That Third Wheel

One accidental confession. Two academic rivals. And a school year that's about to turn into a total war zone.

Aarohi's life relies on two strict rules: always beat her smug rival, Sanjiv Chandra, and never face school without her best friend, Hazel. But on the last day of Year 7 at Ashborne Grammar School, everything shatters. With Hazel absent and Sanjiv clinching the top academic spot, a dramatic courtyard showdown with her friend Johnny Brooks forces Aarohi's true feelings into the light. To stop a fistfight, she blurts out the absolute truth: she likes Sanjiv back, and she's going to be his girlfriend.

What starts as a panic-induced confession turns into a whirlwind summer romance. Safe from the school hallways, Sanjiv proves to be a much better boyfriend than he ever was a rival, and their relationship genuinely blossoms over the holidays.

But, walking through the gates for the first day of Year 8, reality hits hard. Johnny is heartbroken and furious, refusing to speak to either of them. Worse, a massive, high-stakes school competition is announced, thrusting Aarohi and Sanjiv right back into the academic ring. As the pressure cranks up, their old rivalry flares, testing whether their new relationship can survive their intense competitive streaks.

Just as Aarohi thinks she can balance the stress, the ultimate disaster strikes. Hazel accidentally leaks the chaotic details of how they actually got together to the entire school, turning their private romance into Ashborne Grammar's biggest ship.

With Johnny trying to seize his second chance, the school gossiping, and her relationship with Sanjiv on the line, Aarohi must decide what matters more-winning the academic crown, or fighting for the boy who stole her heart.

This is written by my friend and I. She is not on any social media platforms, so no need to go looking for her, but her author name is #Reading4eva (sorry about it being cringe 😅) and mine is Truebookworm77!

Hope you enjoy it!