The bell rang, signaling the final moments of class. Students were slowly gathering their things, the sound of papers rustling and bags zipping filling the room. But Jenny wasn't paying attention to any of that.
Her gaze was fixed on the door at the other end of the hallway, where Jeremy stood talking with his friends, laughing, his posture relaxed and effortlessly cool. Every part of her wanted to just walk up, hand him the envelope from Ashley, and get it over with. But, of course, she couldn't do that. It was Jeremy, the guy everyone gossiped about, the guy with the magnetic pull. She wasn't even sure what it was about him. His deep brown eyes? His messy hair that looked like it was styled just by running his fingers through it? Or maybe it was just his aura of confidence that made him impossible to ignore.
Jenny didn't have time for a deep analysis—her feet were already in motion, pushing her into a sprint across the crowded hallway. Her heart pounded in her chest as she dodged through the stream of students, some of them glancing up in confusion, others muttering about her sudden dash.
I can do this. I can do this. It's just Jeremy. Just hand him the thing and walk away.
But as she neared him, everything slowed down. She could hear the faint chatter of his friends behind him, their laughter echoing in her ears. She felt her cheeks warm with nerves. The hallway seemed to stretch on forever. She was almost there—just a few more steps—and then she felt the familiar tug in her stomach that came with getting too close to him.
"Hey, Jeremy!" Her voice cracked a bit louder than she intended, making the word Jeremy sound more like a shout than a casual greeting. It was a stupid thing to do—shouting his name like that. She hated how it sounded so desperate, but there was no turning back now.
She quickly reached the doorframe where he was standing. For a split second, she hesitated, catching her breath. Her sneakers squeaked as she stopped just in front of him, chest heaving as she tried to get the words out.
The classroom around her seemed to disappear, the noise of students fading as her focus narrowed on him. The closer she got, the more she realized just how much he seemed to stand out. He was leaning casually against the doorframe, looking effortlessly cool, while she was gasping for air, hoping she didn't look as ridiculous as she felt.
He finally looked down at her with that same unreadable expression. No smile. No words. Just his gaze, like he was waiting for her to do something, anything.
Jenny stood there for a moment, breathless, feeling her heart race faster than her sprint had. She had shouted his name—really shouted his name—and now she was here, standing in front of him, clutching the envelope and the little bag from Ashley.
But Jeremy didn't speak. He didn't move. He just stared down at her, his hands tucked casually into the pockets of his jacket. His gaze was steady, unblinking, as though he was weighing her, taking his time with her presence.
Jenny's stomach churned, and she couldn't help but feel a prickling heat rise to her cheeks. Why was he looking at her like that? Wasn't she just handing him a message? Wasn't that supposed to be the end of this interaction?
She tried to ignore the sharp sting of awkwardness creeping up her spine. She was overthinking this. It was just Jeremy. He was probably waiting for her to hand over the stuff and leave. But the silence stretched on, thick and uncomfortable.
"Uh…" she finally muttered, her voice faltering as she tried to fill the gap. "I—um, Ashley asked me to give this to you."
His eyes flickered briefly to the envelope in her hand, then back up to her face, still unreadable. So much for a simple favor.
He tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing, just for a moment. Was he smirking? Jenny couldn't tell. It was almost like he was sizing her up—no, waiting for her to crack.
Without a word, Jeremy reached out slowly, almost lazily, and took the small bag from her hands. He gave it a cursory glance, his fingers brushing over the candy inside. Then he held it up, as if inspecting it like it was some strange artifact.
Jenny's palms felt suddenly clammy. Was this some kind of joke? Did he think this was funny? She had never felt so exposed in her life, standing there with his gaze like a spotlight on her, waiting for something—anything—from her.
But Jeremy didn't seem to be in any rush. He popped a coffee-flavored candy from the bag and twirled it between his fingers, casually glancing over his shoulder to his friends.
"What's the fuss about?" His tone was flat, almost disinterested, as if he couldn't care less about why she was there. It stung more than it should have.
Jenny's mind raced, and the words she had practiced in her head—quick and to the point—vanished. She opened her mouth, but the words were stuck somewhere in her throat. The classroom noise had faded into a dull hum around them, but it felt like everything in that moment was centered on her.
Then, before she could even think, Jeremy bent down.
Her eyes widened in surprise as he leaned toward her—closer than she expected—and in a single swift motion, he flicked the candy wrapper toward her face, letting it sail through the air like it was the most casual thing in the world.
Did he just—?
Her breath caught. The cool breeze of the hallway swept across her cheek as the wrapper skimmed just inches away from her face. She could feel her skin burn with humiliation. Was this a prank? Was he making fun of her?
Before she could react, he straightened up, his eyes now distant. His expression was blank, as if this had all been nothing more than a brief distraction for him. He slipped the envelope into his pocket without a word, his hand brushing hers as he did.
And then, without so much as a glance back, Jeremy tossed the candy bag at her chest in one smooth, effortless motion.
It hit her with a soft thud, and her body jerked slightly from the unexpected impact. Her mind froze for a moment—was this really happening? She looked down at the bag in her hands, at the slight dent in the Her heart pounded, and a sick feeling curled in her stomach. But all she could do was stand there, dumbfounded, while he walked off. His friends followed in tow, laughing, not bothering to look back.
The hallway felt suffocating now. The noise seemed to return in full force as if the world had snapped back into place, leaving her standing in the middle of it all—alone.
Did he really just treat her like this? Was she nothing but the delivery girl for some stupid message?
Jenny stood frozen, the bag still pressed against her chest. Her fingers clenched around it without realizing. The moment was over, but her body hadn't caught up. Her cheeks still burned, and her heart felt like it had shrunk to the size of a marble, rolling around uselessly inside her ribcage.
He didn't even read the letter.
She looked down at her hands. The envelope was gone—stuffed carelessly into his jacket pocket like it meant nothing. Maybe to him, it did mean nothing. Just another silly note from another girl, handed off by someone too invisible to matter.
And that someone was her.
She blinked hard, forcing the sting behind her eyes to back off. No. She wasn't going to cry in the hallway. Not over this.
Just walk. Just move. Pretend you don't care.
Jenny turned sharply and began to walk the opposite direction, her footsteps stiff and robotic. Her mind raced as she imagined what Ashley would say when she found out. Would she ask what happened? Would she even care? Or would she just laugh and brush it off like everything else in her charmed life?
Jenny knew one thing for sure: she wasn't doing that again. Not for Ashley. Not for anyone.
The echo of running water filled the tiled bathroom, harsh and sharp. Jenny stood by the sink, gripping the edges of the porcelain as if it could anchor her to the floor. She kept her gaze down, watching the droplets from the faucet trail into the drain like tiny little exits she couldn't take.
The door creaked open.
"Oh my god, there you are." Ashley's voice was unmistakable—bright, sharp, and a little too loud.
Jenny didn't look up. "Hey."
Ashley clicked across the floor in her heeled boots, her reflection suddenly appearing beside Jenny's in the mirror. She fluffed her hair and pulled a lip gloss from her pocket.
"So?" she asked, swiping the wand across her mouth with practiced ease. "You gave it to him, right?"
Jenny nodded stiffly. "Yeah."
Ashley beamed at her own reflection. "Ugh, finally. I was dying waiting. What did he say? Did he smile? Did he look surprised?"
Jenny hesitated. "He… didn't really say anything."
Ashley paused mid-swipe. "What do you mean?"
"I mean… he took it. That's all." Jenny forced a shrug, pretending it didn't bother her. "He didn't read it. Just pocketed it and left."
Ashley made a face. "Huh. Weird." She capped the gloss and leaned in to inspect her eyeliner. "Well, whatever. He's probably just trying to act cool. Guys do that. They don't show how they really feel."
Jenny didn't reply. She just kept staring into the sink, feeling smaller by the second.
Ashley turned and gave her a quick once-over. "Thanks, by the way. You were, like, perfect for this. No offense, but you've got that whole harmless vibe. Makes it less awkward, you know?"
Jenny bit the inside of her cheek.
"Anyway," Ashley said, already halfway to the door, "text me if he says anything. Or if he writes back. That'd be kinda hot."
And just like that, she was gone.
Jeremy leaned against the vending machine outside the gym, the envelope still tucked inside his jacket pocket like it was burning a hole through the fabric.
He hadn't said a word since leaving the hallway—hadn't even laughed at the dumb jokes his friends kept tossing around. His head buzzed, not with their voices, but with the memory of Jenny's face right before he walked off. The way her eyes flicked up at him, all nervous and unsure, like she was bracing herself for impact.
Why did he do that?
He looked down at the coffee candy in his hand, still turning it between his fingers. He didn't even like the stuff.
The wrapper crinkled sharply as he shoved it into his pocket and pressed the heel of his palm against his forehead. That whole moment—flicking the wrapper at her, tossing the candy bag back—what the hell was he thinking?
He wasn't. That was the problem.
The second he saw her rushing through the hallway like she was on some kind of mission, hair a little out of place, glasses slipping down her nose, he knew something was up. And when she said Ashley's name? That should've made it easy. Jeremy didn't care about Ashley. She was loud, flashy, and exactly the kind of girl people expected him to go for.
But when Jenny said Ashley's name, something twisted in his stomach.
So, like a genius, he acted out. Cold. Dismissive. Weird. That stupid candy toss? He didn't even mean to do it like that. It just happened. A knee-jerk reaction to her being so close, looking up at him like she mattered. Like he mattered.
Now he just felt like a jackass.
He tugged the envelope out of his pocket and stared at it. It was light, thin—probably handwritten, probably filled with Ashley's usual hearts and sparkles.
But he hadn't opened it. Still didn't want to.
Because deep down, a part of him wondered—what if Jenny had written it? What if, for a second, the whole thing had been hers?
He scoffed at himself and stuffed it back into his jacket.
He knew better. Jenny wasn't like that.
And yet… something about her stuck in his head like a song he didn't want to admit he liked.
Jeremy waited until he was alone—really alone—before he pulled the envelope out again.
He was sitting on the bleachers behind the school, the kind of quiet spot people only found if they needed to skip class or brood. Right now, he was doing a little of both. The afternoon sun cast long shadows over the field, and the faint sounds of a distant PE class drifted through the air. But here, it was just him and the letter.
He turned it over in his hands a few times. No glitter, no perfume, no hearts drawn in red pen. Just his name, written in bubbly cursive on the front.
Ashley's handwriting.
He sighed and ripped it open, unfolding the letter inside. The paper felt too smooth, too carefully chosen. He could already imagine the kind of stuff she wrote—things like "I've always noticed you," or "You're not like other guys." Cringe city.
Still, his eyes flicked to the first line.
> Hey Jeremy. I know this is kinda random, but… I like you. I've liked you for a while now, actually.
He squinted, his lips twisting. It was exactly what he expected. Predictable. Straight out of a teen drama script.
He read a few more lines, about how Ashley thought he was "so chill" and "mysterious" and how she admired the way he "didn't care what anyone thought." She even mentioned how she liked his "vibe," whatever that meant.
Jeremy snorted quietly and shook his head. It wasn't even a bad letter. It just didn't hit. It felt like a performance, like someone trying too hard to write the perfect confession.
Halfway through, he stopped. He folded the letter, not even bothering to finish it, and stared out across the empty field.
Why did he feel disappointed?
It wasn't like he wanted Ashley to write something deeper. But the part of him that had briefly—stupidly—wondered if it had been from Jenny?
That part was now painfully aware of how much he'd wanted it to be true.
He leaned back, resting his head against the top bleacher, and let the sun glare into his eyes. His thoughts swirled with the image of Jenny, standing there in front of him, breathless and awkward, clutching that envelope like it was made of glass.
Why couldn't he get her out of his head?
The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch and the start of fourth period. Jenny stepped out of the bathroom, her face composed, her shoulders squared—like she hadn't just spent ten minutes willing herself not to cry in front of a mirror.
She barely made it five steps before a voice called out to her.
"Whoa. Jenny."
She turned. Maya stood by the lockers, backpack slung over one shoulder, chewing on a straw from a juice pouch. Her eyes narrowed the second she got a good look at Jenny's face.
"What happened?"
Jenny forced a small smile. "Nothing. Just—ran into Ashley."
Maya raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. And Ashley ran over your soul? Because you look like someone just stole your dog and told you it was your fault."
Jenny looked away, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's nothing, really. She just asked me to… deliver something. To Jeremy."
Maya's jaw dropped. "Ashley made you give Jeremy something?"
Jenny nodded, clutching the strap of her bag tighter.
Maya exhaled like she'd just been handed the most frustrating puzzle in the world. "Please tell me it wasn't a love letter."
Jenny gave her a sheepish look.
"Oh my god, Jen." Maya walked closer, lowering her voice. "You know she's using you, right? Like, this is textbook social climbing. You're smart, you're helpful, and you don't say no. It's like a dream come true for girls like Ashley."
Jenny let out a half-hearted laugh. "Yeah, well. I guess I'm consistent."
"No," Maya said firmly. "You're nice. There's a difference. But being nice doesn't mean letting people walk all over you."
Jenny didn't reply, just looked down at the floor tiles.
Maya softened. "What did Jeremy do?"
Jenny hesitated, then said quietly, "He… kind of humiliated me. Took the stuff, flicked a candy wrapper at me, then walked off like I didn't exist."
Maya blinked. "What a jerk."
Jenny gave a weak shrug. "He didn't even read the letter."
Maya's eyes flicked over her friend's face, catching something she didn't say. "But you wanted him to."
Jenny froze.
"…Did you write something too?"
"No!" Jenny said quickly, too quickly. "It was all Ashley's."
Maya didn't press, but the look on her face said she knew better.
The hallway began to empty as the late bell rang. Maya reached out and gently tugged Jenny by the arm.
"Come on. Let's go before we get a tardy. But just so you know—I'm not letting Ashley get away with this forever. You shouldn't either."
Jenny gave her a faint smile. "Thanks."
As they walked off, side by side, Jenny felt a little less alone—but the ache in her chest hadn't gone anywhere.
The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch and the start of fourth period. Jenny stepped out of the bathroom, her face composed, her shoulders squared—like she hadn't just spent ten minutes willing herself not to cry in front of a mirror.
She barely made it five steps before a voice called out to her.
"Whoa. Jenny."
She turned. Maya stood by the lockers, backpack slung over one shoulder, chewing on a straw from a juice pouch. Her eyes narrowed the second she got a good look at Jenny's face.
"What happened?"
Jenny forced a small smile. "Nothing. Just—ran into Ashley."
Maya raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. And Ashley ran over your soul? Because you look like someone just stole your dog and told you it was your fault."
Jenny looked away, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's nothing, really. She just asked me to… deliver something. To Jeremy."
Maya's jaw dropped. "Ashley made you give Jeremy something?"
Jenny nodded, clutching the strap of her bag tighter.
Maya exhaled like she'd just been handed the most frustrating puzzle in the world. "Please tell me it wasn't a love letter."
Jenny gave her a sheepish look.
"Oh my god, Jen." Maya walked closer, lowering her voice. "You know she's using you, right? Like, this is textbook social climbing. You're smart, you're helpful, and you don't say no. It's like a dream come true for girls like Ashley."
Jenny let out a half-hearted laugh. "Yeah, well. I guess I'm consistent."
"No," Maya said firmly. "You're nice. There's a difference. But being nice doesn't mean letting people walk all over you."
Jenny didn't reply, just looked down at the floor tiles.
Maya softened. "What did Jeremy do?"
Jenny hesitated, then said quietly, "He… kind of humiliated me. Took the stuff, flicked a candy wrapper at me, then walked off like I didn't exist."
Maya blinked. "What a jerk."
Jenny gave a weak shrug. "He didn't even read the letter."
Maya's eyes flicked over her friend's face, catching something she didn't say. "But you wanted him to."
Jenny froze.
"…Did you write something too?"
"No!" Jenny said quickly, too quickly. "It was all Ashley's."
Maya didn't press, but the look on her face said she knew better.
The hallway began to empty as the late bell rang. Maya reached out and gently tugged Jenny by the arm.
"Come on. Let's go before we get a tardy. But just so you know—I'm not letting Ashley get away with this forever. You shouldn't either."
Jenny gave her a faint smile. "Thanks."
As they walked off, side by side, Jenny felt a little less alone—but the ache in her chest hadn't gone anywhere.
Walking back to the classroom maya and Jenny slipped into their seats just as the final bell rang. The classroom buzzed with the usual low hum of voices, chairs scraping against the floor, and the rustle of notebooks being opened—everyone settling in for yet another hour of trying to stay awake.
Jenny sank into her seat by the window, grateful for the way the sunlight poured in, warming the desk and giving her something else to focus on besides her spinning thoughts.
Maya leaned over and whispered, "Try not to look like your soul just left your body. He's coming."
"Who?" Jenny whispered back, just as the classroom door swung open with dramatic flair.
"Good afternoon, my brilliant bundles of caffeine and last-minute homework!" boomed Mr. Jack, striding in like he was walking onto a stage.
The class let out a collective laugh. Even the grumpy ones cracked a smile.
Mr. Jack clapped his hands once, loud and full of energy. "I come bearing wisdom, mild confusion, and exactly zero worksheets. Because guess what?"
The class stared at him, unsure if they were supposed to answer.
He grinned. "It's one of those days."
Someone in the back muttered, "Best kind of day."
Mr. Jack pointed dramatically. "Correct, my wise pupil. And because I love your faces and mildly tolerate your TikTok references, I've decided we're starting today with a quote."
He turned to the board and, with a flourish that would make any magician proud, scrawled: "Even the awkward turtle eventually reaches the pond."
The class blinked. Jenny blinked. Maya stifled a laugh.
Mr. Jack turned back around. "What does it mean? Nothing. Or maybe everything. You decide. I'm just saying, even if you're flailing around and looking weird, you'll get where you're going. Probably. Just don't give up. Or flip onto your shell."
He winked.
Laughter bubbled up around the room.
Jenny couldn't help it—her lips tugged into a smile.
Mr. Jack caught her expression and pointed right at her. "See? That's the smile of someone who's halfway to the pond."
Jenny ducked her head, cheeks warm, but the good kind of warm. For the first time that day, the heaviness on her chest didn't feel so crushing.
Maya leaned over. "Told you. Human golden retriever."
Jenny whispered back, "More like a motivational tornado."
And just like that, class began—chaotic, ridiculous, and oddly comforting.
As Mr. Jack lively monologue filled the room with laughter, the classroom door creaked open. Jeremy sauntered in, flanked by his usual entourage, their entrance as nonchalant as ever. The group exuded an air ofindifference,their tardiness a habitual statement rather than an exception.
Mr. Jack paused mid-sentence , his eyes twinkling with amusement as he turned to face the latecomers. The room fell into an anticipatory silence , students exchanging glances , waiting for their teacher's reaction.
With a dramatic sigh ,Mr .Jack placed a hand over his heart . "Ah Jeremy and company !
So kind of you to grace us with your presence. I was beginning to think you'd been abducted by aliens-- or worse; lured away by the siren song of the cafeteria's mystery meat ".
A ripple of laughter coursed through the class Jeremy smirked ,unfazed ,and offered a casual shrug ." Wouldn't want to miss your stand -up routine Mr. Jack"
Feigning a hurt expression,Mr .Jack clutched his chest "stand -up routine? Jeremy, you wound me .This is high -quality educational entertainment "he gestured grandly toward the board , where his earlier quote about the 'awkward turtle' still stood . "Now , if you'd be so kind as to find your seats , perhaps we can continue our journey through the wondrous world of knowledge"
Jeremy and his friends ambled to their desks , their movement unhurried.
As Jeremy slid into his seat, he cast a glance across the room, his eyes briefly meeting Jenny's before she quickly looked away ,her face flushing .
Mr. Jack clapped his hands , drawing attention back to the front " Alright, class! As I was saying before our esteemed colleague joined us,even the awkward turtle eventually reaches the pond . So, let's all embrace our inner turtles and dive into today's lesson, shall we?
The room buzzed with subdued chuckles as notebooks were opened and pen poised , the earlier tension dissipating under Mr. Jack effortless charm .