Donovan felt his entire world collapse in real-time. His breath hitched, his hands clenched, and for a brief moment, he swore the ground beneath him was shaking. Why—why was his beloved chasing after her? What had Agatha done to rattle him so much?

He had heard the rumors, of course. Whispers of Agatha and Connor being together had reached his ears more times than he could count, but he had always dismissed them as baseless nonsense, the result of people misinterpreting their unfortunate proximity. But now—now Connor was running after Agatha as if she were the most important person in his life.

This was a nightmare. No, worse. This was the end of everything. He was so consumed by his spiraling despair that he barely registered the rest of the group following after her too. Why was Connor going after her? The answer was obvious—because she was Connor’s girlfriend, wasn’t she? That had to be it. They were together, spending time alone, whispering, laughing, sharing moments—the kind Donovan should have been having with him.

His heart clenched. This was it. The worst possible reality. He needed answers. Now. He had to brace himself for the worst. But deep down, a small, desperate part of him still clung to hope that this wasn’t what it looked like.

Storming out of the library, he made a beeline for the two people who could easily confirm or deny his greatest fear: Sofía and Jackson. The campus’ power couple knew everything about everyone, and if there was even a hint of truth to this absolute disaster, they would be the first to know.

Donovan usually avoided hanging out with them at school—he hated being the third wheel. He swore it wasn’t that he envied his friends’ happiness. He just felt… left out. But he had to. For Connor.

“Hey, guys!” Donovan greeted, “I need you to tell me everything you know about Agatha and Connor, please!” he said with his well-practiced puppy eyes.

“Uhhh, sure,” Sofía replied, exchanging a glance with Jax. The couple was thoroughly confused—Donovan had never cared about gossip before, so why was he suddenly prying into two people he barely acknowledged? “But first, you have to tell us why you want to know.”

Donovan stiffened. His friends knew he was gay, sure, but they didn’t know that his crush was none other than Connor Miller, the golden captain of the basketball team. His face burned with embarrassment, and he crossed his arms with a huff.

“Ugh, fine,” he grumbled, looking away. “Well, it all started at the library, when I was—uh—casually observing my crush,” he muttered, voice dropping to a near whisper.

Sofía raised an eyebrow. “Casually observing?”

“Stalking, if you want to get technical,” he snapped, then immediately groaned. “Anyway! Connor was sitting with his friends, looking as absurdly gorgeous as ever, when out of nowhere he got all riled up and stormed off. And guess who he ran after? Agatha Quinn.”

Jax nearly choked. “Wait—wait—hold on a damn second,” he blurted. “You like Connor? As in Connor Miller? The Connor Miller?”

“YES, JACKSON, KEEP SAYING HIS FULL NAME LIKE I DON’T KNOW WHO HE IS,” Donovan exploded, throwing his hands up. “Do you have a fucking problem with that?”

Both Sofía and Jax quickly shook their heads, wide-eyed. Donovan was usually the embodiment of chill with them, so the fact that he was this worked up was terrifying.

“Now, may I please continue my story?” he crossed his arms, and they both nodded. “Thank you. “I was sitting across from them, when suddenly he started yelling at Agatha, practically begging her not to leave. It was like he was fuming, and it looked like she really pissed him off by leaving without him. I don’t get it—was he mad that she was ditching him right before class? Or is there something else going on here? Because if they’re dating... if she’s really with him, then my whole world is about to implode. I need answers!”

“Aww, our little Donny is jealous,” Sofía teased, her voice dripping with a playful tone. “Alright, let me spill some tea. As the queen of gossip around here, I can tell you that I haven’t heard anything about a relationship between Connor and Agatha. What I do know is that they get along really well. Maybe Mark knows more about his teammate—you should definitely ask him. And just so you know, Connor’s bi, so you do have a shot at seducing him if you play your cards right.”

He had never considered if he actually had a chance to make his fantasies a reality. He was glad just existing in his vicinity, having made his peace with only ever being able to admire the team capitan from afar.

He could feel his face turning red from thinking about actually dating him. Connor was confident, charming, and effortlessly cool—qualities Donovan felt he lacked. He seemed to glide through life with a kind of ease that Donovan could only admire from afar.

And there was him, way out of his league, always anxious, awkward, and second-guessing himself. Donovan knew he should push those self-deprecating thoughts aside, but they clung to him like a dark cloud, threatening to drown out the flicker of hope that was trying to break through.

Maybe he should be braver.

He could even take the chance, ask him out—even if it meant rejection. The thought of it was terrifying, but the idea of never knowing... that was worse. He could already picture it, the moment he’d gather the courage to ask Connor, the way his heart would race in his chest, and the way Connor might smile, either out of sympathy or, if he was lucky, because he felt the same way.

But the fear of rejection kept gnawing at him, louder than his fleeting dreams of what could be. Could he really convince his crush to feel the same? Was he even worthy of that? Maybe it was just a fool’s hope—he knew he wasn’t the kind of guy who just got people to like him.

After a moment of quiet contemplation, Donovan made a decision. He had to figure out what was going on between Connor and Agatha, and if he found nothing to worry about, then—maybe—he’d shoot his shot.

Donovan didn’t want to admit it, but he was practically a master at keeping tabs on people’s schedules. He had an uncanny ability to track where everyone liked to hang out at any given time. Finding Mark so he could ask him? That was probably going to be easy.

Donovan walked through the campus, his eyes scanning the familiar spots as he made his way toward the library. He knew Mark liked to study there in the afternoons, especially on days when he had a break between classes.

It wasn’t hard to figure out where to find him—he was always there, sitting at the same corner table by the windows, headphones on, buried in his textbooks, or writing away on his computer. As he approached the library, Donovan tried to calm his racing thoughts. He wasn’t entirely sure what he was going to ask Mark. Should he go in with a casual approach? Or should he be upfront, asking about Connor and Agatha directly? He hadn’t decided yet, but he knew he had to get to the bottom of this—he couldn’t keep obsessing over it.

When he finally stepped inside, he glanced around, and there he was—Mark, as expected, hunched over a notebook, scribbling something down with his usual focus. Donovan couldn’t help but notice how relaxed Mark looked, how comfortable in his own world. It made Donovan feel... a little jealous. But that was beside the point.

“Maaaark, my favorite buddy!” Donovan called out, trying to sound casual, as though he wasn’t about to dive into something very personal.

Mark gave him a flat look, not even startled by Donovan. “What do you want, Donovan?”

He sighed, his friends knew him too well—his tells were too obvious, and his attempts to charm them now fell flat. Sofía had that art down, but him? He didn’t have the same finesse. He should probably ask her for lessons. “What can you tell me about your friend Connor?” he asked, offering the most exaggerated puppy eyes he could muster.

Mark rolled his eyes, unimpressed. He’d seen this routine too many times to fall for it now. Donovan’s puppy eyes and calls of ‘favorite buddy’ were dead giveaways that he needed something, and it usually wasn’t just a friendly favor. “Shouldn’t you be studying for your exams?”

Donovan shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. “Yeah, but I’ve got time. So, I was wondering... Do you know anything about Connor and Agatha? Are they, like, a thing?” His voice was quieter than he intended, as if speaking it out loud made it more real.

Mark blinked, his expression unreadable for a moment. “Connor and Agatha?” He shifted in his seat, clearly thrown off by the sudden question. “Uh, I mean... they get along, sure. Why do you ask?”

“Well, um-” Donovan didn’t feel comfortable talking to Mark about his crushes. They were friends, sure, but they had never had deep conversations at all. “I saw Connor get all... worked up when she left earlier. He looked mad. And I was wondering if maybe they’re dating or something.”

Mark sighed dramatically, getting what Donovan was hinting at. It was not uncommon for people to ask him about them, but it was usually girls who asked about Connor’s availability, but he would seize the opportunity to get back at his friend. He made an exaggerated ‘disappointed in you’ gesture, shaking his head in mock disbelief. “Really? You’re using me for this?” he said, his voice dripping with fake indignation.

Donovan blinked at him, confused, he didn’t get why Mark wasn’t saying anything outright. He knew his friend hated getting used for information on his teammates, but he thought that if it was him asking, he would make an exception. Maybe he had been wrong.

But after a short while, Mark let out a long, exasperated sigh. Then, with a dramatic flourish, he threw his hands up in surrender. “So? What do you want to know?” Mark had a suspicion that Connor would say yes to anyone brave enough to ask him out, but he kept that to himself, letting Donovan stew in the uncertainty.

“Well, are they dating?” Donovan went directly to the point.

“Not that I’m aware, but Agatha always comes to our games and invites us to lunch if we win.”

Donovan didn’t know what to make of that, was that something that ‘just friends’ did?

“It’s really annoying, we always go for sushi or italian food, as she knows those are his favorites.” Mark rolled his eyes, he didn’t really like Agatha most of the time. “And they never let me choose.”

The conversation about Connor dragged on longer than Donovan had anticipated. Mark was surprisingly forthcoming, confirming many things that Donovan had only heard in passing. Connor was studying public relations with an emphasis on sports, he was an only child, and he had a surprising interest in fashion—things Donovan had never known, but that only deepened his curiosity.

Then, the topic inevitably shifted to Connor’s relationship with Agatha. As Mark revealed more about their interactions, Donovan’s mind only became more tangled. Mark’s casual remarks made it clear that there was something between them—something that Donovan couldn’t quite put his finger on. But every piece of information only seemed to add another layer of confusion. Were they just friends? Was there something more?

Before he could process everything, Mark stood up, signaling that his class was about to start. “Look, man, I gotta go,” Mark said with a shrug. “I’ve told you what I know, but honestly, the rest is up to you to figure out.”

Donovan groaned internally, he knew Mark wasn’t going to give him any more clues. So, he sighed, standing up. “Fine, I’ll figure it out. Thanks… I think.”

With that, he walked away, more confused than ever, but also, maybe, just a little bit hopeful. But one thing was certain—he couldn’t get Agatha’s name out of his head, and that fact alone was enough to leave him questioning everything.