The Girl in the Hoodie is Mine

Max POV:

There’s no way Ella agreed to go with Jason to the party. I mean, I know Jason has his ways, but Ella? The same girl Dylan and I had spent the entire day pleading with, only to get a hard no at every turn? Yeah, right.

What were the chances of her saying yes to Jason? They hadn’t even gone on a single date! Dylan and I had both taken her out, and Jason had only started sitting with her last week. One week! There’s no way he could’ve charmed her that quickly. Ella’s not the type to fall for him just like that, especially since she didn’t even like him in the beginning.

I wasn’t mad about the stupid bet—I was jealous. Furious, even. Why did she have to choose him and not me? I thought we connected during our date. Or maybe that was just me. Maybe I read it all wrong...

But I wanted her. She was the only girl who saw me for who I really was, beneath the flirty, jokey surface. She didn’t feel repulsed by me like others did. Ugh, no, Jason has to be lying. There’s no way she picked him over me. Not after what I thought we had.

Oh shit. This whole bet thing—it just got way too personal. I was involved with the pawn of the bet. And worse, I actually liked her. This wasn’t just about some dumb competition anymore.

I’m in deep. Really deep. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Fuck. This thing is going to blow up in all of our faces. I can feel it.

Dylan POV:

I couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that hit me after Jason’s message. I stared at the screen, rereading his smug text. He claimed victory, but I wasn’t ready to hand it over to him. Not now, not ever.

No way. She wouldn’t just agree that easily. Not the Ella I’ve come to know, the one who never made things simple for anyone. Jason must’ve done something, pulled some trick. But this bet wasn’t about who got her to some stupid party—it was about her. And I wasn’t about to give up without a fight.

I quickly texted him back, reminding him that it wasn’t just about the party. It was never about winning that boat or proving something to the guys. I liked Ella long before this whole thing spiraled into a competition. I was the first one to notice her, the first one intrigued by her. Jason only came up with his stupid bet because of a stupid accident and he wanted to get back at the silly waitress, but who was to know that the silly waitress was one person with the hoodie girl who had captured my attention. if I had known she was the same person I wouldn’t have agreed to that damn bet. I would have stood up for her....would have refused Jason from turning her into a damn bet.....

And maybe I was a coward for not stepping up sooner. I didn’t have Jason’s confidence, his swagger, but I felt something for her. It wasn’t just a game for me.

But now? Now I had to up my game. Jason might have convinced her to be his plus one, but that’s just the party. It didn’t mean he had her heart. And that’s where I still had a chance.

I wasn’t going to let Jason win this. Not with Ella. I wanted her for real—not as part of some bet, but because I liked her.

I still have time, I told myself. Jason may have gotten her to say yes to the party, but it wasn’t over. Not yet.

Ella POV:

Something was definitely off with those three musketeers. Max and Dylan were acting weird—like, really weird. Every time I caught them looking at me, there was this strange mix of disappointment, hurt, and something else I couldn’t quite place. It was almost like I’d let them down somehow. But what had I done? Last I checked, I wasn’t anyone’s responsibility, and I sure as hell wasn’t out to hurt anyone.

And then there was Jason. Good ol’ Jason. If there was a word for whatever was going on with him, I couldn’t find it. Happy? Excited? Smug? I had no idea what switch flipped in his brain, but the guy was practically radiating positive energy. It was like he had taken some kind of happy pill, grinning ear to ear as if he’d won a lottery.

Was he always like this? I mean, sure, Jason had his moments, but today he was acting like he was on top of the world. And I couldn’t figure out why.

The way those three were acting, it was like they were all part of some inside joke—one that I clearly wasn’t in on. But then again, maybe I didn’t care enough to be. Whatever was going on with them, it wasn’t my problem. As long as I could focus on the competition and avoid unnecessary drama, I’d be fine. They could keep their weird looks and their happy pills for all I cared.

As long as it didn’t interfere with me getting my stuff together for the LBJ party and keeping my face off the front pages, everything was going to be just fine. At least, I hoped so.

The shift in dynamics between Max, Dylan, and Jason was almost laughable if it weren’t so strange. Max and Dylan, who were usually the happy-go-lucky duo, always cracking jokes and lightening up the room, now looked like they were carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. And Jason? Mr. Gloomy himself? He was practically glowing—like he had sucked up all their happiness, leaving Max and Dylan with nothing but his leftover gloom.

It was bizarre, really. Watching them all mope while Jason strutted around like he’d won some kind of personal victory. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Jason had swapped places with them on some emotional level, and now Max and Dylan were the ones trapped in some dark mood. It made no sense, but it was hard to miss.

And then there was Amber. Floating around in her own little bubble, seemingly untouched by any of it, like nothing in the world could bring her down. She was probably riding high on whatever devious plan she had cooked up for the competition. She always seemed to be on cloud nine, blissfully unaware of anything going on around her that didn’t involve her own reflection.

Honestly, between the three musketeers’ weird emotional switch-up and Amber’s self-satisfied smirk, this party was turning into a soap opera. It was like the pressure of the upcoming LBJ event was messing with everyone’s heads—emotions all over the place, people acting out of character, and me stuck right in the middle of it, trying to keep my sanity.

Great, I thought to myself. Just what I needed—a bunch of emotionally scrambled partygoers on the brink of whatever drama was about to unfold.