The following day at Ridgeway High was no less chaotic than the one before. If anything, the buzz surrounding Dylan's infamous tutu stunt seemed to have gained momentum overnight. New memes popped up across social media, and someone had even edited a slow-motion version of Dylan's leap, complete with dramatic music and glitter effects.
For Mia, this unrelenting wave of attention was exhausting. She had always been content to blend into the background, living her high school life with as little drama as possible. But now, thanks to Dylan, she found herself thrust into the center of it all. And as much as she hated to admit it, part of her was starting to enjoy the chaos—especially when Dylan was involved.
By lunchtime, Mia had resigned herself to yet another day of whispered conversations and curious stares. She sat at her usual spot near the library with Claire, who was still scrolling through her phone, laughing at the latest memes.
"You have to see this one," Claire said, shoving her phone toward Mia. The image showed Dylan in the tutu, mid-spin, with the caption: When the basketball MVP channels his inner ballerina.
Mia groaned. "I don't know how he's not mortified by all this."
"Are you kidding?" Claire said, grinning. "Dylan loves this stuff. He's practically thriving on the attention. Honestly, I think he's secretly a genius. Who else could turn something this ridiculous into a school-wide phenomenon?"
Mia shook her head, smiling despite herself. "He's definitely something."
Claire smirked, leaning closer. "And you like that 'something,' don't you?"
Mia's smile faltered. "What? No! I mean… Dylan's just a friend."
"Sure," Claire said, drawing out the word teasingly. "Keep telling yourself that."
Mia opened her mouth to protest, but before she could say anything, a shadow fell across the table. She looked up to see Dylan standing there, his ever-present grin firmly in place.
"Ladies," he said, nodding at Claire before turning his attention to Mia. "Mind if I steal her for a bit?"
Claire raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. "She's all yours," she said, smirking as she returned to her phone.
Mia shot Claire a glare before reluctantly standing up. "What do you want, Dylan?"
"Just a chat," he said casually, leading her toward the courtyard.
The courtyard was relatively quiet, save for a few groups of students scattered around. Dylan led Mia to an empty bench near the edge of the space, where they could talk without being overheard.
"So," Dylan began, leaning back against the bench, "how's it feel being the talk of the school?"
Mia rolled her eyes. "I think we both know you're the talk of the school. I'm just the unfortunate bystander who got dragged into it."
Dylan laughed. "Fair enough. But you've got to admit, it's kind of fun, right?"
"Maybe for you," Mia said, crossing her arms. "You seem to enjoy being the center of attention. I, on the other hand, would prefer to disappear entirely."
Dylan's smile softened. "I don't think you give yourself enough credit. People are noticing you because you're worth noticing, Mia."
Mia blinked, caught off guard by the sincerity in his tone. "That's… surprisingly nice of you to say."
"Hey, I can be nice," Dylan said, grinning again. "You just have to catch me in the right mood."
They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, the hum of distant chatter filling the air. Mia found herself glancing at Dylan out of the corner of her eye. He seemed different today—quieter, more thoughtful.
"Why did you really ask me to come out here?" Mia asked eventually.
Dylan hesitated, his usual confidence faltering for just a moment. "I wanted to thank you," he said finally.
"For what?" Mia asked, genuinely puzzled.
"For putting up with me," Dylan said, his voice softer than she'd ever heard it. "I know I can be a lot sometimes. But… I don't know. You make it easier to be myself."
Mia felt her cheeks heat up, and she quickly looked away. "You don't have to thank me for that. You're not as bad as you think, you know."
Dylan chuckled. "That might be the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me."
Mia couldn't help but smile. "You should raise your standards, then."
Dylan laughed, the sound warm and genuine. For a moment, it felt like the rest of the world had faded away, leaving just the two of them on that bench.
But, of course, reality had a way of intruding.
"Dylan! Mia!"
They both turned to see Jason, one of Dylan's teammates, jogging toward them.
"You've got to see this," Jason said, holding up his phone. "The video hit 100,000 views!"
Dylan's eyes widened. "No way."
"Way," Jason said, grinning. "You're officially a viral sensation, man."
Dylan leaned over to look at the phone, a mixture of disbelief and excitement on his face. Mia, however, felt a pang of unease. As much as she appreciated Dylan's carefree nature, she couldn't shake the feeling that this newfound fame might complicate things even more.
Jason eventually left, leaving Dylan and Mia alone again. Dylan turned to her, his grin firmly back in place. "Looks like I'm officially internet famous."
"Congratulations," Mia said dryly.
Dylan laughed. "Don't sound too excited."
"I just hope you're ready for what comes next," Mia said, her tone more serious.
Dylan tilted his head, studying her. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, people are going to start expecting more from you," Mia said. "Bigger stunts, crazier ideas. Are you ready for that kind of pressure?"
Dylan's smile faltered, just for a moment. "I guess we'll find out."
Mia nodded, her worry lingering. She didn't want to see Dylan get caught up in something he couldn't handle.
As they walked back toward the school, Dylan bumped her shoulder lightly.
"Hey," he said, his voice softer now. "Thanks for looking out for me."
Mia glanced at him, surprised by the sudden shift in his tone. "Someone has to," she said, her lips quirking into a small smile.
Dylan grinned, but there was something deeper in his eyes—something that made Mia's heart skip a beat. For all his jokes and bravado, Dylan Westwood was more than just a class clown. And the more time she spent with him, the harder it was to ignore the way he made her feel.
As the final bell rang, Mia couldn't help but wonder what the future held—for Dylan, for her, and for whatever this was between them.