3rd POV:

The sound of the alarm clock shattered the peaceful silence of Rosie's bedroom. She groaned, blindly reaching out from under her blankets to slam the snooze button. The warmth of her bed was too tempting to leave, but reality didn't care.

It was Monday. Again.

With a reluctant sigh, she pushed herself up, her hair a tangled mess from tossing and turning. Rubbing her eyes, she sat at the edge of her bed, staring at the floor as if willing time to slow down just a little bit.

The weekend had gone by way too fast. Between shopping for her Halloween costume, the coffee date with her mom, and a cozy movie night with her dad and sister, it had been one of the better weekends. But now, it was back to school, and the long week ahead felt exhausting just thinking about it.

She finally forced herself to stand, stretching her arms above her head before shuffling toward her dresser. Digging through her clothes, she settled on a pair of high-waisted jeans, a fitted sweater, and her favorite sneakers. Comfortable, cute, and warm enough for the crisp autumn air outside.

As she brushed her hair in front of the mirror, she caught sight of the jacket draped over her chair. Johnny's jacket.

Her stomach did a small flip before she quickly shook her head. Nope. Not thinking about that this morning.

Grabbing her bag, she made her way downstairs, the smell of fresh coffee already filling the kitchen.

Her mom was sitting at the table, sipping from her mug while flipping through the newspaper.

"Morning, sweetheart," her mom greeted without looking up.

"Morning," Rosie mumbled, heading straight for the fridge to grab some orange juice.

Her mom finally glanced at her. "You look tired. Didn't sleep well?"

Rosie shrugged, pouring herself a glass. "I stayed up too late. Movie night."

Her mom gave her a knowing look. "Told you that last horror movie was a bad idea."

"It wasn't that scary," Rosie defended, taking a sip of her juice.

Her mom chuckled before closing the newspaper. "So, what's the plan for today? Anything exciting?"

Rosie leaned against the counter, thinking. "Not really. Just school... and decorating for the Halloween dance after classes."

Her mom smiled. "That sounds fun. Are you excited for the dance?"

Rosie hesitated, feeling heat creep up her neck. "Yeah, I guess."

Her mom smirked. "That wasn't very convincing. You sure there isn't someone special you're looking forward to seeing there?"

Rosie rolled her eyes. "Mom, please."

"Hey, I'm just asking!"

"And I'm just saying, no."

Her mom raised her hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. No teasing—this time."

Rosie shook her head, hiding a small smile as she finished her juice and grabbed a piece of toast. Checking the clock, she realized she needed to get going.

"Alright, I'm heading out," she said, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

Her mom stood and kissed the top of her head. "Drive safe. And have a good day."

"Will do," Rosie said before stepping out the door.

The chilly morning air was a sharp contrast to the warmth of the house. She pulled her sweater sleeves over her hands as she walked down the driveway toward her car. The trees lining the street were ablaze with orange and red leaves, a sign that autumn was in full swing. The crisp smell of fallen leaves mixed with the faint scent of rain still lingering from the night before.

It was one of those perfect fall mornings that made her wish she didn't have to spend it sitting in a classroom.

After getting into her car, she turned on the radio, humming along to an upbeat song as she made her way to school. The drive wasn't long, but it gave her enough time to mentally prepare for the day ahead.

----

Pulling into the student parking lot, Rosie sighed as she spotted the usual morning chaos—students chatting in groups, some rushing to finish last-minute homework, and others just hanging around, avoiding the inevitable start of the school day.

She parked her car and grabbed her bag, stepping out into the cool air.

As she walked toward the entrance, she spotted Ali waving at her near the lockers, practically bouncing on her feet.

"Rosie!" Ali called.

Rosie smiled, quickening her pace. "Morning to you too."

Ali grinned. "I have so much to tell you!"

"Do I need coffee for this?" Rosie joked.

"Probably," Ali laughed before looping her arm through Rosie's. "So, Daniel officially asked me to the dance!"

Rosie gasped dramatically. "No way! Who could've possibly seen that coming?"

Ali smacked her arm playfully. "Shut up! I'm serious, I think it's going to be really fun."

Rosie smiled. "I'm happy for you."

Before Ali could respond, a familiar voice interrupted.

"Well, well, if it isn't my favorite girl."

Rosie turned to see Johnny leaning casually against the lockers, arms crossed, smirking like he had all the time in the world.

"Are you talking to me or Ali?" Rosie teased.

Johnny chuckled. "Princess, you already know the answer to that."

Ali gave him a look. "Wow, bold this early in the morning."

"Just calling it like I see it," Johnny said with a shrug. Then, looking at Rosie, he added, "You look cute today."

Rosie rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched upward. "Are you giving out compliments now?"

Johnny smirked. "Only when they're deserved."

Ali groaned. "Okay, I cannot handle this level of flirting before first period. I'm out of here."

Rosie laughed as Ali walked off, mumbling something about needing to mentally prepare for English class.

Johnny watched her go before turning back to Rosie. "So, you're decorating the gym after school, right?"

"Yeah, why?" Rosie asked.

Johnny shrugged. "Guess I'll have to stick around then."

Rosie raised an eyebrow. "You? Volunteering to help?"

"Sure, why not?" he said, smirking. "Besides, someone's gotta make sure you don't fall off any ladders."

Rosie scoffed. "I can take care of myself."

"Uh-huh. We'll see about that," Johnny teased before pushing off the lockers. "See you later, Monroe."

With that, he strolled off down the hall, leaving Rosie standing there, shaking her head but unable to stop the small smile on her face.

She had a feeling today was going to be interesting.

----

The bell rang, and Rosie sighed as she grabbed her books from her locker. Another school day, another round of classes that felt like they dragged on forever.

She spotted Susan already seated in their usual spot in the middle row of the classroom, twirling her pen between her fingers with an expression that said I'd rather be anywhere but here.

Susan waved Rosie over. "Took you long enough."

Rosie slid into the seat beside her. "I was mentally preparing for another thrilling Shakespeare discussion."

Susan groaned. "If I have to hear the word 'fate' or 'tragic flaw' one more time, I might lose my mind."

Before Rosie could respond, the teacher clapped his hands, signaling for the class to settle. "Alright, everyone, today we're diving into Romeo and Juliet. Since I'm sure all of you completed your reading—"

Susan snorted. Rosie fought back a laugh.

"—we're going to discuss how their impulsive decisions led to their downfall."

Susan leaned closer and whispered, "Speaking of impulsive decisions... I think Tommy is cute."

Rosie blinked, thrown off for a second. "Wait—Tommy? Tommy ?"

Susan smirked. "What other Tommy do we know?"

Rosie raised an eyebrow. "The same Tommy who makes fun of literally everyone?"

Susan rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. He's not that bad. And let's be honest, he's kinda hot."

Rosie snickered. "This is new. Since when do you have a thing for bad boys?"

Susan shrugged. "I don't... usually. But have you seen him lately? He has that whole messy-haired, confident smirk thing going on."

Rosie gave her a look. "So that's your type now?"

Susan grinned. "I'm just saying... he's not not my type."

Before Rosie could tease her more, the teacher suddenly called her name.

"Rosie, do you think Romeo's impulsiveness was his downfall?"

Rosie, who had been paying more attention to Susan's crush confession than the lesson, quickly scrambled for an answer. "Uh... yeah, sure. But also, Juliet wasn't exactly thinking things through either, so maybe they were both doomed."

Susan stifled a laugh, and the teacher gave Rosie a long look before nodding. "Interesting perspective."

As soon as he turned away, Susan whispered, "That was the most vague answer ever."

Rosie grinned. "And yet, it worked."

Susan shook her head. "You're lucky he wasn't really listening."

The rest of the lesson dragged on, with a few students actually participating while the rest tried to stay awake. By the time the bell rang, Rosie was more than ready to escape.

As they packed up, Susan stretched and sighed. "If we have to write another essay about love, I swear I'm going to start making things up just to mess with him."

Rosie smirked. "Please write about how Romeo actually had a secret twin brother who was the real mastermind behind everything."

Susan grinned. "Don't tempt me."

As they walked into the hallway, Rosie nudged Susan. "So, Tommy, huh?"

Susan rolled her eyes but smiled. "Shut up."

Rosie laughed. "Oh, this is going to be fun."

----

By the time the final bell rang, the school buzzed with excitement. Halloween was only a few days away, which meant one thing—decorating the school was officially on.

Rosie stretched as she left her last class, heading toward the gym where volunteers were gathering. The halls were already filled with students carrying fake cobwebs, paper bats, and orange-and-black streamers. The whole place was slowly transforming into a haunted wonderland.

She spotted Ali near the entrance, adjusting a banner that read Spooky Spectacular! in bold, glittery letters.

"Finally!" Ali grinned as Rosie walked up. "I thought you ditched me."

Rosie laughed. "Please, like I'd leave you to wrestle with glitter on your own."

Ali rolled her eyes. "You say that, but I saw you hesitate."

Before Rosie could respond, a familiar voice cut in. "You two gonna gossip all day or actually help?"

Rosie turned to see Johnny standing nearby, arms crossed, an amused smirk on his face.

Her heart did a little flip, but she ignored it. Secret dating means acting normal.

Ali raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you volunteer for school events?"

Johnny shrugged. "Since I heard Rosie was helping."

Rosie shot him a warning look, but he just smirked.

Ali rolled her eyes. "Well, if you're here to help, grab those pumpkins and put them by the stage."

Johnny mock-saluted. "Yes, ma'am."

As he walked off, Ali turned back to Rosie. "He's so obvious."

Rosie kept her expression neutral. "No idea what you're talking about."

Ali narrowed her eyes. "Uh-huh. Sure."

Before Ali could push further, Mr. Cooper, the event coordinator, clapped his hands. "Alright, listen up! We have a lot to do before this place looks halfway decent for Friday's dance. If you don't have a task, come see me!"

Rosie found herself assigned to hanging fake cobwebs around the staircases and windows. She grabbed a bag of decorations and made her way to the main hallway, only to find Johnny already waiting, leaning against the wall.

"Need help?" he asked casually.

She crossed her arms. "Are you actually offering, or just looking for an excuse to flirt?"

He smirked. "Can't it be both?"

Rosie rolled her eyes but handed him some cobwebs. "Fine. But no slacking."

They worked in silence for a moment, draping the fake webs across the stair rails and windowsills. Rosie stood on her tiptoes, trying to reach a high corner, but it was just out of her grasp.

Johnny chuckled. "Need a lift, Monroe?"

She shot him a glare. "I got it."

But before she could try again, Johnny stepped closer, placing a steady hand on her waist and grabbing the cobweb from her hand.

"Relax," he murmured. "I got it."

Rosie felt her face heat up but stayed still as he easily reached up and draped the decoration.

"Show-off," she muttered.

Johnny grinned. "You love it."

She turned away before he could see her smile.

The rest of the decorating went smoothly, with students setting up a haunted hallway, a fog machine near the entrance, and a massive pumpkin display in the cafeteria.

At some point, Rosie found herself on a ladder, taping up plastic bats near the ceiling. Johnny stood below, holding the ladder steady.

"Try not to fall," he teased.

Rosie rolled her eyes. "Oh, wow, thanks for the advice."

As she stretched to stick another bat on the ceiling, she felt the ladder wobble slightly.

Johnny's hands immediately tightened on the sides. "I got you," he said, more serious this time.

Rosie looked down at him, their eyes locking for just a moment.

"Thanks," she said softly.

Johnny smirked. "No problem, Monroe."

After what felt like hours of work, Mr. Cooper finally dismissed them.

Rosie sighed in relief, stretching out her sore arms. "I swear, if I see another fake spider, I'm going to lose it."

Johnny chuckled. "So, do I get a reward for all my hard work?"

She gave him a look. "You want a trophy?"

"Nah." He leaned in slightly. "Just a kiss."

Rosie's eyes widened, and she quickly glanced around. "Johnny!"

He laughed. "Relax, no one's paying attention."

She shook her head. "You're impossible."

He grinned. "And you love it."

Rosie rolled her eyes but couldn't fight back her smile.

"See you at the dance, Monroe."

As he walked off, Rosie sighed.

This secret thing is going to be harder than I thought.

Author Note:
From Rosie's morning to decorating the school, this chapter had fun moments—flirting, teasing, and a little suspense! Johnny holding the ladder was a favorite. Let me know your thoughts! And don't forget to vote, much love 🫶🏼

All words: 2135