The Weight of Hidden Feelings: Living in the Friend Zone in a New YA Romance

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In the young adult romance “What Happens After You Confess Your Feelings to Someone?”, Chloe is a high school sophomore in love with a junior at her school named Mordecai. But Chloe has a good friend named Simon, who’s also a sophomore, and he’s in love with her. This creates an intense high school love triangle for the three of them.

While Mordecai is complex and unpredictable, prone to moody ways and a habit of disappearing and reappearing, Simon is constant and reliable. He’s always there for Chloe. In fact, he’s often the one to pick up the pieces after Mordecai breaks her heart—which he does often with his seeming indifference to her feelings.

Let’s take a closer look at the friendship that Chloe and Simon share.

He Sees Her, But Does She See Him?

When Simon is still relatively new in Chloe’s life, they enjoy chatting using instant messaging or IM. The problem is, Chloe is often talking to Mordecai at the same time. And because of Chloe’s strong love for Mordecai, she often forgets to respond to Simon’s messages in a timely fashion.

Here’s an example from Chapter 7. (Chloe’s IM name is Simplesnowflake, Mordecai’s is More2come81, and Simon’s is Simonsayz32. Chloe is the one narrating.)

More2come81: what would u say if i decided to take a break from dating for a while?
Simplesnowflake: i’d say that’s the first good idea u’ve had in a long time
More2come81: what’s that supposed to mean?
Simplesnowflake: just that u don’t seem to give urself enough time to heal between relationships
More2come81: heal from what?
Simplesnowflake: any damage that might have been done
More2come81: r u calling me damaged?
Simplesnowflake: lol!
Simplesnowflake: no!
Simplesnowflake: i just meant it would be nice to give ur heart a break every now and then

Simon has sent at least two messages since Mordecai got on. I open his window.

Simonsayz32: uh, chloe
Simonsayz32: u there?
Simonsayz32: he just signed on didn’t he?
Simplesnowflake: yes, he did
Simplesnowflake: but i promise i’m here with u too
Simonsayz32: whatever
Simplesnowflake: no, really, what were u saying?
Simonsayz32: just read what i wrote before
Simonsayz32: i don’t feel like re-typing

I want to read what he wrote, but Mordecai is messaging me, too.

Simplesnowflake: just say it again please
Simplesnowflake: i don’t have time to reread

I minimize Simon’s window.

More2come81: who says my heart is involved in any of these relationships?
More2come81: sorry did i offend u by that last comment?
Simplesnowflake: no, no, u didn’t
Simplesnowflake: sorry, i’m chatting with someone else too
More2come81: well i don’t know how that makes me feel
More2come81: usually u reserve all ur online attention for me
Simplesnowflake: selfish, are we?
More2come81: no
More2come81: just uncomfortable with change
Simplesnowflake: hmm…
Simplesnowflake: change is a part of life
More2come81: but do u really have a problem with me not dating with my heart?
Simplesnowflake: it’s ur life
Simplesnowflake: do what feels right to u

Oh no. Simon.

Simonsayz32: for the last time
Simonsayz32: r u planning on going to the dance?
Simonsayz32: chloe!
Simplesnowflake: sorry, look
Simplesnowflake: i just minimized mordecai’s window [which I really did]
Simplesnowflake: now i’m all urs
Simonsayz32: for now
Simplesnowflake: and, no, i wasn’t planning on going

All Simon wants to know is whether or not Chloe is planning on going to a Valentine’s Day dance that’s coming up. But she’s so lost in Mordecai’s world that she finds it hard to give Simon the attention he deserves. Even so, he continues to be a good friend to her.

Of course, he could just call Chloe. Why he doesn’t do that is a mystery to me. Because in this same chapter, when Mordecai feels like Chloe is ignoring him, he doesn’t hesitate to call her.

Something to ponder.

Standing By Her Side Even When It Hurts

Because Mordecai can come across as cold and insensitive, he often hurts Chloe with the things he does and says. And when Simon sees her treated this way, he feels frustrated because he knows how great Chloe is and he knows she deserves better.

But he doesn’t tell Chloe how he feels because she’s so lost on Mordecai. Still, he values her friendship. And that leaves him with no other choice but to stay in the friend zone while he watches her pine for someone who doesn’t treat her well.

This frustration sometimes causes Simon to do things that go beyond what might be considered appropriate for a good friend to do. But he does it all in the name of protecting Chloe. She doesn’t always see it that way, though. And Simon learns quickly that he has to respect Chloe’s attachment to Mordecai if Simon doesn’t want to lose her as a friend.

Being Friends With Someone You Have Feelings For

It can hard to be just friends with someone you like, especially when you know they like someone else—and especially when you don’t feel the person they like is worthy of their affection. In this teen romance, you’ll get to see an illustration of how it is to hold onto a friendship with someone you have feelings for.

If this is something you’ve ever experienced or something you’re going through right now, you might be able to relate to Simon’s struggle. And who knows? Maybe you’ll even find some insight on how to handle your own situation.

A Different Kind of YA Romance

This isn’t a typical young adult romance, though. Instead of me telling you the ending and deciding who Chloe chooses, I leave that to you, the reader. So, if you want Chloe to end up with complex Mordecai, you’re free to choose that ending. But if, instead, you want her to choose the friend who’s been there for her all along, you can pick that ending. And if you really can’t decide, you can read both endings.

Because this is a nontraditional way to read a high school love story, I’ve made it so that you’ll need to join the What Happens After You Confess membership to experience it. When you join, you can start reading the main story. And when you get to the chapter where you decide what Chloe should do, you can read the rest of the story based on the outcome you select.

If this sounds fun to you, feel free to click here to learn more about the story and the membership.

Final Thoughts

In the YA romance “What Happens After You Confess Your Feelings to Someone?”, Chloe’s friend Simon is everything you would want a good friend to be. He may not be perfect, but he is patient, reliable, and always there for Chloe. If you would like to dive deeper into their story, I hope to see you in the What Happens After You Confess membership!

And here’s a question for you to think about. Do you think Simon should confess his feelings to Chloe even though she’s so in love with Mordecai?

~ Ashley C.

P.S. If you would like to sample more of my story-writing style, feel free to click here to read some short stories that are currently available.

Last updated: April 20, 2025