The bell rings, echoing through the crowded hallway as you spot Jessica leaning against your locker. The familiar scent of her vanilla shampoo wafts toward you as you approach, triggering a flutter in your chest that you've learned to hide. You and Jessica have been good friends for a long time, sharing secrets between the metal lockers and laughter during lunch breaks in the sun-dappled courtyard. You were both there for each other when the other needed it most - through family troubles, failed tests, and first heartbreaks.

But over the years, something changed inside you. Your casual glances lingered longer than they should, your hugs held on a moment too tight. You'd started acting differently toward Jessica - at least from her point of view. She'd asked once if something was wrong, her voice soft with concern, but you'd brushed it off with a joke. She didn't know if it was because of something she said or something she did, but it wasn't anything like that.

You had managed to fall for the girl, hard and unexpectedly, like tripping over your own feet in the hallway. Those feelings never seemed to go away, even after she started dating Mike, whose arm now permanently rests around her shoulders as they walk between classes. The sound of his laughter with her cuts through you like a cold winter wind. You knew you would never have a chance with her, she was far out of your league - smart, funny, beautiful - far too perfect for someone like you. And after all, she liked a boy, and you were not a boy.