It was a crisp Monday morning at John Quincy Adams High, and Camille was feeling lighter than she had in weeks. Her conversation with Josh had cleared the air between them, and ever since, things had felt easy and comfortable. They hadn’t labeled what they were yet, but the small, thoughtful gestures—like the way Josh would wait for her after class or the way his hand would sometimes brush against hers—said enough. She was happy.

As Camille made her way down the crowded hallway, she spotted Riley and Maya near their lockers. She smiled to herself, feeling a surge of excitement for the day ahead, but then her attention was caught by a new face leaning against the wall beside them—a tall, athletic guy with messy blond hair and a confident smile.

Riley waved her over. “Camille! Come meet Lucas!”

Camille walked over, intrigued. Lucas gave her a charming smile as she approached. “You must be Camille. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Camille raised an eyebrow, glancing at Riley, who was practically beaming. “Oh yeah? All good things, I hope.”

“Definitely,” Lucas said with an easy grin. “Riley and Maya have been telling me about their model friend who just moved back from Milan.”

Camille laughed, feeling a bit shy under his attention. “Well, I guess that’s me. It’s nice to meet you.”

Lucas nodded, his gaze lingering on her a moment longer than she expected. “The pleasure’s mine.”

Camille felt a flicker of something—maybe surprise—at how smooth he was. She wasn’t used to guys being so upfront, especially not around Riley and Maya, who were usually the ones making all the noise. But Lucas seemed calm, collected, and very confident.

As they chatted, Riley launched into an enthusiastic story about something that happened in class earlier, but Camille found herself distracted. She could feel Lucas’s eyes on her, not in a creepy way, but enough to make her aware of his presence. It was a strange shift in the dynamic, but she brushed it off.

Just then, Josh appeared at the end of the hallway, weaving through the throng of students. His face lit up when he spotted Camille, but as he drew closer, his gaze shifted to Lucas, who was standing a little too close to her for his liking. Josh’s smile faltered slightly.

“Hey, Camille,” Josh greeted, his voice easy, but his eyes lingering on Lucas for just a second longer than usual.

Camille smiled at him, feeling the familiar warmth of his presence. “Hey, Josh. This is Lucas, by the way. He’s new here.”

Lucas extended his hand to Josh with a friendly smile. “Nice to meet you, man.”

Josh shook his hand, but there was something guarded in his expression that Camille hadn’t seen before. “Yeah, nice to meet you too.”

The air between them felt slightly tense, and Camille wasn’t sure why. Lucas seemed perfectly nice, and Josh wasn’t the jealous type—at least, he hadn’t been before. But there was definitely something simmering beneath the surface.

Maya noticed it too and shot Camille a knowing look. “So, Lucas, you’re from Texas, right? What brought you all the way to New York?”

Lucas smiled, launching into a story about how his family had moved for work. But Camille wasn’t listening anymore. She was watching Josh, who had subtly positioned himself a little closer to her, like he was staking some kind of claim.

Camille gave him a curious glance, her eyebrows raised. Josh caught her look and gave her a quick smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. She could tell something was bothering him.

As Lucas wrapped up his story, the group began to disperse, heading to their next classes. Camille fell into step beside Josh, who remained quiet as they walked down the hall together.

“Hey,” Camille said, nudging him lightly. “You okay?”

Josh shrugged, though his expression softened slightly as he looked at her. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just… new guy, huh?”

Camille narrowed her eyes playfully. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Josh gave a small laugh but didn’t meet her gaze directly. “I don’t know. He seems… nice.”

“Nice?” Camille repeated, sensing there was more behind his words. “Josh, you’ve barely said two words to him. What’s going on?”

Josh stopped walking, turning to face her, and Camille saw the flicker of protectiveness in his eyes. “It’s nothing, really. I just… I saw the way he was looking at you.”

Camille’s heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t expected Josh to be so direct. “And? What if he was looking at me?”

Josh hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck like he was trying to figure out how to say what he was feeling. “Look, I’m not trying to be that guy, but it’s different with Lucas. He’s confident, and I can tell he’s interested. I just don’t want him to… you know, cross any lines.”

Camille crossed her arms, a teasing smile playing on her lips. “Are you saying you’re jealous?”

Josh met her gaze, his eyes softening as he sighed. “I guess I am, a little. I’m not used to guys just… hitting on you in front of me.”

Camille’s smile widened, her heart swelling at the sight of him being so open. “You don’t have to worry about Lucas. I’m not interested in him like that.”

Josh’s expression relaxed slightly, but there was still that flicker of protectiveness in his eyes. “I know, but I can’t help it. I care about you, Camille. And seeing someone else trying to get your attention… it’s hard not to react.”

Camille reached out and gently took his hand, squeezing it. “You don’t have to worry. I’m here with you.”

Josh’s smile finally returned, more genuine this time. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Camille said, leaning in a little closer. “Besides, I kind of like it when you get protective.”

Josh laughed softly, his fingers intertwining with hers. “Well, don’t get too used to it. I’m usually pretty chill, I promise.”

“I don’t mind,” Camille teased. “It’s nice to know you care.”

Josh squeezed her hand one last time before letting go as they reached their next class. “I definitely do. Just let me know if Lucas steps out of line.”

Camille laughed, feeling lighter as they walked into class together. Despite the unexpected tension with Lucas, she couldn’t help but feel grateful for Josh’s honesty. It wasn’t about jealousy—it was about him caring for her, and that made her feel closer to him than ever.

As they took their seats, Camille caught Lucas glancing her way from across the room, his smile still easy and confident. But now, instead of feeling unsettled, Camille felt calm. She had Josh by her side, and that was all that mattered.