Cerise Hood leaned against the stone wall of Ever After High's hallway, arms crossed, trying to ignore the uneasy twist in her stomach. She had been walking back from the library when she saw them—Briar Beauty and Hopper Croakington III, deep in conversation by the lab benches. It wasn't the first time. The two were lab partners, after all, working on some complicated potion project. But today, something about it rubbed Cerise the wrong way.

Briar had been spending more time with Hopper lately—more than usual, at least. They were so focused, their chemistry so easy and natural. Briar laughed at something Hopper said, and Cerise felt her chest tighten. Briar's laugh was always warm, but there was something in it today that made Cerise uneasy. Hopper had always been friendly, but lately, Cerise couldn't ignore the subtle way his eyes lingered on Briar, as if he could hardly keep his crush under control.

Cerise knew about Hopper's crush. Everyone did. But Briar? Briar had no idea. She was too trusting, too kind-hearted, too oblivious to see what was right in front of her. Shaking her head, Cerise forced herself to look away, trying to push the jealousy down. She and Briar had been together for months now, and she knew they were solid. But there was that knot in her stomach again. That nagging, jealous feeling that wouldn't go away. When Briar finally waved goodbye to Hopper, she walked down the hallway toward Cerise, her eyes lighting up when she saw her girlfriend.

"Hey, babe!" Briar greeted her, giving Cerise a bright smile. "I was just finishing up some work with Hopper. He's been such a huge help with this project!"

Cerise forced a smile, her voice almost too sweet. "Yeah, I saw you two. You've been spending a lot of time together lately."

Briar tilted her head, clearly not catching the edge in Cerise's tone. "Yeah, it's been fun! Hopper's got so many ideas—he really knows his stuff."

Cerise bit her lip, a flicker of doubt creeping into her thoughts. "I'm sure he does," she said coolly, her arms still crossed tightly. "I just… I don't know, Briar. He's got that look in his eyes whenever he talks to you, like he wants something more than just to work on potions."

Briar blinked, clearly taken aback. "What are you talking about? Hopper's just my partner. We're working on a project, Cerise. That's all."

"I know you don't see it," Cerise replied, her voice tight, "but he's clearly got a thing for you. And it's not just innocent, Briar."

Briar felt a sudden rush of frustration. She had never been one to let jealousy control her, and seeing Cerise act like this was… it was confusing. She had always trusted Cerise to be open and honest, but now, she could sense the walls rising between them. "Are you seriously jealous of Hopper?" Briar asked, trying to keep her voice steady. "I didn't even know he liked me like that! He's just helping me out, Cerise. You know I'd never do anything to hurt you."

Cerise's gaze softened, but the tension was still there. "I know. I trust you, Briar. It's just… I can't help but feel like there's something between you two, and it's making me… uneasy."

Briar sighed, rubbing her temples. "We're lab partners, Cerise. That's it. I'm not even looking at Hopper like that. But if you're going to accuse me of something, maybe you should think about how you act with Kitty."

Cerise's eyes widened. The words stung, even though she'd expected them. "What do you mean?"

Briar stood up straighter, her voice rising. "You know exactly what I mean. You still hang out with Kitty, even though you know she's in love with you. She's been obsessed with you since the beginning, Cerise! And you've never once set boundaries with her. I mean, you two are practically inseparable. But I'm supposed to just trust you when you accuse me of being 'too close' to Hopper?"

Cerise felt her heart drop into her stomach, her eyes flashing with hurt. "That's not the same thing, Briar. Kitty's just a friend—"

"A friend who's constantly hanging on you, texting you, looking at you like she wants more!" Briar snapped. "Don't try to make it sound like it's all innocent. If you're going to accuse me of something that isn't happening, then maybe it's time you look at what's actually going on with you and Kitty!"

Cerise recoiled, stunned by the sharpness in Briar's voice. The hurt was visible on her face, and Briar immediately regretted her words, but the jealousy, the frustration, was too raw to contain.

"I'm not saying you can't have friends," Briar continued, her voice quieter now, but still firm. "But you've never set boundaries with Kitty, and it makes me feel like maybe you don't see me the way I see you."

Cerise's heart raced, her mind racing. She could feel the walls between them rising, brick by brick. "I don't know what you want me to say, Briar," Cerise said softly, her voice cracking with emotion. "I care about you. I've always cared about you. But I don't know how to make you understand that when you're so… wrapped up in your insecurities."

Briar shook her head, tears threatening to spill. "I'm not insecure, Cerise. I just want to feel like I'm enough for you. I want to know that you see me the way I see you, and not like some… competition for your attention."

The silence stretched between them like a thick fog. Both of them were hurting, but neither knew how to bridge the gap that had suddenly grown between them.

Finally, Cerise stepped forward, her voice soft but raw. "I'm sorry, Briar. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just… I guess I've been feeling a little… neglected, and maybe I took it out on you. But I love you, and I never want to make you feel like you're not enough."

Briar looked down, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I love you too. But we need to be honest with each other. If we keep letting this stuff fester, it'll only drive us apart."

Cerise nodded, reaching out to take Briar's hand. "You're right. I promise I'll talk to Kitty about setting clearer boundaries, okay? I don't want you to ever feel like I'm giving her more than I give you." Briar squeezed her hand, feeling a bit of the tension ease. "And I'll be more mindful of how I react when it comes to Hopper. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just… I hate feeling like I'm not enough."

"You are enough," Cerise whispered, pulling Briar into a tight hug. "More than enough."

The weight of the argument wasn't gone, but for the first time in a long while, both of them felt like maybe they were on the same page again. It would take time to rebuild trust, to set those boundaries, but for now, they were together—and that was enough.