Chapter 2 - Chapter 2:Not That Innocent

The morning after the cafeteria showdown, Ava stood at her locker, trying to keep her breathing steady. She'd barely slept. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Liam smiling at Madison — laughing with her like they were the only two people in the world."Don't overthink it," she whispered to herself. "He's just being nice. He's yours. He likes you.""Talking to yourself already? Rough morning?"Ava turned, heart immediately clenching.Madison Blake.In all her golden-blonde, lip-gloss-shining, oversized-sweater glory. She had the kind of effortless look that screamed I just woke up like this and I'm still prettier than you."What do you want?" Ava asked, slamming her locker shut harder than she meant to.Madison tilted her head. "Relax. I'm just here to be friendly. It's what we do in L.A.""You're not in L.A. anymore," Ava muttered.Madison smiled like she hadn't heard the edge in Ava's voice. "I just wanted to say thanks for the welcome yesterday. It was… unforgettable." Her eyes twinkled — too sweet. Too fake."Yeah, unforgettable," Ava said. "Especially the part where you couldn't stop flirting with Liam.""Oh?" Madison blinked, all innocent. "Was he… taken?"Ava's jaw clenched. "Yes. Very taken.""Hm," Madison hummed thoughtfully. "Weird. He didn't mention that."Ava stepped closer, lowering her voice. "Let me make it clear, Madison. Liam is not available. I don't care how many highlights you have in your hair or how good you are at batting your lashes."Madison didn't flinch. She just smiled wider. "Got it. Loud and clear, Ava."Then she walked away.---Later that day…Liam caught up with Ava after History class. "Hey, where were you this morning? I didn't see you before homeroom."Ava barely looked at him. "Busy."He frowned. "Are you mad at me?""No," she lied. "Why would I be mad?""You tell me. You've been quiet since lunch yesterday."She finally turned to face him, arms crossed. "Okay. You really want to know? I don't like how close you were with Madison yesterday."Liam blinked. "Are you serious?""Dead serious.""She's new. I was just trying to make her feel welcome."Ava raised a brow. "You pulled out a chair for her. You gave her half your fries. You laughed at her jokes."Liam ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "Ava, come on. This isn't like you.""Exactly," she snapped. "This isn't like you either."For a second, neither of them said anything.Then Liam's voice softened. "You're my best friend, Ava. You know that."Her chest tightened. Best friend. The words tasted bitter now."Yeah," she said quietly. "I know."But in her gut, something felt off. Like Madison wasn't just another transfer student. Like she wasn't done.---That night…Ava sat on her bed, scrolling through Instagram when a new photo popped up.@MadisonBlakeXO📸 First week in a new town and already found my favorite people 💋Tagged: @LiamCarter03The picture? Madison and Liam — , too close, his arm s"