Stella's POV 
The festival welcome around me as I pushed my way into the arena gym, hoping the noise and crowds would be enough to drown out everything that had happened lately. Just one day where I didn’t have to think about Zeus, or Gwen, or last night. Just one day where I could be the girl who didn’t know about crying boys or the ache in her own heart. I wanted that freedom back, even if just for an hour.
Booths lined the gym walls, games with tiny prizes and food stands with treats on sticks. I tried one game, where you toss rings over bottles, but I missed every single time. I threw another ring with a bit more force. Missed. Ugh.
"You’re terrible at games, huh?" A familiar voice spoke up, sounding scratchy.
I turned, already knowing who it was. Gwen stood there, holding two cups of coffee and smiling faintly. Her voice sounded so different—hoarse, like she’d spent all night shouting. Maybe she had.
I forced a polite smile and glanced around for an escape. The last thing I wanted was a talk with Gwen, especially with everything she might know. My eyes landed on a random girl nearby, and without thinking, I waved and called, "Hey! Been looking for you! Look, I won a prize!" I held up my empty hands, feeling ridiculous but determined to avoid Gwen’s gaze.
The girl blinked, confused. I leaned close and whispered, "Just…pretend you know me. Please, just go along."
The girl gave me a raised eyebrow, but I could see her trying not to laugh. "Uh, sure…?"
I started to lead her away, not daring to look back at Gwen. Maybe this would work.
"Really, Stella? You’re avoiding me now?" Gwen’s voice cut through the crowd, sharp enough to make me stop in my tracks.
I slowly turned, caught in her stare like a kid with her hand in the cookie jar. Gwen’s expression wasn’t her usual smirk—she looked serious, a little irritated, and maybe even hurt.
"Uh, hi…Gwen," I said, trying to play it cool. "Didn’t see you there."
She folded her arms, narrowing her eyes. "Yeah, keep denying it, Stella. I dare you."
The random girl beside me shot us both an annoyed look. "You know, if you two have problems, maybe don’t drag other people into it." She flipped her hair and walked off, clearly annoyed.
I cringed, turning back to face Gwen, who was still staring me down. I laughed awkwardly. "Hi…Gweny."
Gwen rolled her eyes. "Save it, dork. We need to talk." She didn’t give me a chance to protest, grabbing my arm and pulling me toward a little booth in the corner, one of those tiny barista setups with fancy coffee.
"Gwen, seriously—"
"No, Stella, seriously." She planted me in front of the booth, setting one of the coffees down in front of me. "Drink this, and let’s talk."
I took a tiny sip, barely tasting it, more focused on the look in her eyes than anything. Gwen wasn’t angry exactly. She just looked…disappointed, and that somehow made my chest feel more heavier.
"So," Gwen started, leaning back against the booth, crossing her arms. "I heard you were supposed to meet Zeus last night."
I stared down at the coffee, already feeling the weight of my own regret. "Yeah… I was."
"And you didn’t show up." Her voice was blunt, almost accusing.
"I know, Gwen," I whispered, my voice cracking. "It was just…I got caught up with other people, and then it got late—"
"Other people?" Gwen’s eyebrows shot up. "So, you just decided they were more important than keeping a promise?"
"It wasn’t like that," I protested. "Liam and the others dragged me along. I thought it would be quick."
Gwen shook her head, a humorless smile on her face. "You don’t get it, do you?"
I looked at her, feeling my face flush with frustration. "Get what?"
"Zeus came to my room last night," she said softly, her voice barely more than a whisper. "He was.. a mess, Stella."
I already know that part but the words hit me harder than I expected. I tried to breathe, but it felt like someone was pressing down on my chest. "I didn't mean..."
"He showed up at my door, looking like he’d been through hell." Gwen’s eyes softened, just for a second. "He was…crying. Full-on crying, like a little kid. I’ve seen him like that once and it was hurtful."
I swallowed, guilt twisting inside me. "I didn’t… I didn’t know it would be that bad."
Gwen gave me a look like I was missing something painfully obvious. "What did you think, Stella? He’s been waiting for you all this time, and when he finally has a chance…you just don’t show up?"
The words felt like a punch. I hugged my coffee cup, clinging to the warmth. "I didn’t mean to hurt him," I whispered.
"But you did." Gwen leaned in closer, her voice barely more than a whisper. "And he didn’t deserve that."
A tear slipped down my cheek before I could stop it. "I…I don’t know what to say."
Gwen sighed, her expression softening just a little. "Look, maybe you don’t need to say anything. But you need to think about what you really want. You can’t keep messing with his feelings like this."
I nodded, wiping my face quickly. "I know."
Gwen stared at me, a small smirk creeping back onto her face. "You know, for someone who’s usually such a goofball, you’ve really made a mess of things."
I laughed weakly, but it sounded more like a sniffle. "Yeah, tell me about it."
She gave me a nudge, rolling her eyes. "So, what are you going to do?"
I looked down at my coffee, watching the steam rise up. "I don’t know. But I think… I think I need to talk to him."
"Good," Gwen said, taking a sip of her own drink. "And maybe next time, don’t use random strangers to escape a conversation with me. It’s kind of insulting."
I laughed, feeling a bit lighter. "Yeah…sorry about that."
She shrugged, her smirk finally returning. "Don’t worry. Just don’t make it a habit. You’re stuck with me, like it or not."
And somehow, with that, the weight on my chest didn’t feel so heavy anymore.
Gwen leaned back against the booth, giving me a long look as I finished wiping my face, then sighed. "Alright, look. You’re clearly beating yourself up, and trust me, I get it. But how about we take a break from all this ‘life drama’ and just enjoy the festival? Fix everything tomorrow, not today."
I blinked at her, unsure. "Just…forget about it?"
"Not forget. Just pause," she said, giving me a small grin. "C’mon, you need it, Stella. You look like you’re about to collapse."
Before I could protest, she grabbed my arm, pulling me across the arena gym floor and out toward the festival grounds. I tried to keep up, stumbling as Gwen plowed through the crowd like she was on a mission.
"Gwen—wait—I’m not sure about this!"
"Too bad, we’re already doing it!" She stopped by a booth with a giant spinning wheel. The game operator was explaining something about colors and prizes, but Gwen just shoved a few tickets into his hand and looked at me, eyes bright. "Here, spin this."
I grabbed the handle and gave it a spin, watching the wheel clack as it passed each color. It landed on blue, and the operator handed me a tiny, stuffed frog. Gwen burst out laughing at the sight of it, making me blush.
"Look at you, winning already!" she teased, poking the frog’s squishy belly. "See? Life isn’t so terrible."
I managed a small smile and tried to focus on the moment, letting her laughter pull me out of my thoughts.
Just then, I spotted Mia and Harper nearby, busy with some students setting up a huge tarp that looked like it might come crashing down any second. Mia seemed to be directing everyone, waving her clipboard like a drill sergeant, while Harper held one corner of the tarp, glancing around nervously as it wobbled.
Gwen noticed them too and grinned, waving at Mia. "Hey! Look who’s here, stuck working while the rest of us are having fun!"
Mia looked over and raised an eyebrow. She walked over, hands on her hips, still holding the clipboard. "Gwen? Stella? What’re you two doing here, slacking off?"
"Hey, we’re here to remind you that there’s a festival going on," Gwen replied, smirking. "Why aren’t you guys having any fun?"
"Yeah, yeah," Mia said, rolling her eyes. "Some of us still have responsibilities, you know?" She gestured to the clipboard, and Harper looked away, avoiding Gwen’s gaze entirely.
I couldn’t help but notice. Something felt off, the way Harper was staring everywhere but at Gwen, almost like she was…avoiding her. Did something happen between them? I glanced at Gwen, but she didn’t seem to notice—or she was ignoring it.
Gwen chuckled and looked at Mia, crossing her arms. "Well, I bet you guys wouldn’t even have fun if you tried. Too serious, way too serious."
Mia gasped, her face scrunching up in playful offense. "Excuse me? Are you challenging us?"
Gwen grinned wider, raising an eyebrow. "Maybe I am. Let’s see if you can actually enjoy yourself for once. Bet you can’t beat us in any of the games here."
Mia looked at her clipboard, then back at Gwen, her eyes narrowing with a spark of competitive energy. "Oh, it is on. How about this—we’ll play as many booths as we can in thirty minutes, and whoever wins the least has to dress up in a mascot costume tomorrow. Deal?"
I tried to hide a laugh, imagining Mia stuffed into some giant furry costume. Gwen’s eyes lit up. "Deal! I’m betting my next tuition on this!" She stuck her hand out to Mia, who shook it eagerly.
"Harper!" Mia grabbed her friend’s arm, dragging her closer. Harper looked like she wanted to say something but couldn’t get a word in before Mia pulled her into the challenge, already waving over the game attendant.
"Wait—" Harper mumbled, but Mia cut her off, already explaining the rules.
"Alright, first game—who can knock down the most bottles with these little bean bags. Ready, set, go!" She handed us each a bean bag, her eyes glinting with excitement.
Gwen threw first, hitting two bottles out of three, smirking as she watched them clatter to the ground. "See, Mia? That’s how you do it."
Mia huffed and tossed her bean bag, only knocking down one bottle, but she pretended it was on purpose. "Pfft, just warming up. Harper, your turn!"
Harper shot Gwen a quick look, her cheeks slightly red, before tossing her bean bag and…completely missing the bottles. We all burst into laughter, and even Harper cracked a smile, shaking her head in defeat.
"Wow, Harper, you’re really great at this," Gwen teased, nudging her playfully. "How about we skip the bottles and just go straight to the cotton candy booth?"
Mia snorted, clapping her hands. "Oh, Harper, you’re going to make this too easy for us!"
We moved from booth to booth, laughter following us everywhere. We have a tie now. Eight wins each, and there was only one game left to play. Gwen kept the mood light, joking with Mia and Harper while I found myself finally relaxing, just enjoying the craziness of it all. It was like the festival was a little bubble, and nothing outside mattered for a while.
Gwen and Mia stood across from each other, eyeing each other with that look—the one that needed no words. Their smirks, the way they raised their eyebrows in sync, it was like they were having a whole conversation telepathically. Harper and I stood on the sidelines, watching this silent exchange.
"Oh no," Harper said, pointing at them. "I don’t like where this is going."
I glanced at her, a little confused. I wasn’t familiar with this particular booth game, and I didn’t understand what made her uneasy. But before I could even ask, Gwen and Mia grabbed us both and pulled us toward the field.
“Alright, alright, we’re signing up!” Gwen called out to the student running the game, who looked at us with a mix of confusion and amusement.
Mia turned to explain, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “It’s simple. This is a relay race. One person runs the first 200 meters, then hands off to the other to finish the final 200 meters. First team across the finish line wins. Losers wear that hideous mascot costume tomorrow.”
I glanced at the mascot suit sitting nearby, a massive, fluffy creature with goofy eyes and a permanent grin that screamed “don’t take me seriously.” No way was I going to end up in that thing.
“Ready?” The student running the booth shouted as we all lined up.
Gwen and Mia positioned themselves at the starting line, crouching low. The rest of us stood at the sidelines, Harper by my side. I could feel the tension building up. Gwen and Mia looked like they were about to sprint for their lives.
“Look at them,” Harper muttered, smirking. “They look so childish, don’t you think?”
I chuckled, nodding. “Don’t they always?”
She laughed with me, shaking her head, and for a moment, it was just the two of us sharing that small, lighthearted moment. But Harper turned back to me, and I caught a glint in her eye.
“But you know,” she said, her smirk widening, “I’m not letting you win this time, Stella. Better get your legs ready.”
I shot her a look, mirroring her stance. “Oh, I hope you’re prepared to lose, Harper. I want to see your face drop when I cross that finish line before you.”
Running was my thing. If there was one thing I knew I could do, it was this.
The gunshot echoed, and Gwen and Mia shot forward, racing neck and neck. I cheered for Gwen, trying to block out everything else and stay focused. She and Mia were practically shoulder to shoulder, each refusing to let the other pull ahead.
They passed by in a blur, their faces determined as they closed in on us.
“Get ready, Stella,” Harper murmured, her eyes on the two approaching figures.
I leaned forward, lowering my stance and bracing myself. Gwen and Mia were almost there, breaths heaving as they ran. Then, finally, Gwen thrust the baton into my hand, and I shot off, my legs pounding the ground beneath me.
I could hear Harper just behind me, her footsteps fast, almost keeping pace. But I ignored her, my mind focused on the finish line. My heart raced, the wind whipping through my hair, and the cheers from the crowd fading as I locked in on my goal.
I was so close—just a few feet left. But then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something that made me stumble.
There, not too far from the field, was Zeus. And sitting right next to him was Dana. They were under a big, shady umbrella, ice cream cones in their hands. Dana was laughing, her shoulder resting comfortably against his.
A pang shot through my chest, and my focus shattered.
“Stella, watch out!”
Harper’s voice cut through, but it was too late. I felt myself trip, my head colliding with something hard. A sharp pain exploded, and then I was on the ground, the world spinning around me.
The pain in my head was fierce, but it was nothing compared to the ache in my heart. Everything around me was a blur, the sounds, the people gathering around. I felt Gwen and Mia beside me, their hands reaching to help, their voices a murmur in the haze.
“Stella? Are you okay?”
I pushed them away, struggling to my feet. I could barely keep my balance, swaying as I tried to stand. My vision blurred again, and I stumbled, grabbing onto a nearby table. But in my clumsy attempt, I knocked over a jug of water, spilling it everywhere.
The water splashed across the ground, and in the chaos, I barely noticed it pooling around an electrical extension cord.
A small flame flickered to life, spreading across the waterlogged wire and creeping toward the scattered booth supplies.
“Holy crap!” Mia shouted. “Get water! Someone, get water!”
Before I knew it, Harper had her arm around me, pulling me back as Gwen and Mia rushed to douse the flames with any water they could find.
“Who the heck thought it was a good idea to have an extension cord on the ground at a festival?” Gwen muttered, shaking her head as she threw water over the last of the fire.
I slumped down, kneeling on the grass, feeling utterly defeated. Everything... everything just felt too heavy, like the weight of everything I’d tried to ignore had finally crushed me.
“Are you okay?” Gwen’s voice was soft, her hand gentle on my shoulder.
I didn’t answer. If I was okay? Nothing is okay! Everything... feel so hurt! And this distraction is just getting worse for me.
 
How could I even begin to explain? My heart hurt, my head hurt, and seeing Zeus and Dana together…it was just too much. Everything felt like it was slipping away, getting worse by the second.
Gwen knelt beside me, looking at me with concern. “Stella?”
But I couldn’t stay there. I couldn’t handle any more sympathy or questions. I pushed myself up, wobbling slightly, and turned to face them.
“I'm sorry…I didn't mean this to happend,” I mumbled, not meeting their eyes. “I just need…I need a minute.”
“Stella, wait—”
Gwen reached for me, but I stepped back, shaking my head. I didn’t look at her or Mia or Harper. I just started walking, each step feeling heavier than the last as I tried to escape, to find some kind of relief from the mess inside me.