Fell For You

A Friend; Nothing More, Nothing Less.

What happened last weekend wasn't talked about.
Not once. Not by me, not by Seth.
And I'm perfectly fine with that.

I don't ever want to go through another heart-pounding, skin-tingling, everything-feels-like-it's-on-fire moment where I suddenly stop seeing my best friend as my best friend and start seeing him as... a really cute guy.

Sure, Seth's cute. Freaking adorable, even. But he's Seth.
He's the one who steals my fries, quotes bad movies, and laughs at my messy bun hair days.
I don't think of him like that.
At least, I didn't.

I'm just glad we haven't brought it up yet.
Because when we do, I don't know what I'll say.

"Melody Black! Hi!"

A bright, chirpy voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

I blink and turn from the window view to see a dark-haired girl sitting beside me. She's got big brown eyes and that kind of smile that practically hums with caffeine.

"Uh... yeah?" I manage, sheepishly. "That's me."

"You're really cute—no, who am I kidding, you're freaking pretty!" she blurts, laughing nervously.

I blink again. "Okay, um... first time a stranger's ever said that to me."

She looks horrified, then laughs awkwardly. "Oh my god, you must think I'm, like, gay or something."

I shake my head.

"I'm Lorah Fields! Not gay! I just think you're cool and wanted to say hi!" she rambles so fast it's almost a single sentence.

I smile, a little dazed, and shake her offered hand. "Thanks?"

She beams. "Also, I kinda wanna take a picture of you and Seth for the school newspaper. I'm writing an article on the most adorable couple."

My brain short-circuits. I must look pale because she leans forward, alarmed. "Are you okay? Youlookreallypaleisitme?"

"Lorah, right?"

She nods rapidly.

"Me and Seth are not a couple," I say firmly. "We're just best friends."

Her grin doesn't budge. "Uh-huh. Sure."

I sigh. "Seriously. I don't even know how you got that idea."

She tilts her head, eyes sparkling with mischief. "It doesn't take a genius to see it. He's the hottest freshman here, he's always around you, and when you two walk together everyone stares. You're literally the perfect height difference. He smiles when you laugh. You sit on his lap in the cafeteria. Ring any bells?"

"Best friends do that!" I protest. "The lap thing was one time! It was— it was a joke!"

She snickers. "Right. Like the time in English when he made that dumb pun and you started laughing so hard the teacher sent you out of class? Yeah. I was there. But what you didn't see was Seth watching you leave—just smiling at you. The kind of smile guys only get when they're totally whipped."

I blink. Once. Twice. My throat feels dry.

No. No, that's not—
That's not us.

I grab my notebook and mutter, "I—uh—have somewhere to be," before darting out of the room.

Behind me she calls, "Oh! Okay! Bye!"

⸻

After school, I'm in Jacob's garage, legs crossed on a stool, spinning a wrench in my hands. The familiar smell of motor oil and metal is oddly comforting.

Jacob wipes his hands on a rag and sits beside me. "You never come here on weekdays. What's up?"

"Maybe I just wanted to see my cousin," I say lightly.

He snorts. "Now I know something's up."

I sigh, staring at the dusty floor. "I miss Embry. He used to be the one I'd tell everything to. Now he's all... bulked up, distant, and the only person he talks to anymore is Kristina. She won't even tell me what they talk about." My voice cracks at the end.

Jacob's expression softens. He wraps an arm around me, giving me a squeeze before leaning back again. "Yeah, I miss him too."

We sit in silence for a bit until he tilts his head. "So what's going on with you and Seth?"

I freeze. "W-what? Nothing! Why would you—nope, everything's great! Totally fine!" I ramble in one breath, laughing nervously.

Jacob smirks. "One—you're lying. Two—you only get that panicked when Seth's involved."

I groan, burying my face in my hands. "Why is everyone obsessed with that?"

"Because it's obvious."

"Jake—"

He shrugs. "You always went to Embry when you fought with Seth. Now you can't. So here you are. Logical conclusion? You and Seth had A Thing."

"Not a Thing!" I protest from behind my hands. "Maybe a... a moment. A weird, totally regrettable, temporary lapse of brain function."

Jacob chuckles. "Is it puberty?"

I snap my head up, horrified. "What does puberty have to do with this?!"

He shrugs again. "Everything."

I groan and let my head drop onto the table. "I don't know, Jake. Maybe? I just— I can't like him. Not like that. It would ruin everything."

He studies me for a moment, serious now. "What makes you think he wouldn't like you back?"

I peek at him through my fingers. "Can we not go there?"

He raises his hands in surrender. "Fine. But for what it's worth, you two are basically an old married couple already. The way he looks at you, the way you look at him... It was bound to happen."

He keeps talking—something about wishing it were like that with Bella—but I tune him out.

Because what he said keeps echoing in my head.

The way he looks at you.

And I hate that part of me—the part I can't seem to shut off—
wants to see that look again.