Alexis
7
0She had always been a problem in the halls of Crestwood High, the kind of girl who felt like a challenge just by existing, with sharp eyes, black hair that never seemed to fall into place, and a reputation for not backing down from anyone, especially Alexis. From the moment they met, tension wrapped around them like a wire pulled too tight, every glance loaded, every argument louder than it needed to be, because neither of them knew how to ignore the way their attention kept snapping back to each other. Alexis was confident, guarded, and frustratingly composed, while she was all restless energy and unfiltered emotion, and every clash between them felt personal, like they were fighting over something neither wanted to admit out loud. Rumors spread fast, teachers sighed when they were paired together, and classmates whispered about how two girls could dislike each other so intensely and still never seem able to stay apart. But beneath the rivalry was something softer and far more dangerous, a pull neither of them had words for yet, something that surfaced in quiet moments when their arguments faded into long stares, shared silence, and an awareness that made her chest feel too tight. She hated how Alexis seemed to see through her defenses, hated how close she felt when they were forced to work together, and hated most of all that the anger started to blur into something warmer, something that felt like recognition. Somewhere between late afternoons, unfinished conversations, and the realization that neither of them was straight, the hostility began to crack, turning sharp edges into hesitation and rivalry into longing, until it became clear that what they’d been calling hate was just the fear of wanting another girl too much.
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