Ethan and I went viral because of one photo. In the picture, we’re standing in our blue and white varsity jackets, throwing up peace signs. Attached is the class ranking sheet: Ethan is #1. I’m #2. The top comment read: [There is zero romantic chemistry in their eyes. Just the sheer determination to academic-weapon the other person into oblivion.] I’ve been crushed by Ethan for ten years. I thought I was destined to be the eternal Salutatorian. Until I woke up... I realized I was the villainess in a high school romance novel. And Ethan? He’s the protagonist. Realizing this didn't make me sad. It made me realize my time had come. I’m going to be Valedictorian! 1 I’ve been trailing behind Ethan for a decade. Every test, I’m one spot behind him. I am the "Forever Second Place" on the honor roll. During a nap in Homeroom, I gained sentience. I discovered I was the "Mean Girl" antagonist in a YA novel. In the story, to ruin the romance between the Hero and the Heroine, I act like a total brat until I get expelled. The Hero and the Transfer Student Heroine overcome me—the "obstacle"—and get together. But then, their grades slip, their parents freak out, and they break up. The Hero, to save the Heroine from her abusive father, deliberately misses the SATs, repeats a year with her, and they eventually go to a state college together for a Happily Ever After. The Hero of this story is Ethan, the guy who always beats me. After waking up, I sat up and glared at Ethan, who was chatting two rows ahead. Society is crumbling. How is this guy the Main Character? But it doesn't matter. In the book, the Heroine transfers to our AP English class this week. Her arrival is the start of my bright future. As long as I refuse to play the villain, I won’t get distracted. I will crush Ethan and take the crown! I was buzzing with excitement all day. The thought of finally flipping the script was intoxicating. Walking home with Ethan that evening, I couldn't hide my grin. Ethan looked confused, but his walking pace was practically Olympic speed. Our moms are besties, and we live right across the street from each other. Before we went inside, he looked at me like I was an idiot, then quickly shut his door. After dinner, my best friend texted me: "Girl, you're trending!" She sent a TikTok link. It was a video I posted a few days ago after midterms. Just two pics: The selfie of me and Ethan, and the GPA ranking. No caption, but the internet got me. "No romance. Just the pure desire to academically destroy each other." "Bro is even clutching a pen in the photo." "When is she going to take him out to claim the throne?" I liked the comment about taking him out. Soon. 02 The Heroine transferred to our class the next day. When she introduced herself as "Maya," I knew it was real. Just like in the book, the teacher assigned Maya the seat next to Ethan. I sat diagonally behind Ethan, with a perfect view of their backs. First day, Maya didn't have her textbook yet. Ethan slid his book to the middle of the table so they could share. Mr. Henderson started explaining a complex calculus problem. They both leaned in, heads together, to look at the equation. They looked up at the same time, realizing their faces were inches apart. Realizing the proximity, they both jerked back and sat up straight. I couldn't see their faces, but I clearly saw Maya’s ears turn bright red. Ethan awkwardly made a fist over his mouth and coughed. A weird feeling bubbled in my chest. I took a deep breath. Stop looking. This is what I want, right? Riley, stop looking at the boy. Focus on the GPA. I forced my attention back to the whiteboard. First period ended, and a group of guys surrounded Maya’s desk. I glanced over. Two of them were varsity jocks, known players who changed girlfriends like they changed socks. Maya, being cute and new, was fresh meat. She looked terrified. As Class President, I was about to step in, but Ethan—returning from the bathroom—got there first. He blocked Maya from their view. "Don't you guys have anything better to do? The Dean is walking down the hall." Hearing the Dean was coming, the guys scattered. Maya smiled shyly at Ethan to say thanks. I pulled back the foot I had stepped forward. A moment later, the Dean actually appeared at the door. He didn't come in, just waved me over to the office to sort some files. Standing in the office, sorting scantron sheets, my brain was stuck on replay. The boy in the varsity jacket, backlit by the sun, shielding the nervous girl. And the girl looking at him with starry eyes. That’s probably what love looks like. Main characters are destined to attract each other. It’s physics. I shook my head, trying to shake the unwanted emotions out of my brain. That night, walking home, I was unusually quiet. Usually, I yap the whole way. Ethan, usually the listener, spoke first. "What's up with you today? Something on your mind?" I looked up into his confused, concerned eyes. How do I say, I'm thinking about you? We grew up together. This was the first time I couldn't speak freely. "What do you think of... Maya?" Ethan looked puzzled for a second. "Why do you ask?" "I'm Class President. Gotta know the new students to help them adjust." I lied. Ethan nodded, buying it. "Her? She's nice. Very quiet." It was a neutral comment, but my heart sank. Sophomore year, our parents suspected us of dating. We sat in the living room for hours explaining we weren't. Ethan had said, "I could never like Riley. If I liked someone, it would be a quiet girl." I had punched him in the arm right there in front of our dads. That was when I crushed my own little high school crush on him. My feelings are complicated. We’re just childhood friends. But why does this hurt so much? I didn't speak the rest of the way. At his door, he hesitated, then just said, "See you tomorrow." 03 Maya successfully integrated into the class. She was beautiful, kind, and everyone loved her. Even I had to admit, she was a good person. It made sense why Ethan, usually a snob, would like her. Without me interfering as the villain, their romance was on the fast track. Maya wasn't great at Math. The teacher asked Ethan to tutor her. For a while, Ethan stayed late after school to help her. The walk home went from "us" to just "me." I tried to ignore the hollow feeling. I studied until midnight. Woke up at 5:30 AM. Starbucks, school, study. If I kept busy, I wouldn't feel the loss. A week later, Ethan surprisingly turned down Maya’s request for tutoring and ran up to me. "Let's go. Got my allowance. I'm treating you to hot pot." I stared at him blankly. "Don't you have to tutor her?" I regretted the words immediately. It sounded like jealousy. But Ethan didn't mind. He grinned. "Not every day. I taught her the basics. Now I can walk home with you again." Seeing his eyes crinkle in a smile, I froze. "Okay... sure. I have cleanup duty. Wait for me." Ethan did half my work for me, and we left together. We were happily discussing whether to order extra beef or shrimp paste. Just outside the school gates, we took a shortcut through a small park. Usually, it's empty. But today, I heard crying. We exchanged a look and walked faster. Behind the public restrooms, a group of sketchballs had cornered a girl in our school uniform. It was Maya. Ethan didn't hesitate. He rushed in. He grabbed a guy with dyed yellow hair by the wrist. "Ow! You crazy? Let go!" The other guys surrounded us. "Oh, another pretty girl? Why don't you both hang out with us?" One guy looked me up and down, whistling. Ethan grabbed him by the collar. The others lunged. I kicked the nearest one in the shin. Our parents put us in self-defense classes when we were kids. We aren't Bruce Lee, but we can handle a few street punks. We dropped them, but one guy pulled a pocket knife and slashed my arm. Ethan saw red. He was about to pound the guy into the pavement, but I stopped him. That night, Maya and Ethan accompanied me to the ER. Maya kept thanking us. But the way she looked at Ethan... it was admiration. It was hero worship. We never got hot pot. The doctor said it wasn't deep, but I had to eat bland food. We got home at 8 PM. My mom yelled at me for getting hurt. 04 After that, Maya was even more attentive to Ethan. When he played basketball, she was on the sidelines with Gatorade. I don't know if he took it, but everyone could see Maya liked him. Ethan didn't seem to react. I buried myself in books. School, home, study. But sometimes, my brain drifted to Ethan. His face—always gentle with me, only frowning when worried—started haunting my dreams. I didn't want to admit it. But now, I knew. I actually liked Ethan. But he’s the Main Character. And she’s the Heroine. I’m just the villain. And villains who fall for the hero never get a happy ending.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "389217", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel