Something just like this
The Chainsmokers & Coldplay
1:35 ——————•———————
𝑨 𝒔𝒖𝒊𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒕𝒔
𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝑰'𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒕𝒔

𝑪𝒂𝒔𝒖𝒂𝒍 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔
𝑺𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏 11
𝑶𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓

☆

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒉 𝒂𝒕 Marshall High was its usual mix of chaos and cliques. Jovi Winchester strolled through the hallways like she owned the place, her boots hitting the linoleum with a confidence that turned heads. She wasn't interested in the whispers or glances, though — she was more focused on finding Kat, who had a knack for making the first period tolerable.

Kat was already waiting by Jovi's locker, leaning against it like she'd been posing for a magazine shoot. Her earthy, bohemian vibe always seemed effortless, and today was no exception. She spotted Jovi and immediately smirked, already too aware of what was going on.

"Well, look who decided to show up with her post-date glow," Kat teased, stepping aside so Jovi could open her locker.

Jovi rolled her eyes as she turned the dial on her combination lock. "Not you too. I already got grilled by Jody and Alex this morning, and I barely survived Ares' commentary on the car ride."

Kat snorted. "Yeah, that tracks. He looked way too smug about knowing some of the details when he called me last night. He's not subtle, by the way. Did he really call Blake 'Golden Retriever Boyfriend material'?"

Jovi laughed, tossing a couple of books into her bag. "He absolutely did. He even said Blake's smile is 'too perfect to be trusted,' whatever that means."

Kat shook her head, grinning. "Classic Ares. So, how was it really? Better than his whole golden-boy reputation?"

Jovi leaned against the locker door and shrugged, though the faint smile tugging at her lips gave her away. "It was fine. He's... surprisingly fun. Annoying, sure, but in that charming kind of way, you know?"

"Oh, I know," Kat said, waggling her eyebrows.

Before Jovi could respond, the sound of sneakers squeaking on the floor behind her caught her attention. She didn't even need to turn around to know who it was.

"Morning, roommate," Ares Cassidy announced as he appeared beside her, his smirk already in full force. His messy dark hair and casual hoodie combo gave off the usual homeless vibe he never seemed to shake.

"Do you have radar for when I'm about to talk about you?" Jovi asked, crossing her arms.

"Don't flatter yourself," Ares replied, leaning casually against the lockers. "I'm just here to make sure you don't blow your cover about that top-secret date you went on. Y'know, the one you wouldn't shut up about all morning?"

Jovi glared at him, ignoring Kat's quiet laugh. "I didn't even talk about it that much."

Ares raised an eyebrow. "You spent five minutes debating if Blake's laugh is genuine or if it's some kind of rich-boy reflex."

"It's a fair question!" Jovi shot back. "And by the way, you're one to talk about overanalyzing things. Or have you forgotten that time you spent an hour trying to decode Jody's grocery list?"

"That was important research," Ares said, deadpan. "Eggs versus egg whites—life-altering decision."

Before Jovi could retort, Blake Winslow strolled into view, his sandy blonde hair catching the sunlight streaming through the windows. He spotted them and immediately made a beeline for Jovi, his usual easy grin lighting up his face.

"Winchester," he greeted, his voice dripping with his trademark confidence. He nodded at Kat and Ares. "Cassidy. Kat."

"Blake," Ares replied, doing a bad impression of Blake's polished tone. "Here to whisk Jovi off her feet again, or just checking in to make sure your hair looks perfect under these god-awful fluorescent lights?"

Blake laughed, unfazed. "Actually, I'm here to walk Jovi to class, but thanks for the concern, Ares."

Jovi groaned. "You two are insufferable. Kat, if I don't survive this, avenge me."

Kat grinned, throwing up a mock salute. "Always."

Blake offered his arm to Jovi with a dramatic flourish. "Shall we?"

Jovi rolled her eyes but looped her arm through his anyway. "Don't get used to this, Winslow."

"Too late," Blake replied, his grin widening. "I thrive on consistency."

"Try not to trip over your ego!" Ares called after Blake as they walked off.

"Try not to choke on your bitterness!" Jovi shot back without missing a beat.

Blake chuckled as they weaved through the crowded hallway. "You and Cassidy ever take a day off from hating each other?"

Jovi shrugged, a sly smile tugging at her lips. "It's a full-time job, Winslow. Someone's gotta keep him humble."

Blake laughed, shaking his head. "You're something else, Winchester."

"Yeah, yeah," she said, rolling her eyes. "You're just lucky you're tolerable."

Blake grinned, bumping her shoulder lightly. "And you're lucky I like a challenge."

As they reached her classroom, Jovi couldn't help but smile. Blake Winslow might just survive her world.

☆

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒎 𝒃𝒖𝒛𝒛𝒆𝒅 with low chatter as students pretended to focus on their work, but Jovi was far from pretending. She sat at her desk with her perfectly organized notebook open, her pen tapping against the edge of the page as she studied Blake Winslow beside her. He looked like the human embodiment of effortless charm — disheveled hair that somehow made him look more put together, a crooked smile that could disarm even the most stubborn, and, at the moment, a thoroughly confused expression as he stared at the assignment sheet in front of him.

"Blake," Jovi said, exasperated yet amused, "you can't seriously tell me you don't understand this. It's just basic trig. Or do you need me to draw you a map?"

Blake gave her an exaggeratedly helpless look, leaning back in his chair like a man defeated by the weight of his confusion. "I don't know, Winchester. You say 'basic,' but this looks like ancient hieroglyphics to me." He pointed to the equation, squinting at it dramatically.

Jovi tilted her head, an elegant arch of her brow betraying her suspicion. Today, as always, she looked like she'd walked straight off a Vogue cover —sleek high-waisted jeans, a cropped cardigan that hugged her frame perfectly, and natural makeup so flawless it almost didn't look like makeup at all. She was radiant in a way that seemed effortless, though everyone in the room knew better than to think it truly was.

"Uh-huh," she said, her tone flat as she gave him a knowing look. "You're faking it, aren't you?"

Blake leaned forward, resting his elbow on her desk and flashing that crooked smile. "What? Me? Never."

"You're a terrible liar," Jovi shot back, her lips quirking despite herself. "Come on, do the first step, and don't even think about playing dumb again."

"Fine," he sighed, grabbing his pencil and scribbling something onto his paper. "But don't blame me when this equation somehow implodes and takes half the school with it."

Jovi rolled her eyes, leaning closer to inspect his work. Her faint perfume —a mix of something sweet and floral —drifted over, and Blake pretended to frown at his paper to hide the grin tugging at his lips.

"You're lucky you're cute," she muttered, almost to herself, but it didn't escape Blake's ears.

"Wait, what was that?" he asked, his grin breaking through.

"Nothing," Jovi said quickly, her cheeks flushing the faintest pink. "Don't get used to compliments, Winslow. They're not free."

He laughed, tapping his pencil against his desk. "Noted. So, what's the next step, Winchester?"

Jovi sighed, but her faint smile gave her away as she started explaining again, her hand moving gracefully as she gestured toward the problem. Blake nodded along, his face the picture of fake concentration. He wasn't listening to a word — how could he when all his attention was focused on her? The way she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her lashes brushing her cheeks when she looked down, the curve of her lips when she smirked at him — it was all way more interesting than anything on his paper.

"You're still not paying attention, are you?" Jovi asked, cutting through his thoughts.

"Not true," he said quickly, pointing to his paper. "Look, I totally followed that last part."

Jovi glanced at his work, her brow lifting again. "That's... actually right." She sounded surprised, narrowing her eyes at him. "Wait a second. Are you messing with me? You knew how to do this the whole time, didn't you?"

Blake shrugged, leaning back with a lazy grin. "Maybe. But I figured if I acted clueless, I'd get more one-on-one time with you."

Her jaw dropped slightly, and she stared at him for a moment before shaking her head, a reluctant laugh escaping her. "Wow. You are unbelievable."

"Unbelievably charming?" he teased.

"More like unbelievably irritating," Jovi shot back, but the sparkle in her eyes betrayed her amusement.

Across the room, Aria watched the scene unfold, her manicured fingers tightening around her pen. The head cheerleader, with her sharp British accent and razor-sharp glares, had never been good at hiding her emotions. Watching Blake — who was once her Blake — banter with Jovi like they were the stars of their own rom-com felt like a slap to the face.

Her friend Elise leaned over, whispering, "They're pretty cute together, aren't they?"

"Cute?" Aria hissed, her voice low but sharp. "She's using him for attention. Just watch. He'll figure it out soon enough."

Back at their desks, Jovi had leaned even closer to Blake, pointing at something on his paper. "There," she said, her voice triumphant. "Now even you can't mess this up."

Blake smirked, his eyes meeting hers. "You're really determined to make me smarter, huh?"

"Someone's gotta do it," Jovi said breezily. "Can't have you failing and bringing down my curve."

"Good to know I'm your charity case," Blake replied, grinning wider.

Jovi rolled her eyes, but her smile lingered as the bell rang. Blake stood up, slinging his bag over his shoulder, and as he walked past her, he paused, leaning down to murmur just loud enough for her to hear, "Thanks for the tutoring, Winchester. I owe you one."

Jovi didn't look back, but the faint blush creeping up her neck was impossible to miss.

The hallway was alive with the usual chaos of the school day — lockers slamming, voices bouncing off the walls, and the faint hum of sneaker soles against linoleum. Jovi sauntered through the chaos with her head held high. She was halfway to her next class when the distinct sound of heels clicking against the floor stopped her in her tracks.

"Jovi," a familiar voice called, dripping with condescension.

Jovi didn't even need to turn to know who it was. Aria, queen of dramatics, stood a few steps away, her arms crossed and a sly smile tugging at her glossed lips.

"What do you want, Regina?" Jovi asked, already bored as she turned to face her.

Aria cocked her head, her perfectly styled brunette waves falling over her shoulder. "Just thought I'd do my good deed for the day and give you a little heads-up."

Jovi arched a brow, shifting her weight to one side. "Oh, this should be good. What is it? Did I commit some heinous fashion crime, or are you just here to remind me how much you don't like me?"

Aria's smile grew sharper. "Actually, it's about Blake."

At the mention of his name, Jovi's defenses rose instinctively, though she kept her expression cool. "What about him?"

"Look, I know you're new to the whole Blake Winslow experience," Aria began, her tone sickly sweet, "but let me clue you in. He's got a bit of a... reputation."

Jovi narrowed her eyes but didn't interrupt.

"You see," Aria continued, taking a step closer, "Blake has this little habit. He finds a girl, charms the hell out of her, makes her think she's the only one, and then—poof!—he's onto the next one. Classic heartbreaker." She paused, her smile widening as if she'd just delivered groundbreaking news. "I figured someone should warn you before you get your heart smashed into a million pieces."

Jovi crossed her arms, her jaw tightening. "And you're telling me this out of the kindness of your heart?"

Aria shrugged, her voice dripping with mock innocence. "I just think you deserve to know. Not everyone can handle Blake. He's not exactly a forever kind of guy."

For a moment, Jovi didn't know what to say. Part of her wanted to snap back, to wipe that smug expression off Aria's face. But the other part — the part that didn't want to let Aria see any cracks in her armour — knew better.

"So, let me get this straight," Jovi said finally, her tone as sharp as a blade. "You're warning me about Blake because... what? You're a good Samaritan now? Or is this just your way of trying to get in my head because he picked me and not you?"

Aria's smile faltered ever so slightly, but she recovered quickly. "Believe what you want, Winchester. But don't say I didn't warn you when he breaks your heart and leaves you in the dust."

Jovi stepped closer, her emerald eyes boring into Aria's. "Blake isn't perfect. I know that. But maybe, just maybe, you don't know him as well as you think you do." She leaned in slightly, her voice lowering to a near whisper. "And maybe it kills you that he'd rather be with me than someone like you."

Aria's lips pressed into a thin line, her fake smile replaced by a glimmer of annoyance.

"Thanks for the advice, Esra" Jovi added, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'll be sure to keep it in mind."

Without waiting for a response, Jovi turned on her heel and walked away, her heart pounding in her chest. As much as she hated to admit it, Aria's words lingered in her mind, a tiny seed of doubt taking root.

But she pushed it aside, refusing to let Aria's poison ruin her day. If Blake had secrets, she'd find out in her own time. For now, she'd give him the benefit of the doubt — not because she was naive, but because she refused to let Aria control the narrative.

☆

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒕𝒚𝒂𝒓𝒅 buzzed with its usual lunchtime energy, groups of students scattered across benches and grassy patches, voices and laughter blending into a steady hum. Jovi sat on the edge of a concrete planter, her lunch untouched in her lap as she toyed with the edge of her cardigan sleeve. She'd been replaying her conversation with Aria all morning, the girl's words circling in her mind like an annoying fly she couldn't swat away.

"Lost in thought, Winchester?" Blake's smooth voice cut through the noise as he strolled up to her, tray in hand and that signature charming grin lighting up his face.

Jovi looked up, snapping out of her daze as he slid onto the planter next to her. Dressed in a casual hoodie and jeans, Blake still somehow managed to look effortlessly put together.

"Something like that," Jovi replied, a small smile tugging at her lips.

Blake tilted his head, studying her with those piercing blue eyes of his. "You're usually the one cracking jokes and making sarcastic comments. What's up?"

Jovi hesitated for a moment, glancing around the courtyard before finally meeting his gaze. "Aria cornered me in the hallway earlier," she said, trying to keep her tone casual.

Blake raised a brow, his grin dimming slightly. "Oh? What'd she have to say?"

Jovi let out a small laugh, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "She tried to warn me about you, actually. Said you have a reputation for, you know, making girls fall for you and then ditching them."

Blake's smile froze for a fraction of a second, so brief that Jovi didn't catch it. He leaned back slightly, a playful smirk returning to his lips. "And? Did she convince you to run for the hills?"

Jovi shook her head, her voice light but firm. "Not a chance. I told her she doesn't know you like I do. Besides, I don't scare off that easily."

Blake chuckled, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes — relief, maybe? Or something else? It was gone before Jovi could place it.

"Glad to hear it," Blake said, leaning in slightly. "I'd hate to think Aria's trash talk could come between us."

"Yeah, well," Jovi shrugged, "I'm not about to let some jealous cheerleader dictate how I feel about you."

Blake's grin widened, but his eyes softened as he looked at her. "You're something else, Jovi Winchester. You know that?"

She rolled her eyes, fighting the heat rising in her cheeks. "Don't get all sappy on me, Winslow. I'm still trying to eat here."

Blake laughed, reaching over to steal a fry from her tray. "Fair enough. But I do have an idea to cheer you up. What do you say to another date? Something fun, something that'll make you forget all about Aria and her nonsense."

Jovi raised a brow, intrigued despite herself. "Another date, huh? You sure you're not just trying to distract me?"

"Maybe I am," Blake admitted with a wink. "But is that such a bad thing?"

Jovi let out a soft laugh, finally relaxing for the first time all day. "Alright, you're on. But you'd better make it good, Winslow."

"Oh, I will," he promised, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

As they sat together, laughing and stealing bites from each other's trays, Jovi felt the weight of Aria's words begin to lift. She pushed the nagging doubts to the back of her mind, choosing instead to focus on the boy in front of her in — the one who made her laugh, who looked at her like she was the only girl in the world.

For now, that was enough.

☆

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒎 𝒐𝒇 classroom chatter filled the air as students filed into their seats, the teacher still nowhere to be seen. Jovi slid into her usual spot near the back of the room, her textbook lying untouched on the desk in front of her. Kat plopped down beside her, leaning her elbow on the desk and giving Jovi a knowing look.

"Alright, spill," Kat said, her brown eyes glinting with curiosity.

Jovi raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb. I know you've got something on your mind. You've had that thinking too hard look on your face since I met you at your locker this morning," Kat teased, tapping her pen against her notebook. "So? What's up?"

Jovi sighed, glancing around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. She leaned in slightly, her voice low. "Aria cornered me in the hallway earlier."

Kat immediately sat up straighter, her face lighting up with interest. "Oh, this ought to be good. What'd she want?"

"To warn me about Blake," Jovi replied, rolling her eyes. "Apparently, he's got some big, bad reputation for playing girls, making them fall for him, and then ditching them for the next shiny thing."

Kat's expression darkened instantly. "God, she's such a bitch. I swear she thrives off of stirring up drama."

"That's what I said," Jovi muttered, crossing her arms. "She tried to act like she was doing me a favor, but it was obviously