The Girl in the Hoodie is Mine

Max POV:

The hell with Jason and his "I like Ella" crap. Who does he think he is, trying to dictate the rules now? Just because he was the first one to run his mouth doesn’t mean the rest of us have to step aside and cheer him on. No way.

I stared at him as he walked away after his whole self-righteous spiel about "calling off the bet" and "doing the right thing." Sure, Jason, you’re such a saint now. But let’s not forget, you were the one who dragged us into this whole mess in the first place.

The truth is, I like Ella too. Yeah, maybe I wouldn’t have even noticed her if it weren’t for Jason and his stupid plan, but that’s irrelevant now. She’s different—real, in a way that most people around here aren’t. She doesn’t fake a smile to get what she wants or pretend to be something she’s not. And that laugh of hers? God, it’s enough to make anyone stop in their tracks.

So yeah, I like her. And I’m not about to back off just because Jason thinks he has some claim over her. That’s not how this works.

As I leaned back against the tree, Dylan gave me a sidelong glance, clearly still processing everything Jason had said. "So, what now?" he asked, his voice low.

"What now?" I echoed, letting out a bitter laugh. "Now, the real competition begins."

Dylan frowned. "The bet’s off, Max. You heard him."

"Yeah, the *bet’s* off," I shot back, rolling my eyes. "That doesn’t mean we’re done here. It just means the stakes have changed. No yacht, no prize—just Ella. And I’m not stepping aside for Jason or anyone else."

Dylan gave me a long look, as if he was trying to decide whether to argue or agree. Finally, he shrugged. "Well, I’m not stepping aside either. She’s fair game."

I smirked, though my chest tightened at the thought. "Good. May the best man win."

Jason might think his little confession gives him a head start, but honestly, it’s probably what’s going to ruin his chances. Ella’s not the type to swoon over some dramatic, desperate declaration of love. If anything, he probably scared her off.

And thank God she didn’t accept him. That’s the silver lining here. If she had, maybe I’d feel a little guilty about wanting to go after her myself. But she didn’t. Which means she’s still single, still up for grabs, and still very much on my radar.

As Dylan and I made our way to class, my mind raced with possibilities. How do I get Ella to see me differently? How do I show her I’m not just some guy caught up in a stupid bet? Because that’s the real problem here—she doesn’t trust any of us.

And honestly, I can’t blame her.

Jason had the advantage of getting close to her first, of worming his way into her life under the guise of trying to "expose" her. But I have something Jason doesn’t: I see her for who she really is, not as some challenge or vendetta.

I don’t care about her being the hoodie girl or the waitress. I don’t care about her double life or whatever secrets she’s hiding. I care about *her*—the way her eyes light up when she’s genuinely happy, the way she doesn’t take crap from anyone, the way she somehow manages to be tough and vulnerable at the same time.

As the professor started droning on about something I couldn’t care less about, I caught myself glancing over at Ella. She was sitting at her usual spot, focused on her notebook, completely oblivious to the chaos she’d unknowingly stirred up.

Jason’s confession didn’t seem to faze her, which only made me like her more. She’s not the type to get caught up in drama or let her emotions control her. She’s grounded, and that’s rare around here.

I leaned back in my seat, letting out a slow breath. This isn’t going to be easy, but I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge. Jason might think he has the upper hand, but he doesn’t know me as well as he thinks he does. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

The bet might be over, but the competition has just begun. And I’m in it to win it.

Because Ella? She’s worth fighting for.

Dylan POV:

Fucking Jason. Of course, he’d pull a fast one on us. While Max and I were drowning in our misery, drinking ourselves into oblivion, he was out there confessing to Ella. Sneaky bastard.

But you know what? Served him right that she rejected him. Jason’s never been the serious type. Sure, he’s smooth, charming, and has that whole "golden boy" vibe going for him, but I’ve seen how he operates. Look at Amber, for example. Everyone thought they were endgame—hell, people even speculated they’d get engaged. And then what happened? He got bored. Lost interest. Dumped her like yesterday’s news the moment someone else caught his attention.

Now it’s Ella. She’s his shiny new toy, the one who piqued his interest. But what happens when someone else catches his eye? Will he drop Ella just as quickly? He probably hasn’t even thought about that because Jason doesn’t think long-term. He’s impulsive, reckless, and completely blind to the damage he leaves behind.

And Ella? She doesn’t deserve to be caught in Jason’s whirlwind of chaos. She’s not some fleeting fascination or passing phase. She’s real—grounded in a way that none of us deserve, least of all Jason.

I clenched my fists at the thought of him toying with her emotions. He’s already caused enough damage with that ridiculous bet of his, dragging us all into it. And now he expects us to just step aside? To let him have a clear path to her? Hell no.

I like Ella too.

Yeah, I said it. I don’t know when it happened—maybe it was the way she handled herself at the diner, refusing to take our crap, or maybe it was that rare smile I caught when she thought no one was looking. But somewhere along the line, she got under my skin. And now, I can’t stop thinking about her.

Unlike Jason, I know what I feel for her is real. It’s not some fleeting obsession or a game. I care about her, and I’m not going to stand by and watch Jason or Max mess with her feelings.

Max is another problem altogether. He’s stubborn, competitive, and just as determined as Jason to win Ella over. But the difference between Max and me is that Max sees this as a game—a competition to be won. He’s all about the chase, the thrill of coming out on top. But Ella isn’t a prize to be fought over. She’s a person, and if Max can’t see that, then he has no business being in this.

As for me? I’m not about to back down.

I leaned back against the bench, letting out a slow breath as I thought about everything that had happened in the last 24 hours. The bet was off, but things were far from settled. If anything, this was just the beginning.

Jason might have confessed first, but that doesn’t mean he gets to claim her. Ella hasn’t chosen anyone yet, which means I still have a chance. And I’m going to fight for her—for real, not as part of some stupid bet.

I’m not sure how or when I’ll make my move, but one thing’s for sure: I’m not giving up. Not on her. Not without a fight.

Because unlike Jason and Max, I’m in this for the long haul. And I’ll prove it to her, no matter what it takes.

Ella POV:

After a long, sleepless night of thinking about Jason’s confession, I finally dragged myself to school, my head still swirling with unanswered questions and unresolved feelings. The moment I stepped onto campus, though, I realized something was... off. Everyone kept looking at me like I was some sort of victim. Whispered conversations stopped abruptly as I passed by, and I could feel the weight of their stares burning into my back.

What the hell was going on now?

By lunchtime, I finally pieced it together. Apparently, the entire school thought Amber had done something shady to make me drop out of the competition. And to add fuel to the fire, her "apology" to the Kings family at her little press conference turned into a total disaster. From what I heard, she played it off like the whole incident was a joke—just some harmless fun between her and Jason. But the school wasn’t buying it, and her reputation took a nosedive faster than I could process.

I mean, wow.

Okay, let’s get one thing straight: Amber had nothing to do with my decision to drop out of the competition. She might be obnoxious, entitled, and completely out of touch, but she didn’t force me to do anything. The truth is, I made that decision for myself. But was I about to stand up and defend her? Hell no.

Let people think what they want. It’s not my job to fix her mess.

As long as their wild assumptions didn’t affect me, I was more than happy to stay out of it. Besides, it was kind of poetic justice. Amber had spent so much time trying to one-up me, and now she was the one under fire. The universe had a funny way of balancing the scales.

Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this whole situation was spiraling out of control. Everywhere I turned, people were talking about Amber. It wasn’t just the competition anymore—there were rumors about her family, her relationships, even her grades. It was like the school had collectively decided to tear her apart, piece by piece.

And Jason?

Don’t even get me started on him.

I groaned, leaning back against the cold metal of the locker. Jason and his stupid confession. His stupid words. "I like you... I thought you felt it too."

What was I supposed to do with that? Seriously, what was his endgame? Was I supposed to swoon and fall into his arms, forgetting everything he’d done? Because that wasn’t happening.

There was his constant need to push, to meddle, to make everything about him. And now, this? A confession? It felt like he was throwing his feelings at me, expecting me to catch them and carry the weight, like it was my responsibility to deal with them.

Well, newsflash: it’s not.

Jason and his feelings can go to hell for all I care.

Right now, my priority is me—my future. My dreams. I’ve worked too hard to let myself get distracted by some boy with a hero complex. Love, relationships, feelings... all of that can wait.

I slammed my locker shut, letting the sound echo down the hall. The whispers around me quieted for a moment, only to pick back up again as I walked away. Let them talk. Let them gossip. None of it mattered.

Because as far as I was concerned, the only thing that mattered was me.