Jealousy in the Air

The sound of laughter and chatter filled the air as Charlie Gardner and Farkle Minkus pulled up to Sabrina's house in Charlie's rusty old van. Maya's eyes lit up with excitement as she heard the familiar voices, and she quickly pulled away from me, rushing over to greet her friends. I watched as she flung her arms around Charlie's neck, pulling him into a tight hug. "Hey, girl!" Charlie exclaimed, his voice booming through the backyard. "It's been too long!" Farkle chimed in, his high-pitched voice rising above the din. "Yeah, we've missed you, Maya! What's new with you?" Maya laughed, pulling back from Charlie's hug. "Not much, just enjoying the summer so far. You guys?" As Maya chatted with her friends, I couldn't help but notice the way Charlie was looking at her. His eyes seemed to linger on her face, and his smile seemed a little too warm. I felt a pang of jealousy rise up inside me, and I found myself taking a step closer to Maya, my arm instinctively wrapping around her waist. Sabrina, sensing my tension, raised an eyebrow. "Everything okay?" she whispered, her eyes flicking between me and Charlie. I nodded, trying to shake off the feeling of possessiveness that was growing inside me. But as I watched Charlie effortlessly charm Maya with his stories and jokes, I couldn't help but feel like I was losing my grip. Charlie had always been a bit of a charmer, and I knew that he had a soft spot for Maya. But seeing him flirt with her now, in front of me, made my skin crawl. I felt like I was going to lose my mind if I didn't get a handle on my emotions. As the afternoon wore on, Charlie's teasing and joking with Maya only seemed to intensify. Farkle, bless his quirky heart, seemed completely oblivious to the tension, chatting happily with Sabrina about his latest video game conquests. But I was acutely aware of every glance Charlie cast Maya's way, every touch of his arm against hers. And Maya, bless her, seemed completely unaware of the danger signs flashing in front of me. As the group decided to head inside for some snacks, I found myself falling back, letting Charlie take the lead. Maya walked beside him, laughing and chatting like they were old times. I trailed behind, my eyes fixed on Charlie's back. I was starting to feel like I was in way over my head. Who was I to tell Maya who she could and couldn't hang out with? But as I watched Charlie's easy smile, his carefree laughter, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was in competition with him for Maya's affections. And that thought made me feel like I was going to explode.