Juliana Woodland and Nate Jacobs have been best friends for as long as they can remember.
They are now in their junior year and East Highland High School and things are starting to get complicated.
*Had this story up on my old account and it got del...
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Welcome back to the story, hopefully I don't get banned this time lol, please don't forget to rate/comment 🩶
Nate Jacobs strutted through the school hallways, his brown hair perfectly brushed and a smug smile plastered on his face. His broad shoulders and athletic build drew the envy of his peers, and his brown eyes seemed to bore into the very soul of anyone who dared to look his way.
He was the epitome of high school royalty—the football captain, the popular kid with a silver spoon in his mouth. But beneath the surface of his charismatic exterior, there was a tempest of emotions Nate fought to keep hidden.
Juliana Woodland, on the other hand, was a beacon of light in the school's otherwise dreary atmosphere. Her brunette hair fell in soft waves around her face, and her infectious laughter echoed through the hallways.
She was the cheerleader everyone adored, the girl everyone wanted, and the girl who seemed to have it all figured out. Yet, she walked with a grace that suggested she knew the weight of the world rested on her shoulders.
The two had been inseparable since as long as they could both remember, their friendship a cornerstone of the school's social hierarchy. They shared everything from their deepest secrets to their wildest dreams.
Nate had always been there for her, a steadfast pillar of support, her knight in shining armor. But what no one knew, not even Juliana, was that his feelings for her had grown far beyond friendship.
Every day, Nate watched as she flitted from class to class, her smile lighting up the faces of everyone she passed. The way she moved, the sound of her laugh, her pretty outfits, the smell of her floral perfume—it all painted a picture in his mind that was too beautiful to ignore.
He yearned to tell her the truth, but fear of rejection kept his confession imprisoned behind a wall of bravado.
Instead, he settled for being her protector, her confidant, and her shadow, hoping that one day she would see him as more than just a friend. Nate was overly confident with everything except for his feelings, and he didn't want to risk losing their friendship.
The nightly sleepovers at her place had become a sacred ritual for Nate. The comfort of her bedroom, with its pastel walls and twinkling fairy lights, was the only place he felt truly at ease.
They'd stay up late into the night, sharing stories and whispered secrets, their limbs entangled in a friendship that felt almost intimate.
Their parents were oblivious to the depth of their bond, assuming it was the typical closeness of two teenagers who had grown up together. And if they weren't sleeping at Juliana's then they would sleep at Nate's, but Nate always enjoyed going to her house more, away from his parents, especially his dad.
Their days were filled with the mundane activities of high school life—going to the mall to escape the monotony of classes, lounging by the pool when the sun grew too intense, navigating the minefield of parties that peppered their weekends, and everything in between.
Through it all, Nate was there, a constant presence, his love for her a secret he held tightly to his heart.
He was known to have a mean streak but for Juliana he would do anything, he didn't like letting her lift a finger or pay for anything, much to her dismay.
But the beach was where Nate's feelings for Juliana grew the strongest. The way the sun kissed her skin and the saltwater brought out the green in her eyes was a sight he could never get enough of.
They'd spend hours there, soaking in the rays, the waves crashing against the shore a soundtrack to their silent pact of companionship. The beach was their happy place. It was in those moments, with the horizon stretching out before them, that Nate felt as if he could tell her anything.
Yet, every night as he watched her drift off to sleep, her hand in his, he felt the burden of his secret grow heavier. The fear that confessing his love would shatter their friendship into a million unrecoverable pieces held him back.
And so, he continued their ritual, hoping that one day she would look at him and see the man he had become, not just the boy who had been by her side for so long.
Juliana's social calendar grew more hectic with each passing week. Nate, ever the devoted friend, accompanied her to every event, his presence a silent warning to any would-be suitors.
He had an uncanny ability to make even the most confident of boys retreat with just a glare. His possessiveness was palpable, a force field that kept the eager teenagers at bay. But his tactics grew more sophisticated with time.
He'd charm them with his wit, disarm them with his charm, and then, with a twist of cruelty, he'd remind them of their place. "Juliana's mine," his eyes seemed to say, "and you don't stand a chance." And if they didn't listen to him that way, he didn't mind physically showing them that his best friend was off limits.
