𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐀 ||The Girl Behind The Act||

Chapter 18

Tristan

The next morning, I hopped in my car and headed to school. My mind was all tangled up in thoughts about what went down with Ariana at last week's Halloween party. It's still hard to believe.

Turns out, she's been putting on an act this whole time. Now, I'm not sure how to handle seeing her in school today. She made it clear she's sticking to her act, even though I'm hoping to break through to the real her.

But here's the thing: I'm clueless about how to make that happen. If she's serious about being herself around me, she should just drop the charade, right?

I let out a heavy sigh as I pulled into the school parking lot and stepped out of my car. Then, I spotted her flashy Lamborghini in its usual spot. I flipped up the hood of my jacket and took a different route to class.

My plan? Dodge her for now and see if she'll come to me. If she does, but it's still the fake Ariana, I'll just have to keep my distance. I've had my fill of her flirty act, just like with all the other dudes she's been with.

I'm not looking to be another one of those guys. I want a peek at the real Ariana beneath the surface. Now that I know she's more than what she shows, I'm intrigued to know her better.

I reached my locker, punched in the code, and grabbed my books for the first class.

"Hey, Tristan." I jumped a bit but then relaxed when I saw Jenny.

"Hey there, Jenny. We noticed you weren't around at the party last week." She giggled, but her smile didn't quite match her eyes.

"I wasn't exactly on the guest list," she said with a hint of a frown.

What the heck? Did I really forget to invite her? Damn.

"Jenny, I'm so sorry. I thought I invited you, honestly." She burst out laughing.

"Don't sweat it, Tristan. I was swamped all weekend anyway." I felt guilty now.

Jenny's been a good friend so far, and it feels pretty dumb that I didn't even think of inviting her to my own party.

"Let me make it up to you," I offered.

"Seriously? How?" I scrambled to think of a way to make amends, and then something unexpected came out.

"How about a date?"

Did I seriously just ask that?

Smooth move, Tristan. It's not like I'm against the idea, but Jenny and I have a solid friendship going. She's cool and all, but we're definitely in the friend zone. Plus, I've got my eye on someone else right now.

I shook my head slightly, trying to focus my thoughts, and waited for Jenny's reaction. She flashed a smile, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"Uh, yeah, I'd really like that," she stammered, and I nodded.

"Awesome. I'll swing by to pick you up at 7 tonight." The bell rang, and I headed to class, pondering the situation I just landed myself in.

A date with Jenny? It might not be so bad, right?

Here's hoping, at least.

Ariana

He's definitely avoiding me, no doubt about it. This morning in the parking lot, he deliberately changed direction as if I wouldn't notice. But I did, and it's obvious he's purposely ignoring me now.

Can you believe it? Just last Saturday, I opened up to him about everything, and this is how he treats me? It's making me regret being honest with him. What if he spreads rumors that I'm fake, pretending to be someone I'm not?

I saw him chatting with Jenny earlier, and I admit, a twinge of jealousy hit me. I've started to develop feelings for him, which is complicated since we're not officially together. Still, we're growing closer, aren't we? Or am I mistaken?

Even in class, he's acting distant. I sat next to him, said hi, but he was glued to his phone. It's frustrating and confusing. Why is he giving me the cold shoulder all of a sudden?

*******

"Tristan asked Jenny out for a date."

I dropped my fork onto my salad as Joanna shared the news. I couldn't believe it.

"What? Seriously?" I asked, trying to play it cool. But inside, I was shaken.

"Yep, they're going on a date tonight. Josh told me about it. You know we always share everything," Joanna said casually.

I had to keep my emotions in check. Don't overreact, Ari.

"Jealous much, Ari?" Shay teased. I rolled my eyes, attempting nonchalance.

"Oh, please. They can go on all the dates they want, do whatever. I couldn't care less."

Fuck it.

"You're totally jealous," Shay stated, and I scoffed.

"Whatever. It's not a big deal."

"Wait, what happened between you and Tristan at the Halloween party? I saw you two together. Any progress?" Joanna probed, sipping her juice.

"Nothing major. Just told him the truth about my true self. He wanted to know the real me. And now he's acting like I'm a virus. And now this Jenny thing. Ugh, maybe I shouldn't have told him everything."

Joanna nearly choked, Shay stared in shock.

"You told him?!" they exclaimed.

"Yeah, well, he was getting close to figuring it out. Thought he deserved to know the truth."

Shay facepalmed, Joanna shook her head.

"Ariana, you can't just go around and tell people something like that. It's too much."

I sighed, pushing my salad away, my appetite gone.

"Do you actually like him?" Joanna asked, curious.

"Yeah, I guess I'm starting to," I admitted.

"Do you even know if he feels the same?" Shay quizzed, raising a brow.

Honestly, I was lost. His mixed signals had me spinning.

"It's confusing. I can't tell if he's just being friendly or flirty. Does he even like me back?"

"Look, drop the act around him. Stop confusing him. Be yourself, let him see the real you. He's probably unsure about you, especially when you're acting different around others. Your image matters less than what he thinks."

She's right. I need to be genuine around him. But with him hanging out more and that date with Jenny, when will I get the chance?

I nodded, agreeing silently.

"Just be you, and he'll come around. He wants the real you. Don't fret about what others think."

Sound advice. I smiled at my friends, not wanting to argue about Tristan and Jenny.

But I can't deny I'm hoping for something deeper with him.