---
The room was drowning in deep silence, except for the whispers of pages being turned in Fienia's hands.
Lying on her bed, she opened the album, which had become more than just pictures; it had become a curse hanging over her head.
Her eyes widened little by little as she glimpsed photos that had not yet happened.
Her pictures in the school's back yard, heavy rain pouring, her hand intertwined with Rocky's, a happy smile on her face…
This was not in her calculations.
She flipped to the next page in confusion, only to find another picture:
The playground, students leaving the stands in disappointment.
The scoreboard announced her school team's defeat.
Mikel's eyes were filled with heartbreak as he stood far away, avoiding looking at her.
She screamed, jumping up from her bed:
— "Impossible! What… what does this mean?!"
She began flipping through the pages frantically, searching for any glimmer of hope.
But every subsequent picture confirmed only one thing:
Her relationship with Mikel was heading toward a dark abyss, while her pictures with Rocky were increasing.
And in the last pages, the ending remained as it was… fixed, like a destined fate.
She pushed the album away and clapped her hands over the pillow, screaming:
— "Damn it! Damn this cursed future! I don't believe it!"
But she soon sat up straight, placed her hands over her face, and said in a hoarse voice, with a hint of defiance:
— "Maybe… maybe this is my chance. Maybe I can change my fate this time."
With the dawn of Tuesday,
Fienia rose early. She stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection, her eyes shining with excitement.
She gripped her black umbrella, as if preparing for a decisive battle.
Her mother suddenly entered the room, glancing at her with surprise:
— "An umbrella?! The weather is sunny, my daughter. The forecast said no rain today."
Fienia tilted the umbrella backward, saying confidently:
— "It will rain… in the evening, it will rain."
Her mother chuckled lightly:
— "You've started mumbling, Fienia. Enough of that."
But Fienia did not reply.
She knew the pictures did not lie, yet she was determined to change her course.
She stepped out of the house with brisk, energetic strides.
When she reached Mikel's house, she remembered he wouldn't be there today; he had a match in the evening.
Still, she smiled and then made her way to school, occasionally hopping like a lively child, her hair swaying freely.
The students stared at her in astonishment:
"What's gotten into her?"
But she paid no mind. Inside her was a call that would not stop:
"I will change the future… I will succeed!"
---
In the classroom,
While the teacher explained the lesson with boredom, Fienia was sketching a plan in her notebook with winding lines:
— "All I have to do… is avoid Rocky today. No backyard. No coincidences."
Elsewhere, inside the locker room, Mikel's team was preparing for the match.
Excitement filled the air, sweat glistening on the players' foreheads as they tightened their laces.
Mikel, in his heart, was thinking of only one thing:
— "She'll be in the stands… she'll see me."
The coach entered, his voice booming:
— "Today, guys, we want to win! We want to prove our school cannot be defeated!"
They all shouted enthusiastically:
— "Yes, we will win!"
When the stands were filled,
The girls' voices echoed, and banners waved in the air.
Mikel stepped onto the field, exchanging greetings with the opponents, but soon lifted his eyes to the stands.
His heart searched for just one face… Fienia. But he did not find her.
He felt a sting of disappointment pierce his chest, recalling her promises: "Of course, I'll be there."
---
As for her… the rain pounded against the windows while she stood in the teachers' lounge.
In front of her, the science teacher shouted violently:
— "Are you listening to me, Fienia?!"
— "Yes… yes, sir," she said, her gaze drifting toward the rain.
His anger erupted further:
— "Enough negligence! You are punished. You will go now to clean the classroom!"
— "Impossible! The match…"
— "Nonsense! Do as I say!"
Fred entered, carrying notebooks, and saw the scene.
The science teacher smiled proudly and pointed at him:
— "Look! This is the ideal student:
Intelligent, polite. Learn from him!"
Fienia raised her eyebrow sarcastically and whispered:
— "Haaa… polite?!"
Fred chuckled lightly, trying to hide his laugh, while the teacher scolded her even more.
Fienia left the room boiling with frustration:
— "Damn this teacher… damn it! The match has started!"
She ran to the classroom, cleaned it quickly, then grabbed the overflowing trash bin.
She ran outside… stopping at the backyard. She froze:
— "No! Not here… I don't want to go near this spot."
But fate was faster than her.
As she hesitated, she heard a familiar voice coming from the shadows.
It was Rocky, speaking on the phone:
— "Sorry… but I don't want us to get back together. It's over."
He ended the call and sighed, leaning his back against the wall. His eyes caught her shadow on the ground.
— "I saw you," he said quietly.
She froze in place as she tried to turn and run, then spun around nervously:
— "R… Rocky! Hi. I… I think I should go now."
He gave a sideways smile:
— "Will you stay with me for a bit? I have something important I want to tell you."
Her fingers trembled on the trash bag. Her heart resisted, but her tongue betrayed her:
— "O… okay… just a little."
They sat beside the wall, under the rainfall.
Exactly like the picture.
Water droplets ran down her cheeks, while her heart screamed:
— "I have to go… Mikel is waiting for me."
---
On the field,
The score was disastrous. Mikel's team was trailing by five points, and the students in the stands were stunned by their team's performance.
The referee's whistle announced the end of the first half.
Mikel sat on the bench, covering his face with a towel.
He whispered to himself, his voice filled with despair:
— "You promised… you said you'd be here. Why didn't you come?! Did you go to him? Is he better than me?!"
The defeat was harsher than anything, but her absence was harsher than the defeat itself.
---
In the backyard,
Fienia lifted her head to look at Rocky.
He looked pale, exhausted, his voice broken as he whispered:
— "Fienia… I'm not okay. Can… can you go out with me?"
Blood froze in her veins.
Shock and confusion painted her face, while the sound of the rain rose, drowning out the tremor of her breaths.
She didn't know what to say, feeling as if the future she had tried to change had slipped from her fingers once again…