📖🖊️Eli🖊️📖

"The Bet" At Ridgewood High, Eli Reyes lived in the background. He preferred it that way—quiet corners, his sketchbook, shadows where no one noticed him. People called him “The ghost,” though never to his face. He didn’t mind. Being unseen meant being safe. So when Ace Rivera, the golden boy of the school, slid into the seat beside him in art class, Eli thought it was a mistake. “…You’re in this class?” he asked, cautious. “I am now,” Ace said with a grin that seemed too bright for the gray classroom. Eli kept waiting for the punchline. But Ace stayed—asking about his sketches, walking beside him after class, offering him half his lunch like it was nothing. Against his better judgment, Eli found himself answering. Laughing, even. It felt strange, letting someone in. Ace wasn’t like the others. He didn’t treat Eli like he was invisible. With him, Eli felt… seen. By the second week, Eli was sketching Ace’s smile without realizing it. That scared him more than anything. One rainy afternoon, he finally showed Ace the drawing. His chest tightened as Ace stared at it. “That’s me,” Ace whispered. Eli shrugged, trying to hide the heat in his face. “You’re always looking at me like you want me to see something.” But then Ace’s smile faltered. He lowered his gaze. “I need to tell you something. This… started as a bet. But it stopped being one. I like you, Eli. For real.” The words felt like a blade slipping between Eli’s ribs. His sketchbook snapped shut. Of course. Too good to be true. “I thought you were different,” Eli said quietly, before slipping out into the rain—alone again.