Chapter 17:The Jealousy games
Celeste spent the rest of the day feeling restless.
Her scene with Ryan had been nothing short of intense, and the worst part was that she didn't know what to do about it.
Why did he say his lines like that? Why did it feel so real?
Was it just her imagination?
Or… did Ryan actually—
No. She cut the thought off before it could go any further.
This wasn't the time. She needed to focus.
But then—
"Celeste!"
She turned and found Samantha running up to her, grinning like she had just won the lottery.
"You will not believe what just happened."
Celeste frowned. "What?"
Samantha clapped her hands together. "Jared just asked me out."
Celeste blinked. "Wait… what?"
Samantha smirked. "I know, right? Crazy. But don't worry, I said yes."
Celeste stared at her best friend in disbelief. "You like Jared?"
Samantha shrugged. "Not really. But this could be fun."
Celeste crossed her arms. "What are you planning?"
Samantha pouted. "Why do you always assume I'm up to something?"
Celeste raised an eyebrow.
Samantha sighed. "Fine. Maybe I just want to see how Ryan reacts."
Celeste's stomach dropped. "Samantha—"
"Oh, come on," Samantha groaned. "You saw the way he looked at you yesterday. You felt it."
Celeste didn't respond.
Because she had felt it.
Samantha leaned in. "I just want to see if Ryan really cares, that's all. And what better way than to make him a little… jealous?"
Celeste's chest tightened. "I don't think that's a good idea."
Samantha waved her off. "Relax. It's just harmless fun."
Celeste wasn't so sure.
And later that day, she would find out exactly how wrong Samantha was.
The Unexpected Date
The next afternoon, Celeste was heading toward the school auditorium when she spotted them.
Jared and Samantha.
Together.
Laughing.
And worse?
Ryan was watching, too.
Celeste saw the way his jaw tightened, the way his grip on his bag strap clenched just a little too hard.
Samantha had noticed, too. And she was enjoying it.
Celeste rushed over. "Samantha—"
But before she could say anything, Samantha turned to Jared. "Hey, wanna grab some ice cream after school?"
Jared smirked. "Sure."
Celeste felt Ryan's glare before she even turned to look at him.
And when she did?
His eyes were burning.
For a moment, she thought he was going to say something.
Do something.
But then—
He just scoffed.
And walked away.
Leaving Celeste standing there, heart pounding.
Ryan's Turn
Celeste thought that was the end of it.
She was wrong.
Because the next day, when she walked into the classroom, she saw Ryan sitting beside someone else.
A girl.
A new girl.
And Celeste's heart stopped.
"Celeste!" Samantha grabbed her arm. "I was going to tell you—"
Celeste barely heard her.
She was too focused on Ryan.
And the way he was smiling at the girl next to him.
Like he didn't have a care in the world.
Like she didn't exist.
Celeste swallowed hard. "Who is she?"
Samantha hesitated. "That's… my best friend."
Celeste turned to her, shocked. "What?!"
Samantha gave a guilty smile. "Yeah… she just transferred here."
Celeste felt like the floor had been pulled out from under her.
Because if Samantha's best friend was here…
Then things were about to get way more complicated.
To Be Continued…
Celeste spent the rest of the day feeling restless.
Her scene with Ryan had been nothing short of intense, and the worst part was that she didn't know what to do about it.
Why did he say his lines like that? Why did it feel so real?
Was it just her imagination?
Or… did Ryan actually—
No. She cut the thought off before it could go any further.
This wasn't the time. She needed to focus.
But then—
"Celeste!"
She turned and found Samantha running up to her, grinning like she had just won the lottery.
"You will not believe what just happened."
Celeste frowned. "What?"
Samantha clapped her hands together. "Jared just asked me out."
Celeste blinked. "Wait… what?"
Samantha smirked. "I know, right? Crazy. But don't worry, I said yes."
Celeste stared at her best friend in disbelief. "You like Jared?"
Samantha shrugged. "Not really. But this could be fun."
Celeste crossed her arms. "What are you planning?"
Samantha pouted. "Why do you always assume I'm up to something?"
Celeste raised an eyebrow.
Samantha sighed. "Fine. Maybe I just want to see how Ryan reacts."
Celeste's stomach dropped. "Samantha—"
"Oh, come on," Samantha groaned. "You saw the way he looked at you yesterday. You felt it."
Celeste didn't respond.
Because she had felt it.
Samantha leaned in. "I just want to see if Ryan really cares, that's all. And what better way than to make him a little… jealous?"
Celeste's chest tightened. "I don't think that's a good idea."
Samantha waved her off. "Relax. It's just harmless fun."
Celeste wasn't so sure.
And later that day, she would find out exactly how wrong Samantha was.
The Unexpected Date
The next afternoon, Celeste was heading toward the school auditorium when she spotted them.
Jared and Samantha.
Together.
Laughing.
And worse?
Ryan was watching, too.
Celeste saw the way his jaw tightened, the way his grip on his bag strap clenched just a little too hard.
Samantha had noticed, too. And she was enjoying it.
Celeste rushed over. "Samantha—"
But before she could say anything, Samantha turned to Jared. "Hey, wanna grab some ice cream after school?"
Jared smirked. "Sure."
Celeste felt Ryan's glare before she even turned to look at him.
And when she did?
His eyes were burning.
For a moment, she thought he was going to say something.
Do something.
But then—
He just scoffed.
And walked away.
Leaving Celeste standing there, heart pounding.
Ryan's Turn
Celeste thought that was the end of it.
She was wrong.
Because the next day, when she walked into the classroom, she saw Ryan sitting beside someone else.
A girl.
A new girl.
And Celeste's heart stopped.
"Celeste!" Samantha grabbed her arm. "I was going to tell you—"
Celeste barely heard her.
She was too focused on Ryan.
And the way he was smiling at the girl next to him.
Like he didn't have a care in the world.
Like she didn't exist.
Celeste swallowed hard. "Who is she?"
Samantha hesitated. "That's… my best friend."
Celeste turned to her, shocked. "What?!"
Samantha gave a guilty smile. "Yeah… she just transferred here."
Celeste felt like the floor had been pulled out from under her.
Because if Samantha's best friend was here…
Then things were about to get way more complicated.
To Be Continued…