You Were Never Supposed to Notice Me.

Chapter 3: Rumors and Revelations

The next morning, Maya knew something was wrong the moment she stepped through the front doors of Westbrook High.

Conversations stopped as she walked past.

Students glanced in her direction before whispering to each other.

Some smiled.

Others pulled out their phones.

Maya frowned.

“Why is everyone staring at me?”

She tightened her grip on her backpack and hurried toward her locker.

Just as she reached it, Ava came running down the hallway.

“Maya!”

She was almost out of breath.

“Have you checked your phone?”

Maya blinked.

“No... why?”

Ava held up her screen.

A picture filled the display.

It was Maya and Noah sitting together in the library yesterday, laughing over their project.

Across the top, someone had written:

⚠️ Westbrook’s New Couple? 👀❤️

Maya’s eyes widened.

“What?!”

“I know!” Ava said. “It’s all over the school group chat.”

“I can’t believe this.”

Before Maya could say anything else, Jason appeared beside them.

He looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh.

“Noah’s getting teased by the whole basketball team.”

Maya covered her face with her hands.

“This is so embarrassing.”

Jason grinned.

“I told him this would happen.”

“You told him?”

“I may have warned him that sitting in the library smiling at the new girl wasn’t exactly subtle.”

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.”

When English class began, Maya avoided looking toward Noah.

She slid into her seat and opened her notebook.

A moment later, Noah sat beside her.

For several seconds, neither of them spoke.

Finally...

“I’m sorry.”

Maya looked up.

“For what?”

“The rumors.”

“You didn’t start them.”

“I know... but I feel bad that you’re getting dragged into all of this.”

Maya sighed.

“I’ve had worse first weeks.”

Noah laughed softly.

“That’s one way to look at it.”

She smiled.

“It’s not your fault.”

For the first time that morning, the awkwardness disappeared.

After class, Mr. Harris reminded everyone about the semester project.

“You’ll give your first progress update next Friday.”

Groans echoed around the room.

Jason leaned over his desk.

“I haven’t even started.”

Mr. Harris smiled.

“Then I’d suggest you start today.”

The class laughed.

Later that afternoon, Maya and Noah met in the library again.

This time, they chose a quieter corner.

“I think we should split the work,” Maya suggested.

“Good idea.”

She opened her notebook.

“I’ll research the history.”

“I’ll make the presentation.”

“Deal.”

As they worked, the conversation drifted away from school.

“So...” Noah asked.

“What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not studying?”

Maya smiled.

“I write.”

“You write?”

“Stories.”

His eyes lit up.

“Seriously?”

She nodded.

“I’ve loved writing since I was little.”

“What kind?”

“Mostly romance.”

Noah smiled.

“I didn’t expect that.”

“What did you expect?”

“I don’t know...”

He laughed.

“You just seem like someone who secretly writes mystery novels.”

Maya laughed so hard she nearly dropped her pencil.

“And what about you?”

He shrugged.

“Basketball... video games... music.”

“You play an instrument?”

“Guitar.”

“No way.”

“I’ll prove it someday.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

As they packed up their things, dark clouds rolled across the sky.

The rain began almost instantly.

“I forgot my umbrella,” Maya groaned.

“So did I.”

They stood under the library entrance watching the heavy rain pour onto the sidewalks.

“My mom won’t be here for another twenty minutes,” Maya said.

Noah looked around.

“Come on.”

He pulled a small umbrella from his backpack.

“You had one the whole time?”

“My mom made me take it.”

Maya laughed.

“Smart woman.”

The umbrella wasn’t very big.

As they walked toward the parking lot, their shoulders brushed every few steps.

Neither of them moved away.

Neither of them seemed to mind.

From across the parking lot...

Someone watched.

Chloe Bennett.

She had seen everything.

The picture in the library.

Now this.

Her expression hardened.

“So...”

She folded her arms.

“The new girl thinks she can take Noah away from me?”

A slow smile appeared on her face.

“We’ll see about that.”

She turned and walked away.

Maya and Noah had no idea someone had been watching them.

But Chloe was already planning her next move.

And by the end of the week...

Westbrook High would never be the same.

End of Chapter 3

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