I'm in Love with My Enemy : A MaColet's Journey

07

Monday morning at Sapphire High was different. The usual hustle and bustle of students filled the hallways, but for Colet, everything felt heightened. She couldn't stop thinking about the weekend—the rain, the conversation, the way Maloi had held her hand. It felt like a dream, something too fragile to exist in the reality of school hallways and debate competitions. But it wasn't a dream. It was real, and now she had to figure out how to navigate it.

Colet walked into her classroom, trying to push the thoughts of Maloi aside and focus on her studies. But as soon as she sat down, she noticed something strange. Several students were whispering, casting glances in her direction. Colet frowned, wondering what could be going on.

Her best friend, Aira, slid into the seat next to her, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Colet, did you hear?"

"Hear what?" Colet asked, her voice cautious. She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.

Aira leaned in closer, lowering her voice to a whisper. "There's a rumor going around that you and Maloi were seen together this weekend—in the park, holding hands."

Colet's heart skipped a beat. How had anyone seen them? The park had been practically empty, and they had been so focused on each other that she hadn't even noticed anyone else around.

"Who told you that?" Colet asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"I don't know," Aira replied with a shrug. "People are talking. Some are saying you two are dating now. Is it true?"

Colet felt a wave of panic wash over her. She hadn't even had time to process what was happening between her and Maloi, and now the whole school was buzzing with rumors? She wasn't ready for this—for the scrutiny, the questions, the judgment. She wasn't even sure how she felt about Maloi yet. They had agreed to figure things out together, but now it felt like everything was spiraling out of control.

"I... I don't know," Colet stammered, her mind racing. "We're just... I don't know."

Aira gave her a sympathetic look. "Hey, it's okay. You don't have to explain anything to anyone. People will talk no matter what, but you don't owe them anything."

Colet nodded, grateful for Aira's understanding. But even as she tried to calm herself down, she couldn't help but wonder what Maloi thought about all of this. Had she heard the rumors too? And if she had, how was she handling it?

---

At lunchtime, Colet made her way to the courtyard, hoping to find Maloi. She needed to talk to her, to figure out how they were going to deal with this sudden attention. But when she reached the usual spot where Maloi hung out with her friends, she saw Maloi standing off to the side, talking to her best friend, Gwen.

Colet hesitated for a moment, not wanting to interrupt, but Maloi spotted her and waved her over. Colet walked over slowly, her heart pounding in her chest. Gwen gave her a curious glance, then excused herself, leaving the two of them alone.

"Hey," Maloi said, her voice soft but steady. "I guess you've heard the rumors."

Colet nodded, biting her lip. "Yeah. I don't know how it got out, but... people are talking."

Maloi sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I figured this might happen. We've been rivals for so long, and now that people see us together, they're going to speculate. But I don't care what they think, Colet. What matters is how we handle this—how we feel."

Colet felt a wave of relief at Maloi's words. She had been so worried about how this would affect them, but hearing Maloi's calm, confident response helped ease some of her fears.

"How do you feel?" Colet asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Maloi looked at her, her eyes filled with a mix of determination and something softer, something that made Colet's heart flutter. "I feel like this is something worth figuring out. Whatever it is between us, I don't want to run away from it. Do you?"

Colet shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips. "No, I don't want to run away either. But... I'm scared, Maloi. Scared of what people will say, of what this might mean for us—for our friendship, our rivalry, everything."

Maloi reached out and gently took Colet's hand, just like she had in the park. "We don't have to have all the answers right now. We'll take it one step at a time, together. And as for what people say... let them talk. They don't know what's really going on between us."

Colet squeezed Maloi's hand, feeling a surge of warmth and gratitude. Maloi had always been strong and confident, and now, Colet realized just how much she admired that about her. Maybe this wasn't going to be easy, but with Maloi by her side, she felt like they could handle whatever came their way.

As they stood there, hand in hand, the whispers and rumors swirling around them suddenly didn't seem so important anymore. What mattered was the connection they were building—the fragile, uncertain, but undeniably real bond that had grown between them.

And as the lunch bell rang, signaling the end of the break, Colet knew that whatever happened next, she and Maloi would face it together.