Roots of Our Love: A Quirky Romance

I woke up from a three-month coma to a world that wasn' t mine.

Doctors called it a miracle, but my phone was a disaster zone: hundreds of texts, a fan page dedicated to me, and a cringe nickname: "Ethan' s Girl."

The only problem? I had no idea who Ethan was.

Apparently, while I was unconscious, someone-or something-had been living my life, turning me into the town's most obsessive fangirl to a golden boy I' d never met.

Before I could even process it, my best friend burst in, dragging me to a bonfire to sing a love song to Ethan, making me wear a ridiculous "Mrs. Golden Leaf" hoodie.

I immediately became the target of the entire town' s mockery, especially from Ethan, who expected my usual fawning adoration.

Worst of all, I soon discovered that the "stalker" was a lovesick tree spirit who had borrowed my body, ruined my reputation, and given a piece of her soul-her very life essence-to Ethan as a lucky charm.

My entire life had been upended, my name dragged through the mud, all because of a plant' s one-sided crush on an arrogant jock.

But I wasn't that girl anymore, and I sure as hell wasn't going to let a glorified potted plant and a narcissistic hockey player dictate my future.

I was going to get that charm back, reclaim my life, and burn every trace of "Ethan's Girl" to the ground.

I woke up from a coma to a world that wasn't mine.

The doctors said it was a miracle. A head-on collision, three months unconscious, and I walked away with just a few scars.

But they didn't know the real damage.

My phone was a disaster zone. Hundreds of texts, a fan page with my name on it, and a cringey nickname: "Ethan's Girl."

Ethan. Ethan Moreau. The golden boy of Golden Leaf Maple, our town's biggest celebrity. Captain of the hockey team, handsome, rich, and a complete stranger to me.

Apparently, while I was sleeping, my body was not. Someone, or something, had been living my life. And she was obsessed with him.

"Chloe, you're awake! Thank God!" My friend Maya burst into the hospital room, her face a mix of relief and stress. "You have to get ready. The Founder's Day bonfire is tonight. Everyone's expecting your song."

"My what?"

"Your song for Ethan," she said, pulling a hideous hoodie from her bag. It was bright yellow, with "Mrs. Golden Leaf" printed across the chest in sparkling letters.

I stared at it. The person who wore this was not me. The real me, Chloe, the one who just wanted to run her coffee shop and be left alone, would rather die than wear this.

And I almost had.

That night, Maya dragged me to the bonfire. The air smelled of pine and burning wood. The hoodie felt like a costume for a person I hated.

Jessica, the head cheerleader and Ethan's on-again, off-again girlfriend, spotted me immediately. Her friends giggled.

"Look, the stalker is here," Jessica sneered, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Ready to sing your pathetic little love song, Chloe?"

I ignored her. I walked straight to the food table and started making a s'more.

Then, Ethan appeared. He stood in front of me, a king in his kingdom, a smug smile on his face. He was used to being worshipped. He expected me to melt.

"Chloe," he said, his voice dripping with condescension. "I heard you were in an accident. Glad you're okay. Now, what's this I hear about a song?"

I took a bite of my s'more, chewing slowly. I looked him right in the eye.

"You know," I said, my voice clear and cold. "Your breath smells like cheap beer."

His smile vanished. The crowd around us went silent.

I turned my back on him and grabbed another marshmallow. The rest of the night, I ignored him completely. I ate five s'mores and drank a whole can of soda. I talked to Maya about her new job.

I could feel his eyes on me, confused and angry. He couldn't understand why his number one fan was suddenly treating him like dirt.

Then, the rain started. A sudden, cold downpour. Everyone scrambled for cover. Ethan grabbed the last jacket from a pile and, with a pointed look at me, draped it over Jessica's shoulders.

She smirked at me, triumphant. They expected me to be heartbroken, left shivering in the rain.

I just pulled out my phone.

"Maya, did you bring the car around like I asked?"

"Yep, right behind the bleachers."

I gave Ethan and Jessica a small, tight smile. "Have a nice night," I said, and walked away, leaving them standing there, stunned, in the pouring rain.

Back in my small apartment, the truth was waiting for me.

It was a tiny, pathetic-looking thing, like a sapling that had been stepped on. It sat in a pot on my windowsill, its leaves drooping.

"You have some explaining to do," I said, my voice sharp.

The sapling trembled. A tiny, high-pitched voice echoed in my head, a voice only I could hear.

I'm sorry, Chloe. I didn't mean for any of this to happen.

This was Willow. A dryad. A nature spirit. She was the one who had "borrowed" my body.

She told me everything. My car had crashed near her home, an ancient maple tree on the edge of the Moreau estate. She had pulled my spirit from my dying body and placed it in her tree to heal, while she took my place.

"Why?" I demanded. "Why Ethan?"

He saved me, Willow explained, her voice filled with a hopeless, romantic sigh. Years ago, developers wanted to cut down my tree. He was just a boy. He stood in front of it and refused to move. He saved my home. I've loved him ever since.

I rolled my eyes. "So you decided to become his number one stalker? Using my body?"

I just wanted to be close to him, she whispered. And I wanted to help him. He gets so anxious before his hockey games. So I made him something.

She directed my attention to a small wooden box on my dresser. Inside, nestled on a bed of velvet, was nothing. An empty space.

I used a lot of my life essence to create a lucky charm for him, Willow said, her leafy form wilting. It was a small maple leaf, carved from a branch of my own tree. It was supposed to protect him. He wears it all the time.

I slammed the box shut. "So, let me get this straight. You've ruined my reputation, made me the town joke, and given a piece of your soul to a guy who probably doesn't even know your real name?"

He loves me, she insisted weakly. I know he does.

I just stared at her. My life was a mess, and it was all because of a lovesick plant.

A few days later, my phone rang. It was a number I didn't recognize. I answered.

"Chloe? This is Eleanor Moreau," a crisp, demanding voice said. Ethan's mother. "Ethan took a nasty hit in his game tonight. He has a minor concussion. I expect you to be here with your homemade soup within the hour. He always feels better after he sees you."

I almost laughed. They were so used to the fawning, obsessed version of me.

"No," I said.

There was a stunned silence on the other end of the line.

"What did you say?"

"I said no," I repeated, my voice firm. "If your son has a concussion, you should call a doctor, not his fangirl. I'm busy."

I hung up before she could respond.

I looked at the wilting sapling on my windowsill. I realized I was stuck in this drama until I got her life essence back. That stupid pendant was the key.

"We're going to get your charm back," I told Willow. "And then you are going to leave my life forever."