𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐀 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 ┃ 𝖭𝗂𝖼𝗁𝗈𝗅𝖺𝗌 𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾𝗓

┃𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑

📍LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
𝗜𝗡 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘

Hannah stared at her phone, mindlessly scrolling through TikTok, unsure why she even opened the app. Her feed was flooded. Ever since TMZ posted about her alleged movie debut with Nicholas Chavez, it felt like the entire internet exploded. TikTok, Instagram—there was no escape. Every few swipes, someone was reposting the TMZ article, speculating if she was really starring in "How Not to Get Caught."

Her mind raced. She hadn't even made a public statement yet, and people were already dissecting her every move.

It had already been a week since TMZ dropped the bombshell, but the buzz hadn't died down. If anything, it was getting louder. Hannah couldn't scroll for more than a few seconds without seeing another repost, a fan theory, or a new comment speculating about her friendship with Jenna Ortega and her rumored chemistry with Nicholas Chavez.

She sighed, locking her phone and tossing it onto the couch. The rumors were everywhere, and she hadn't confirmed or denied anything. But the silence only seemed to fuel the fire. She hadn't expected things to spiral like this—and now, a week later, the pressure was building.

First of all, she hadn't talked to Nicholas since the day they met. She had to admit to herself—he was a nice guy. Actually, more than nice. She wouldn't mind talking to him again. Though she didn't want to be delusional, there was something there—a spark, a connection. It felt mutual, but she brushed it off as just a fleeting moment.

Her friends were fully aware of the situation. Jenna was finally enjoying a break from the relentless shipping with her own co-star, and for once, all the attention was on someone else. Meanwhile, Elena found the whole thing hilarious, especially knowing that Hannah found Nicholas attractive. Elena couldn't resist starting to ship them together, teasingly fueling the fire behind Jenna's back.

Hannah pretended to be annoyed by it all, rolling her eyes at every mention of Nicholas, but deep down, she kinda liked it. Still, she wasn't about to give Elena the satisfaction of knowing she was right. No way was she going to let her win again.

She walked to the kitchen, the early morning light filtering through the windows as she reached for her favorite mug. The familiar routine of making tea was a welcome distraction from the chaos that had taken over her life lately. As she filled the kettle with water, her mind wandered back to the headlines and the endless social media posts.

Maybe it wasn't such a big deal, she tried telling herself. But as she waited for the water to boil, she couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't just going to blow over. She sighed, grabbing a tea bag and setting it down, wondering how long she could keep dodging the subject with her friends—and with herself.

She heard her phone ring from the living room and walked over to check who it was. Seeing Mom flash across the screen, she took a deep breath, bracing herself for whatever this conversation was going to be.

"Hi, Mom—" she started, but before she could finish, her mom's voice cut in.

"You have a boyfriend?" Her tone was sharp, almost accusatory, and Hannah could hear the disbelief behind the words.

Hannah blinked, caught completely off guard. "Can I get a hello? Or maybe a 'how you been?' before we jump into this?"

Her mom let out a giggle. "I care about you, but this is kinda more important right now. So... do you have a boyfriend?"

"No, I do not. He's just Jenna's co-star," Hannah said, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Technically, your co-star," her mom corrected playfully. "Don't worry, I won't tell your father."