The Girl in the Hoodie is Mine

Jason’s POV:

Whoa. Back it off a bit. Did I hear that right? Did Ella just turn down the offer to compete with Amber for the final position? What the hell is going on here?

Okay, so yeah, maybe we irritated her by following her around all day. She wasn’t exactly thrilled about the attention she got because of it, but was that really enough to make her drop out? Amber’s absence from school had taken up most of the gossip anyway, so it wasn’t like people were paying that much attention to us hanging around Ella. No, there had to be something more.

I ran through everything that had happened recently, every moment with her, trying to figure out if I’d done something—something I wasn’t aware of—that could have pushed her to this point. She was so close to winning. I’d seen her work, gone over it more times than I’d care to admit. It was detailed, insightful, and completely original. I’d planned on choosing her, not because I wanted to score points with her, or because I’m... interested (not that I’d admit that to anyone), but because she deserved it.

Amber, on the other hand? We all knew she didn’t do her work herself. Too lazy, too entitled. Her project was a mess—a bunch of ideas that felt like they came from multiple people, slapped together with zero focus. Nothing about it reflected the level of dedication Ella had poured into hers. Choosing Ella was the right call, and it would’ve been the easiest decision I’d make all year.

I found myself staring at Ella as she calmly packed up her things, acting like what she’d just done was no big deal. I couldn’t believe it. She’d thrown away her shot without a second thought, like it didn’t matter. But why?

As soon as the lecture ended, Ella was ready to bolt. I watched her quickly pack up, practically radiating with a "don’t talk to me" vibe. But there was no way I was letting her just walk out without an explanation. I stood up and blocked her path, barely giving her a second to react before Max and Dylan were right there, both turning to her with identical expressions of disbelief.

"Are you mad?" Max blurted, his voice dripping with frustration and confusion. Thank you at least I wasn’t alone in this, throwing me a glance as if I were his backup. "Why the hell did you pull out when you were so close?"

Dylan’s brow furrowed, and he folded his arms, giving her a look that practically screamed What are you thinking?

Ella, though, didn’t seem fazed. She looked up at us, her eyes cool and unreadable, like this whole thing wasn’t even worth discussing. It was almost infuriating.

She shrugged, her lips pressed together in a flat line. "Because I don’t need it," she said simply. "I’d rather get there on my own terms."

I opened my mouth to respond, but something in her expression stopped me. There was a stubbornness there, a steely resolve that made it clear she wasn’t going to be swayed. But behind that, I caught a flicker of something else—maybe hurt, maybe defiance. Whatever it was, it ran deeper than pride.

"Ella," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, trying not to let the frustration slip through. "You worked hard for this. This isn’t about taking a shortcut or relying on anyone else. You deserve this spot because you earned it."

She looked away, shifting her weight, and for a second, I thought I saw her guard drop. But just as quickly, her walls were back up.

"Not if people think I only got it because I’m close to you," she replied, her voice softer, almost resigned.

Dylan let out an exasperated sigh. "So you’re just gonna let Amber walk away with it?"

"Amber can have it," Ella said sharply, her eyes flashing as she met each of our gazes. "She can have her fake victory and her empty praise. I know what I’m worth."

With that, she sidestepped us, leaving all three of us standing there, stunned and silent as she disappeared out the door.

MAX POV:

What the hell is this girl thinking? I was practically fuming as I watched Ella stride out of the room. I couldn’t believe what I’d just witnessed. She was so close to winning that contract—a golden ticket, not just for the prestige, but for the chance to work with LBJ Company. And she just... threw it away. Was she running mad?

This contract was a big deal. Even if Jason happened to be the CEO, that didn’t change the fact that working with LBJ would’ve opened so many doors for her. Hell, the money alone would’ve been life-changing. She wouldn’t have to work at that diner every night, looking exhausted. She could’ve ditched that dead-end job and actually had the means to support herself properly, maybe even live a little. So what was going on in that head of hers?

Then again... maybe my suspicions were right. Maybe Ella already had someone supporting her. I’d seen her in that designer dress at the party, looking like she’d walked out of a luxury magazine spread. That wasn’t something just anyone could afford, and it certainly didn’t scream "waitress budget." So what was the deal? Did she have a sponsor or something? Someone with serious cash who could buy her fancy gowns and smooth over her bills? If that was the case, maybe she didn’t need this contract at all.

But... no. That didn’t sit right with me. Ella wasn’t the type to rely on anyone, let alone some mysterious "sponsor." She was proud, stubbornly so. I mean, this is the girl who would rather quit than let people think she got handed something because of a connection. That was half the reason she’d backed out in the first place, wasn’t it? Because she didn’t want anyone whispering that she’d only won because she was close to Jason.

Still, I couldn’t shake the frustration gnawing at me. She deserved that contract. She’d earned it fair and square. And now, Amber—the girl who probably bought her work from someone else—was going to walk away with it by default. It was maddening.

I glanced at Jason and Dylan, both still standing there, looking as stunned as I felt. None of us could make sense of it, and knowing Ella, she wasn’t about to explain herself anytime soon. But I wasn’t about to let this go. No way. She’d worked too hard to throw everything away just because of some stupid pride.

With that, I made up my mind. If she thought she could get rid of me so easily, she was in for a surprise.

DYLAN POV:

I knew Ella was stubborn and hot-headed. That much was obvious from day one, and by now, I thought I’d seen just about everything she had to throw at us. But this? This was next-level. I was used to her throwing curveballs, but this one had come out of nowhere and hit me square in the chest.

Backing out of the competition? She had to be kidding. She was practically guaranteed to win. Amber didn’t stand a chance—not in a million years. I mean, let’s face it, Amber’s work had "bought and paid for" written all over it. The board probably wouldn’t have even looked twice at it if Ella hadn’t backed out. So why on earth would she step down now?

Damn, Ella had guts. A twisted kind of courage, even, to just walk away from something so huge. From where she was, that contract with LBJ was a ticket to everything she was working for. It would’ve boosted her up the ladder, given her connections, money—everything she could’ve asked for. And yet, she just threw it all away. I couldn’t decide if she was plain stupid or stupidly brave, but either way, it floored me.

What could be going on in that mind of hers? I’d spent months observing her, learning her quirks, catching all those little moments she probably thought went unnoticed. And from all I’d seen, she wasn’t the type to give up, especially not when she was so close to the finish line. She was competitive, determined, and even if she didn’t want to admit it, she wanted to win just as much as anyone else—maybe more. So, why walk away now?

I looked over at Jason and Max, both staring after her with equally bewildered expressions. Jason looked like someone had just punched him. He’d been ready to hand her the contract himself, and he knew as well as I did that she deserved it. But Ella? She wasn’t the type to accept something if she thought there was even the slightest chance people would think she hadn’t earned it fair and square. That had to be part of it—she’d probably rather walk away than let anyone think she’d won because of Jason’s say-so. But that was insane! She’d worked her butt off for this; she had earned it, more than anyone else in this whole damn school.

Part of me was angry at her, furious that she’d throw everything away over what other people might think. But another part of me couldn’t help but be impressed. She had her principles, however wild and illogical they might seem. In her own, stubborn, headstrong way, she was staying true to herself, even if it meant giving up the very thing she’d fought for.