WHAT WE LOST

Chapter Four—Jealous Eyes

The next morning, Amara walked into school with a smile she couldn’t hide.

Everything felt different.

Maybe it was because she had finally stopped worrying about what everyone thought. Maybe it was because she had Ethan now. Or maybe it was simply because, for the first time in a long time, she felt like she belonged somewhere.

She walked through the hallway, holding her books against her chest as she looked around for her friends.

The moment they spotted her, their faces immediately lit up.

“Look who’s smiling like she just won the lottery,” one of them teased.

Amara laughed and shook her head. “Leave me alone.”

They all knew exactly why she was smiling.

After what had happened between her and Ethan, there was no point pretending anymore. They were together, and Amara was finally ready to admit it without feeling shy.

“So it’s true?” another friend asked.

Amara looked at them for a moment before giving a small smile.

“Yes. Ethan and I are together.”

The excitement that followed made Amara laugh.

Her friends immediately started teasing her, asking questions and making jokes about how quickly everything had changed. Amara tried to act annoyed, but secretly, she loved every second of it.

She had spent so much time feeling alone that being surrounded by people who were genuinely happy for her felt amazing.

But not everyone was happy.

Across the hallway, Chloe stood quietly, watching everything.

Her eyes were fixed on Ethan, who had just entered the hallway.

She watched as his attention immediately found Amara.

The small smile that appeared on his face when he saw her was enough to make Chloe’s mood change.

She had noticed Ethan long before Amara ever came into the picture.

At first, Chloe had told herself that it was only a little crush. Something harmless that would eventually disappear.

But lately, her feelings had become harder to ignore.

And now Ethan was with Amara.

Chloe watched as Ethan walked over to them. Amara’s face immediately brightened when she saw him.

Ethan greeted everyone before turning his attention toward Amara.

“You look nice today,” he said.

Amara smiled. “Thank you.”

Her friends exchanged knowing looks, and Amara quickly looked away, trying to hide her embarrassment.

Chloe noticed everything.

The way Ethan looked at Amara.

The way Amara smiled whenever he was around.

The way they naturally stood close to each other.

It made something inside Chloe ache.

She looked away before anyone could notice the expression on her face.

Maybe this wasn’t supposed to bother her.

But it did.

During their first few classes, Amara found herself thinking about Ethan more than she wanted to admit. Every time she checked the time, she wondered when she would see him again.

At break, she finally got the chance.

Ethan was waiting for her near the staircase.

When Amara saw him, she smiled and walked over.

“You waited?”

He nodded. “Of course.”

They spent the break together, talking about school and laughing over little things that didn’t really matter.

Amara loved how easy everything felt with him.

She didn’t have to pretend to be someone else. She didn’t have to force conversations. She could simply be herself.

For Ethan, it seemed to be the same.

They were still getting to know each other, but somehow, it already felt natural.

Unfortunately, their happiness didn’t go unnoticed.

Chloe continued watching them from a distance.

She tried distracting herself by talking to her friends, but her attention always returned to Ethan.

One of her friends eventually noticed.

“You’ve been looking at them all day.”

Chloe immediately looked away.

“I wasn’t.”

Her friend raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue.

Chloe stayed quiet.

She didn’t want to admit how much she disliked seeing Amara with Ethan.

She didn’t even know what she could possibly do about it.

Yet deep down, she knew she didn’t want to give up.

Later that afternoon, Chloe finally got a chance to speak to Ethan alone.

Amara had gone to meet one of her friends, leaving Ethan by himself in the hallway.

Chloe approached him casually.

“Hey, Ethan.”

He looked up.

“Hey.”

She smiled and stood beside him.

For a few seconds, they talked about school. Chloe tried to keep everything normal, but eventually the conversation turned toward Amara.

“So you two are really together?”

Ethan smiled slightly.

“Yeah.”

There was something about the way he said it that made Chloe’s heart sink.

He didn’t sound confused.

He didn’t sound unsure.

He sounded happy.

Chloe forced a smile.

“That’s nice.”

Ethan nodded before looking down the hallway.

He was clearly waiting for Amara.

Chloe noticed.

She suddenly felt like she was invisible.

She had hoped that maybe Ethan didn’t feel as strongly about Amara as it seemed.

But now she wasn’t so sure.

She walked away shortly afterward, trying to hide her disappointment.

Her thoughts became darker as she walked.

She didn’t want to be the jealous girl.

She didn’t want to hate Amara.

But every time she saw them together, the jealousy became stronger.

Meanwhile, Amara knew nothing about what was happening.

She returned to Ethan, completely unaware of the conversation he had just had with Chloe.

“Ready?” she asked.

Ethan nodded.

They walked through the hallway together, talking and laughing.

Amara felt happy.

She didn’t notice Chloe watching them from the other side of the corridor.

She didn’t see the jealousy in Chloe’s eyes.

And she definitely didn’t know that Chloe was beginning to think of ways to change everything.

As the days went by, Chloe started paying closer attention to Amara.

She noticed the people Amara spent time with. She noticed what made her happy and what made her uncomfortable.

She listened whenever Amara talked about Ethan.

She watched them whenever they were together.

The more she learned, the more she began to believe that maybe Amara wasn’t as perfect as everyone thought.

Everyone had insecurities.

Everyone had weaknesses.

And Chloe was determined to find Amara’s.

One afternoon, Chloe approached Amara while she was packing her books.

“You’re really happy with Ethan, aren’t you?”

Amara smiled.

“Yeah. I am.”

Chloe nodded slowly.

“I can tell.”

There was something strange about the way she said it.

Amara looked at her carefully.

“Is everything okay?”

Chloe quickly smiled.

“Of course.”

Amara wasn’t completely convinced, but she didn’t push the conversation.

She picked up her bag and left.

Chloe watched her go.

For a moment, guilt crossed her mind.

Maybe she should just leave them alone.

Maybe Ethan had already made his choice.

But then she remembered the way he smiled at Amara.

The way he waited for her.

The way Amara had confidently told everyone they were together.

The jealousy returned.

Chloe wasn’t ready to accept that she had lost before she had even gotten a chance.

By the end of the school day, Amara was walking beside Ethan again.

The hallway was slowly becoming quieter as students left their classrooms.

Ethan made Amara laugh over something that had happened earlier, and she shook her head while trying not to laugh too loudly.

For them, it was just another happy moment.

But from a distance, Chloe watched.

Her expression was no longer simply jealous.

She had made a decision.

It wasn’t just a little crush.

She actually wanted Ethan.

And she wasn’t happy that Amara had him.

Chloe slowly smiled.

“If Amara thinks this is going to be that easy,” she whispered to herself, “she’s wrong.”

She turned and walked away.

Meanwhile, Ethan and Amara continued down the hallway, laughing together.

Neither of them knew that their new term was about to become much more complicated than they expected.

And Chloe had already made up her mind.

She was going to find a way to get between them.