the exact jacket I wore. Don’t worry, it’s completely washed. Be safe going back to the dorms. My family’s heading to Florida tonight until the New Year. See you next year.

—Ames

Eve stood by the window and looked out.

Across the street, she could see the Smith family van parked out front. Ames was loading the last of their bags into the trunk while Caroline climbed into the back seat. He turned for a moment, as if sensing her eyes on him. Their eyes met soft, uncertain, but no longer haunted.

She raised the hoodie in the air and mouthed, Thank you. Take care. He smiled and gave her a thumbs-up before climbing into the car and disappearing into the night.

♡♡♡

New Year’s Eve

The vibe couldn’t be more different.

NYU’s Sports Department house was packed to the brim with students soccer players, basketball players, volleyball teams, and more. Music blasted from the speakers as colored lights danced across the walls. Laughter filled every corner. Eve weaved her way through the crowded hallway with Geneva and Tia close behind her.

She was dressed simply but beautifully with white jeans, a light purple cropped sweater, and gold hoops. Her hair was down and wavy, a soft contrast to the winter chill outside. Her eyes scanned the room, recognizing most of the people she had seen around the gym or at practice matches.

“Wow,” Geneva said, wide-eyed. “This is more packed than last year.”

“It’s the free food and the open bar,” Tia replied, nudging Eve with a knowing smile. “And don’t think I didn’t notice how Marcus texted me first before inviting the rest of us.”

Eve grinned. “You two are not even subtle anymore.”

Tia rolled her eyes but blushed, and Geneva burst into laughter.

“I'm going to grab something to drink,” Eve said. “Juice. You both know I can't handle alcohol.”

She stepped out to the backyard where a large, heated pool was lit up in soft blue. A line of coolers sat near the edge, filled with sodas, punch, and juices. She reached for a bottle of orange juice and took a sip, savoring the quiet moment.

Then came a loud cheer.

“Go, go, go!” someone shouted.

“Do a flip, Sinclair!”

“YO, Zeke!”

Eve’s ears perked at the name. She turned her head toward the crowd surrounding the pool.

And there he was.

Zeke stood on the edge of the diving board, shirtless, water dripping down his torso, muscles taut under the light. But what made her pause was not just the sight of his abs or how good he looked. It was his hair. Gone was the floppy brown hair and the stubborn bangs he always pinned back with elastic headbands during practice.

His head was buzzed short on the sides, clean, neat but still with a touch of length on top, now dyed a bold, light blonde. The color made him look sharper, edgier like someone she almost didn’t recognize but still knew.

He launched himself into the air, flipping and twisting, before splashing into the pool. The crowd erupted in cheers.

Eve let out a quiet laugh. Of course he’d make a scene.

Just as she was about to wave at him, a girl with perfectly curled red hair screamed, “Babe!” and ran toward the pool’s edge.

Zeke was climbing out when she met him halfway and kissed him.

Not just a kiss. A real kiss. One that lingered. A kiss with hands tangled in wet hair, fingers trailing down his back. People clapped and hooted. Eve stood still, the orange juice forgotten in her hand.

Her chest tightened. Not from heartbreak. But from something else. Something unfamiliar.

Before she could move, Johnny spotted her.

“Eve!” he called, waving her over.

Zeke turned sharply at the sound of her name. His eyes landed on her, surprise flickering in his expression. For a second, he looked like he wanted to say something, but the girl beside him pulled him closer again, leaning in for another kiss.

This time, he didn’t stop her.

Eve turned back toward the house.

Johnny and Lily approached her, trying to ask about her trip to New Jersey, but Eve just smiled, brushing them off.

“Sorry, I think I need some air. Gonna check out the view from the balcony,” she said quickly.

She didn’t look back at the pool.

She didn’t look at Zeke.

The wind had grown colder as the night stretched past its peak, but Eve didn’t feel the chill. She walked away from the noise and the music, away from the cheers and the bright lights of the soccer team’s party. Her steps were steady, though her thoughts were not. She had told Tia and the others that she was just tired, that she wanted to greet her family in the Philippines. They didn’t press her. Geneva had hugged her quickly. Tia had just squeezed her hand before letting her go.

By the time Eve got back to her dorm, the halls were quiet and empty. Most students were still out celebrating. She slipped into her room and curled up on her bed, pulling a blanket over her shoulders. Her phone buzzed with a few more “Happy New Year” messages from friends back home.

She stared at her lock screen for a while no messages from Zeke. It had been almost three weeks since they last talked. Almost three weeks of silence.

She dialed home.

The call connected quickly despite the distance. On the other end, her mom’s face lit up the screen surrounded by the noise of fireworks, her younger cousins running around, her dad in the background raising a glass.

“Anak!” her mom said with a wide smile. “Happy New Year!”

Eve smiled back, a little tighter than usual. “Happy New Year, Ma. I miss you.”

Her mom’s eyes softened. “We miss you too. Are you okay? You look... a bit tired.”

“I’m fine,” Eve said quickly. “Just a little tired. Lots of things going on here.”

Her mother didn’t push, but her voice turned more gentle, more knowing.

“Even if you don’t want to tell me everything, anak, I want you to remember, it will all be okay. You don’t have to carry everything by yourself. We’re just here. We love you.”

Eve felt something catch in her throat. She nodded, blinking back the sting behind her eyes.

“Thanks, Ma. I love you too.”

They said their goodbyes after a few more minutes, her mom blowing kisses through the screen, her younger brother shouting in the background. When the call ended, the room felt quieter than before.

Too quiet.

Eve slipped on her coat and scarf, pulled the hoodie Ames gave her over her head, and walked out again. The night had deepened, the streets now emptier, more still. The small park beside her dorm was almost deserted, except for the distant hum of celebration from other buildings.

She sat down on one of the benches, the cold of the metal seat seeping through her jeans. She looked up at the sky, counting quietly.

“Ten… nine… eight…”

It was almost midnight in New York.

“…three… two… one.”

The first of the fireworks exploded in the sky above. Bright gold. Then blue. Then red. They lit up the clouds in brilliant bursts. Eve tilted her head back and smiled faintly.

“Happy New Year,” she whispered to herself. She patted her own shoulder softly. “You made it through another year.”

The laughter from the distance echoed faintly, but her thoughts drifted back to the party to Zeke.

She let out a slow breath and stared at the fireworks.

Maybe he met someone new in London, she thought. She was beautiful and confident. And they looked good together.

They kissed like they knew exactly what they wanted from each other.

And it stung. Not because she had told herself she had feelings for Zeke. She didn’t know what it was exactly. All she knew was that for the past few months, he had been hers. Not in a romantic sense, but in the way she could talk to him about anything. The way he looked at her during rehearsals. The way he made her feel safe.

And now… it felt like she had lost something. Without warning.

“Maybe it’s not the right time,” she muttered to herself. “Maybe… we were just good because of the timing.”

Three weeks without even a ‘Merry Christmas.’ She shook her head. He’s probably just busy, she told herself. Holidays are hectic. And besides, there’s nothing wrong with him being with someone else. He deserves to be happy.

Still, the ache remained. A quiet ache.

She pulled her knees up to her chest, the hoodie warming her more than just physically. She sat there for a long while, watching the fireworks fade into smoke, feeling the year shift inside her, like a page quietly turning.

☆☆☆

Meanwhile, back at the party, Zeke moved through the crowd with a distracted energy. Music still blared through the speakers. People danced in the living room and crowded the kitchen. He approached Tia, who was standing near the punch bowl with Marcus.

“Hey,” Zeke asked, glancing around. “Is Eve here?”

Tia looked at him, her expression unreadable for a moment.

“She left a while ago,” she replied. “Said she wanted to call her family. It’s already New Year in the Philippines.”

Zeke nodded slowly. His eyes drifted toward the front door as if hoping she’d walk back in.

“You looking for her?” Tia asked.

Before he could answer, Madi appeared at his side, slipping her hand into his. “Zee! Come take a pic with me and the twins!” she said cheerfully, holding up her phone.

Zeke forced a smile. “Yeah, coming.”

Madi turned around and bounced toward the others, not waiting. As she walked off, she tossed a friendly wave toward Tia. “Nice to meet you!”

Tia didn’t return it. She crossed her arms and looked Zeke in the eye.

“You should be mindful,” she said softly.

Zeke blinked. “What?”

“Just think before you go back and forth with people. Some of us aren’t used to playing games.”

Zeke’s face hardened for a moment, then softened again.

“I’m not trying to play games.”

Tia didn’t say anything. She just turned and walked away, Marcus following her silently.

Zeke stood there for a moment, staring at the door again, as the music pulsed louder behind him. Something gnawed at him. He ran a hand through his still-damp, bleached hair, feeling the sting of Tia’s words.

In the quiet of the night, on opposite sides of the city, both he and Eve wondered the same thing.

The first morning of the new year broke in quiet hues of gray and pale gold, filtering softly through the blinds of Eve’s dorm room. But sleep had never come to her.

She tossed and turned most of the night, the memory of the party replaying in her mind like an unfinished song. The sight of Zeke his newly dyed blonde hair still dripping wet, the way he looked so different but also still him, and most of all, the way he kissed that girl.

A beautiful girl. Confident. Bold. The kind of girl who didn’t hesitate to call someone “babe” in front of a crowd or kiss him like she owned the moment.

Eve sat up on her bed, her head in her hands. She sighed deeply, her thoughts spinning in messy circles. Why did it affect me so much? she asked herself for the hundredth time. He’s allowed to have a girlfriend. He’s allowed to change. He’s allowed to move on.

But what hurt the most wasn’t the kiss, it was the distance. The silence. The way he’d gone almost three weeks without a single message. As if the months they’d spent building something friendship, connection, whatever it was had faded into nothing.

She rubbed her tired eyes and glanced at her bookshelf. Tucked neatly on the second shelf, where she kept her most personal belongings, was her blue sketchbook. The one with tiny drawings of planets, suns, and moons on the cover. Her favorite. The one she never showed anyone.

Except, she had made one sketch for someone else. For Zeke.

Eve got up, washed her face, and pulled on a cozy hoodie over her shirt. The morning air was cold, but her decision was warm and steady. She grabbed the sketchbook, hugged it to her chest for a moment, then walked out of her room, her steps quick but quiet.

Zeke’s dorm wasn’t far. She passed a few students still groggy from the night’s celebrations. Everything still looked like a new beginning crisp, quiet, waiting.

When she reached his door, she hesitated for a second. Then she knocked.

No answer.

She waited two minutes.

Knocked again.

Still nothing.

She bit her lip, glanced down the hallway, and tried the doorknob.

It was unlocked.

“…Typical,” she whispered to herself as she slipped inside.

The room was dimly lit by the pale sunlight peeking through the curtains. Clothes were scattered on the floor remnants of the party, probably. A jacket thrown over a chair, sneakers kicked off in different directions.

She stepped carefully, her eyes scanning the room. The bed was empty.

But a faint sound caught her attention the steady dripping of water, muffled by the closed bathroom door.

She tiptoed closer, slowly turning the knob. The door creaked open a little.

And there he was.

Zeke.

Sitting on the shower floor, shirtless and wearing only a pair of jeans, his legs stretched out awkwardly, his back slumped against the cold tile wall. His hair was damp, sticking slightly to his forehead. Water droplets clung to his skin like dew. His mouth was slightly open, and he was breathing slowly, deeply asleep.

Eve froze in the doorway, stunned for a second. Then—despite herself—she chuckled softly.

Seriously? In the shower?

She tiptoed inside, careful not to slip. Gently, she set her sketchbook on his desk outside, then came back and crouched in front of him, folding herself small between his long legs. Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper.

“Zeke… hey. Wake up.”

She tapped his cheek lightly.

“Come on, sleepyhead. It’s morning.”

Nothing.

She tried again, tapping both his cheeks now, a little firmer. “Zeke. Get up. I’m not strong enough to carry you out of here.”

His eyes fluttered open slowly, unfocused at first. He blinked, trying to adjust. His gaze was glassy with sleep or maybe the hangover. Then, finally, his eyes locked on her face.

For a moment, he looked confused. Like he wasn’t sure if she was real.

Then he whispered, hoarse and quiet, “Eve?”

She smiled gently. “Yeah. It’s me.”

Without warning, his arms reached out and wrapped around her tightly, his face burying into the crook of her neck.

“I missed you,” he whispered, almost like a confession.

Eve froze in place, startled by the sudden weight of his body, the warmth of his embrace. His skin was cold from the water, but his grip was so firm it made her feel like he’d been waiting to hold onto something for a long time.

For a long moment, she didn’t say anything. She just let him hug her.

There was no perfect answer for why she came. There were no pretty words to explain how much she’d missed him too. And she didn’t need to say anything just yet.

Because sometimes, silence was enough when it was shared, not empty.

And for the first time since last night, Eve didn’t feel so alone

The warmth of Zeke's hug slowly faded as he finally pulled away, his hands lingering a little longer on Eve's arms before he blinked himself fully awake. He looked at her again as if to be sure she was really there.

Eve cleared her throat and stood up, brushing invisible lint from her hoodie. “You should shower,” she said, her tone light, trying to ignore the way her chest still felt warm.

Zeke nodded groggily, standing to his full height. “Yeah. I probably smell like the entire party last night,” he muttered with a tired grin, running a hand through his damp, messy blonde hair.

As he disappeared into the bathroom, Eve made her way to his bed and sat down carefully. Her sketchbook rested on her lap, her fingers tracing the tiny planets and stars she had drawn on the cover. The room smelled faintly like mint and linen, and something about it his scent, the silence, the comfort of being here made her feel like she'd come home.

She opened the sketchbook and flipped through the pages, stopping at the sketch she made for him. The main protagonist of his game. She'd drawn him after staying up until 3 a.m. one night, thinking of all the things Zeke had told her about the storyline, about the kind of hero he wanted someone complicated but kind. Someone brave but broken. She smiled at the memory.

Suddenly, the bathroom door creaked open.

Eve looked up and froze.

Zeke stepped out, steam trailing behind him, a white towel slung low on his hips. Water glistened on his chest and abs, his skin flushed slightly from the heat of the shower. His hair was pushed back, wet and swept away from his face. He walked toward his dresser casually, completely unfazed.

Eve, on the other hand, was not okay.

Her eyes widened. She didn't blink. Not once. Her gaze trailed down his broad shoulders, his lean torso, and the very defined muscles on his stomach. Since when did he have that kind of body? And why did no one warn her?

He glanced at her sideways, smirking. “Don’t tell me,” he said in a smooth British accent, “you’re allowing yourself to fall in love again?”

Eve blinked. Finally. Hard.

“What the heck—” she muttered, sitting up straighter.

Zeke chuckled and turned to the mirror, opening a drawer and grabbing his cleansing balm. As he applied it to his face in smooth circles, he added teasingly, “Hey, bro. I already have a girlfriend, remember?”

His voice was light, joking but the words struck something inside Eve.

She stood up suddenly, walking straight to him and pointing a firm finger at his bare shoulder. “Yah!” she said, eyes narrowed. “Let’s talk.”

Zeke paused, fingers mid-swipe across his cheek, eyebrows lifting slightly.

“What is with you not replying to me for almost three weeks, huh?” Her words tumbled out quickly now. “You totally ghosted me. Do you have any idea how much that messed with my head? I told you before ghosting gives me actual trauma. You know what I’ve been through. I thought we were friends! And then boom you just disappeared! What’s your problem?!”

Zeke didn’t move.

His hand was still halfway across his cheek, frozen in place. His eyes stared at her like she was some wild, fiery storm that had just crashed into his bathroom.

And then, slowly, a wide grin spread across his face.

He started laughing. Not a small chuckle. A full, belly-deep laugh that echoed in the room.

“You’re really back,” he said between laughs, setting the balm down and ruffling his wet hair. “The same annoying, loud, funny Eve I missed.”

He reached out and patted her head gently, still grinning. “And that’s how you say you missed me? By scolding me like a mom?”

Eve huffed, crossing her arms but trying not to smile. “You deserved that.”

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry,” he said, finally reaching for his shirt and pulling it on. “Let me explain.”

They moved to sit by the edge of his bed, legs dangling off, shoulders brushing occasionally.

“I was in London,” Zeke started. “For my little sister’s birthday. She turned seven on Christmas Eve.”

“Aww,” Eve said, her voice softening. “I bet she’s adorable.”

“She is. And a handful,” he chuckled. “It was a whole thing decorations, cake, matching pajamas, princess tiara… the works. I wanted to be there for her.”

Eve nodded. “That makes sense. But still—”

“I know,” he cut in. “I should’ve messaged. I wanted to. But… it was just a lot. And then… Madi happened.”

Eve turned to him, quiet.

He looked down at his hands. “Madi’s been around since we were kids. Our parents are friends, she used to tag along during family vacations. She’s loud, kinda crazy, and weirdly persistent.” He glanced at Eve with a sheepish smile. “She confessed. Again. For like, the third time.”

“And this time you said yes.”

Zeke nodded. “On Christmas Eve. I thought… maybe I should try. She’s been there, you know? I didn’t want to break her heart again.”

Eve didn’t say anything for a while. She just looked at her hands. Then she finally spoke. “Well… I’m happy for you.”

Zeke turned his head to study her. “Really?”

She looked up and smiled a little. “Yeah. You deserve someone who chooses you. And who you choose back.”

He nodded slowly. “Thanks.”

Eve let out a small breath, then added, “I have something to confess too.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Remember Ames?” she said.

Zeke’s expression shifted. “Your ex… the one who ghosted you before?”

“Yeah. I saw him. In New Jersey.” She looked out the window as she spoke, voice calm. “He lives next door to Tia’s family. It was… a weird coincidence. But we talked. A lot, actually. And we skated. And he pulled me down into the ice. And… we got closure. We’re friends now.”

Zeke nodded slowly, processing. “You okay with that?”

“I think so,” Eve said. “It still hurts a little. But it’s like… finally closing a chapter I left open for too long.”

Zeke smiled. “Good.”

They sat there in silence for a few moments, side by side. Then Eve leaned her head on his shoulder.

“I missed this,” she said softly.

“Me too,” he replied, leaning his cheek against her head. “I missed you.”

Her sketchbook lay beside them, the blue cover catching the light.

And though things were messy, and nothing was certain, in that moment, they were just two people reunited, comforted, quietly content to simply be.

Together.

♡ END OF CHAPTER TEN ♡