She opened Tangerine's Instagram story as soon as she saw the notification. She was excited to see what it was, but there was someone else on the picture, standing next to the boy: a girl she hadn't seen before, smiling into the camera. He even tagged the stranger. She tried looking at her profile, but there were no posts to see.

Maybe his sister? Or a friend? She decided on questioning him about this mysterious figure that night. She knew Tangerine would text him: they hadn't spoken the day before, and he never let more than a day go by without checking in with her.

Tangerine: what up, Squash?

Pumpkin: For the last time, that is *not* my name...

Tangerine: doesn't matter.

Pumpkin: I'm going to block you XD

Tangerine: uh-huh

Tangerine: suuure

Pumpkin: Who's that really pretty girl in your story?

Tangerine: my girlfriend

Tangerine: have I never told u about her?

The world suddenly started spinning. Her stomach sank, she felt nauseous... for once she was glad they never spoke in person. The boy couldn't see her reaction.

Pumpkin: No.

Tangerine: we met on here

Tangerine: a little over a year ago

Tangerine: we got along pretty well, so

Tangerine: we decided to start seeing each other irl

Pumpkin: Who needs dating apps? lol

She always turned to jokes when her feelings got hurt. He'd known this girl for far longer than her. Still, he never mentioned anything about having a girlfriend... Maybe if she got to him first they would've been the ones to start dating? Although he never said he wanted to see her in person...

Maybe they didn't get along well enough. It wasn't all that common for people their age to be in relationships, why did the one boy she liked have to be taken? But she hasn't seen this girl in his stories either, until now... She opened the app again. Tangerine hadn't seen her last message. He disappeared without a word, like always.

Pumpkin: Hi! I really like the lyrics you post in your stories!

Tangerine: hi Pumpkin

Tangerine: thx!

Tangerine: cute name btw

Pumpkin: Thanks!

Tangerine: does it mean something? what kinda pumpkin? the jack-o-lantern one, or like a squash?

Pumpkin: It's definitely not Squash xD

Pumpkin: I go by Pumpkin

Tangerine: whatever you say, Squash

Pumpkin: ...

Pumpkin: Actually, I just didn't want people to know who I was, I'd much prefer my whole school to *not* follow me on here

Pumpkin: They tend to do that, regardless of whether or not they actually know me

Pumpkin: And Pumpkin is just my favourite word

Tangerine: I seeeeeeee

Pumpkin: Says the guy called Tangerine

Pumpkin: where did that come from btw?

Tangerine: you know, it rhymes with Pumpkin...

Pumpkin: That's

Pumpkin: so not true!!! XD

Tangerine: jokes aside, I was drinking orange juice when I made this profile

Pumpkin: But you're not called orange

Tangerine: true that

Pumpkin: ?

Tangerine: xD

Tangerine: tangerine is just a way funnier word tho

Pumpkin: mhmm

Tangerine: now you think I'm an idiot, huh?

Pumpkin: Nonono! I get it now XD

She checked his stories every day from then on. She took a screenshot of almost everything. She listened to the songs she didn't know, and she made a collection out of the boy's pictures. In almost no time at all, he grew from a small crush into her best friend, and then into a serious love interest.

And now it turns out he has a girlfriend. A girlfriend he'd met right here, on this app.

She curled up in her bed. She wondered about Tangerine's girlfriend, whether she knew how lucky she was. She would've done anything to be in her place.

She noticed the tears running down her face, falling onto her pillow. Did she really love him this much?

She checked her Instagram the next morning. Looking through the new stories, she finally got to Tangerine's. She tapped the like button, but she didn't take a screenshot. She'd heard that song before.