The Wrong Number Of Love

Winning the competition brought newfound recognition to Ella and Noah, but it also came with challenges. Everyone seemed to have expectations now—teachers encouraged them to pursue similar projects, classmates wanted to join in their creative efforts, and even local media reached out for interviews.

Ella found it overwhelming. As someone who usually stayed in the background, the spotlight felt blinding. She couldn't walk through the hallways without someone stopping her to talk about their presentation.

Noah, on the other hand, thrived. He joked around during interviews, played his guitar on request, and seemed to love the attention.

"You're like a celebrity," Ella said one afternoon as they sat in the park.

"Jealous?" Noah teased, strumming his guitar.

Ella rolled her eyes. "Hardly. But seriously, do you ever get tired of people expecting you to be 'on' all the time?"

Noah paused, his fingers stilling on the strings. "Sometimes," he admitted. "But it's better than being invisible, right?"

Ella nodded, understanding his perspective. She wasn't invisible anymore either, but she wasn't sure she liked it.