Rewrite the stars with you

Chapter Seven: Mixed Signals and Missed Punches

Becky was still deep in sleep, curled up under her blanket, when her phone buzzed. The sound was faint at first, blending into her dream, but the second buzz made her eyes flutter open. Groggily, she reached for her phone.

Carlos:“Good morning, Hermione. Dream about me?”

Becky sat up instantly, her heart skipping a beat. *Carlos? Messaging me in the morning?* She blinked at the screen, trying to process. Did he actually wake up and think of texting *her* first thing?

She hesitated before replying.

Becky: “You? In my dreams? More like my nightmares.”

Carlos replied almost instantly.

Carlos: “Ouch. And here I was, thinking we were bonding.”

Becky smirked, shaking her head.

Becky:“Bonding? You bullied me half the time yesterday.”

Carlos: “Exactly. That’s my love language.”

Becky rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress a small smile.

Becky: “Well, your love language sucks. Try again.”

Carlos: “Fine, fine. Good morning, Becky. Hope your day is as bright as your GPA.”

She snorted.

Becky:“That’s better. Good morning, Carlos.”

Satisfied, Becky set her phone down and stretched. *Weird way to start the day, but okay.*

---

The Basketball Match

By noon, the entire school was buzzing with excitement. The junior class was going head-to-head with the seniors in a basketball match. The bleachers were filling up fast, students cheering and placing bets on who would win.

Before the match, Carlos was wandering through the school when he happened to pass the library. He glanced inside—and immediately stopped.

Karl was standing close to Becky, holding her hand.

Carlos narrowed his eyes. *What the hell is this?*

A weird, unfamiliar feeling twisted in his chest. Was he… jealous? No. That was ridiculous. He had Ceci. He had a reputation to uphold. Maybe he was just annoyed that Becky was getting along so well with Karl—the same Karl who always tried to “protect” her from him.

Carlos clenched his jaw, then turned and walked away, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He wouldn’t think about it.

But the moment Becky and Anil walked onto the basketball field, Carlos made his way straight toward them, his smirk firmly back in place.

“Look who decided to show up,” Carlos said loudly, making sure everyone around could hear. “Becky, I gotta say… didn’t know you were the type to text boys at night.”

Becky froze. “What?”

Carlos put a hand over his chest mockingly. “I mean, I thought you were all serious and studious, but there you were, sending me sweet messages before bed.”

Anil immediately frowned. “Carlos, don’t start.”

But Carlos wasn’t done. He grinned, leaning toward Becky. “You know, if you missed me that much, you could’ve just said so instead of pretending to insult me.”

Becky’s face burned. “Are you insane?”

“Oh, don’t be shy now,” Carlos teased. “I’m flattered, really.”

Kirk, who was standing nearby, gave Carlos a look. “Dude, that’s enough.”

Jessy nodded. “Yeah, man, you’re pushing it.”

But Carlos ignored them, still watching Becky, expecting her usual quiet response.

Instead, Becky squared her shoulders and met his gaze with fire in her eyes. “You know what, Carlos?” she said sharply. “Next time, I’ll make sure to text you a dictionary page on *respect.* Since you clearly don’t know what that means.”

The crowd around them snickered, and Carlos blinked, caught off guard. He hadn’t expected her to fight back. Before he could recover, Becky and Anil walked past him toward the bleachers.

Kirk sighed, shaking his head. “You messed up, man.”

Jessy crossed her arms. “Big time.”

Carlos scoffed. “Oh, please. She loves the attention.”

Kirk and Jessy exchanged glances. Then, without another word, they both turned and walked away.

Carlos watched them go, frowning. “Where are you guys going?”

“Somewhere you’re not,” Kirk called back.

Jessy just waved over her shoulder. “Enjoy the silence.”

Carlos groaned, running a hand through his hair. *What the hell was that about?*

---

The Library Showdown

Later that evening, Carlos, still irritated, decided to head to the library. If he couldn’t annoy Kirk and Jessy, he might as well go back to his favorite past-time—bothering Becky.

But when he got there, Becky was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Anil was sitting alone at a table, flipping through a book.

Carlos smirked. “Where’s your little sidekick?”

Anil glanced up, unimpressed. “Not here. Why? You looking for someone to harass?”

Carlos chuckled. “Harass? Come on, man. I just like keeping things interesting.”

Anil sighed, shutting his book. “Carlos, I don’t get you. You keep bothering Becky like we’re in some middle school playground. What’s your deal?”

Carlos shrugged. “I just think she’s fun to mess with.”

Anil’s patience snapped. Without warning, he grabbed Carlos by the collar, dragged him outside the library, and—*bam!*—landed a punch straight to his jaw.

Carlos stumbled back, more surprised than hurt. He touched his face and smirked. “Damn, Anil. That was adorable.”

Anil clenched his fists. “You think this is funny?”

Carlos cracked his neck. “Nah, I think your punch was weak.”

Before Anil could react, Carlos lunged and shoved him back. Anil staggered but quickly recovered, raising his fists again.

Before things could escalate further, a voice cut through the tension.

“*Enough.*”

Karl.

He stepped between them, looking from Carlos to Anil. “Seriously? You guys are fighting in front of the library like a couple of idiots?”

Carlos rolled his eyes. “Mind your business, Karl.”

Karl took a deep breath, then looked Carlos dead in the eye. “You need to stop whatever it is you’re doing with Becky. Now.”

Carlos scoffed. “And if I don’t?”

Karl crossed his arms. “Then I’ll make sure you regret it.”

Carlos smirked, stepping closer. “Oh, I’d love to see you try.”

For a moment, it seemed like another fight was about to break out. But then Carlos just chuckled and shook his head. “You know what? Screw this.” He looked Karl up and down. “And screw you too.”

Then, without another word, Carlos turned and walked away, still smirking.

Anil wiped his lip, still glaring after him. Karl sighed. “That guy is a walking disaster.”

Anil nodded. “Yeah. But for some reason… Becky keeps texting him back.”

Karl frowned at that, his jaw tightening. "That’s exactly what I’m afraid of."