Episode 16 – Rumors, Jealousy, and One Terrible Project
1989 Words
Mia did not sleep well.
Not even a little.
She kept replaying yesterday in her mind.
Ethan’s soft voice.
Daniel’s serious eyes.
Two confessions.
One brain meltdown.
She rolled over dramatically in bed.
“This is illegal,” she told the ceiling. “No one should confess at the same sunset.”
Mr. Whiskers blinked at her from the window.
“Yes, I’m aware this is my life now,” she sighed.
Her phone buzzed.
Carla.
Of course.
“GOOD MORNING, LOVE TRIANGLE QUEEN,” Carla yelled through the speaker.
“Please stop calling me that.”
“No.”
Mia groaned and dragged herself out of bed.
She had a feeling today would not be peaceful.
And she was absolutely correct.
---
The Rumors Begin
The moment Mia stepped into Harmony High, she knew.
People were staring.
Whispering.
Turning around when she walked past.
She froze near the entrance.
“…Why are they looking at me like I committed a crime?”
Carla appeared beside her, grinning.
“Oh. You didn’t hear?”
“Hear what.”
“Apparently someone saw the park scene yesterday.”
Mia’s soul left her body.
“What park scene.”
“You. Ethan. Daniel. Dramatic sunset. Emotional vibes.”
Mia covered her face.
“No. No no no.”
“Oh yes,” Carla said happily. “The rumor is that both boys confessed at the same time.”
“They did not confess at the same time!”
“Well, that’s less dramatic, so no one is saying that.”
Mia inhaled deeply.
She could survive this.
Maybe.
Possibly.
Unlikely.
---
Hallway Confrontation
As if summoned by chaos itself—
Ethan appeared from one end of the hallway.
Daniel from the other.
Students noticed immediately.
The whispering got louder.
Mia felt like she was in a reality show she did not sign up for.
Ethan reached her first.
“Are you okay?” he asked quietly.
Daniel stopped beside them.
“You look stressed,” he said calmly.
“I wonder why,” she muttered.
The tension between them was different today.
Less playful.
More serious.
Ethan’s jaw was tight.
Daniel’s posture was sharp.
Neither was smiling.
Mia suddenly felt nervous.
Not embarrassed.
But important.
And that scared her.
---
The Worst Announcement Ever
First period started.
Mia prayed for something normal.
Something boring.
Something safe.
Instead, her teacher clapped her hands.
“Class! We will begin our midterm partnership project today.”
Mia froze.
Partnership project?
No.
Please no.
The teacher continued, “I have already assigned partners.”
Her heart started racing.
Please don’t say—
“Mia and Daniel.”
Silence.
Carla gasped dramatically from across the room.
Mia slowly turned.
Daniel blinked once.
Then smiled slightly.
“Looks like fate,” he said quietly.
Mia’s brain malfunctioned.
Across the room, Ethan stiffened.
His expression didn’t change much.
But she saw it.
The jealousy.
And it made her stomach twist.
---
Project Planning (Disaster Edition)
After class, Mia and Daniel stayed behind to discuss the project.
It was a history presentation.
Two weeks long.
Research.
Slides.
Public speaking.
Together.
Alone.
Repeatedly.
This was not safe.
Daniel leaned casually against the desk.
“So,” he said. “Partners.”
She crossed her arms.
“This is not fate. It’s teacher chaos.”
He smirked slightly.
“You nervous?”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“…Maybe.”
He laughed softly.
And it wasn’t teasing.
It was warm.
“Relax,” he said. “I won’t make it weird.”
She blinked.
“You won’t?”
“Unless you want it weird.”
She glared at him.
He raised his hands.
“Okay. No weird.”
They sat down to plan.
But every time their hands brushed reaching for the same notebook—
Her heart reacted.
And that was annoying.
Very annoying.
---
Cafeteria: Jealousy Served Hot
Lunch was worse.
Students were whispering louder.
Some even stared openly.
Carla leaned forward dramatically.
“So. Project partner Daniel.”
“Don’t.”
“Oh, I will.”
Ethan approached the table slowly.
He sat down across from her.
He didn’t look angry.
Just… quiet.
“You got assigned with Daniel?” he asked calmly.
She nodded.
“I didn’t choose it.”
“I know.”
But something in his voice was different.
Less playful.
More distant.
Daniel arrived seconds later and sat beside Mia.
Of course he did.
The atmosphere immediately shifted.
Ethan’s hand tightened around his fork.
Daniel leaned slightly closer to Mia.
“Research after school?” he asked.
Mia swallowed.
“Uh… sure.”
Ethan looked up.
“Oh. After school?”
Daniel met his eyes.
“Yes.”
Silence.
Carla slowly slid backward with her tray.
“I live here now,” she whispered.
Mia wanted to disappear.
---
After School: Study Session
The library was quiet.
Too quiet.
Mia and Daniel sat across from each other.
Books open.
Laptops glowing.
And tension floating between them.
“So,” Daniel said. “You thinking about what happened?”
Her cheeks warmed.
“Yes.”
“About me?”
She glared at him.
“About everything.”
He leaned back.
“I meant what I said.”
Her heart jumped.
“I know.”
“And I’m not going to pretend I don’t feel competitive.”
She blinked.
“You are competitive.”
“Yes.”
“At least you’re honest.”
He studied her face carefully.
“You don’t hate that I confessed.”
It wasn’t a question.
She looked down at her notebook.
“No.”
That answer surprised both of them.
The silence grew softer.
Less tense.
More real.
For a second—
It felt simple.
Then—
A book slipped off the table.
Of course it did.
Mia tried to grab it.
Knocked over her water bottle.
Water spilled everywhere.
Daniel jumped up instantly.
“Careful!”
They both laughed.
Some things never change.
---
Unexpected Visitor
Halfway through the study session—
Footsteps approached.
Mia looked up.
Ethan.
Her heart skipped.
“I thought you might need help,” he said quietly.
Daniel’s posture straightened.
“We’re fine.”
Mia looked between them.
The air was thick again.
Ethan pulled out a chair anyway.
“I can help with research.”
Daniel didn’t argue.
But his eyes said everything.
The three of them sat at the same table.
Close.
Too close.
It felt like emotional chess.
Every glance mattered.
Every movement noticed.
Mia tried to focus.
But her thoughts were loud.
Why does this feel like a competition?
Why do I feel guilty?
Why am I smiling?
She hated that she liked the attention.
But she did.
And that scared her.
---
The Breaking Point
As they packed up—
Daniel spoke first.
“You don’t have to hover.”
Ethan’s eyes flashed.
“I’m not hovering.”
“It looks like it.”
Mia froze.
Oh no.
Ethan stood straighter.
“I care about her.”
Daniel didn’t look away.
“So do I.”
The hallway felt too small.
Too tense.
Mia stepped between them.
“Stop.”
Both looked at her.
“This is not a war,” she said firmly.
Silence.
She swallowed.
“I need space to figure this out. Not pressure.”
Ethan exhaled slowly.
Daniel looked away first.
She felt powerful.
Terrified.
But powerful.
---
Night Realizations
Back home, Mia sat on her bed hugging a pillow.
Today was exhausting.
Rumors.
Jealousy.
Tension.
But something else too.
She felt wanted.
Not in a shallow way.
But in a real way.
Two different boys.
Two different feelings.
Ethan was steady.
Daniel was fire.
She wasn’t ready to choose.
But she was starting to understand something important.
This wasn’t about who liked her more.
It was about who made her feel most like herself.
Her phone buzzed.
Ethan: Sorry if I made things awkward today.
Daniel: I won’t fight in front of you again.
She smiled softly.
Maybe they were learning too.
She lay back against her pillow.
Staring at the ceiling.
“I’m growing up,” she whispered.
And for once—
She didn’t trip.
She didn’t spill anything.
She didn’t panic.
She just felt.
And that felt new.
- Writer
