Blossoming under the warm sun.
He was my brainy obsession, the kind of guy
who aced every test without even trying. Then
Brittany showed up, all leather and lipstick,
and he fell hard.
He ditched class to smoke with her, got into
fights defending her honor, even lost his
scholarship.
I swallowed my feelings and stepped aside,
handing him my spot in the coding
competition, the one that would get him into
MIT.
Years later, he was a Wall Street shark, richer
than God, and suddenly interested in my little
startup.
く
C
A month after that? I was in jail, framed by
the very man I’d helped.
He visited, a smirk playing on his annoyingly
handsome face.
“You ruined my love life,” he purred. “I just
evened the score. Seems fair, right?”
Then I woke up.
I was back in class, watching Jason and
Brittany run through the rain, practically
dripping with teenage angst.
This time? I’m letting them burn.
1
r
I was the definition of a good girl.
Straight As, followed the rules, the kind of kid
teachers loved.
Jason, on the other hand, was touched by the
gods.
He had this insane talent for numbers, a
natural genius.
We were study buddies, a mismatched pair.
I was all hard work, he was all raw talent.
“You’re too nice, Hailey,” he’d say, ruffling my
hair. “Someone’s gonna walk all over you.”
<
“Here, take my umbrella. I’m invincible.”
“Seriously, Hailey, we’re gonna ace this and
end up at MIT together. Side by side for life.”
Teenage infatuation, a mix of arrogance and
sincerity.
He never hid his affection.
And I never stopped crushing on him.
Until Brittany walked in.
She was all ripped jeans, a midriff top, and a
tangle of rainbow–streaked hair.
Green eyeshadow, a pouty red lip, a galaxy of
piercings, she was a supernova in our boring
く
classroom.
Always had a lollipop stuck in her mouth.
Confident, rebellious, a living, breathing
distraction.
Jason was hooked the moment he saw her.
I watched Brittany blow smoke rings in
Jason’s face, saw the dazed look in his eyes.
I saw Brittany grab Jason’s hand and press it
to her chest, saw the shock and then the
delight on his face.
“Feel that?” she purred. “My heart’s beating
just for you.”
“God, Jason, how can you be so hot?”
“Why am I chasing you? Because I’m
obsessed, duh.”
Her love was a wildfire, reckless and
consuming.
Jason’s downfall was public, scandalous, and
inevitable.
He skipped class for her, ran through storms
with her, pouring out his heart.
He got into brawls for her, bloody and
bruised, but fueled by love.
They made out in dark corners, booked cheap
motel rooms.
No protection, just raw passion,
consequences be damned.
Г
C
Even a pregnancy scare and an abortion
became another verse in their twisted love
song.
And me? I was invisible.
The forgotten loser.
“Hailey, did you hear Jason and Brittany were
at the Starlight Motel again? Aren’t you
jealous?”
“You act so pure. No wonder Jason went for
Brittany.”
“I envy Brittany. She’s so fearless, so
passionate. They’re living a real, epic love
story.”
When you’re young, you crave the forbidden.
Last time, I was jealous, heartbroken, a mess.
But I stayed focused.
I even tried to get Jason back on track, gave
him my spot in the coding competition,
hoping he’d get into a good school.
And how did he repay me?
He blamed me for ruining his perfect
romance.
Those four years, he coasted into MIT, then
got snatched up for some top–secret
government program because of his freakish
talent.
<
Brittany couldn’t handle the distance, the
radio silence.
She dumped him and ended up in Thailand,
then got caught in a scam and died over
there.
He wanted revenge.
I deserved it.
Love conquers all, right?
I was the one who ruined his perfect, angsty
youth!
