THE BOY I WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO WANT

RUMORS

Maya first noticed something was wrong when people on campus started treating her differently. At first, it was a small change. Students looked at her for a little longer than usual. Some whispered when she walked past. Others stared quietly as though they were trying to figure something out.

She ignored it in the beginning, thinking it was normal campus behavior. But the attention kept increasing. By the third day, it became impossible to overlook.

In class, she could feel eyes on her whenever she entered the room. In the cafeteria, conversations would stop or lower in volume when she passed. Even Emily began acting differently, showing curiosity she tried to hide.Maya could not understand what had changed. She had done nothing new. She was still quiet, careful, and focused on her studies. She avoided attention completely, yet somehow attention had found her.

Everything became clear one afternoon when Emily returned from campus with news she could not hold back. People were talking about Maya. Not because of anything she had done, but because of Noah Carter.Hearing his name immediately made Maya uneasy.The rumor had already started spreading. People claimed Noah had been seen with her multiple times in different places, including the library, during the rain, and even at the apartment. From these sightings, students began creating their own story about them.

The story grew faster than reality itself.By the end of the day, Maya was no longer seen as just a transfer student. On campus, she had already been labeled as Noah Carter’s new girl. Even though the claim was false, it spread quickly and stuck easily in people’s minds.Maya denied everything when she heard it, but it did not matter. The rumor had already taken shape.That evening, she returned to the apartment feeling the weight of everything that had happened. Noah was already there, sitting on the couch as if nothing had changed in his world. His calm behavior made it seem like the situation did not affect him at all.

Maya dropped her bag and tried to walk past him, but the frustration she had been holding back was obvious.Noah had already heard about the rumors. When she finally spoke, she asked if he was aware of what people were saying about them. He confirmed that he had heard everything.He gave no reaction beyond that.

His calmness only increased her frustration. Maya explained that she did not want to be associated with him in that way because she had just arrived at the university and already felt overwhelmed by attention she never asked for.Noah listened without interrupting. When she finished, he responded simply that rumors were not something he could control.That answer did not help her feel better. It only made her more irritated.

After that, Maya left the living room and went to her room. She spent the night unable to focus on anything. Even studying became impossible because her thoughts kept returning to the same issue.She hated attention.And now, because of Noah Carter, she was experiencing both at the same time.

Across the hallway, Noah remained in the living room longer than usual. He replayed her expression in his mind. She had been frustrated, but beneath that frustration, he sensed something deeper. It looked like discomfort at being misunderstood by others.That detail stayed with him longer than expected.The next day, the situation became worse. The rumor had spread across the entire campus. People now openly discussed Maya and Noah as though their story was already confirmed. Some believed they were secretly dating. Others claimed Noah never brought girls to his apartment unless they were important to him.

Maya could feel the pressure everywhere she went. Even strangers seemed to recognize her name now.At lunch, Emily tried to comfort her, but Maya could barely eat. The feeling of being watched made her restless, so she began avoiding crowded places, avoiding eye contact, and avoiding situations that might lead to more questions.But avoiding people did not stop the rumors from spreading.

Later that day, the situation escalated when a group of girls confronted her outside the library. They spoke with hostility, accusing her of trying to get close to Noah for attention. The situation quickly grew uncomfortable as more people began to gather.Before it could get out of control, Noah appeared.

He did not ask questions or raise his voice. He simply stepped in front of Maya and ended the situation with his presence alone. The girls immediately became quiet.He made it clear in a calm but firm way that people should stop spreading stories about things they did not understand. Then he left with Maya without creating further conflict.

They walked in silence until they reached a quieter area of campus.Maya eventually spoke, saying she did not need his help. Noah responded that it did not look like she was handling the situation well on her own.That response frustrated her again. She stopped walking and told him that the entire situation existed because of him.

For a moment, Noah said nothing. Then he responded in a way she did not expect. He explained that he also did not ask for the rumors. However, people were reacting to what they observed between them, even if neither of them had intended it.That statement stayed between them in silence.Maya could not deny it completely, even if she did not want to accept it.

In that moment, they were no longer just strangers sharing space. They were something undefined, caught between distance and connection.And for the first time, Maya realized the real problem was no longer the rumor itself, but the fact that Noah Carter was beginning to matter to her more than she was ready to accept.

After the incident between Maya and Noah became known on campus, the situation quickly turned into a topic of discussion among students. What started as small whispers soon spread across different parts of the university. People began linking Maya’s name with Noah Carter without knowing the truth of what actually happened.At first, Maya tried to ignore it. She focused on her classes and daily routine, hoping the attention would disappear on its own. However, the rumors only grew stronger with time. Everywhere she went, she noticed that people were watching her more closely than before. Some students looked curious, while others seemed judgmental.

Maya became uncomfortable with the constant attention. She had never wanted to be noticed, especially not for something she did not understand or control. The fact that her name was being discussed alongside Noah’s made it even more frustrating.Noah, however, continued living normally. He attended his training, moved around campus freely, and behaved as if nothing around him had changed. His calm reaction made Maya even more annoyed because it felt like she was the only one affected by the situation.

As the rumors spread further, people began creating their own version of events. Some believed Maya and Noah were secretly dating. Others assumed she had been brought into his life in a special way because of how often they were seen in the same places. None of it was true, but the story had already formed in people’s minds.Maya found it increasingly difficult to ignore the attention. Even in class, she could feel people looking at her differently. She began to withdraw more, avoiding crowded spaces and keeping to herself as much as possible.

One day, the situation became worse when she was confronted by a group of students outside the library. They spoke to her with hostility, accusing her of trying to get close to Noah for attention. Maya felt overwhelmed by the situation, but before it could escalate further, Noah appeared.His presence immediately changed the atmosphere. The confrontation ended quickly, and he calmly made it clear that people should stop spreading false stories. He did not argue or create a scene; he simply ended it with authority and left with Maya.After they walked away, Maya expressed her frustration about the situation, saying she did not want to be connected to him in that way. Noah responded by stating that he also did not control what people chose to believe. His answer did not fully comfort her, but it made her realize that neither of them had power over the rumors once they had started.

That night, Maya struggled to focus on anything. The events of the day stayed in her mind, making it difficult for her to concentrate. Noah, on the other hand, also remained unusually quiet. He seemed aware that the situation was affecting both of them in ways they did not fully understand.Even without direct conversation, there was a growing tension between them. It was no longer just about rumors. It was about how those rumors were slowly shaping the way they saw each other and the space they shared.Neither of them admitted it, but things between Maya and Noah were no longer simple.