Her heart turned in her chest. She hadn't seen him since the day everything changed between them. Since that moment.
She had waited. Waited for him to return. Waited for a call. Anything. But he had disappeared, leaving only silence behind.
Now, here he was.
Danielle followed her gaze. "Be careful," she warned. "He's... not the nicest guy."
But Tasha was already walking.
Three steps, and she was in front of him.
He turned. Recognition flashed across his face, but no warmth. No smile.
"Hi," she said, voice catching. "How are you?"
His eyes were cold. "You have no right to ask me that."
The words hit her like ice. She blinked, stunned. His expression didn't change. No apology. No softness. He turned and walked away.
Danielle jogged to her side. "I tried to warn you," she said quietly. "But... you're braver than I am."
Tasha didn't answer. Her throat burned. She bit the inside of her cheek, trying to keep the tears in. What had she expected? A hug? An explanation? A whisper that he had missed her?
Instead, he left her standing in front of the building, heart aching.
Danielle hesitated. "Are you okay?"
Tasha nodded, even though she wasn't.
"Well, that's your hall," Danielle pointed. "We'll probably have classes together. My lecture's upstairs."
"Thank you," Tasha whispered.
Danielle smiled gently. "Hug?"
Tasha nodded. She needed it more than she realized.
The embrace was brief, but grounding. Then she walked into the building, her eyes still stinging. She wasn't watching where she stepped, and tripped.
A boy caught her arm.
He looked familiar.
Daniel.
He studied her for a moment, recognition flickering behind his eyes. She had crossed his path earlier, he had watched her from his car, intrigued.
Now they stood face to face.
She lowered her eyes, brushed past him quietly, and disappeared into the classroom.
*********
Anna's voice wavered on the edge of shouting. "You dropped the tray?"
Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Vivian, who simply folded her lips and gave a small nod followed by a shrug.
"I was in shock, okay?" Vivian muttered after a beat, letting out a snort-chuff.
The result was immediate. Mr. Bobbins, the bar manager, had suspended her for two weeks. Vivian couldn't shake the feeling that he'd been waiting for the slightest excuse to get rid of her, especially after the messy confrontation she'd had with his rumored lover, Clata. That woman had watched the whole scene unfold with a glint of smug satisfaction in her eyes.
The moment the tray hit the floor with a crash, drawing every pair of eyes in the bar, the tall man had pulled her aside and said, slowly and coldly, "It's best if you stay away for a while. Two weeks. I'll call you... if there's anything left to call you for."
Bobbins hadn't even finished his sentence before Vivian walked off, leaving his words to dangle awkwardly in the air. She didn't want her colleagues to think she was desperate, even though she needed that job more than anything. A part of her wanted to scream, to cry, to demand fairness. But she bit it all back. The humiliation was enough.
Later, when she finally managed to call Anna, she only told her the tip of the iceberg. Now, face-to-face, the truth spilled out.
"Yes, it wasn't intentional," Vivian said glumly, watching Anna's sharp gaze. "I was just... upset about the news."
"The boys told you about Miranda?" Anna asked quietly, her tone tight.
Vivian nodded sarcastically.
"Don't blame me," she added quickly, when Anna didn't respond. "The statement—it got to me."
Anna shook her head. "You're telling me you risked your job over five guys who wouldn't care if the building collapsed on you?"
"They wouldn't even blink," she added, cutting off whatever Vivian was about to say.
Vivian blinked, exhaling sharply. "Calm down, okay? We're not in your room or mine."
They were sitting in the college's student restaurant, their usual post-lecture hangout spot. Anna sipped her strawberry drink, letting the silence stretch.
"You do realize you're unemployed now, right?"
Vivian popped the lollipop out of her mouth, glancing at the other students around them.
"I'm not fired. Yet," she said firmly. "It's just two weeks."
Anna raised a brow. "Girl, you're fired. Bobbins isn't calling you back. Start looking for something else."
Vivian swallowed hard. The news about Miranda bothered her more than the job loss. She hadn't even told her mother yet. Her mother, who juggled three jobs to pay off the debts left behind by Vivian's father.
"I wonder who Miranda even is," Vivian mumbled, more to herself.
Anna scoffed. "You never cease to amaze me. Why are you obsessed with some girl you don't even know? Your job's gone, and you're sitting here thinking about someone else's love life?"
Vivian rolled her eyes. If only Anna knew how deeply she cared. If only she knew how much she was willing to give just for one of those boys to look her way.
"Give yourself a break," Anna said, annoyed.
"You should take your own advice," Vivian muttered under her breath.
"No, you need it. I'm not the one obsessed with people who don't even know I exist."
Vivian's jaw dropped. "Now I'm obsessed?"
Anna nodded, lips pursed. "Mmhmm."
"I'm in love," Vivian said slowly, gesturing toward her heart. "You're despicable."
Anna said nothing. The last time they'd argued like this, they hadn't spoken for a month. Vivian had made the first move then, apologizing and patching things up over a couple of nonalcoholic beers at the bar where she worked.
Now, Anna drained the last of her drink and stared at her silently.
Vivian checked her watch. They had an hour before their next class.
Then, she spotted someone entering.
"Doesn't she look familiar?" Vivian asked, eyes fixed on the girl who'd just walked in.
Anna followed her gaze. Chestnut curls, delicate features, yes, it was the same girl from the other night. The one who had seemed lost in thought, brooding in a corner.
Tasha.
They watched her settle near a wall-sized painting of sunflowers and hibiscus. Her face still held that haunted look.