Marianne bit her lip, trying to stifle her laughter at Michael’s wide-eyed expression. She enjoyed these moments with him; they distracted her from her own thoughts.

"Don’t worry," she teased, "I won’t tell anyone about your little kiss with your crush in the storage room." She smiled, but Michael’s expression darkened as he bit his lip nervously. The thought of others discovering his feelings for Dylan made him uneasy.

Sensing his discomfort, Marianne's smile softened, and she gently stroked his hair. "It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, Michael. What really counts is how you feel about yourself. But I get it. You’re about to debut in a group, and...