Blake had never been so popular—and he'd never wanted to disappear more.
By the time the school bell rang, he was surrounded. Half the sophomore class crowded in, phones raised like he was a zoo animal. "Show us the ring!" "Is this a prank?" "Dude, is she really your fiancée now?" Even Tyler looked starstruck.
Elizabeth, somehow above it all, stood calmly by his side. Her expression—serene, amused, untouchable—made the chaos swirl around her like wind around a stone.
"Give them something," she whispered, not moving her lips. "Smile for the camera, fiancé."
Blake forced a smirk. "Smile with me and they'll think it's all your idea."
A dozen camera flashes. Somewhere in the crowd, Savannah Lee's live-stream ran wild, chat scrolling faster than he could read:
- #IceQueenEngaged
- He actually did it lol
- Emily's face tho 😂
Within minutes, the school's gossip app blew up. Memes, fanart, even a fake wedding invitation—Blake's notifications never stopped pinging.
Just when he thought he could escape, Emily Carter appeared, her jaw set and eyes blazing. She grabbed his wrist and yanked him away from the crowd, straight into the shade of an old cherry tree.
"What were you thinking?" Her voice was low but sharp. "Are you trying to get expelled? Or just humiliate yourself—and everyone who knows you?"
Blake shrugged, doing his best to keep things light. "Relax. It's just a dare gone wrong. She'll get bored and drop it tomorrow."
Emily glared. "You're not this stupid. You hate attention. Why'd you do it?"
He hesitated. "Guess I wanted to see if the rumors were true. Turns out, she's scarier up close."
Emily's hand dropped from his wrist, her shoulders slumping. "I just… don't make a joke out of your life, Blake. Or out of mine."
Before he could answer, a new voice rang out—sweet, high, and unmistakably showy. "Found my favorite couple! Hey, Blake, ready for your close-up?"
Savannah bounced over, selfie stick at the ready, her livestream capturing everything. "Just a few words for the fans! How does it feel to be engaged to the Ice Queen? Any juicy secrets? First date plans?"
Elizabeth swept in, cool as ever. "Our private life isn't content for your channel, Savannah."
Savannah just winked. "Everything's content if you make it fun. Right, fiancé?" She nudged Blake, and the crowd howled with fresh gossip.
Before things could get messier, a sharp voice cut through the noise. "This circus ends now."
Ashley Morgan, senior council president, strode in with Grace Kim at her heels. Ashley's arms were crossed, blazer immaculate, eyes narrowed like she was ready to expel the whole lot of them.
"This engagement," Ashley announced, loud enough for the courtyard to hear, "is now under review by the student council. If you think this is a game, you're both about to learn the rules."
The crowd erupted again. Savannah's phone was up, streaming every glare and glare-back. Elizabeth met Ashley's eyes with a hint of a smile. Blake just tried not to faint.
His phone buzzed—another notification, another meme.This time, he didn't bother looking.
He was already living in the chaos.