Love is Beautiful (She's so Ugly)

Chapter Eighteen

Almost a month had passed, and Merida's relationship with Jacob hadn't changed one bit. She felt sure about him. Every day was a new chance to love—and luckily, Jacob kept choosing her.

"Are you all ready for the first day of our annual festival?" their adviser asked the class.

Jacob turned back to look at Merida and smiled, while the rest of the class shouted, "Yes!"

Leo noticed, but forced himself to look away. Pretending not to see was its own kind of self-harm, but he chose the pain anyway. He was bold like that.

The first day of the festival wasn't much—club exhibits, a couple of short plays, and experimental showcases. It felt just like the opening of a three-day intramurals.

Normally, Merida never bothered with these events. But with Jacob beside her, it didn't seem so bad. The school was alive with decorations, laughter, and music. Together, they roamed from booth to booth, trying games, snacks, and gimmicks.

On their way toward the horror booth, someone called out.

"Hey, Merida!"

She turned, surprised. "Yes?"

"Can you help us at the drama club? Someone told us you play piano. Our pianist backed out—and the play is tonight."

Merida hesitated, but nodded. "Uhm... I guess I can help."

Jacob frowned. His hand twitched, protective. "If she gets hurt, I'll hurt you," he warned, making the girl blink in alarm.

Merida touched Jacob's arm gently. "I'll be fine. I'll see you later at the play?"

"Yeah. I'll be there—and then we'll enjoy the night together," Jacob muttered before kissing her forehead.

They had planned to spend the whole day together, but now he had to let her go. He was annoyed at the interruption, yet a small part of him was glad. Maybe this meant Merida could finally find a friend.

He wandered the halls alone, letting his mind drift. Memories surfaced—him and Elise, years ago, handcuffed together as a prank. It was then he realized his feelings for her.

He groaned and slapped his forehead. "Don't be stupid, Jacob. You're with Merida now," he muttered, scolding himself.

But then, just as he steadied his thoughts, he froze.

There she was. Elise.

Walking toward him, just as beautiful as before.

"Hi," Elise said shyly, tucking her hair behind her ear. "How are you?"

Jacob's chest tightened. He scratched the back of his head nervously. "I'm... super good."

"I wasn't supposed to be here," Elise admitted with a small laugh. "But I wanted to see you again."

When Jacob didn't reply, she added softly, "Do you... want to see the exhibits, like before?"

Before he knew what he was doing, Jacob pulled Elise into a hug. His breathing grew heavy. She was what he had been longing for.

Not far away, Brandon and Candice watched.

Brandon smirked. He understood now—he had never truly loved Merida. She was just a reflection of his longing for someone else.

Candice, meanwhile, practically buzzed with excitement. "Just look at how the tables have turned," she whispered before walking away, satisfaction curling in her chest.

•••

Leo, on his way to find a quiet place to nap, stopped short. His eyes narrowed. That jerk. Hugging Elise like Merida didn't exist.

He clenched his fists. Of course—this was Brandon and Candice's plan. And Jacob fell for it.

Fuming, he stormed toward the gym, where Brandon was as usual. "Hey!"

Brandon frowned. "What do you want?"

"You betrayed your friend! You trapped that asshole, and now Merida's the one who'll get hurt!" Leo snapped.

Brandon met his glare without flinching. "Don't raise your voice at me. I did what's best. It'll hurt her more if she finds out later. Jacob will tell her himself. Wait and see."

Leo tossed his hair back, seething. "You're both going to break her."

Brandon gave a cold little smile. "Isn't that why you're here? To save her?"

"She doesn't need saving," Leo shot back. "She'll fight back when she's had enough—and you know it."

With one last glare, Leo turned and walked out.

•••

Meanwhile, Merida was enjoying her time with the drama club. For the first time, she felt like she belonged. The girls were kind, warm, and easy to laugh with.

At lunch, they gathered around boxes of pizza and bottles of soda, eating and joking like old friends. Merida laughed with them, realizing just how much her life had changed.

It's getting better, she thought, smiling.

But then, another girl burst into the room, breathless with gossip. She told everyone what she had just seen outside.

Merida froze. The words stabbed through her like ice.

"You okay, Merida?" the girl who had invited her asked gently.

Merida forced a smile, her hands trembling. "Yeah... it's just, my heart's pounding. There'll be so many people watching later."

The girls laughed kindly. "Don't worry! We're all in this together."

Relief washed over her. She smiled, nodded, and clung to that moment of comfort.