Mela_Plepi

Lira’s life takes a turn when Zayn Monteverde, a mysterious new student, transfers to her class and is assigned as her seatmate. From the start, strange things happen—Zayn asks about Room F, a place surrounded by dark rumors. Despite his cold and unpredictable nature, Lira is drawn to him, sensing he holds secrets.

Meanwhile, Jace, Lira’s longtime friend, starts showing more than friendly concern for her. This doesn’t go unnoticed by Mara, Lira’s best friend, who secretly has feelings for Jace. When they are assigned a skit project, Lira and Zayn team up, while Jace and Mara work together. During rehearsals, Mara realizes Jace might like Lira, making her jealous. Out of frustration, she does small things to sabotage Lira.

As Lira tries to distance herself from Jace, he only gets closer. Zayn, on the other hand, seems jealous yet protective of Lira, confusing her even more. By Chapter 14, Lira realizes she likes Zayn more and tells Mara—without mentioning Jace. However, Mara misunderstands and thinks Lira is deeply in love with Jace. In response, she decides to make Lira jealous by getting close to Zayn, even though she still likes Jace.

Throughout all this, Zayn reveals fragments of his past, including a missing student from his old school, hinting that it all connects back to Room F. But many mysteries remain unsolved, and Lira is determined to uncover the truth—about Zayn, about her own feelings, and about what really happened inside Room F.

The Guardian of Room F (ongoing)

Lira tapped her pen against her notebook, barely hearing a word Ma'am Rivera was saying. Her mind was elsewhere—more specifically, on the two boys sitting on either side of her.

On her left, Jace was scribbling something in his notebook, his usual lazy smirk absent. Instead, he looked deep in thought, like he had something on his mind. On her right, Zayn sat with his arms crossed, eyes half-lidded, giving off his usual cool and untouchable vibe. But Lira wasn't fooled. She had noticed the way he'd glance at her every now and then, as if checking if she was still paying attention to him.

"Lira," Mara whispered, poking her arm.

"What?" Lira mumbled back, still lost in her thoughts.

Mara grinned. "You won't believe this, but—I think I like Jace."

Lira's pen slipped from her fingers. She blinked. "What?"

Mara giggled, covering her mouth. "I know, I know! But he's kinda cute, right? And funny. I dunno, I just started noticing things about him lately."

Lira stared at her best friend, processing her words. This was unexpected. Jace? The same Jace who teased Mara non-stop? Who always found a way to get on her nerves?

Mara followed her gaze and sighed dramatically. "Okay, don't look at me like that! I swear, there's something about him…"

Lira chewed on her lip. This changed things. Jace wasn't just a friend anymore—at least, not to Mara. And yet, Lira couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else going on with Jace. He'd been acting different lately, more… serious.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Zayn suddenly leaned in, his voice low. "You're thinking too much again."

She turned to him, startled. "Huh?"

Zayn smirked, his sharp eyes holding hers. "You always get this look when you're overthinking. Relax, Lira. It's just Jace and Mara."

Just Jace and Mara? Lira wasn't sure if that was true. There was something unspoken lingering in the air—something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

And then, as if to make things even more complicated, Jace suddenly nudged her with his elbow. "Hey, let's go grab something to eat after class. Just us."

Jace shrugged, a casual smirk playing on his lips. "Yeah. I feel like we don't hang out alone much anymore."

Before Lira could respond, she caught Zayn stiffening slightly beside her. It was subtle, but she saw the way his jaw clenched.

"She's busy," Zayn said, not even looking up.

Jace raised an eyebrow. "She can answer for herself, bro."

The tension between them was almost palpable. Lira felt her heartbeat quicken. What was happening here?

And why did she feel like she was standing between something bigger than just a simple invite to eat?

Chapter 7: Between the Lines