Christmas With The Wrong Boy

Elara’s POV. I'll be late. I know I will. I remind myself, again and again.But I still don't get up. Instead, I keep thinking about him. Daniel. He's been different lately. Beep. …Beep. …Beep. I groan, reaching for my phone, on my bedside table and silencing the alarm—for the third time Ugh. I’m not usually like this. I sit up slowly, rubbing my eyes as I let out a sigh.I’ve always been the person who gets up on time, sticks to my routines, keeps everything… perfect. But today? …I feel off. My phone buzzes in my hand, pulling me out of my thoughts. I bring it closer to my face and check the notification. A small smile spreads across my face as I open the message. Daniel✨: Morning Ella. My sister’s taking the bus today, want me to pick you up? I feel my cheeks warm up. It’s ridiculous, honestly. We’ve been dating for a year, and he can still make me giddy over something so simple. I quickly text him back Morning, Sure. Just got up. Pick me up in 30. I should get up. A good girlfriend doesn’t keep her boyfriend waiting. At least… not for long. Twenty minutes later, I stand in front of my full body mirror. Perfect. My uniform is neatly pressed, my thigh-high socks spotless. I smooth down my hair, carefully adjusting the straightened strands over my shoulders. Straightening it every morning is a hassle. But I still do it. For Daniel. He deserves the best. I give my reflection a small, satisfied smile, then head out. I’m halfway down the stairs when I hear voices. “John, isn’t Ella going with you?” my mum asks. “Hmm? I'm not sure. Haven’t seen her all morning,” my dad replies, his voice slightly muffled–probably eating. “Maybe she’ll skip today..” Hailey–my elder sister–adds. A pause. They all chuckle. I roll my eyes and continue down the stairs. I might be a little intense when it comes to school,but speaking behind my back like this– rude. “I can hear you guys.” They turn to me instantly, innocent smiles on their faces, like I didn't just catch them gossiping about me. “I’m leaving with Daniel today, so you can go ahead, Dad.” “No breakfast?” my mum asks, barely looking up from the pancake she's making. “Nope, but I'll take juice” Hailey hands me a cup of orange juice soon after. I give her a small smile to show my gratitude. Taking a sip, I pull out my phone, about to text Daniel— Knock knock. I leave the cup there half empty, rushing to the door before anyone else can get there. I love my family, I really do. But they can be… a lot. I take a quick breath and open the door. “Morning, Ella.” Daniel stands there, smiling. It should be normal. But… something about it feels slightly off. I ignore it and smile back anyway. “Morning.” He takes my hand, guiding me gently aside before stepping in to greet my parents. I linger by the door, waiting. We always share a moment whenever we see each other in the morning. A hug. A quick kiss. Something. I catch myself wondering which it’ll be today— “Ella?” I blink. He’s already by the car. “Oh—coming!” I quickly shut the door and head over, brushing off the small flicker of disappointment. It’s not a big deal. Don’t make it one. The car ride is quiet at first. Too quiet. I glance at him, studying his profile as he drives. The morning sun filters through the window, catching in his dark brown hair, making it look like there are gold filaments scattered in it. He’s always looked like this. Perfect. So why does he feel so… distant? “Christmas break’s in three days,” he says suddenly. Pulling me from my thoughts “You looking forward to it?” I blink. “Of course. Jasmine already planned a whole itinerary for us.” I laugh softly, remembering how excited she was when she told me about it. This'll be our first Christmas as a couple. I'm getting excited just thinking about it. Looking forward to doing things I'd seen other couples do. No longer will I just be the single spectator, watching jealousy. “There are spaces for us in those plans, right?” he asks, shooting me a look. I turn to the window, hiding my smile. “Hmm, I’m not sure...” “...Ella” he says, a mixture of amusement and exasperation in his voice. I grin and tap my chin thoughtfully, pretending to be serious. “Fine. I'll try to squeeze you in” He chuckles. It sounds more genuine than anything else he’s done all morning. Somehow… that makes my chest tighten. •°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°• Maybe I'm just overthinking. Maybe nothing is actually wrong. I let out a sigh and prop my chin on my hand. His texts are blunter than usual. He doesn't even sit with us at lunch anymore, he's being distant,but why? I wish he'd tell me, though he's always been like this, brushing off his problems instead of sharing them with me. “…ara.” Isn't that what you do when you're dating someone…? “…ss Elara.” I mean, I tell him whenever I'm going through something. “Miss Elara!” I flinch, snapping upwards Mr. Reynolds is glaring at me quite harshly. I quickly apologize. He mumbles something under his breath, before turning back to the board. Wonderful… •°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°• “Hey, Ella.” I turn back to Jasmine. She’s stopped walking, her eyes glued to her phone, her face tight with worry. “Hmm? What’s wrong?” “I just got a text from Sam. Miss Gordon wants to see me—she can’t find my test script.” I wince. Miss Gordon–our math teacher–is not someone you want problems with. “You’ll be fine,” I say quickly. “Go talk to her. I’ll meet you at the cafeteria.” “Okay. See you.” She says rushing off. I continue on alone, heading toward the cafeteria, I find myself thinking about Daniel again. Gosh, that's enough, Elara. I think ,scolding myself. If something was wrong, he'd tell you. I reach the stairwell and slow down when I hear them. Voices. Low. Hushed. I shouldn’t listen. I know I shouldn’t. But something about the tone makes me pause. “…I don’t think I can keep doing this.” I pause. That voice—Daniel? I'm about to turn the corner and announce my presence when I freeze. I step closer to the wall, my heartbeat picking up. Can't do what? He sounds pretty serious. “What? You and Elara? Don’t you like her?” Nelson, Daniel's best friend. I feel my stomach drop. “I do,” Daniel says quickly. “I do. That’s the problem.” My breath catches. Problem? What does that even mean? I press closer, barely breathing now. “It’s just…” He exhales. “It’s a lot. Keeping everything together. Making sure I don’t mess up… I don’t know if I can keep going.” Something inside me breaks. Keep going? Like I’m something he’s forcing himself to carry? “You’re overthinking it, man. Just be normal.” “I’m trying to,but—” I don’t hear the rest. I can’t. His words echo in my head, louder and louder, drowning everything else out. I don’t know if I can keep going... My chest tightens painfully. All those moments… every laugh, every conversation, the silent displays of care and affection— Was it just me? My hands clench at my sides. How long has he felt this way? How long have I been the only one trying? Before I can stop myself, I turn and rush up the stairs. My vision blurs from the tears forming in my eyes. My head spins. I don’t understand. I don’t— I stop abruptly at the top of the stairs, gripping the railing as the realization hits me fully. Everything I thought was perfect… …was already falling apart.