Who Will Her First Love Be? You Decide the Outcome in This Teen Love Triangle
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When you start reading my new young adult romance “What Happens After You Confess Your Feelings to Someone?”, the ending hasn’t yet been decided. When you meet the main character, Chloe, and watch as she crushes on a boy at her high school named Mordecai while her good friend Simon crushes on her, it hasn’t yet been decided which boy she’ll pick.
Mordecai is complex and unpredictable. Simon is constant and reliable.
Chloe loves Mordecai, even though he doesn’t always treat her well. But she only sees Simon as a friend, even though he’s always there for her.
But Mordecai has secrets that help explain some of his erratic behavior. And he only tells these secrets to Chloe. And when he starts sharing them, it makes them grow closer.
Simon really only has one secret—his love for Chloe. At least, he keeps it a secret from her. But since he finds it challenging to tell her how he feels, he’s stuck in the friend zone. Still, he does his best to be a good friend to her, although he’s often irritated by her attachment to Mordecai.
While Simon and Mordecai may be opposites in many ways, they do have this one thing in common—neither one has told Chloe how they feel about her. And Mordecai’s feelings aren’t clear. Sometimes it seems like he might like her, but then he says or does something that breaks her heart. And this is despite already knowing that Chloe likes him. (She has already confessed before the story begins.)
As a teenager, Chloe still has a lot to learn about relationships in general and friendship more specifically—especially friendship with guys. And she’s never had a boyfriend. In fact, she won’t be allowed to date until her senior year, and she starts the story as a sophomore.
But when she is finally allowed to date, who will she choose?
In this story, you get to decide who Chloe’s first love will be.
A Complex High School Love Triangle
As you can already tell, the love triangle in this high school romance is complicated. Something that adds to the complication is that Chloe’s friendship with Mordecai is mostly from a distance at the beginning of the story, while her friendship with Simon is very public.
Chloe spends a lot of time with Simon, often with their mutual friend Krista, too. He’s a new sophomore at their high school, but Chloe and Krista soon invite him into their inner circle. Even so, Simon struggles to confess his feelings to Chloe. And part of this is because of Mordecai.
Here’s an excerpt from Chapter 21 that shows an IM chat between Chloe and Krista, along with Chloe’s commentary. Chloe is upset about some of Simon’s behavior that she found annoying at a school assembly. (Chloe’s IM name is Stillstrong93, while Krista’s name is KristaKakes44.)
Stillstrong93: Simon was such a snob at the assembly today, wasn’t he?
KristaKakes44: how can you say that when you know he’s in love with you?
Stillstrong93: he is not
KristaKakes44: is too
Stillstrong93: did he tell you that?
KristaKakes44: no, but you should hear the way he talks about you when you’re not around
KristaKakes44: it’s always Chloe this and Chloe that
KristaKakes44: why is Chloe so hung up on that jerk Mordecai?
Stillstrong93: does he really say all that stuff?
KristaKakes44: all the time
Stillstrong93: but if he likes me, why doesn’t he just tell me?
Stillstrong93: we hang out all the time
KristaKakes44: duh
KristaKakes44: because you’re so hung up on Mordecai
KristaKakes44: he thinks he doesn’t stand a chance
Krista’s words are coming as an uncomfortable surprise. I kind of always thought Simon had a special preference for me—even that he liked me—but I never thought he liked me enough to compare himself to Mordecai.
Stillstrong93: this is ridiculous
Stillstrong93: we’re just friends
Stillstrong93: we’re good as friends
KristaKakes44: isn’t that what Mordecai says about you?
Stillstrong93: yeah…so?
KristaKakes44: does that stop you from secretly hoping he’ll change his mind?
Chloe has an intense attachment to Mordecai. Even after all the times he does things that leave her in tears, he always seems to know just what to say to get Chloe to forgive him and return to their complex friendship. And because Simon is aware of Chloe’s deep feelings for Mordecai, Simon is reluctant to share his feelings with her.
Chloe Tries to Get Distance
But Chloe does try to distance herself from Mordecai from time to time. And during once such period of distance in Chapter 19, this is what she says as she reflects on her own situation:
As time without Mordecai passes, I begin to think more about what Simon told me. And I start to wonder what’s wrong with me. If I really am this great person he claims I am, why aren’t I in love with Simon? It has occurred to me more than once that I should be. He’s considerate. He always plans ahead. He’s always on time—always reliable. He holds me when I cry and never makes me cry. And yet, I’m still stuck on Mordecai.
Even Chloe wonders why she keeps holding onto her love for Mordecai.
And then, of course, there are Mordecai’s secrets. Chloe loves him before she learns any of them, but when she does learn them, they help her understand him better. And they’ll help you, as the reader, understand him better, too. And maybe when you do, you’ll want to see him and Chloe together.
Or maybe you’ll think that Chloe would be crazy to even consider dating Mordecai after all he put her through. Maybe by the time the chapter comes where you get to decide who you want Chloe to choose, they’ll be no question in your mind. You’ll want to see her with Simon.
Who Will You Pick?
So, who do you want Chloe’s first love to be? Do you want her to choose the friend who’s been there for her all along? Or do you want to see what Chloe’s special connection to Mordecai looks like when they enter a romantic relationship?
Which friendship do you want to see bloom into romance? Which first date are you most looking forward to? Which love story do you want to experience?
Who do you want Chloe to choose?
Do you even want her to choose?
Because the thing is, the way the story is designed, you can actually read both endings if you want to. And that means you get to experience Chloe’s first love twice. If you’re someone who enjoys rereading your favorite YA romances, you might find this idea intriguing.
A Different Way to Read This YA Romance
As you can tell, this isn’t a traditional young adult romance. But after you dive into it, you’ll put yourself in the driver’s seat of this high school love story. And then you’ll get to decide who you want Chloe’s first love to be.
You’ll start by reading the main chapters of the story. Then you’ll reach a chapter where you get to decide who you want Chloe to pick. Once you choose, you can read the rest of the story based on the outcome you select.
Sound exciting? If so, go ahead and click here to learn more about the story.
~ Ashley C.
P.S. If you would like to sample more of my story-writing style, you can click here to read some short stories that are currently available.
Also, if you’re dealing with a complicated crush and would like some personalized advice on how to handle it, you might be interested in my crush coaching services. Feel free to click here to find out more.
Last updated: May 2, 2025
