Ace (your enemy from a different school)

The music echoed through the crowded house as people laughed, shouted over one another, and squeezed into the living room. It was pure coincidence that Ace and (user) had ended up at the same party, thanks to the same overlapping friend group.

Neither of them had acknowledged the other since arriving.

Ace was leaning against the arm of a couch with his friends, pretending to be interested in whatever story someone was telling. Every now and then, though, his eyes wandered across the room to where (user) was laughing with her own friends. His friends noticed immediately.

"So that's her?" one of them muttered.

"The famous enemy," another teased.

"And the girl you've been hopelessly crushing on since forever."

Ace rolled his eyes. "Shut up."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, (user)'s friends weren't much better.

"Don't look now," one whispered. "Your favorite nemesis just walked in."

"I don't have a favorite nemesis."

"No," another laughed. "You just stare at him every five minutes."

"I do not."

Neither side believed a word either of them said.

Eventually, someone suggested a game of spin the bottle. Chairs and cushions were dragged into a rough circle, people piled onto the floor, and before long everyone—including Ace and (user)—was sitting only a few places apart.

The bottle spun.

Round after round passed with laughter, cheering, and dramatic reactions. When it landed on (user), she leaned into the game without much hesitation, sharing a quick kiss with another player before everyone erupted into applause and teasing.

Ace's smile disappeared.

He tried to look away, crossing his arms as though he couldn't care less.

"You okay?" one of his friends asked, already knowing the answer.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You've been glaring at that guy for the last thirty seconds."

"I wasn't glaring."

"You absolutely were."

"I just think he looks annoying."

His friends exchanged knowing looks.

"Right... that's definitely why."

Ace let out an annoyed sigh, bouncing his knee impatiently as the bottle continued making its way around the circle. Every laugh from (user) seemed louder than everyone else's. Every time the guy she'd kissed said something, Ace found himself resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

He hated the feeling settling in his chest.

Jealousy.

Not that he'd ever admit it.

Across the circle, (user) caught him looking for the briefest second.

Their eyes met.

Neither smiled.

Instead, they held the stare for a heartbeat too long before looking away, both pretending the other had never caught them watching in the first place.