The Girl in the Hoodie is Mine

Jason POV:

Great. Just great. Now I was stuck in the middle of this mess where not only was I competing with Ella’s walls of indifference, but also with my so-called friends. Friends who, as it turned out, had the nerve to like the same girl I did.

"You guys can’t pull this on me," I said, my voice sharp as I turned to Max and Dylan. "I told you—I already like her."

Max crossed his arms, his expression defiant. "Why do you get to have Ella, and we don’t? What makes you so special?"

"Because I already told her," I fired back, desperate to make them understand.

Max’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief. Dylan leaned forward, his face a mix of surprise and something else—maybe shock, maybe envy. "What?" Dylan asked. "You *told* her?"

"Yeah," I admitted, my voice quieter now.

"And?" Max pushed, his tone almost mocking. "Did she accept you, lover boy?"

I shook my head, frustration bubbling in my chest. "No," I muttered.

"Then I guess she’s still fair game, Jason," Dylan said, leaning back with a relieved smirk. His words cut deeper than I expected.

"Fair game?" I repeated, my voice rising. "I *told* her. I laid it out there. Doesn’t that count for something?"

Max scoffed. "If she didn’t say yes, then clearly it doesn’t. Besides, this isn’t about you, Jason. You don’t get to stake a claim on her just because you confessed. If anything, that just means you failed your shot."

The way he said it stung, like a slap to the face. I clenched my fists, trying to keep my composure. "I didn’t fail," I shot back. "She just... she needs time."

Dylan raised an eyebrow. "Time for what? To figure out if she likes *you*? Or to realize there are better options right in front of her?"

That hit a nerve. "Better options? You mean *you*?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"Why not?" Dylan said with a shrug. "Look, man, I’m not trying to start a fight, but let’s face it—Ella isn’t exactly throwing herself at you. If she’s not interested in you, why should Max or I back off? She’s not your girlfriend. You don’t own her."

I wanted to argue, to tell him he was wrong, but I couldn’t. Because deep down, I knew he was right. Ella wasn’t mine. She wasn’t anyone’s. And she didn’t owe me—or Max, or Dylan—anything.

Max smirked, clearly enjoying my silence. "See? Even you know it. So yeah, we’re all in this now. May the best man win."

"You’ve got to be kidding me," I said, running a hand through my hair.

"Nope," Max said. "And just so you know, I’m not holding back. Ella’s incredible, and I’m not about to give up on her just because you decided to grow a conscience about the bet."

Dylan nodded, his expression serious now. "Same here. I like her, Jason. I didn’t want to say anything before because of the bet, but now that it’s off the table... I’m going for it. Fair and square."

My stomach twisted. This was exactly what I was afraid of—this stupid competition turning into something real. And now, instead of backing off, they were doubling down.

"Do you guys even care about how she feels?" I snapped. "She’s not some prize to be won. This isn’t about who’s ’better’ for her or who can outdo the other. It’s about what *she* wants."

Max shrugged, unbothered. "And she’ll decide that. All I’m saying is, I’m not stepping aside just because you had a head start."

Dylan nodded in agreement. "Yeah. May the best man win."

I stared at them, anger simmering just beneath the surface. This wasn’t a game to me. Ella wasn’t some trophy. She was... everything. And now, the two people I’d considered my closest friends were ready to turn this into a war.

For a moment, I thought about walking away, about letting them have their stupid competition and staying out of it. But then I thought about Ella—her laugh, her fire, the way she made me feel like nothing else mattered.

No. I wasn’t going to walk away.

"Fine," I said, my voice cold and steady. "If that’s how you want to play it, go ahead. But don’t think for a second that I’m going to make this easy for either of you."

Max grinned, his confidence irritating as hell. "Wouldn’t expect anything less."

Dylan gave me a small nod, his expression unreadable.

As I walked away, my mind was racing. This wasn’t just about the bet anymore. This was personal. And if they thought they could just swoop in and take Ella away from me, they were in for a rude awakening.

Because as far as I was concerned, this wasn’t a game. And I wasn’t about to lose.

Amber POV:

Okay, so maybe this day wasn’t a complete disaster after all. Sure, the morning was a train wreck, and people still couldn’t stop talking about that stupid press conference. But as I was walking past one of the campus courtyards on my way to lunch, something stopped me dead in my tracks—a heated argument.

Jason. Max. Dylan.

My curiosity piqued. These three rarely argued in public. Jason was usually the one trying to keep the peace between the other two, but this... this sounded different. Something was off, and I couldn’t help myself.

I slipped behind the hedge, out of sight, and leaned in closer to catch what they were saying.

"I want to end the stupid bet," Jason’s voice came through loud and clear, firm and unwavering.

A bet? My ears perked up. What bet?

"You can’t just call it off because you’ve suddenly grown a conscience," Max shot back, his tone dripping with irritation.

Jason let out a frustrated groan. "It’s not about that, Max. I told you—I like Ella. This isn’t a game to me anymore."

Ella. Of course, it’s always about Ella. My hands clenched at my sides. That little waitress had caused nothing but trouble since the moment she entered our lives. And now, apparently, she was at the center of some kind of bet?

Dylan chimed in, his voice calm but with a hint of frustration. "Look, Jason, we all like her, okay? You don’t get to call the shots here just because you confessed to her first. If she hasn’t chosen you, then it’s fair game for the rest of us."

My breath caught in my throat. All three of them liked her? Oh, this was just too rich.

Jason’s voice turned cold. "This isn’t about who ’gets’ her. It’s about doing the right thing. The bet is over, and you both need to back off."

Max laughed, a harsh, bitter sound. "You think ending the bet erases what we did? Newsflash, Jason—it doesn’t. And don’t act like you’re innocent in all of this. You came up with it and agreed to it just like we did."

Jason didn’t respond right away, and I could practically feel the tension crackling in the air.

"I’m done with the bet," he finally said, his voice low but resolute. "I’m not playing this game anymore."

A smirk crept onto my face. This was golden. But as juicy as their little confession session was, I knew I couldn’t record everything. No need to incriminate myself by being too thorough. Besides, the most important part—the bet—was already mine to keep.

Sliding my phone out of my bag, I hit record just as Dylan said, "The bet was stupid anyway. I don’t even know why we agreed to it in the first place."

"Oh, please," Max shot back. "Don’t act like you weren’t all in when we made it. You wanted that yacht as much as I did."

The yacht? What kind of bet involves a yacht? I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. These idiots just handed me a weapon on a silver platter.

"You’re missing the point," Jason said, exasperated. "This isn’t about the yacht or the bet anymore. It’s about Ella."

At that, I ended the recording. I didn’t need their love-struck confessions clogging up my phone. The part about the bet was more than enough.

Tucking my phone back into my bag, I stepped away quietly before they could notice me. My heart raced with excitement as I headed toward the cafeteria.

This was perfect. Absolutely perfect.

I didn’t know when I was going to use it yet, but one thing was for sure—I would use it. Jason, Max, and Dylan thought they could just ignore me and fawn over that little waitress? Fine. Let them have their fun for now.

But when the time was right, I’d remind everyone exactly who Amber was. This recording was my ace, and I wasn’t going to waste it.

Ella thought she’d humiliated me. Jason thought he could brush me aside. Max and Dylan thought they could ignore me completely.

They were all wrong.

With a smirk on my face, I slid into my usual spot at the cafeteria, barely noticing the whispers that followed me. Let them talk. Let them judge.

Because when the time came, I’d make sure everyone knew exactly what kind of person Ella really was. And Jason? Max? Dylan? They wouldn’t stand a chance.