Caesar didn't want to care.
He had told himself that the rumor about Blythe and Zach wasn't his problem.
But somehow, it followed him everywhere.
"Did you see them walk in together this morning?"
"I heard Zach gave Blythe his jacket yesterday. That's such a boyfriend move."
"Honestly, they match. They both have that 'popular but secretly kind' thing going on."
Caesar gritted his teeth.
People were so sure of this nonsense.
But the worst part?
Blythe wasn't denying it.
---
Between classes, Caesar tried to walk past Blythe without saying anything.
He usually didn't talk much anyway, so it shouldn't have been obvious.
But Blythe noticed.
"Hey! Wait a sec."
Caesar stopped reluctantly. "What?"
She frowned. "Why are you ignoring me?"
"I'm not."
"You totally are." She narrowed her eyes. "You've been weird since this morning."
Caesar looked away. "It's nothing."
Blythe studied him for a moment, then sighed. "Ugh, I swear, you and Zach are both acting strange."
That got his attention.
"What do you mean?"
"He keeps smirking at me like he knows something I don't. It's annoying."
Caesar exhaled, feeling a tiny bit better.
At least Zach wasn't taking this seriously either.
Blythe sighed. "People are dumb. Just because we talked a lot on the trip, suddenly we're dating? Ridiculous."
Caesar didn't respond.
"You don't believe it, right?" Blythe pressed.
"Of course not."
"Good." She smiled. "Because between you and me, Zach is fun, but he's not my type."
Caesar's heart skipped.
He didn't know why that mattered so much to him, but it did.
Blythe grinned. "So, are we good now?"
He hesitated, then gave a small nod.
"Yeah… we're good."
---
That night, Caesar couldn't focus on his studies.
It was rare for him. Usually, math and science were his escape from everything.
But today, his mind kept replaying every conversation, every whisper in the halls, every glance between Blythe and Zach.
He wasn't even mad at Zach anymore.
He was mad at himself.
For caring.
For feeling something he couldn't explain.
For letting Blythe get under his skin.
"This is stupid," he muttered, shutting his book.
But the uneasy feeling didn't go away.
---
The next day, Caesar tried to act normal.
But the moment he stepped into the cafeteria, he saw Zach and Blythe sitting together again.
And worse—Zach noticed him.
"Yo, Tiu!" Zach called. "Come sit with us!"
Caesar's stomach twisted.
Zach had never invited him to sit with them before.
He glanced at Blythe, who smiled and nodded, completely unaware of the tension.
For a split second, Caesar considered ignoring them.
But then he saw a few students whispering nearby.
"See? Zach and Blythe are so close now. Even Caesar's in their group."
"Maybe they're a trio now?"
That annoyed him even more.
So, instead of walking away, he sat down across from them, acting unfazed.
"Took you long enough," Zach teased.
Caesar ignored him and started eating.
Blythe giggled. "You two are weird."
Zach smirked. "You're just realizing that now?"
Caesar rolled his eyes.
For a moment, it felt almost… natural.
Like nothing was wrong.
Then a girl walked by and winked at Blythe.
"Ooooh, couple's lunch? Cute."
Blythe choked on her drink. "What the heck?!"
Zach, the smug idiot, just laughed.
"I mean, if you wanna make it official, Blythe, just say the word." He winked dramatically.
Blythe shoved him. "Shut up, loser."
Caesar gripped his spoon a little tighter.
He wasn't sure why.
But he suddenly felt like leaving.
---
After lunch, Caesar was heading back to class when Zach appeared beside him.
"So," Zach said casually. "You're actually pissed about this rumor, huh?"
Caesar tensed. "No."
"Liar."
"Shut up, Zach."
Zach grinned. "You like her."
Caesar's heart stopped.
He kept his face neutral. "That's ridiculous."
"Is it?" Zach shoved his hands in his pockets. "I mean, if you don't care, then it won't bother you if I actually ask her out, right?"
Caesar's breath caught.
"You wouldn't."
"Wouldn't I?" Zach smirked.
Caesar glared at him. "You don't even like her."
Zach shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. But the question is… what would you do if I did?"
Caesar's fists clenched.
He hated how Zach could read him so easily.
He hated that Zach knew exactly how to get under his skin.
And worst of all…
He hated that he didn't have an answer.
---
To Be Continued…
---