How to Uncrush your Crush

How to Uncrush your Crush

Gem_Ma

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Lia Rivera is tired of being tongue-tied, blushing, and falling over herself every time Ethan Park walks by. So, she comes up with a brilliant (read: terrible) idea: humiliate herself enough in front of him until she's cured of her feelings. But as she dives headfirst into Operation Uncrush, things spiral - instead of pushing Ethan away, she accidentally becomes the weirdly endearing girl he can't stop thinking about. Now she's stuck between actually getting over him... or falling harder than ever.

How to Uncrush your Crush Chapter 1 The Locker Incident

If there were an Olympic sport for embarrassing yourself in front of your crush, I would've taken gold three years in a row.

My name is Lia Rivera. Sixteen. Junior. Certified drama queen, occasionally allergic to common sense. And as of this morning? Public enemy number one of my dignity.

Let me explain.

It started like any other weekday at Jefferson High - a melting pot of pastel lockers, underfunded vending machines, and enough teenage hormones to power a soap opera.

I was running late, again. Mostly because my afro refused to cooperate and decided to revolt like it had its own freedom movement.

"Lia!" My mom's voice echoed from downstairs as I wrestled with a scrunchie. "You're gonna miss your bus!"

"Tell the bus to wait!" I yelled back, yanking my curls into what I hoped resembled a bun and not a wild nest of secrets. Spoiler alert: it was the nest.

My mom, Rochelle Rivera - aka Queen of Sarcasm and Mom Jeans - popped her head into my room with a raised brow. "Girl, that bus waits for no one. Especially not for you and your full-on Beyoncé hair moment."

"Love you, bye!" I sprinted past her, grabbed a half-eaten granola bar, and slammed the front door behind me.

---

Ten minutes later, I made it to school just as the warning bell rang - heart racing, curls bouncing, and sneakers untied like some kind of tragic metaphor.

Jefferson High was buzzing. Posters for "Fall Spirit Week" were everywhere, reminding us that pajama day was coming, and so was a quiz in trig, which was not nearly as exciting.

I dodged a freshman with a trombone, barely missed slipping on someone's spilled iced coffee, and finally approached my locker with the grace of a penguin on roller skates.

That's when it happened.

The Locker Incident™.

One second I was spinning my lock (left-right-left-curse), and the next-BOOM. I slammed into a wall.

Except it wasn't a wall.

It was Ethan Park.

Six feet tall, lean build, perfect posture like his spine was sponsored by a yoga studio. Hair black as midnight and annoyingly perfect, even though we all knew he didn't even use product. His jawline? Sharp enough to file government secrets. And don't even get me started on his smile. It was soft. Like he knew how to laugh but didn't do it often. Like when he did, it meant something.

And right now, all of that was about two inches from my face.

"Oh my God-Ethan-I-" I scrambled back, nearly tripping over my own backpack.

He blinked. "Are you okay?"

"I-yes-I'm just-my locker betrayed me."

"...Your locker?"

"It moved. I swear. It lunged."

He stared at me, lips twitching.

Please don't laugh. Please don't-

He smiled.

Not just any smile. That smile. The one he gave teachers when he answered questions like he didn't know he was a genius. The one that made girls in Honors Bio develop asthma.

"I didn't know lockers had legs," he said, voice light, amused.

"I didn't know hallway crushes were fatal, but here we are!" I blurted out before my brain could catch up to my mouth.

Silence.

My soul ascended.

Ethan tilted his head, lips parted. And then-

He laughed.

Not a polite chuckle. A real, caught-off-guard, nose-wrinkling laugh.

I wanted to crawl into my locker and live there forever.

---

"LIA!" Maya screeched, grabbing my arm and yanking me away like the building was on fire.

"Wait, my dignity-!"

"It's gone, girl. Gone. Come on."

Maya Caldwell was my best friend and part-time life coach. Half-Trinidadian, half-sass, and built like a track star with the voice of someone who didn't believe in indoor volumes.

She dragged me around the corner and planted me against the wall. "You ran into him. Again. How many times is that?"

"Four," I muttered.

"Four! Girl. This is officially a pattern. You need help."

"I think I need therapy."

"You need exorcism. Why are you like this?"

"Because he has a face that makes my heart malfunction!"

Maya sighed dramatically. "You know what? It's time."

"For... what?"

She crossed her arms. "We're gonna get you over Ethan Park."

"Wait-what-no, you can't just decide that."

"Yes I can. It's the Uncrush Plan."

"The what now?"

"Operation: Uncrush Your Crush. New life goal: humiliate yourself in front of him so badly, your heart will give up and move on."

"...That is the stupidest idea I've ever heard."

"I know. Which is why it's perfect."

Later, in the cafeteria - aka the Thunderdome of drama and expired chicken nuggets - I nursed my water bottle and stared at Ethan across the room.

He was sitting with his usual crew - Lucas, his best friend and meme dealer; Jenny, the class president; and Olivia, who might've been his ex-girlfriend or current something. Rumors were conflicting.

"So," Maya said, plopping next to me, "what do we embarrass you with first?"

"Can we not?"

"Nope. You already fell into him once this week. What's left? Crying in front of him while reciting Shakespeare?"

I groaned. "Why can't I just like a normal person?"

"You? Normal? Girl, the last time you tried flirting, you offered a boy half your lunch and asked if he liked cats."

"Cats are a valid topic!"

"You said, 'Wanna see my cat's Instagram.'"

"...Okay, I admit that was a low point."

Maya smirked. "So. Operation Uncrush. You in?"

I sipped my water dramatically. "Fine. But if I die, put 'She Tried Her Best' on my tombstone."

---

That night at dinner, my little brother Zion flicked a green bean at my face and said, "You gonna tell Mom you ran into your boyfriend again?"

"Ethan is not my boyfriend," I snapped, wiping my cheek. "He's just a guy who accidentally saw my soul leave my body."

My mom raised an eyebrow. "Are we talking about the tall boy again?"

"He's not tall, he's just... normal tall. And no. We're talking about... algebra."

Zion snorted. "Algebra doesn't make you blush, dummy."

"Okay, first of all, yes it does," I said. "Second of all, mind your business."

My mom grinned. "I'm just saying. Maybe if you stop crashing into him, he'll stop thinking you're a walking disaster."

"...Thanks, Mom. That's very helpful."

"You're welcome, baby."

---

At 1AM, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, questioning every life choice that led me here. Was this what teenhood was supposed to be? Hormones, heartbreak, and hallway collisions?

Probably.

I rolled over and checked my phone. Maya had texted me:

Maya: Step one tomorrow. Be ready. You're gonna trip in front of him. On purpose.

Me: YOU WANT ME TO WHAT?!

Maya: Trust the plan.

Me: I trust literally nothing about this plan.

Maya: Then I guess you're still gonna be in love with him at graduation.

I groaned. Ethan Park, you better be worth the bruises.

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How to Uncrush your Crush How to Uncrush your Crush Gem_Ma Young Adult
“Lia Rivera is tired of being tongue-tied, blushing, and falling over herself every time Ethan Park walks by. So, she comes up with a brilliant (read: terrible) idea: humiliate herself enough in front of him until she's cured of her feelings. But as she dives headfirst into Operation Uncrush, things spiral - instead of pushing Ethan away, she accidentally becomes the weirdly endearing girl he can't stop thinking about. Now she's stuck between actually getting over him... or falling harder than ever.”
1

Chapter 1 The Locker Incident

26/04/2025

2

Chapter 2 Public Humiliation 101

26/04/2025

3

Chapter 3 He Laughed !

26/04/2025

4

Chapter 4 This Isn't Working

26/04/2025

5

Chapter 5 Ethan sees me

26/04/2025

6

Chapter 6 Signals & Signs

26/04/2025

7

Chapter 7 Almost a date

26/04/2025

8

Chapter 8 Cafeteria Karaoke Catastrophe

26/04/2025

9

Chapter 9 Lucas Has Questions

26/04/2025

10

Chapter 10 Let's Just Be Friends (Maybe).

26/04/2025

11

Chapter 11 A New Side of Ethan

09/05/2025

12

Chapter 12 Caught in the Act

09/05/2025

13

Chapter 13 Did that really just happen

13/05/2025

14

Chapter 14 Not a date (but totally a date)

13/05/2025

15

Chapter 15 Public Reactions and Personal Panic

16/05/2025

16

Chapter 16 Are We... Dating

16/05/2025

17

Chapter 17 Texting Until 2AM

16/05/2025

18

Chapter 18 Jealousy I don't know her

16/05/2025

19

Chapter 19 So... You Wanna Hang Out at My House

16/05/2025

20

Chapter 20 The Weekend Sleepover Panic

16/05/2025

21

Chapter 21 The Pep Rally Incident

16/05/2025

22

Chapter 22 Second Time's the Almost

16/05/2025

23

Chapter 23 My Mom Wants to Meet You

16/05/2025

24

Chapter 24 Holiday Buzz

16/05/2025

25

Chapter 25 Lia's Almost-Love Confession

16/05/2025

26

Chapter 26 The Chemistry Partner Switch

16/05/2025

27

Chapter 27 First Real Fight

16/05/2025

28

Chapter 28 Study Date Redemption

16/05/2025

29

Chapter 29 What are we

16/05/2025

30

Chapter 30 Now Everyone Knows

16/05/2025

31

Chapter 31 Trouble in Public

16/05/2025

32

Chapter 32 The Spark Between Us

16/05/2025

33

Chapter 33 Winter Break Blues

20/05/2025

34

Chapter 34 The Kiss

20/05/2025

35

Chapter 35 Jealousy, Part II

20/05/2025

36

Chapter 36 The Lock-In Disaster

20/05/2025

37

Chapter 37 College Talk (and Mild Panic)

20/05/2025

38

Chapter 38 Valentine's Surprise

20/05/2025

39

Chapter 39 I Think I Love You

20/05/2025

40

Chapter 40 The Ex Returns

20/05/2025