Monday morning came way too fast.
I spent most of Sunday pretending I wasn't thinking about Saturday night.
I failed.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the fair.
Jason smiling when I opened the door.
Ben standing near the game booths.
Simon walking toward us like he'd finally decided that, for once, he wasn't going to stay in the background.
And then there was the car ride home.
Jason had barely said anything.
Neither had I.
It wasn't uncomfortable exactly. It was just… full.
Full of things neither of us knew how to say.
By Sunday night, I had convinced myself that Monday wouldn't be that bad.
After all, nothing had actually happened.
Nobody had confessed anything.
Nobody had asked me to choose.
It was just a fair.
Just a hangout.
Except Monday morning had other plans.
The second I walked through the school doors, I knew.
People were looking at me.
Not everyone.
But enough.
I slowed down, clutching the strap of my bag.
"What?" I whispered to myself.
Then I heard a familiar voice.
"Laura!"
Rose came practically running toward me.
I barely had time to react before she grabbed my arm.
"Okay," she said. "You have to tell me everything."
I blinked. "Good morning to you too."
"Don't good-morning me." She lowered her voice. "You went to the fair with Jason."
I sighed.
"Yes."
"And?"
"And what?"
Rose stared at me.
I stared back.
She narrowed her eyes.
"Laura."
I laughed nervously. "Nothing happened."
"Nothing?"
"Nothing."
She crossed her arms. "Then why are three boys acting like they're starring in the world's most awkward love triangle?"
I froze.
"Three?"
Rose looked at me like I'd just asked her what the alphabet was.
"Jason. Ben. Simon."
Hearing their names together made my stomach twist.
"I don't know," I whispered.
Rose's expression softened.
"You like all three of them, don't you?"
I looked away.
That was the problem.
I didn't know how to answer.
Before I could, the warning bell rang.
"Come on," Rose said. "We'll talk later."
I nodded, but as we walked down the hallway, I couldn't stop thinking about what she'd said.
You like all three of them.
Maybe I did.
Maybe that was why everything felt so complicated.
English was first.
I walked into the classroom and immediately saw Simon.
He was sitting in his usual spot, book open in front of him.
For a second, neither of us said anything.
Then his eyes met mine.
He smiled.
Just barely.
"Hey," he said.
"Hey."
I sat down.
My heart was beating faster than it should have been.
"You survive the fair?" he asked.
I looked at him.
"Barely."
His mouth curved into a small smile.
"Good."
I laughed quietly.
Then he looked down at his book.
I thought that was the end of it.
Until he said, almost under his breath, "I was worried you'd forget about the book sale."
I turned toward him.
"I didn't."
He looked at me.
"I know."
Something about those two words made my cheeks warm.
Before I could respond, the teacher started class.
I looked down at my notebook, trying to focus.
But I could still feel Simon beside me.
Science was different.
Ben was already there.
When I walked in, he looked up.
Our eyes met.
He smiled.
But it wasn't quite the same smile as before.
There was something uncertain about it.
"Morning," he said.
"Morning."
I sat down beside him.
For a few seconds, we worked without speaking.
Then Ben finally said, "Did you have fun?"
I knew exactly what he meant.
"The fair?"
He nodded.
"Yeah."
"Good."
He looked down at his notes.
I studied his face.
"Are you okay?"
He gave me a small smile.
"Yeah."
"You don't look okay."
He laughed softly.
"I'm fine, Laura."
There was a pause.
Then he added, "I'm glad you had fun."
Something about that made me feel guilty.
"Ben—"
The teacher started talking, and the conversation ended.
But I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something he wanted to say.
At lunch, Rose and I sat together.
I had barely opened my lunch when she leaned forward.
"Okay."
I sighed.
"What now?"
"You've got to tell me what happened with Jason."
"Nothing happened."
"Did he hold your hand?"
I hesitated.
Rose's eyes widened.
"He did!"
"It was for the Ferris wheel!"
"That counts."
"It really doesn't."
She laughed.
Then her smile faded.
"Look."
I followed her gaze.
Jason was walking toward us.
My stomach tightened.
He stopped beside the table.
"Hey."
"Hey," I said.
He smiled at me.
For a second, everything felt normal again.
Then I noticed someone behind him.
Ben.
And farther away—
Simon.
My heart sank.
Again.
Jason noticed them too.
His smile disappeared for half a second.
But then he looked back at me.
"Want to walk around after lunch?"
Before I could answer, Ben spoke.
"I thought we were supposed to finish our lab."
Jason looked at him.
"We can do it later."
Ben raised an eyebrow.
"Can we?"
Jason's expression tightened.
Simon stood a few feet away, watching the exchange.
Rose slowly looked between all three of them.
Then she whispered to me, "Oh, this is going to be a long week."
I almost laughed.
Almost.
Jason pulled out the chair beside me.
"I'm sitting here."
Ben looked at the chair.
Then at Jason.
Then at me.
"Okay."
He sat across from me.
Simon remained standing for another second.
Then, unexpectedly, he walked over and sat beside Rose.
Rose blinked.
Simon shrugged.
"What?"
She smiled.
"Nothing."
The four of us sat there.
And somehow, the cafeteria felt smaller than it had ever felt before.
Jason talked to me.
Ben asked me questions.
Simon occasionally added a quiet comment that made me laugh.
And every time one of them made me smile, I could feel the others notice.
Not angrily.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
Enough to remind me that they were all paying attention.
Rose leaned toward me.
"You know what this looks like, right?"
I whispered, "Don't."
She smiled.
"I'm just saying."
I glanced around the table.
Jason.
Ben.
Simon.
And me.
Three different boys.
Three different personalities.
Three different ways of making me feel something.
I suddenly remembered the shape I'd been thinking about all weekend.
A diamond.
Three points surrounding one center.
Except diamonds were supposed to be beautiful.
This felt terrifying.
The bell rang.
Everyone stood.
Jason looked at me.
"See you later."
Ben gave me a small smile.
"See you."
Simon picked up his book.
"Later, Laura."
I watched them walk away in three different directions.
Rose came up beside me.
"So…"
I sighed.
"Don't say it."
She grinned.
"Love Diamond."
I looked at her.
She laughed.
And somehow, that made everything feel even more real.
Because if this was only Monday—
I didn't want to know what Friday was going to look like.