Zeus’s POV
The dorm was quiet, almost too quiet, with Kyle out practicing with his soccer team. Being the captain, he spent more time on the field than here. I didn’t mind. It gave me much the space I needed to work on the lyrics for tomorrow’s talent show. The only sound in the room was the soft melody of my piano, each note flowing gently, perfectly matching the words I was trying to string together.
My fingers hovered over the keys as I read over the lyrics on my sketchbook.
"There’s a spark in her eyes when she’s near,  
A fire that I can’t help but feel,  
She laughs, and the world fades away,  
But I can’t find the words to say..."
I stopped, feeling a slight smile tug at my lips. My mind kept drifting back to Stella. It was like she’d taken up permanent residence in my thoughts lately, and every word I wrote seemed to circle back to her. I pressed a few more keys, the soft notes filling the room as I continued to scribble down my thoughts.
"She hides behind a wall she’s built,  
But I can see the cracks within,  
Her smile’s a shield, her laugh’s a lie,  
But when she’s near, I feel alive..."
I sighed, leaning back in my chair. Why did this feel so much harder than usual? Writing about her... it was like I was trying to explain something even I didn’t fully understand. My mind was a mess, emotions tangled up in ways I couldn’t unravel, and it all kept spilling out through music.
I shook my head, muttering to myself as I tapped the pen against the notebook. "Focus, Zeus, focus."
But every time I tried, her face popped up in my mind—those bright eyes, that infectious laugh, the way she always seemed to be hiding something behind her smile. I pressed down on the keys a little harder this time, the melody turning more intense, echoing through the quiet dorm.
"But how do I say what I can’t explain,  
When every word just fades away?  
I’m falling, but I don’t know why,  
And I can’t find the reason why..."
I grinned to myself. Yeah, this was good. But it wasn’t done yet. There was still something missing—something that would make it feel complete. I leaned forward again, scribbling more, my mind racing as I worked through the final lines.
"I’ve tried to hide these thoughts I feel,  
But when you’re close, I can’t conceal,  
You’re the reason my heart won’t rest,  
And I’m stuck trying to do my best…"
I paused again, tapping my chin with the pen. I knew I was describing Stella. There was no question about it. This whole thing—the song, the piano—everything was just a reflection of her. It was crazy how much she’d gotten into my head without even trying. I had never been this distracted by anyone before.
"But even if I never say,  
The truth is there, it finds a way.  
No words can capture what I feel,  
But with you, everything’s real."
I closed the sketchbook, a satisfied grin on my face. It was done. Finally. I played the melody again, humming softly along with the words. The music filled the room, and for the first time in a while, I felt at peace.
But as soon as the song ended, that peace was replaced by nervousness. Tomorrow was the talent show, and I was planning to perform this song, the song that might as well have been a confession to Stella. Was I really going to do this? Just put everything out there like that?
I slouched back in the chair, staring at the ceiling. “What am I even thinking?” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. 
Stella deserved to know how much she meant to me, even if I couldn’t put it into the right words. Maybe I could write her a letter, something to tell her she mattered to me, that she made him feel something I hadn’t felt before. 
But then again, if I was struggling to write lyrics, how was I going to write a letter? I would probably make a fool of myself, and Stella would just laugh it off, not taking it seriously. I groaned, slumping further into the chair. 
Gwen was the expert with words. She always knew exactly what to say, how to twist her words to make an impact. She’d probably be able to help, but asking her? That would just open the floodgates to endless teasing. She’d never let me live it down. And besides, if I asked for help, she might misunderstand. Heck, ‘I’ didn’t even fully understand what I was feeling. Was it more than just admiration for Stella, or was it something else?
“Geez,” I muttered under my breath. “What a mess.”
I knew I had to try, though. I couldn’t let this feeling fester inside me. Whether through a song, a letter, or something else, I had to at least let her know she was appreciated. That she made a difference in my life, even if I couldn’t quite put my finger on what that difference was.
I sat up straight, staring at the blank piece of paper in front of me. The pen in my hand felt heavy as I tried to put something down, anything. I wrote the word ‘Dear’, but that was it. Nothing else came to mind.
"Ugh, why is this so hard?"
I tossed the pen aside and stood up, pacing around the room. Maybe I could talk to Gwen after all. Just a little advice, no teasing involved. Yeah, right. I could already hear her making fun of me the moment I mentioned Stella. But what choice did I have?
I sat back down, my mind still racing. What was I supposed to say to Stella? How could I tell her that she made my heart race, that she was always in my thoughts, without sounding like a complete idiot?
I laughed at myself, rubbing my face in frustration. “I’m so screwed.”
Just then, my phone buzzed on the desk. It was a message from Kyle.
Kyle: Still practicing. Won’t be back till late. Hope you’re not getting too deep in your feelings over there, bro.
I rolled my eyes, smirking at the message. Kyle always knew how to tease me. If only he knew how accurate that was. I quickly typed back a reply.
Zeus: Mind your business, Captain.
Kyle’s response came almost immediately.
Kyle: Just sayin’, bro. Don’t overthink it. You got this.
I chuckled, shaking my head. Maybe Kyle was right. Maybe I was overthinking all of this. It wasn’t like I had to write some perfect letter or say all the right things. Maybe it was just about letting Stella know she was special in her own way. 
I glanced back at the piano, the notes from my song still lingering in the air. Yeah, maybe the music was enough. If I could just show her through my performance tomorrow, maybe that would be enough. 
Still, I couldn’t shake the nerves creeping up on me. This whole thing was out of my comfort zone, but I knew I had to take the leap. If I didn’t try, I would probably regret it.
I sat down at the piano once more, fingers lightly brushing the keys as I played the melody of the song again. My thoughts drifted to Stella, and without thinking, I started humming the lyrics again. The song felt right, and even though I was nervous about tomorrow, a part of me was excited.
---
I stood in front of Gwen’s dorm, tapping my foot against the floor. This was a bad idea. A really, really bad idea. But I didn’t have much choice. If anyone could help me, it would be Gwen. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door, waiting impatiently. My head was spinning, and I couldn’t shake the thought of Stella from my mind.
The door swung open, and Gwen stood there, raising an eyebrow at me. “Zeus?” she asked, clearly surprised to see me standing there. Before she could say anything else, I pushed past her and walked straight into her room.
“Whoa, excuse me?” Gwen half-laughed, half-scolded. “What are you doing barging in like this? Who gave you the right to just enter a girl’s room? Do you even know how to knock properly?”
I ignored her, pacing back and forth in the small space. My mind was racing, and I couldn’t focus on anything but the mess in my head. Gwen crossed her arms, staring at me like I had lost my mind. Maybe I had. I didn’t even know anymore.
“Hello?” Gwen said, waving a hand in front of me. “Are you going to explain why you just crashed into my room like it’s a public park?”
I stopped pacing and ran a hand through my hair, frustrated. “I need help,” I finally said, struggling to find the right words. “I—I don’t know how to do this, and I need your help.”
Gwen blinked, obviously confused. “Help with what? What exactly is going on, Zeus?”
I let out a heavy sigh, feeling ridiculous. “I... I don’t know how to write a letter. To a girl. I’m... stuck.”
Gwen’s lips twitched into a grin as she leaned against the wall, clearly enjoying this way too much. “A girl, huh?” she teased, raising an eyebrow. “Who’s the lucky lady?”
I groaned, throwing my hands in the air. “Yeah, no. Maybe it’s for a boy, then, Gwen. Of course, it’s for a girl!” I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes at her.
Gwen laughed, pushing herself off the wall and stepping closer. “Oh, this is too good. The mighty Zeus Evince, struggling with something as simple as a letter to a girl. Never thought I’d see the day.”
“Can you stop making this a big deal and help me?” I snapped, though I couldn’t help but laugh a little at how ridiculous it all sounded. “I’m serious, Gwen. I don’t know what to say, and I don’t want it to sound stupid.”
Gwen’s eyes softened a bit, but the grin never left her face. “Alright, alright. I’ll help you. But first, tell me—who’s the girl?”
I hesitated for a moment, not sure if I should spill everything. But this was Gwen. If I didn’t tell her, she’d find out eventually. “Stella,” I muttered under my breath.
Her eyes lit up. “Stella? Oh, this just keeps getting better! So, you’ve got a crush on Stella? When did that happen?”
“I don’t have a crush on her,” I said defensively, even though my face probably said otherwise. “It’s not like that. I just... I just appreciate her, alright? She’s been on my mind a lot lately, and I want to let her know. But in a non-creepy, non-weird way.”
Gwen snorted. “Good luck with that, Zeus. Writing to a girl without being creepy is harder than you think.” She plopped down on her bed and patted the spot next to her. “Alright, sit down. Let’s figure this out.”
I reluctantly sat down, feeling a bit awkward. Gwen grabbed a notebook from her desk and handed it to me along with a pen. “Okay, first things first—what do you want to say?”
“I don’t know,” I muttered. “That’s the problem. I don’t want to come off as some weird guy who’s obsessed with her or something. But I also don’t want to be too casual, like I don’t care.”
Gwen rolled her eyes. “Zeus, you’re overthinking this. Just start with something simple. Like, ‘Hey, I’ve been thinking about you lately,’ or ‘You’ve been on my mind, and I wanted to say something.’ It doesn’t have to be a Shakespearean sonnet.”
I frowned, scribbling down a few words, but they all looked wrong. “This feels weird. I’m not good at this.”
Gwen leaned over, glancing at what I wrote and chuckling. “Okay, yeah, don’t say it like that. You sound like a robot.”
I glared at her. “Well, what do you expect? I can’t just whip up romantic letters on command.”
She laughed again. “Just be yourself, Zeus. You don’t need to write a masterpiece. Stella isn’t expecting that. She’d probably appreciate something genuine. Girls like when you’re real with them.”
I groaned again, leaning back against the wall. “How do you even know this stuff? You’re, like, an expert.”
Gwen shrugged, smirking. “Experience, my dear cousin. Experience.”
I shook my head. “This is hopeless. I should just forget about the letter.”
“No way!” Gwen said, slapping my arm playfully. “You’re not giving up that easily. We’ve come too far now. You need to do this.”
I stared at the notebook in my hands, still feeling unsure. But there was something about the idea of letting Stella know how I felt—however confusing those feelings were—that made me want to at least try. “Fine,” I said, gripping the pen again. “But if this goes horribly wrong, it’s on you.”
Gwen grinned. “Deal.”
For the next hour, Gwen helped me craft something that didn’t sound like it came from a clueless guy who had no idea what he was doing. She made fun of me the whole time, of course, but it helped. It made me feel like maybe I wasn’t as much of a lost cause as I thought.
By the time I finished, the letter was simple, short, and to the point. But it felt right. It felt like something I could actually give to Stella without wanting to crawl under a rock.
“There,” Gwen said, patting my back. “You did it. Now you just have to find the courage to give it to her.”
I rolled my eyes but smiled. “Thanks, Gwen. Seriously.”
She waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t mention it. Just promise me one thing.”
“What?”
“If you end up in some whirlwind romance with Stella, you better tell me everything. I want to be the first to know.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “Yeah, sure, whatever you say.”
---
I stood there, still at Gwen’s door, my hands awkwardly stuffed in my pockets. Kara had shown up a few minutes ago, and now she was leaning against the wall next to Gwen, grinning like she knew something I didn’t. 
"Alright, Zeus," Gwen said, clapping her hands together, clearly trying to act serious, but I could tell she was enjoying this way too much. "Since you clearly need some help with, well... everything, we're gonna do a practice run."
Kara nodded, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Yeah, let's pretend I'm Stella. You’re going to practice giving me that letter. Just, you know, try not to be a complete disaster."
I groaned, running a hand through my hair. "This is stupid. I don’t need to practice. I’ll just give her the letter and be done with it."
"Oh, really?" Gwen raised an eyebrow, stepping closer. "Because judging by how you barged into my room earlier, you seem ‘super’ confident."
"Fine," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "But don’t expect me to be good at this. I’m not... I’m not good with words."
Kara smirked, stepping into the middle of the room like she was preparing for some kind of theatrical performance. "Okay, Zeus. Pretend I’m Stella. Go on, give me your best shot."
I stared at her, feeling ridiculous already. "What am I even supposed to say?"
Gwen leaned against her desk, crossing her arms. "Just be yourself. Start with something like, ‘Hey, Stella, I’ve been thinking about you lately...’" She trailed off, waving her hand like it was the simplest thing in the world.
I frowned. "That sounds cheesy."
"Exactly!" Kara laughed. "Which is why it’s perfect for you."
"Ugh, fine." I took a deep breath, squaring my shoulders and facing Kara. She stood there, grinning at me like this was the funniest thing she’d ever done. I could already feel the embarrassment creeping in.
"Hey, Stella," I started, feeling awkward as hell. "I’ve been... uh, thinking about you lately and—"
"Wait, wait!" Kara interrupted, holding up a hand. "You gotta make it sound more natural. Like, imagine you’re not completely terrified to talk to her."
I glared at her. "I’m not terrified."
Kara raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "Sure. Try again, big guy."
I sighed, trying to ignore how stupid this felt. "Okay, um... Hey, Stella. So, I wrote you this letter because..." I paused, searching for the right words. "Because, well, you’ve been on my mind a lot lately and—"
"Too formal!" Gwen cut in, laughing from her spot on the desk. "You sound like you're giving a speech. Relax!"
I threw my hands in the air. "How am I supposed to relax when you two are staring at me like I’m performing some kind of stand-up comedy routine?"
Kara bit her lip, trying to hold back laughter. "Sorry, sorry! It’s just... you’re so bad at this. It’s cute."
I groaned, feeling my face heat up. "This is hopeless. I should just forget about the letter and stick to being a silent idiot."
Gwen shook her head, waving her hand at me. "No way! You’re not giving up now. We’re doing this until you stop sounding like a robot."
Kara crossed her arms, stepping forward again. "Come on, Zeus. You’ve got this. Try it one more time. And this time, imagine I’m actually Stella. Like, seriously imagine it."
I sighed again, but took a deep breath. Alright, I had to at least ‘try’. I squared my shoulders, facing Kara again. "Okay... uh, Stella. So, I wrote you this letter because I... I’ve been thinking about you a lot. And... well, I wanted to tell you that... uh..."
Kara raised an eyebrow, waiting for me to continue. Gwen snickered from the side, clearly enjoying my suffering.
"I wanted to tell you that you’ve been... on my mind," I said, my voice trailing off. "And... uh... you’re really... nice?" My face burned with embarrassment.
Kara snorted, covering her mouth to stop from laughing. "Nice? That’s what you’re going with? ‘Hey, Stella, you’re... nice?’"
Gwen burst out laughing, leaning against the desk to keep herself from falling over. "Oh, Zeus, you’re killing me!"
I groaned, covering my face with my hands. "I’m never going to get this right."
Kara patted my arm, still chuckling. "No, no, you’re doing great. Really. Just, maybe try not to sound like you’re reading off a cue card next time."
I dropped my hands and glared at both of them. "You two are the worst."
Gwen wiped a tear from her eye, still laughing. "Oh, come on, Zeus. You’re doing fine. Just... maybe avoid calling her ‘nice.’ Girls like a little more than that."
Kara nodded. "Yeah, maybe try something like... ‘Stella, I’ve been thinking about how amazing you are.’ You know, make her feel special."
I sighed. "Fine. One more try." I cleared my throat, staring at Kara and trying to ignore how ridiculous this felt. "Okay, Stella. I wrote you this letter because... well, you’ve been on my mind a lot lately, and... I wanted to tell you that... I think you’re... amazing. And... I don’t know, I just really wanted you to know that."
There was a moment of silence, and I glanced at Kara, waiting for her to laugh at me again. But instead, she smiled, nodding approvingly. "Hey, that wasn’t half bad."
Gwen clapped her hands. "Finally! He’s getting the hang of it!"
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding, feeling a mix of relief and embarrassment. "That’s it? That’s all I need to say?"
Kara grinned. "Well, you might want to say a little more than that. But it’s a good start."
Gwen nodded, still laughing softly. "Just don’t forget the letter when you actually talk to her. You’ll need that for backup in case you freeze up."
I groaned, running a hand through my hair. "Great. So now I just have to practice not making a fool of myself when I actually talk to her."
Kara patted my shoulder, grinning. "Don’t worry. We’ll be here to help you embarrass yourself as much as possible."
"Gee, thanks," I muttered sarcastically.