Chapter 3: Alley Fights and Unspoken Bonds

“Wait.”

His hand shot out, catching my wrist just as I brushed past him. The contact sent a jolt up my arm, and I froze, every nerve on edge.

As I brushed past him, he grabbed my wrist. Carter lowered his head, half-dry bangs hiding his eyes, making him seem unfamiliar. The warmth of his palm sent my heart racing.

He was so close, I could feel the heat radiating off his skin. His grip was gentle but firm, like he wasn’t going to let go until he got an answer.

“Savannah, taking my stuff and just leaving—don’t you think that’s a bit much?”

His voice was low, almost teasing, but there was an edge to it. I fumbled the photo, dropping it in my panic, and bolted before I could make things worse.

I dropped the photo and ran back to my room in a panic. I bolted. Leaning against the door, it took a while for my heart to settle. The love note mission had failed again. Then it hit me—why did Carter have a photo of me?

I paced my room, the photo burning a hole in my memory. What was I supposed to do with that?

I scratched my head, troubled. Maybe I should just give up. Aren’t I supposed to be the mean girl? I should just throw the note at Carter and order him to accept it!

I practiced my best ice queen glare in the mirror, determined to end this with a bang. If I was going to play the villain, I might as well do it right.

But when I actually did that at school the next day, Carter went silent. His lips pressed into a thin line, looking upset. I stood there, hands on my hips, but my confidence was wavering.

The silence stretched between us, heavy and awkward. For a moment, I almost wished I could take it back.

“Then tell me, what’ll it take for you to accept it?”

I tried to sound tough, but my voice wobbled. Carter just stared at me, his eyes darker than usual.

Carter looked up from his seat, his eyes dark and deep. He spoke slowly: “I’ll only accept it if you write it yourself.”

He said it like a challenge, daring me to cross a line I hadn’t even known existed. My breath caught.

Fine, Caleb, you even want me to handwrite a 3,000-word love letter? You’re even more dramatic than I am! Seriously?

I rolled my eyes, but inside, I was panicking. Three thousand words? I could barely write a paragraph for English class.

The smile on my face nearly cracked. I tried to reason with him one last time: “This is your fated love. You can’t block destiny.”

I threw my hands up, trying to appeal to the universe, but Carter just looked at me, something unreadable flickering in his eyes.

He smiled too, staring at me like he was holding something back. Then he stood up, leaned in close, and whispered in my ear:

His breath was warm against my cheek. The world seemed to shrink to just the space between us.

“Savannah, do you really not see who I like? Or are you just pretending?”

His voice was barely above a whisper, but it sent a shiver down my spine. I couldn’t meet his gaze.

I backed up and fell onto a chair, dazed. “Li-like who…”

My voice cracked, and I felt my face go hot. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My brain shorted out, and I just stared at him, wide-eyed.

Only after saying it did I realize—did Carter just confess to me?

The realization hit me like a freight train. My stomach flipped, and I could barely breathe.

If this had happened before, I wouldn’t have cared. I’d been confessed to by so many guys they could form a marching band. But isn’t Carter the main character? Would the main guy really fall for the mean girl?

I tried to laugh it off, but the idea stuck in my head. Carter, the unattainable main guy, liking me? It made no sense. Or maybe it made too much sense.

My thoughts were a mess—the more I tried to untangle them, the more confused I got. So I just blurted out, “Then if you accept the note, I’ll believe you like me.”

I crossed my arms, trying to sound tough, but my voice was small. I was desperate for proof, for something real.

Carter sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Savannah, you…”

He looked tired, like he’d been carrying a secret for way too long. His fingers lingered at his temple, a gesture I’d seen a hundred times when he was frustrated.

“Prove it to me!”

I blurted it out before I could stop myself. I wanted him to say it, to make it real.

I watched helplessly as Carter finally accepted the love note.

He took it, his fingers brushing mine. His eyes softened, and I felt something inside me shift.

“Sis, you really know how to mess with me.” He sighed softly in my ear, then laughed. “But who told me to be willing to let you mess with me?”

His laugh was low and warm, rumbling against my skin. For a second, the world faded away, and it was just the two of us in that empty classroom.

Oh god! How did I never notice before that Caleb’s voice was so nice? Deep and smooth, with a bit of deliberate magnetism just for me. How did I miss this?

I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to calm the wild flutter in my heart. Suddenly, I didn’t care about the script or the story—just him.

After school, I hummed a tune as I went to find Marisol. Just as I reached her classroom door, she nearly tackled me in the hallway, her enthusiasm infectious. Guess I wasn’t the only one excited. “It’s done! The quest is complete!”

She practically tackled me, squealing with joy. Her excitement was contagious, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

I pulled her to a quiet corner. “Marisol, now you can tell me about the broken ending, right?”

I steered her away from the crowd, lowering my voice. I needed answers, and I needed them now.

Marisol kept her promise and explained:

She took a deep breath, her eyes darting around like she was afraid the walls might have ears. Then she launched into her explanation, voice trembling with excitement.

“You know, Carter isn’t the only main character. There’s also a main girl, Riley Bennett, but the plot hasn’t started yet because she hasn’t shown up. The original plot is simple: Riley transfers in, becomes Caleb’s desk mate. They grow close, apply to the same college, and end up together. You know, classic romance plot. You, as the mean girl sidekick, keep making things hard for Riley, but only end up bringing them closer. But the plot crashed. Caleb didn’t fall for anyone, and something unexpected happened!”

She spoke quickly, words tumbling over each other. I could tell she’d been dying to get this off her chest.

My heart tightened. I swallowed, then managed, “Caleb will die?”

I barely whispered the words, not wanting to believe it. Marisol’s face softened, and she nodded.

“Yeah.” Marisol said softly, “That’s why the app brought me here—to replace the main girl and win Caleb over, fixing the story.”

Her voice was gentle, but the weight of her words settled over me like a heavy blanket.

I was still in shock. Caleb was supposed to be the main guy—why would he suddenly die?

My mind raced, trying to make sense of it. None of this fit the story I thought I knew.

“Wait, the app is pinging me.”

Marisol’s phone buzzed, and she ducked into the corner, tapping furiously. I waited, nerves stretched tight.

Marisol ducked into a corner, then came back. “I was just talking about the main girl, and she’s going to show up next week.”

She looked pale, like the news rattled her. I could tell she wasn’t ready for what came next.

I didn’t care about the timing. I grabbed Marisol, my voice shaking. “If you can’t finish the quest, Caleb will still die, right?”

I squeezed her arm, needing the truth. My hands trembled, and I tried to steady them.

Marisol thought for a moment, then nodded.