Tempted by the wrong bad boy

ZARA: The Girl He Doesn't See

I was going to tell him tonight. It was quite stupid, and yeah, I knew it.

But my best friend was laughing across the room, pouring tequila into a red Solo cup for a girl who looked like she walked off a Pinterest board, and my heart was doing that annoying thing where it cracked quietly.

Jace Maddox, leather jacket, always having a smile on his face, the boy who once punched a guy in the face for calling me a fat whale in ninth grade, my best friend.

I was the chubby girl in a corner, holding a can of Diet Coke, waiting for the moment to feel brave and tell him how I had felt all these years.

It was our after-prom party night, and Jace didn't need to have a particular date. He had thousands of girls flocking around him. You know, the school’s most popular boy. Every girl wanted him, and I know I really looked stupid for adding myself to the queue.

I stared in his direction once more. He had this wide grin, like being around the ladies was his safe haven.

I heaved a deep sigh from where I was seated alone and took another sip from the Diet Coke in my hands. I had made up my mind to confess this night. You never know, maybe I could stand a chance. At least, that's what I wanted to believe.

So I walked up to him, convincing myself that I was already confident enough. He was laughing, like always.

I tapped his arm gently from behind. “Jace,” I murmured gently, and he turned to me.

“Can I talk to you? Outside?” I whispered gently.

He looked slightly surprised. “Z? You good?”

“Yeah.” I nodded, even though beads of sweat were profusely forming across my forehead. I headed out, and he trailed behind me.

We stepped outside. It was quiet and cold. My fingers were shaking from the wind, or maybe that's what I wanted to tell myself.

“What’s up, Zee? Are you enjoying the party? Do you want to come join our table?” he asked, his voice laced with concern.

I shook my head. I was better off staying alone than staying with a bunch of people who gave those mocking stares. I already knew what was going on inside their heads.

He put his hands in his pockets, stepping closer to stare at me. “Zee?” he called out when he saw I was mute.

I’m in love with you. I'm in love with you, Jace Maddox.

It sat on the tip of my tongue, like it had a thousand times.

“Jace,” I said, my voice small. “I just wanted to tell you something. I—”

That’s when she came out, the girl from the party. She had long legs, perfect lips and hair. Everything a guy wanted, basically. She didn't hesitate to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him there in my presence, and he didn’t pull away. He kissed her back, right there.

My heart clenched twice as hard.

“There you are,” the girl giggled after pulling away from him. “You just left me.”

I didn’t move. I couldn't. I just swallowed hard and stayed still.

“Zara?” he turned back to me, and for a second, his smile dropped, like he realized we were supposed to be talking, but the little courage I gathered had disappeared.

I swallowed the words.

“Nothing,” I whispered. “It’s nothing.” I said it and quickly walked away before my face could betray me, before the sting in my throat could spill out in tears.

The after-prom party continued anyway, and I was back to sitting alone. Thoughts began swirling through my head. I barely managed to fit into this dress.

Even the music seemed to laugh at me, like it knew I had tried something stupid, like it knew I didn’t belong here.

I grabbed the Diet Coke once more and held it tighter, staring at the bubbles fizzing in my cup.

What was I even doing here? No one asked me to prom. No one cared if I danced or not. No one even saw me except Jace. And now, maybe not even him. I was just his best friend, not a woman to him.

I moved through the house while the party went on, to get my mind off a few things. The more I lingered, the more I realised I didn't belong here. I needed to leave.

My first instinct was to find Jace and tell him I was going home. I didn't want him getting p*ss*d off that I left without telling him. I checked a few places where I figured he might be, but no trace.

Then I turned a corner, heading down a quiet hallway, and stopped. A door was slightly ajar, light visible, and I heard voices, but Jace's voice caught my attention.

I took a step closer. He was there, and the door was cracked open just enough. I just wanted to tell him I was heading home. That was it.

But then I heard my name.

“Zara?” Jace asked.

“Yeah, but like… have you ever thought about the two of you? Maybe something real could happen?” another guy asked.

Jace burst out laughing like it was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. My heart broke a little, but I stood still, trying to figure out everything they were talking about.

“Zara and me?” Jace said, amused. “Nah, man. That’s never happening.”

My stomach twisted, and my lips formed a thin line.

“Why not?” the guy pressed. “She’s always there for you. What if she’s in love with you and just scared to say it?”

There was silence for a moment, then Jace's voice came through, low but clear.

“She’s not,” he answered.

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because Zara is just... Zara,” he said, like that explained everything. “We’ve been friends since forever. She’s like a sister to me. There’s no romantic anything going on, and I doubt there ever will be.”

My throat tightened as I stood still, playing with my fingers.

“But what if she confesses?” The guy asked again while my heart was pounding.

“Then I would tell her to kill the feelings,” Jace said without hesitation. “It would ruin everything between us.”

Then came the part I wish I never heard.

“I mean… look at the kind of girls I date,” he added with a snort. “Tall, slender, confident. Zara’s… not that. She’s not my type. Not even close.”

He laughed again. That laugh split me in half. I didn’t wait to hear more. I couldn’t, not when I knew how it would break me. I had been down already tonight. I didn't just want more.

I turned and walked away, but it felt like it wasn't enough, so I increased my pace and ran through the house, my heels clicking against the hard floor. My breath felt caught in my throat, like my own body was choking me from the inside out.

I'm not his type, and I never will be. Those words were stuck in my head.

When I reached outside, the night air hit my face, but it didn’t help. My eyes stung, and my chest burned. I stopped near the porch light, leaned against the wall, and looked down at myself. The prom dress I spent weeks obsessing over now felt like a joke. I thought I would look pretty, even for once, but now I looked fat, or indeed, I'm fat.

The fabric clung too tight around my stomach. My arms were huge. My little makeup had started to melt.

What was I even thinking? Confessing?

I let out a bitter laugh and turned away from the house, from the party, from everything. I just wanted a place I could breathe, and it definitely wasn't here.

I wasn't looking when I was walking, so I stumbled and found myself landing on the floor.

A shrill, perilous laugh erupted through the space. It was sharp and quite cruel.

“Seriously?” one of them scoffed. “Watch where you’re going, Fatty.”

Another girl stepped around me like I was dirt. “Maybe if you could see past your double chin, you would have better coordination,” she mocked, and they all snickered.

“Isn’t this Jace’s little best friend?” one of them spoke up, her tone thick with sarcasm.

I looked up. It was her.

The girl from earlier. The one who kissed Jace. She was flanked by two other girls. I knew them from school.

I didn’t answer. I couldn't even speak. Tears were brewing in my eyes.

“You mean the one who follows him around like a puppy?” the other asked, and I pressed my lips together, words escaping me.

She crouched slightly, pretending to be sympathetic. “You okay down there, sweetie? Or you need a bouncer to help you up?” she said, every syllable disguised in mockery.

They all laughed again. I pressed my lips tightly. I wouldn't cry.

“It must be hard trying to squeeze into that dress. Who were you trying to impress? You didn't even have any prom date,” one of them mocked.

I bit my lips and let out a sigh. They mustn't remind me that I didn't fit into their beauty standard.

“Didn't you check your body size and type?”

I swallowed hard, trying to breathe. My throat tightened hard.

Something inside me cracked, and my eyes burned, but I wouldn’t let the tears fall in front of them.

I forced myself to my feet, wiping my palms on my dress. My knees were scraped.

“I have to go,” I said, my voice cracking.

My hands trembled as I picked up my bag, eyes stinging.

“God,” another one muttered, walking past. “Prom’s for pretty people. Go home.”

“You should’ve stayed home!” one of them snickered again as I was barely holding it together.

My eyes stung so much from trying to hold it together because those tears were just at the tip, but then they finally slipped.

I should’ve never worn this dress. I should’ve never come. I should've never thought I had a chance. It was so stupid

ZARA: New Beginnings

It’s time for a fresh start. I’ve decided to put everything behind me and accept my place as just Jace’s best friend. I should have known my boundaries long ago. Confessing my feelings to Jace would do nothing but ruin the friendship and bond we’ve built. I don’t want that.

I would rather bury the thought of ever being more than his friend than risk losing him entirely.

Three months have passed, and Jace has dated at least three different girls while I sit quietly, watching, getting heartbroken, and still giving him advice. But what choice do I have?

I’ve also been trying to glow up and lose some weight before college, but that seems impossible. I was recently diagnosed with PCOS, which makes it harder to lose weight and easier to gain. I do all the right things, yet nothing seems to work. Lately, I