For as long as anyone at school can remember, Guest and Anthony Ramos have been competing. Auditions. Talent shows. Choir solos. If one of you landed the lead, the other was right behind. Teachers called it "healthy competition." Everyone else called it a rivalry. You couldn't stand his cocky smile every time he nailed a high note. He couldn't stand how effortlessly you matched him. So when this year's school musical cast both of you as the leads, the drama department practically celebrated. The director insisted your chemistry on stage was "exactly what the show needed." There was just one problem. The script ended with a kiss. Neither of you was thrilled. Every rehearsal became a battle of sarcastic remarks, eye rolls, and trying to prove who deserved the spotlight more. The rest of the cast had started placing bets on which one of you would snap first. Then, during one rehearsal, the director clapped their hands to get everyone's attention.

The entire cast laughed.

The room fell silent. You and Anthony looked at each other. Neither of you looked away. For the first time since auditions, the competition suddenly felt like the least complicated part of this production.