After the SATs, Owen decided he wanted to confess his feelings to my best friend, Kate Winslet.

He bribed me with a promise of fondue, asking me to bring Kate to a location he'd set up for his big confession.

I didn't want the fondue; I wanted him to introduce me to his good friend, Bruce Green, whom I had been crushing on for a while.

Prior to the SATs, I had been too scared to date, but now I was ready to make my move!

After some brainstorming, Owen and I finally agreed to bury the hatchet and help each other out to snag our crushes.

So that day, I arranged to take Kate out shopping and then brought her to the movie theater where Owen had planned his big moment.

Everything was falling into place perfectly.

As the film reached a pivotal scene where the male lead confessed his love to the female lead, I couldn't help but notice Owen behind us, clutching a bouquet of flowers and looking like he was about to burst.

He had put in the effort to dress up for this moment, and as he strutted confidently toward Kate, I couldn't help but laugh at the sight of my long-time nemesis being so nervous.

"Kate," he began, kneeling in front of her with all the hope in the world visible in his eyes. "From the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew I liked you. Will you be my girlfriend?"

I was sitting right next to Kate, trying to stifle my laughter at Owen's rare display of vulnerability.

But instead of swooning, Kate seemed shocked, glancing back at me as if asking for help.

"Mia, what's your Owen doing?" she exclaimed, panic in her voice.

What? My Owen?

Just as I was about to respond, Owen was suddenly yanked to his feet, taking a solid punch right in the face.

"Bruce, what the hell?" Owen exclaimed, staring in confusion at his best friend after taking a hit.

"Owen! What exactly do you think you're doing?" Bruce shouted, standing protectively in front of Kate as if he were some kind of knight in shining armor.

"Kate is my girlfriend!"

Owen and I stood frozen, both of us struggling to process what we had just heard.

"This can't be happening. When did you two even get together?"

Owen's disbelief mirrored my own.

"We started dating a month before the SAT!" Bruce replied.

Then he seemed to catch on to something, looking between us with a puzzled expression. "You mentioned wanting to confess to the girl you liked. I thought you meant Mia, but it turns out it was Kate?"

Wait, I'm Mia. How do I get dragged into this?

Suddenly, it hit me like a ton of bricks—I had been a fool. Kate had been with Bruce all along, yet just days ago, she claimed she wasn't into him!

They had been sneaking around behind our backs!

And doesn't Bruce realize Owen had feelings for Kate? What kind of twisted play are they all acting out?

Kate looked at me with wide eyes as if I were a deer caught in headlights. "Mia, Bruce and I started dating a month before the SAT, but we agreed to keep it a secret."

I locked eyes with Kate, my expression blank. I didn't say a word.

It was astonishing how easily people could lie without even a hint of remorse!

Kate's confidence wavered under my gaze, and she nervously shook my arm, laughing lightly. "You're not mad at me for not telling you, are you? I honestly had no idea this would happen today! I thought Owen was into you, and I was ready to help you two get together."

Oh, please! If I hadn't told her I liked Bruce, maybe I'd buy that nonsense!

Now, it seemed like I had to play the hero.

I quickly stepped past Kate and snatched the flowers from Owen's hands.

"Owen! You shouldn't confess to Kate just to get back at me!"

It was a desperate attempt to salvage the situation.

Owen looked at me, gratitude shining in his eyes. "Mia, you're right! I messed up!"

He didn't want to lose face, either!

I took Owen's hand, and in front of everyone, I pretended to be strong as we made our hasty exit from the cinema.

Once outside, I yanked my hand away from his and shot him a glare filled with frustration.

"You seriously didn't know about Bruce and Kate?"

"Don't look at me like that! I didn't hear a single whisper!"

Owen kicked a small stone by the sidewalk, turning to confront me. "Aren't you the one who's supposed to know everything about Kate? You had no clue?"

"Ugh! I've become a pawn in their little game!"

I scoffed, realizing how ridiculous this all was.

Kate knew I liked Bruce, and Bruce knew Owen had a crush on Kate.

They were both my friends and his friends, yet they kept this secret from us. It felt like they didn't even consider us friends anymore!

What a mess!

When I got home, my parents were still at work. I was too restless to stay alone, so I headed over to Owen's place.

He was home alone, too; his dad was away on business, and his mom was still at the community center playing poker.

Owen had ordered three dishes from a restaurant downstairs and bought two dozen beers, ready to dig in.

Without hesitation, I plopped down at the table and started eating.

He cracked open two cans of beer, and we each took one, munching and sipping in silence.

I was heartbroken, and he was just as lost.

We had talked about finding people to date, but here we were, both single and miserable!

The guy I liked was with the girl he liked. It was downright absurd!