The rumor had already spread through the school like wildfire. Whispers floated in the hallways, glances lingered too long, and suddenly everyone seemed to know what had happened between me and Felix.
That was why, when we walked through the school gates hand in hand, I felt all eyes on us. Each step felt heavy, like I was walking through a fog of judgment. I kept my gaze low, heart pounding, as we passed a group of older girls loitering by the wall. Their laughter stopped just long enough for me to hear what they were saying.
"It was all her fault Felix fought with Mike. She stirred the pot the moment she found out Mike was into her too."
I wanted to keep walking. To pretend I hadn't heard anything. But Felix was already tense beside me, his shoulders stiff, his steps slowing. He suddenly stopped and turned toward them.
"And tell me," he said, voice sharp and low, "why the hell are you sticking your noses into things that don't concern you?"
The girls froze, clearly not expecting him to confront them.
"This is our damn business," he continued, glaring at them like they'd committed a crime. "I swear, the thing I hate most in this world is gossiping witches who have nothing better to do with their pathetic lives."
"Felix, let's just go inside," I said softly, tugging on his hand in an attempt to steer him away. "Let them talk. It's not worth it."
"No." His voice was firm, unwavering. "I'm not going to ignore it. I'll deal with anyone who dares say a single bad word about you. I'll swat them like flies if I have to." He pointed directly at the girls, whose expressions flickered between annoyance and fear.
"Felix, please."
Lately, something had shifted in him. It was as if he carried a storm under his skin—anger always one breath away, his patience stretched too thin. He wasn't the boy I used to know.
"Let me just hear one more word out of your mouths…" he warned, finger raised.
I finally managed to tug him toward the building, grateful when he relented. As we entered the main hall, I hoped he'd calm down. But instead, he pulled me close, gripping my face in his hands and kissing me deeply—right there, in front of everyone. I could feel the weight of a hundred stares on us.
I knew why he did it. It wasn't just a kiss. It was a message. Let them talk. Let them choke on it.
"See you at the long break," he said with a smile that looked sweet only for me. When he turned to the rest of the hallway, his expression darkened again. I stood frozen for a moment after he walked off, unsure how to feel.
That wasn't my Felix. Not really.
"Selena!" a familiar voice rang out as Eve appeared and threw an arm around my shoulders. "I'm walking you to class, no arguments. Too many enemies these days. The girls are convinced you ruined the most iconic bromance in school and that Mike's obsessed with you."
I let out a shaky laugh, but it died quickly. I felt like a stray puppy tucked against her side, half-hiding behind her arm. I didn't need to hear what people were saying—I could feel it. Every glance, every whisper. Even silence had weight when everyone was watching.
"People will always find a reason to poison someone's life," Eve said softly, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "Don't let it get to you. Besides, you've got a powerful pit bull by your side."
I gave her a grateful look.
"Two of them, actually," I murmured.
Felix and Eve might not have been gentle, but they were mine. And they wouldn't let anyone hurt me.
*
This time, I was too nervous to laugh at the usual back-and-forth between Eve and Hannah. The girls were arguing again—this time about the upcoming contest—and each of them had already chosen their "perfect" candidate. They outlined their opinions with dramatic flair, determined to win each other over with their reasoning.
"I think you must be joking, claiming Ian is creative," Eve scoffed, folding her arms as if the very idea offended her. "Somehow I've never seen any proof of that."
I kept my eyes fixed on the blackboard, tuning them out. The teacher hadn't arrived yet, but I was barely present anyway. My fingers absentmindedly played with my pen while my thoughts drifted—back to Felix, and Mike. Back to the weight in my chest that wouldn't go away.
They were once inseparable, the kind of friends who could finish each other's sentences. And now… Now they barely looked at each other. And it was because of me.
How could I fix this? Could I?
I glanced up as Sebastian dropped into the seat across from me. It surprised me—he usually preferred to hang near his girlfriend, but Hannah was still immersed in the debate and didn't even glance his way.
"I can see this whole thing's eating you alive," he said calmly, his tone surprisingly gentle. "But I think I might have an idea to help you patch things up between them."
His words cut through the noise like a blade. Eve and Hannah fell silent, finally noticing him.
"Clue, what are you doing over here?" the blonde asked, genuinely puzzled.
"I'm trying to help your friend," he replied smoothly, then turned his attention back to me. "Mike should tell Felix that he's gay. That's why he couldn't confess who he liked. He was scared, so instead of admitting it, he used you as a cover."
The room froze.
None of us said anything for a long moment—we just stared at him. Then, without warning, Eve stood up and smacked him lightly on the back of the head.
"Are you out of your mind?" she hissed. "You want us to make this poor guy gay in his best friend's eyes? What if Felix thinks it's about him?"
"Let him say it's me," Sebastian said, completely unfazed. "I don't care. I can take it."
I blinked at him, caught off guard by how serious he seemed. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized… it wasn't such a bad idea. It was bold—insane, even—but it might just work. Maybe it could erase the misunderstanding, maybe it could reset everything. Because deep down, I knew Felix wasn't going to forgive Mike easily—not if he still believed Mike had feelings for me.
"And what if Felix isn't tolerant?" Hannah asked cautiously.
"Then he's an asshole," Sebastian said simply. "And maybe he doesn't deserve to be with Selena. If he's a true friend, he'll accept Mike for who he is, don't you think?"
"But what if it just makes everything worse?" Eve frowned, running a hand through her hair. "What if we're not fixing the friendship—we're destroying it?"
"Eve, you're the only one Mike still listens to," I said quietly. "You two are close. Maybe… maybe you could talk to him? Try to convince him. Meanwhile, I'll focus on Felix."
She hesitated, biting her lip. Then she slowly nodded. "I'll try."
"Clue," Hannah said with a surprised smile, turning to him. "I didn't think you were capable of such… creativity."
"You haven't had a chance to get to know me properly yet," Sebastian replied with a wink. "The best is still ahead."
*
I was shoveling food into my mouth, barely tasting it, my mind elsewhere. My stomach was too knotted to be hungry, but I kept going, pretending to eat so I wouldn't draw attention. I kept glancing at my phone, waiting for a message from Eve. She was supposed to talk to Mike about Sebastian's idea. If Mike didn't agree… it was all pointless.
"Why are you so quiet? Not eating anything either. Something wrong?" Felix's voice pulled me back to the present.
I lifted my gaze from the plate and met his eyes.
"The whole situation's making me lose my appetite," I admitted.
To my surprise, Felix tossed his cutlery onto the table with a loud clatter and folded his arms tightly across his chest. His eyes were burning again—angry, suspicious.
"You've been telling me this whole time not to care about the gossip, and now you say it's bothering you?" he snapped.
"That's not what I meant, Felix."
He was more moody than ever—worse than a hormonal storm. One minute calm, the next erupting like a volcano. It was getting harder and harder to keep up.
"So what then? Are you upset because you can't hang out with Mike anymore?" he demanded.
"Not this again…" I muttered, trying not to let my voice shake. He had promised not to throw this in my face again. Apparently, that promise didn't last long.
He rubbed his face with both hands and dragged his fingers through his hair, exasperated.
"I'm devastated by all this too," he said bitterly.
"Then do something to fix it."
He blinked at me, disbelieving. "Are you serious, Selena? You want me to just forgive my best friend for hitting on my girlfriend? Like it's no big deal?"
"What if it wasn't about me?" I asked softly.
He narrowed his eyes, trying to read between the lines. I wasn't selling the idea just yet, but I couldn't keep watching their friendship crumble over something that could be undone.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean… I don't even match Mike's type. He doesn't like girls like me."
"You're screwing with me right now because you want to patch things up between us," Felix growled. "I'm not an idiot."
"Yes, I do want you two to reconcile. I'm sick of this tension," I said with quiet honesty.
Felix leaned in, his eyes sharper than ever. "Then who was he hiding from me? If not you, then who?"
I took a breath, knowing I was about to cross a line. "Mike likes guys. That's the secret he didn't know how to tell you."
The lie rolled off my tongue like a stone dropped in water—cold and heavy. It twisted in my gut. I hated myself for it. But if this was the only way to save what they had, I was willing to be the villain.
Felix didn't respond immediately. His face stayed frozen in surprise, his expression unreadable.
Until a voice behind me shattered everything.
"Don't listen to her. It's a lie made up by Eve's boyfriend."I turned around and saw Mike standing behind me, his arms crossed, his expression hard."I'm not gay," he said bluntly. "I won't let anyone twist this into something it's not. I don't know how they imagined putting this plan into action, but I'm not going to lie to save face."
I stared at him, completely floored. My heart sank like an anchor. Seriously, Mike? I thought. I was trying to save him, and he just shot me and himself in the foot.
"I'm trying to save your ass, and you're dragging me down," I muttered under my breath.
Felix looked between the two of us. His voice cracked when he finally spoke."You're all making fun of me?" He looked right at me. "You, Selena?"
I opened my mouth to speak, but Mike raised a hand.
"Don't be mad at her," he said, his voice softer now. "She just wanted to stop feeling guilty. None of this is her fault, but she feels like it is. She wanted to fix things—so she tried. I get it."
He glanced over at Eve and Sebastian, standing awkwardly a few steps away, silent witnesses to our unraveling plan.
"The truth is… I did have feelings for her," Mike admitted. "Even before you two got together. But I never tried to ruin anything between you. I never made a move, never crossed a line. I supported your relationship from the start. The heart wants what it wants, right?"
Felix sat there, stunned.
"I've been trying to move on for a while now," Mike continued. "I don't want drama. I want you both to be happy. Taking a girl from my best friend? That's not who I am. Never has been."
He stepped back, gave Felix one last look, and walked away.
The silence that followed was suffocating. I watched Felix, trying to read what he was thinking, but his expression was a blank wall. He didn't look at me, didn't move, just sat staring at a spot in the distance like he'd left the room in his mind.
I gently placed my hand on top of his. He didn't pull away, which was something. A sign, at least, that he didn't hate me for trying.
"Felix," I whispered, "can you think about it? Really think about it?"
Still no answer.
He just stared into space, lost in thought, his fingers twitching slightly beneath mine.
And I could only hope—pray—that in time, he'd come to understand why I did what I did.