SuperStar!

The day started like any other as Jason Hill walked into school, his footsteps echoing down the hallway. "Hey, Jason," a familiar voice called out. Turning around, he saw Amanda—the cheerleader he'd been madly in love with since they were kids. His heart skipped a beat, and a shy smile crept across his face.

"Hey, Amanda," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

His quiet greeting didn't go unnoticed. Heads turned, and curious glances followed—a reaction Jason had grown accustomed to over the past year. Ever since Amanda had started talking to him, he'd become an unlikely topic of hallway gossip. And it all began with the tickets.

Getting those tickets had been the boldest—and possibly the most reckless—decision of his life. It had nearly cost him everything.

The moment he overheard that Amanda wanted to go to the concert, Jason made up his mind. He had rushed home, emptied his savings jar, and set his heart on asking her to go with him. It was supposed to be his chance to impress her, to finally bridge the gap between them, and, perhaps, erase the sting of his past embarrassments.

But his plan hit a wall—big, bold red letters spelling out "SOLD OUT" stared back at him from the concert website. Panic set in, his chest tightening with dread. What now? How could he face Amanda, having promised tickets he didn't even have?

In a strange twist of fate, that very panic attack had been his saving grace. Forced to stay home and recover for a few days, he dodged the immediate fallout of his lie and bought himself just enough time to figure out a way out of the mess.

As Jason scrolled through various websites, desperately searching for tickets, he stumbled upon some being resold for a thousand dollars. He begged his parents to help, but they turned him down harshly, calling him insane for even considering it.

Panic set in. Amanda had already visited his house twice, and each time, he had asked his mom to tell her he wasn't feeling well. But as if the universe had heard his plea, something incredible happened.

One day, while searching frantically, he came across a headline that nearly made him drop his phone. The concert was being revamped, with the venue changing and additional tickets going on sale soon. Jason was ecstatic.

He stayed up all night, counting down the minutes until the tickets went live. When the time finally came, he managed to buy both tickets.

Yes, he had experienced a panic attack, spent all his savings, and even sly his sister—who had begged him for a ticket, though she later got one from their parents (of course, they'd give it to their favorite child).

But in the end, it had all been worth it. When he showed Amanda the tickets, the hug she gave him made everything—every bit of stress, every sacrifice—worth it.

Since that day, Jason had been living the dream. Amanda had started talking to him more, even hanging out with him at school. It was everything he had ever hoped for.

As Amanda approached, Jason stood there, mesmerized by her presence. She was wearing her usual outfit, and every time she walked by, the world seemed to slow down.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Amanda called out.

"Huh? What?" Jason snapped out of his daydream, blinking as he tried to focus.

Amanda laughed. "You really need to stop zoning out. It's a terrible habit," she teased, and Jason just nodded sheepishly. "Yeah," he muttered, his mind still not fully on track.

Then Amanda shifted the conversation. "Hey, did you know Ethan released a new music video for his single 'Sugar'? The girls and I are planning to skip class to go watch it. Do you want to come?"

There it was again—Ethan Jones. Every time they met, Amanda seemed to only want to talk about him. Jason knew almost everything about the guy, and while he wasn't even really a fan, it didn't matter. As long as Amanda was talking to him, he was content. He had even started actively researching Ethan just to keep up with her conversations and avoid the awkward silence.

"Yeah, I heard it dropped this morning. Sure, I'll come with you guys," he said, flashing a smile.

"Argh, really, Amanda? You invited him?" A voice came from behind. Jason turned around to see Lilly, Amanda's red-haired friend, standing with a look of disbelief.

"Come on, it's just Jason. Let's go before the bell rings," Amanda replied, brushing off the comment with a smile.

But then Grace, her other friend, chimed in. "Amanda, I get that you're grateful and all, but do you really need to keep hanging out with him? It's not like you owe him anything. Remember the circumstances we caught him in before he promised that ticket?" Grace said, her gaze filled with disgust as she eyed Jason.

Amanda glanced at Grace and Lilly before turning to Jason. "Hey, it's not just that. Jason is actually really cool to talk to, and he's a massive Ethan fan too. So, let's all just go watch the video already! I can't wait any longer."

With that, they all headed off, sneaking to a secluded spot in the school to watch the video. Once they were seated, Lilly shot Jason a look. "Go sit in front and play the video on your phone. I don't want to sit near you," she said with a frown.

Jason nodded, slightly awkward, but not bothered by her request. He grabbed his phone and began searching for Ethan Jones's latest video on YouTube. As he scrolled through, he saw that the video already had 1.2 million views and about 100,000 likes. Impressive, he thought.

He tapped on the video, and as it loaded, the screen lit up with Ethan, looking sharp in a suit. Even Jason—admittedly not a huge fan—had to admit the guy really looked good.

The video started, and Ethan smiled as he greeted the audience. "Hello, everyone! Today, I'm in New Mexico with my tour band members and today we're going to crash a couple of weddings!"

The girls at the back of the group let out a small, excited squeal, and Jason couldn't help but smile, watching their enthusiasm.

Everyone, sorry for the late chapter 😭💔 I lost my phone today—some bastards stole it! 😭😭 Using my sister's phone to write this chapter now, and I'm so freaking sad 😭💔💔