Never Just Friends

Ciara’s Next Move

The halls of the school buzzed with a strange energy the next morning. Hanna could feel it before she even reached her locker—a low hum of tension and curiosity. Whispers followed her as she walked, the faint snippets of conversation impossible to ignore.

“Did you hear what Ciara said about her?”

“I heard Jacob’s involved too.”

“She’s not as innocent as she pretends to be.”

Hanna’s stomach churned, but she squared her shoulders and kept walking. She couldn’t let Ciara see her falter—not when so much was at stake.

When she reached her locker, Emily was already there, her expression grim.

“Have you seen it?” Emily asked, her voice low.

“Seen what?” Hanna replied, her pulse quickening.

Emily pulled out her phone, holding it up so Hanna could see the screen. On it was a blurry photo of Hanna and Finn sitting together in her room, their heads close as they talked. The caption read:

“Looks like Hanna’s been keeping secrets… again. Wonder what Jacob thinks about this?”

Hanna’s breath caught. “What… where did she get this?”

“Ciara,” Emily said darkly. “She posted it this morning. She’s trying to stir up more drama, make it look like Jacob’s covering for you and Finn all over again.”

Hanna’s hands clenched into fists. “This has to stop.”

Emily nodded, her expression fierce. “Agreed. But we need to be smart about how we handle this. If we go after her without proof, it’s just going to make things worse.”

Hanna exhaled sharply, leaning against her locker. “Elordi said he’d keep an ear out. Maybe he’ll find something that can help.”

Emily’s eyes flickered with doubt. “Elordi’s helpful when it suits him, but don’t count on him too much. We need to find something concrete, something that proves she’s behind all of this.”

~

The day dragged on, each class blending into the next as Hanna’s frustration and anxiety grew. By the time lunch rolled around, she was ready to scream. She found Finn waiting for her by the cafeteria doors, his face lighting up when he saw her.

“Hey,” he said softly, pulling her into a quick hug.

“Hey,” she replied, her voice heavy with exhaustion.

Finn’s brow furrowed as he looked at her. “What happened?”

Hanna hesitated, then pulled out her phone and showed him the post. Finn’s jaw tightened as he read it, his hands curling into fists at his sides.

“This is ridiculous,” he muttered. “She’s crossing every line.”

“I know,” Hanna said. “But I don’t know how to stop her. Every time I think we’re making progress, she finds a new way to make everything worse.”

Finn’s eyes softened, and he reached for her hand. “We’ll figure it out. Together.”

His words, while comforting, didn’t ease the knot in her stomach. She appreciated his support more than she could say, but the weight of the situation felt like too much to handle.

~

After school, Hanna found herself back in the library with Emily, combing through more messages and screenshots, looking for anything that could help.

“This is pointless,” Hanna muttered, slamming her notebook shut. “Ciara’s too careful. She’s not going to leave behind anything obvious.”

Emily didn’t respond right away. She was staring at her screen, her brow furrowed in concentration.

“What?” Hanna asked, leaning over to see what she was looking at.

Emily pointed to a message thread. “Look at this. It’s from a group chat Ciara’s in. She’s talking about someone who helped her get that photo of you and Finn.”

Hanna’s heart sank. “Someone… helped her?”

Emily nodded. “She says she couldn’t have done it without them. But she doesn’t say who it is.”

Hanna’s mind raced. If Ciara had an accomplice, it meant the situation was even more complicated than she’d thought. Who would go out of their way to help her? And why?

“We need to figure out who this is,” Hanna said, her voice firm.

Emily nodded. “Agreed. If we can figure out who’s working with her, maybe we can get them to talk.”

~

That evening, Hanna sat in her room, staring at the list of people who might be helping Ciara. Elordi? Someone else from their class? Someone she hadn’t even considered? The possibilities swirled in her mind, each one more unsettling than the last.

Her phone buzzed, and she grabbed it quickly, hoping for good news.

Elordi: I’ve got something. Meet me tomorrow before school.