"Emma… look at this," I muttered to myself, staring down at my shoe like it had personally betrayed me. The sole was basically peeling off. One wrong step and it was over. "You've got like… two days left in you. Max."
I leaned back on the cold metal bench in the school courtyard, the late afternoon sun hitting just enough to make everything look calmer than it actually felt.
Please let me survive until my first paycheck… I'm literally begging.
Students were scattered around,laughing, filming TikToks, complaining about assignments like their lives depended on it. Same chaos, different day.
And then..
Noel.
Walking alone.
I blinked, sitting up a little straighter.
"That's… weird."
Gina never left his side. Ever.
So why did he look like some lost idiot today?
"Hey,you."
The word slipped out before I even processed it. My fingers tightened around the edge of the bench.
He stopped.
Turned.
And just stared at me like I'd spoken another language.
I got up and walked straight toward him, my steps faster than I meant them to be.
"Where's Gina?" I asked, my voice already rising. "What did you do to her? Where is she?"
His brows pulled together, confused,no, annoyed.
"What are you talking about-"
"Don't play dumb," I snapped, stepping closer. "I saw your face. You look like you messed something up. So where is she?"
For a split second, something in his expression shifted. Not guilt… just irritation.
Then suddenly..
his hand grabbed my wrist.
"Tch-stop."
His grip was firm. Not painful, but enough to shut me up.
I froze, my breathing uneven, anger still burning in my chest.
"Let go," I said, quieter now,but sharper.
"No," he shot back. "Not until you calm down."
I glared at him. "Then start talking. Where is she?"
He exhaled like I was the most exhausting thing he'd dealt with all day.
"Whatever you think happened between me and Gina yesterday, it's wrong.
That's it. There's no drama, no crime scene, nothing."
"That's it?" I echoed, disbelief all over my face. "Then why do you look like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like you screwed something up and don't know how to fix it."
He paused.
Then let out a short laugh. "Wow."
"What?"
"I'm just surprised," he said, tilting his head slightly. "You're the one who came up to me first."
I blinked, thrown off by how casual,how cold, he sounded.
"Not for you," I shot back. "For Gina."
There it was.
Something flickered in his eyes this time.
"…You still care about her?"
"No," I said immediately. Too fast. "Obviously not. But she used to be my friend, so-"
"Got it."
The way he said it? Flat. Like he filed it away and moved on.
"There was just a misunderstanding," he continued. "That's all. So relax.it's fine.
The sarcasm hit harder than it should've.
"You done now?" he added. "Or do you need a full report?"
I yanked my hand out of his grip. "You're seriously weird."
"And you're overreacting," he replied without missing a beat.
"Whatever."
"Yeah. Whatever."
And just like that, he walked past me.
Didn't even look back.
I stood there for a second, jaw tight.
"…Idiot."
Later that day - Classroom
The bell rang, and the room slowly filled with that restless energy of students pretending to care.
Our guidance counselor walked in, dropping a stack of papers on the desk.
"Alright, listen up," she said. "Today we're talking about college admissions."
A collective groan.
"Yeah, I know. Fun topic," she added dryly. "But you need this."
I sank into my chair, crossing my arms.
Here we go…
"First,GPA matters. A lot. Most universities expect consistency, not last,minute miracles."
Someone in the back muttered, "Well, I'm screwed."
"Second,standardized tests like the SAT or ACT," she continued. "Some schools are test,optional now, but strong scores still help."
John leaned over slightly. "You thinking about taking it again?"
"I barely survived it the first time," I whispered back.
He smiled. "Fair."
"Third,extracurriculars. Clubs, sports, volunteering. Colleges want to see who you are outside the classroom."
Susan let out a fake laugh from across the room. "Emma? Extracurriculars? Please."
I rolled my eyes. "Didn't ask."
"Oh relax," she smirked. "Maybe they accept 'working a part-time job because you're broke' as a personality trait."
John shifted in his seat. "Susan, just.."
"I'm fine," I cut him off, my voice flat. "At least I'm doing something."
"Oof," someone whispered.
The counselor clapped her hands once. "Focus. You'll also need personal essays,your story, your voice. Recommendations from teachers. Deadlines matter. Miss them, and you're out."
I glanced down at the paper in front of me.
My story, huh…
From the corner of my eye, I saw Gina.
She wasn't looking at me.
Of course she wasn't.
Noel sat a few seats away, spinning a pen between his fingers like none of this applied to him.
Figures.
After School
The sky was starting to dim as we walked out.
"See you in two hours?" John said.
I grinned, a spark of excitement finally cutting through the day. "Yeah. Be ready,I'm gonna impress you."
"Oh?" he smirked. "Now I'm curious."
We walked in silence for a moment before he spoke again.
"…Did you talk to Gina today?"
I shook my head. "No. Like I said… we're done."
"Still," he said carefully. "Does she really not think about you at all? I thought you meant something to her."
I let out a short laugh. "Our entire friendship was chaos. I doubt she even saw it as a real one."
"That's… harsh."
"It's honest."
He nodded slowly. "Yeah… I guess that makes sense."
"Story of my life," I muttered. "Failed friendships on repeat."
He nudged my shoulder lightly. "You've got me."
I smiled, softer this time. "You're not just a friend, John. You're basically family. Closer than that, even."
He raised a brow. "Wow. Friend-zoned into sibling status?"
"Shut up."
"I'm serious," he laughed. "I wanna be your favorite person. Not your brother."
"Why? You don't like the role?"
"Not really. Doesn't suit me."
I pretended to think for a second. "Hmm… fine. You can earn the title."
"Oh, I will."
I pointed at him. "John… my favorite friend."
He grinned. "There we go."
Then he stepped back, walking in the opposite direction. "Alright, don't keep me waiting. See you at work."
"Bye, John."
I watched him leave, a small smile still on my face.
For a moment… things felt simple.
But only for a moment.
To be continued…