AEAO

sixteen

It had been a normal afternoon at the university—sun shining, students walking in and out of lecture halls—but for Shi, everything felt off. The buzzing notifications on her phone, the random texts from people she hadn't spoken to in weeks, all seemed to stem from one thing: a photo.

A photo of her and Luca. A photo that was now going viral.

Shi sat in the quiet corner of the library, her fingers scrolling through her phone, trying to make sense of the mess that was unfolding in real-time. The image, taken at a university tennis event, showed her and Luca standing close together, talking and laughing. To anyone else, it seemed innocent enough. But to the world, it looked like something more. The headline read: Luca Rossi, University Tennis Star, and Shi Reems: A New Power Couple in the Making?

Her stomach twisted with anxiety as her mind raced. How did this happen? Why was her relationship with Luca being twisted into something it wasn't?

As she read through the countless comments—some supportive, others accusatory, and some outright judgmental—Shi couldn't help but feel the weight of the public's opinion pressing down on her. The world didn't know the truth. They didn't know that she and Luca had just been friends for months, and while there was a growing bond between them, it hadn't yet crossed into anything serious. Not like the media was portraying it.

Her phone rang, and her heart sank when she saw the caller ID. It was her biological father.

She hesitated for a moment, her finger hovering over the screen. The last time they'd spoken, they had argued—loudly. She hadn't spoken to him since that day when he'd come to her apartment, drunk and angry, demanding to be a part of her life again. He had refused to take responsibility for his actions, blaming everyone else for his mistakes. His sudden reappearance in her life after years of silence had been nothing short of tumultuous, and despite trying to make amends, their relationship had become strained once again.

Taking a deep breath, she answered the call.

"Shi," her father's voice came through, rough and tired. "I saw the photo. You're still hanging out with that tennis guy, huh?"

Shi's fingers tightened around her phone. The last thing she wanted to hear right now was his judgment.

"I'm not hanging out with him in the way you think," she said, her voice steady but firm. "We're friends, nothing more. It's none of your business anyway."

Her father let out a bitter laugh. "None of my business? I'm still your father, Shi. And I've got a right to know who's around you. Especially someone like him."

Shi could feel the tension rising. "What do you mean 'someone like him'? Luca is a good person. He's not the problem here, and you know it. The problem is you," she said, the words escaping before she could stop them.

Silence fell on the other end of the line, and Shi knew it wasn't going to end well. Her father was never one to back down easily.

"You think I'm the problem?" he snapped. "I'm the one who's been trying to get into your life. I'm the one who—"

"I don't need you in my life right now, okay?" Shi interrupted, her voice rising. "Not when you can't even be responsible for your own actions."

The silence was thick this time, and Shi could almost hear her father seething. When he spoke again, his voice was colder. "You'll regret this, Shi. One day you'll see that I'm the only one who has your best interests at heart. And you'll realize that he isn't the guy you should be trusting."

With that, he hung up.

Shi's heart was pounding in her chest as she stared at the blank screen of her phone. She had expected the conversation to go badly, but it still hit harder than she imagined. Her father had never truly accepted her choices, always believing he knew what was best for her. And now, as she stood on the edge of her future, it felt like that same old cycle was about to repeat itself.

She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to steady her emotions, but the words he'd said lingered in her mind: You'll regret this. The sting of that sentiment cut deeper than she wanted to admit.

Her phone buzzed again, this time with a text from Luca. She had been avoiding him for the last couple of hours, unsure how to even begin explaining the situation.

Luca: Hey, I saw the photo... I'm sorry if it's making things complicated for you. If you need some space, I get it.

Shi quickly typed out a response, but before she could hit send, she heard a voice behind her.

"Shi? You here?"

Turning, she saw Alana, her best friend, standing in the doorway of the library, looking concerned. "I thought I'd find you here. You okay?"

Shi forced a smile, but it felt thin. "Yeah, just... dealing with some stuff."

Alana raised an eyebrow, noticing the tension in Shi's posture. "What's going on? You've been avoiding everyone today."

Shi looked down at her phone, then back up at Alana. "My dad just called. And... the media is making this thing with Luca look way more serious than it is. I didn't ask for this attention. And then my dad... he's not happy about me hanging around with him."

Alana sighed and sat down beside Shi, her voice gentle. "That's a lot to deal with, especially all at once. Have you talked to Luca about it?"

Shi nodded. "He's been great about everything. But now I don't know how to explain to him... to anyone, really, that it's not what it looks like."

Alana placed a comforting hand on Shi's shoulder. "You're doing your best, Shi. No matter what, don't let anyone make you feel bad for your choices. This is your life, your decision. If Luca's someone you care about, then that's all that matters. The rest of it—the press, your dad—it's just noise."

Shi took a deep breath, grateful for Alana's words. She knew she couldn't control what others thought, but she could control her actions. And she wasn't going to let the misunderstandings about her and Luca ruin what they had built.

"I'll talk to Luca," she said, her voice stronger now. "I just need to clear things up. I'm not letting this tear me apart."

As Shi stood up, she felt a newfound resolve. She wasn't going to let her past dictate her future. No matter what her father said or how the media tried to spin her relationship with Luca, she would stand firm. She would choose her own path—and maybe, just maybe, she'd finally stop letting the weight of family expectations control her.

Later that evening, when Luca called her again, she picked up, her voice steady. "Hey," she said, feeling the tension lift just a little. "We need to talk."

Luca's voice was warm and understanding on the other end. "I know. I've been thinking a lot about it, too. I'm not mad, Shi. I just want you to know I'm here. Whatever happens, we'll face it together."

Her heart swelled. Maybe it wasn't the smoothest road ahead, but with Luca by her side, she knew she could handle anything that came her way.