Chasing His Shadow
- Reads 315
- Votes 33
- Parts 16
Ongoing2h 40m
Last published Wed, May 13, 2026
She was always second.
In a world where ranks defined worth, Kaelynne Jade Averril learned early on that no matter how hard she tried, there would always be someone ahead of her. Someone better.
And that someone was always him.
Zephyr Elijah Velarde, Redwood High's golden boy. A natural at everything he touched. The volleyball captain who led with quiet confidence, the effortless top student, and someone who played the guitar like it was second nature - never for attention, yet always noticed.
At Redwood High, their rivalry became legend. Every recitation was a battle. Every exam, a silent war.
For Kaelynne, beating Zephyr wasn't just about winning-it was about proving that she could be more than second best.
But as the competition grew fiercer, so did the tension between them.
Until one day...
the lingering stares lasted a second too long,
the silence between them spoke louder than words,
and the line between rivals and something deeper began to blur.
Until one day, she found herself wondering: Was she really running for his rank... or had she been following his shadow all along?
All Rights Reserved
#721
academicrivals
Join the largest storytelling communityGet personalized story recommendations, save your favourites to your library, and comment and vote to grow your community.
You may also like
Detention and Daydreams
Aria Velasco follows the rules. Kai Morales breaks them. They hate each other... at least, that's what they tell everyone. But between detentions, late night study sessions, and moments they can't ignore, hate might just be the first step toward something dangerously... irresistible. Enemies? Maybe. But could they also be everything each other didn't know they needed? "They were sworn enemies... until every fight, every tease, and every stolen glance made them question if hate was just the first step to love."Complete
Chasing After My Life. (Another cancer story)
April thought she had a normal life that was happy and joyful. She had everything going for her. She was athletic and played many instruments. That is until that day came. Government class day. It was the most boring class and all government where she would sit for 2 hours with 30 other peers. She never thought she'd chase after her life. It wasn't until that dreadful day that her life changed forever. She had Phys.Ed that day. Of course being a mere 14 years old and a freshman in high school,she never knew what happened could have ever happened to her. She was an advanced student. All of her classes advanced. She was in Algebra part 2. She was feeling so tired and felt as if she could sleep then and there. She fought it although something was off. She knew something was going to happen and after it does she doesn't know what to do. She never meant to fall in love. She never wanted to hurt anyone else by falling in love. She knew it but didn't expect it to happen. Is true love strong enough to help her keep fighting? What is it that has April fighting? Is love enough to help her fight and stay alive? Is it enough to make her want to live and chase after her life?Will they find love in each other or will it be too late? Read to find out. By the way everything in this story is fictional. *It's still in the works and has not been revised and edited yet.Complete
𝐜𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 | ✔️
Ever so slowly, I lowered my mouth to the lime. As I did so, I felt the brush of her lips on mine. Just a touch. Just a breath, and it ignited fire in my veins. And at that moment, I forgot a lot. My heart stopped, my breathing quit, my thoughts ceased. But I knew one thing, and it was screaming in the hollows of my brain. 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳. - an academic rivals to lovers romance - Emilia Laurent, top of her class. Augustus Casen, top of his class. What happens when the school sends both to a competition in California? One month. One competition. One hotel room. Two rivals. What could go wrong? - book one in the erudite trilogy - rankings: #1 in compete (sep 12 2023) #1 in competition (oct 16 2023) #1 in academicrivalstolovers (nov 28 2023) #1 in rivalstolovers (jul 27 2024)Complete
Chasing The Hundreds
Two minds. One goal. A lifetime of distance between them. Isabella grew up with warmth but not much else - a tight-knit family that scraped by, a quiet town that never asked for more. But she always wanted more. No more cutting singing lessons because of financial issues. No more struggle to pay bills. She wanted to excel in everything and create the future that her family deserves. Connor had everything money could buy - legacy, polish, connections - except the kind of closeness Isabella was never without. His world demanded perfection, but never gave praise. So he learned to chase approval in numbers, not people. During elementary and middle school they were fierce competitors in the same math class - and left their mark on each other before life pulled them apart. Now, on the first day of college, they lock eyes again across a crowded lecture hall. Still brilliant. Still driven. Still impossible to ignore. As academic rivals reignite, so do the tensions and truths they buried. Beneath the teasing and sharp comebacks are deeper motives: Isabella wants to rewrite her future. Connor wants to outrun his past. And somewhere along the line, the race becomes something else entirely. Because sometimes the person you're competing against... is the only one who truly understands what you're fighting for. Chasing the Hundreds is a poignant, slow-burn rivals-to-lovers story about ambition, class divides, emotional armor, and the unspoken ache of wanting to be chosen - not for what you achieve, but for who you are.
Ashes and Embers
Mara comes from a poor background, fighting from a young age to make something of herself. This led her to the academy, a military recruitment organization where solider bled and where spirits were broken. Its where HE is...where he grew up, Kael..... Kael is arrogant, prideful and infuriating. The golden boy, the standard, the heir of power. What happens when Mara and Kael find themselves thrown together in the academy? Working together against odds stacked against them from the corruption of power. Will they overcome these trials together? Or will they both be destined to fail? ------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a slowburn, enemies to lovers story. Its a work in progress and its not perfect. I'm just a girl who loves dystopian stories and who lives inside her mind wanting to create a simple story with some of my favorite/common tropes. Like I said this story isn't PERFECT, I wrote this many years ago and I've just never published it anywhere. So I understand it can be a bit confusing. But I tried to fix it up and I'm adding to it.
Crashing Into YOU
Brielle Stone (19) Freshman communications major at UCLA. A mix of chaos and charm. Streetwear, crop tops, hoodies, and heels. She works out religiously, the gym is her therapy, the one place she feels in control. Behind the confident smile and smoky eyeliner is a girl still learning how to breathe. Her parents have always decided everything for her : her grades, her friends, her image. The rebellion came late, but it came loud. Smoking. Parties. People she never texts back. Freedom is her quiet revenge. She wants to be a social media manager : something that's hers, something creative, something free. She's got confidence that fills a room; baggy cargos one day, tiny black dress the next. Hiphop playlists, lip gloss, and gym sessions are her therapy. She's not soft, not easy to impress, and not about to fall for a guy like Asher... or so she tells herself. Asher Kane (20) Second-year business major and UCLA's soccer star. He's the kind of guy who walks into a room and people notice, not because he tries, but because he just owns it. He's 6'1, athletic, with that casual designer look, chains, crisp shirts, and sneakers worth more than some cars. He vapes between classes, drinks to forget his father's expectations, and smokes when the pressure builds. Soccer is his escape, his one rebellion against the life planned for him: taking over the family's international business empire. Soccer is his life... until Brielle starts to mess with his focus in ways he didn't expect. Everyone thinks he's the confident, flirtatious bad boy. But he's just trying to hold himself together.
This Is Our Life- Kolena
She wanted revenge for her for her sister and she knew the perfect way to get it so that she would hurt the people that did them wrong. But it didn't turn out how she thought it would. She wanted to do it then just go on with her life. Her and her best friend would find her sister then leave to never be heard from again. But that didn't go accoriding to plan she isn't just running for her children she is running for herself. She just couldn't handle the fear of losing herself of being hurt over and over again. So she made a decision for herself to not let love in until being scared almost lost her her lifeComplete
Falling into you (gxg/wlw)
Isabella West had always been the center of attention-until the day Noah Lane walked into her life. Noah wasn't like the others. She was different. Cool. Unpredictable. A quiet confidence surrounded her like a force field, and Isabella couldn't figure her out, no matter how hard she tried. There was something in the air when Noah was near, something that pulled at Isabella in a way she couldn't explain. But she wasn't about to admit it. Not to herself. Not to anyone. Their worlds collided, but neither of them was ready for the impact.Complete
Eyes of Ashes
Aeron was more than just a queen; she was a warrior burdened with untold secrets. Beneath her regal facade, she harbored struggles that few could comprehend. Kaelyn, a man with his own hidden truths, placed his trust in her-an act of faith that was rare in their tumultuous world. They were united by a common goal: family. His siblings were ensnared in peril, while her sister had been taken. In this fight for their loved ones, they discovered bonds that transcended blood. Although Aeron ruled Wisterlace, her life appeared deceptively simple. She was surrounded by maids, butlers, and councilmen, all eager for her compliance. They insisted she marry, hoping to secure a general who could command the army she was born into. But her thoughts often drifted toward violent rebellion against their demands-she craved freedom, not shackles. Conflict loomed at her borders, a threat that could dismantle everything she held dear. The arrival of Kaelyn as the new general stirred unease within her. He seemed ill-equipped for battle, as if he couldn't win even the simplest of fights in a tavern. Yet, he sought her trust, needing it like a ship requires a compass in a storm. Aeron, however, was as guarded as the prison she trained the guards for-her heart locked away tight. Kaelyn's haunted eyes hinted at a secret he would not share, a weight he carried alone. He waited for someone to pry it loose, for the right questions to shatter his silence. This was the beginning of a complex dance between them, a blend of distrust and necessity. Each step forward held the promise of both danger and revelation. Together, they would navigate the treacherous landscape of loyalty and betrayal, seeking their families while grappling with the shadows of their pasts. The stakes were high, and the journey ahead would test them in ways they never imagined.Complete
Into the Velvet
*EDITORS' CHOICE 2021*After falling for her senior year teacher, Louise learns a harsh lesson on what adulthood isn't. Louise has some trauma to unpack. Heartbreak's a bitch, and her first relationship had been anything but normal. Thinking herself mature for her age, her affair with Mr. Cain started swooningly well. Except things ended quite abruptly. It's a lot for a seventeen year old to handle. But who's really at fault for what happened? Who even is Mr. Cain, and what is he hiding? From the wreckage of her naivety and self-esteem, can Louise save her friendships and rebuild herself? Our love songs aren't telling the whole truth. How can this be? In this tale of vulnerability, adolescence and painful reckoning, the arrogance of youth demands a price. * "'You're what, Louise?' he asked. 'You're sorry? What am I supposed to do here? How can I turn this around? How can I tell you that everything you want and feel is reciprocated, when I have to go back to work and pretend none of it happened?' 'I don't know the answer!' I cried. 'Neither of us do.' I threw my hands up in defeat. He caught them before they could fall. 'But how do I go back to living without your words?' His voice became a whisper. He squeezed my fingers tightly, closing his eyes and bringing them to his chest. 'I need how you make me feel, Luiza. I need it to feel alive. I won't stay away. No one's made me feel this good before. And I can't stand myself for wanting what I want. What do I do?' I was a violin bow on the verge of splintering. Every inch of me pulsed with an ache that began from the marrow of my bones. Fate had brought us here. At this crossroads of ours, there were a hundred different choices to make. A thousand different lifetimes to choose from, stemming from and decided entirely by my next choice. And in the end, I chose incorrectly. I held his face between my hands, feeling the echoing pulse of his skin. I brought his face to mine. I kissed him."Complete
Aria Velasco follows the rules. Kai Morales breaks them. They hate each other... at least, that's what they tell everyone. But between detentions, late night study sessions, and moments they can't ignore, hate might just be the first step toward something dangerously... irresistible. Enemies? Maybe. But could they also be everything each other didn't know they needed? "They were sworn enemies... until every fight, every tease, and every stolen glance made them question if hate was just the first step to love."
More detailsContent Guidelines