Chapter 8: Out in the Open

Emily 👩🏻

My head was a glitchy mess, still buzzing from last night—Jake’s hungry kisses, Sarah’s bold touch, the way we tangled like a perfectly synced algorithm. Just a week ago, I was freaking out over nearly kissing Jake. Now we’d confessed our love, crossed lines with Sarah I never saw coming, and I was ... what? Into both?

‘God, Em, you’re in deep. This is like some wild and geeky rom-com, and you’re the clueless coder.’

I tried focusing on my sandwich in the cafeteria, but my brain kept replaying last night—Jake’s bruised chest, Sarah’s hand guiding mine, the heat of it all. Sarah sat across from me, scrolling her phone. Her practiced cheerleader polish masked the stress of Vance’s creepy stalking.

‘What if this crashes? Jake’s been off, and now we’re a throuple? Is that even a thing?’

The cafeteria buzzed with laughter, clattering trays, and chaos. As Sarah’s thumb swiped faster on her phone, her face paled. My stomach sank.

“Em,” she said, her voice tight. “Look at this.”

She slid her phone over. Instagram and college group chats were exploding with a video of Sarah, her voice clear: “I’m ... attracted to girls.” It was from when she confessed to Vance, that creep secretly recording her. The caption sneered: Sarah’s little secret. Guess she’s not into Jake after all. Comments flooded in—some supportive, others vile, most just nosy.

That slimy jerk. My hands shook as I gripped her phone. Sarah’s eyes glistened as her calm facade cracked. “He’s such a creep,” I muttered. My voice was louder than I meant. Heads turned at nearby tables. ‘Calm down, Em. Don’t make a scene.’ But I was pissed. Vance had twisted her truth into cheap gossip.

“Sarah, I’m so sorry,” I said while grabbing her hand. Her fingers were cold but squeezed back. Her soft and steady grip sent a spark through me. ‘God, her touch feels ... right. Am I into her? This is too much.’

“It’s out there,” she whispered. A tear trailed down her cheeks. “I wasn’t ready for everyone to know, yet.”

Fury drowned my doubts. We can’t let him win. He wants her to hide. Screw that. “Let’s take control,” I said and pulled out my phone. “We’ll own it. Let’s show them we’re not ashamed.”

Sarah blinked waryly. “What do you mean?”

I was already typing an Instagram story. “We change our relationship status to dating,” I said. “Both of us. Let everyone see we’re together, and Vance can choke.” ‘Am I crazy? May be I am but I wont let her face it alone.’ My heart pounded as I met her eyes.

She hesitated, then grinned fiercely. “You’re nuts, Em. But ... okay. Let’s do it.”

We updated our profiles, fingers trembling. I set my status to “In a relationship,” tagged Sarah, and posted. “💖Proud to be with her. 🖤#ScrewTheHaters.”

Sarah’s was simpler: “Me and my girl.💖💪.”

We hit post together, a rush like diving off a cliff. ‘Holy crap, we did it.’

The cafeteria hummed louder, phones pinging as whispers spread. Eyes locked on us. I braced myself as Bella, Sarah’s cheer squad roommate, and Mia approached. Bella slid into our booth, smirking. “You two are badass,” she said while fist-bumping Sarah. “Vance is toast. You three are our MVPs.” Her wink made me grin. She was welcome on Team Us.

Mia nodded. “Screw him,” she said. “You’re cute together.” Sarah blushed, my cheeks burned too. Maybe this won’t crash.

Online support surged in our favour. Coding club friends sent hearts. Our social studies professor, Dr. Clarris, chimed in. She wrote, “Live your truth! 🙌.” Some trolls spewed nonsense, but most comments slammed Vance. Someone even tagged campus security on Vance’s post. It may not help much but we had won this round. His video had backfired and the tide turning against him.

Sarah stayed quiet but held her head high. I held her hand in mine all day. Not for show, but cause I wanted to. Her grip’s so soft, but ... What about Jake. When adrenaline rush crashed, I started thinking things through again.

‘I can’t make my relationship with Jake public now. I won’t be able to hold him like this. This is messy. Oh God, what about my parents? And Sarah’s family? This was going to messy.’

👩‍🦰 👩🏻‍🦳

At home, Jake was on the couch, the bruise from his fight still purple. He’d skipped classes, likely dodging the video’s fallout. His smile faded as we walked in. “Hey,” he said cautiously. “What’s going on?”

Sarah flopped beside him, sighing. “Vance posted a video of me saying I’m into girls,” she said. “It’s everywhere.”

Jake’s eyes widened. “That’s messed up,” he sighed. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Sarah said while glancing at me. “Em had an idea.”

I squirmed under Jake’s gaze, guilt hitting hard. I remembered our anime binges, his arm around me like I was his world. ‘Had I pushed him away for Sarah, betraying my knight?’ “We changed our Instagram status to dating,” I said. “To show Vance he can’t shame us.”

Jake’s jaw tightened, his voice low. “You both did that? Without talking to me?” His hurt cut deep, his eyes searching mine. He reminded me of the boy who’d stayed up coding with me, always my shield.

‘Crap, he’s hurt.’ “It was impulsive,” I admitted, sitting beside him. “I was so mad at Vance, I wanted to protect Sarah. I’m sorry, Jake.”

Sarah leaned into his other side. “I’m sorry too,” she said. “We should’ve talked to you. This doesn’t change us—you’re still in this.”

He rubbed his neck, nervous, his telltale sign. “I get it, Em,” he said. “But now everyone thinks you’re a couple. What about us? You and I can’t be open without it getting ... weird.” His voice cracked, betraying the weight of being sidelined.

‘He’s right. I screwed up.’ “I didn’t think it through,” I said, my voice small. “I just couldn’t let Vance win.”

He sighed, his eyes softening. “I know you meant well. We’re supposed to be a team, yeah?”

God, I love how he gets us, even when I’m a dumbass. “We are,” I said while resting my head on his shoulder. “No more snap decisions. I promise.”