Whispers And Wagers

Wednesday morning greeted Mia with a strange mix of anticipation and dread. The school halls were still alive with whispers, but the intensity had lessened slightly. It seemed some new piece of gossip had briefly stolen the spotlight, giving Mia a momentary reprieve.

Even so, she didn't trust the quiet. At Ridgeway High, rumors had a way of simmering under the surface, ready to boil over when she least expected it.

Mia trudged toward her locker, her backpack feeling heavier than usual. Claire was already waiting for her, leaning casually against the lockers with her phone in hand and a suspiciously smug grin on her face.

"What?" Mia asked, narrowing her eyes as she spun the lock.

"Oh, nothing," Claire said, her tone far too innocent. "Except for the fact that Ridgeway's official betting pool now has odds on whether you and Dylan are going to the Spring Fling together."

Mia froze mid-spin, her hand hovering over the lock. "There's a *what*?"

"A betting pool." Claire flipped her phone around, showing Mia the screen. "It's on that dumb gossip app everyone's obsessed with. See? Fifty bucks says Dylan's going to ask you before the end of the week."

Mia groaned and buried her face in her hands. "You've got to be kidding me. Why does everything at this school have to be so *extra*?"

"Because we're bored," Claire said with a shrug. "It's a small school. People need entertainment, and right now, you're it."

"Well, they can find someone else to obsess over," Mia said firmly, yanking her locker open. "I'm not going to Spring Fling. With or without Dylan."

Claire arched an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Oh, really? Because rumor has it, he's planning something big. And you know Dylan—he doesn't do *small.*"

Mia slammed her locker shut and turned to glare at her friend. "If he's planning something, he can stop. I don't need my life turning into a reality show."

Claire grinned, unfazed by Mia's frustration. "Whatever you say, *main character.*"

---

By lunchtime, the whispers had turned into murmurs, and Mia couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen. As she walked toward the cafeteria, Claire practically skipped beside her, her excitement annoyingly contagious.

"You're awfully quiet," Claire said, giving Mia a sidelong glance. "Nervous?"

"No," Mia said quickly. "Why would I be nervous?"

"Because…" Claire trailed off, and Mia followed her gaze.

Standing in the middle of the cafeteria, surrounded by a growing crowd of onlookers, was Dylan Westwood. And in his hand was a microphone.

Mia stopped in her tracks, her stomach plummeting. "Oh no. What is he doing?"

"Something big," Claire said, her grin widening. "Told you."

Before Mia could bolt, Dylan spotted her. His grin widened, and he raised the microphone to his lips.

"Hey, everyone," he said, his voice echoing through the cafeteria. "I have a quick announcement."

The room fell silent, all eyes turning to him. Mia felt every muscle in her body tense.

"As most of you know, there's been a lot of talk lately about me and Mia," Dylan continued, his tone light but confident. "And I just wanted to set the record straight."

Mia's heart pounded in her chest. This couldn't be happening. Not here. Not now.

"So here it is," Dylan said, looking directly at her. "Mia Anderson, will you be my date to the Spring Fling?"

The cafeteria erupted into cheers, whistles, and applause. Claire clapped her hands, her laughter barely audible over the noise.

"Well?" Claire whispered, nudging Mia with her elbow. "What are you going to do?"

Mia's mind raced. Every instinct told her to say no, to shut this down before it spiraled even further out of control. But when she met Dylan's gaze, something stopped her. He wasn't smirking or teasing—he looked genuinely hopeful.

"Fine," Mia muttered under her breath, barely audible over the noise. Then, louder: "Fine! I'll go!"

The cafeteria exploded again, the cheers louder this time. Dylan's grin widened, and he lowered the microphone. "Great," he said, his voice carrying over the applause. "It's a date."

Mia wanted to disappear. As Dylan handed the microphone back to the student council rep and walked away, she felt the weight of a hundred eyes on her.

---

"I can't believe you said yes!" Claire said as they left the cafeteria. She practically bounced down the hallway, her excitement bubbling over.

"I can't believe I said yes either," Mia muttered. "What was I thinking?"

"That you like him," Claire said smugly.

"I don't," Mia said quickly. "Not like that."

"Uh-huh," Claire said, clearly unconvinced. "You've got to admit, though—this is *kind of* romantic."

Mia shot her a look. "This isn't a rom-com, Claire. This is my life. And now it's a circus."

"Well, you'd better get used to it," Claire said with a grin. "Because now that Dylan's officially asked you, you're Ridgeway royalty. Better start practicing your wave."

---

By the end of the day, Mia had managed to avoid Dylan, but the whispers and stares hadn't stopped. Everywhere she went, someone seemed to be watching her, waiting for her to do something worthy of their attention.

As she walked to her car, she spotted a small group of students gathered near the parking lot, their heads bent together as they whispered and laughed. She quickened her pace, keeping her head down.

"Mia!"

She groaned inwardly at the sound of Dylan's voice. Turning, she saw him jogging toward her, his backpack slung over one shoulder.

"Seriously?" she said as he reached her. "Do you have a radar or something?"

"Maybe," Dylan said with a grin. "Or maybe I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine," Mia said, unlocking her car. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know," Dylan said, leaning against the door. "You seemed a little... overwhelmed earlier."

Mia hesitated. "I'm not used to people caring about what I do. It's weird."

Dylan nodded. "I get that. But for what it's worth, I think you're handling it pretty well."

Mia blinked, caught off guard by the compliment. "Thanks," she said quietly.

"Anyway," Dylan said, straightening up. "I should let you go. But if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm around."

Mia watched him walk away, her emotions a tangled mess. She didn't know what to make of Dylan Westwood. He was confident, charming, and way too comfortable being the center of attention. But he was also kind and surprisingly thoughtful—and that made him even harder to ignore.

---

That night, Mia lay in bed, replaying the day's events in her mind. She told herself it didn't mean anything—that Dylan was just being friendly. But deep down, she knew that wasn't entirely true.

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, pulling her from her thoughts. She grabbed it, half-expecting another message from Claire. But it wasn't Claire—it was Dylan.

Dylan: Hey. Just wanted to say thanks for putting up with me today. Hope I didn't make things worse.*

Mia stared at the screen, her heart doing that annoying little flip again. After a moment, she typed a reply.

Mia: You didn't. But don't get used to it.*

Her phone buzzed again almost immediately.

Dylan: Fair enough. Good night, Mia.

Mia set the phone down and stared at the ceiling, her thoughts spinning. She didn't want to admit it, but Claire might have been right. Dylan *had* been flirting with her—or at least, it felt that way. And despite her best efforts, she couldn't help but feel a tiny spark of... something.

One thing was certain: Spring Fling was going to be unforgettable. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing remained to be seen.