A chance encounter

3: Coffee

After the exam, Natalie was overjoyed to find out that she had passed with flying colors. She knew that she couldn't have done it without Alex's help, and she wanted to thank her properly.

"Hey, Alex," she said, approaching her in the library once again.

"I just wanted to say thank you for all your help with the exam. I couldn't have done it without you."

Alex looked up from her book and smiled at her. "You did all the hard work," she said modestly.

"I just helped you understand the material."

"Well, I really appreciate it," Natalie said, beaming at her.

"And I was wondering, would you like to grab a coffee with me sometime? I'd love to treat you as a way of saying thank you."

Alex hesitated for a moment, clearly taken aback by the invitation. But then she smiled and nodded.

"Sure," she said. "I'd like that."

Over coffee, Natalie and Alex continued to chat and get to know each other better. They talked about their interests outside of school, their families, and their hopes and dreams for the future.

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As they finished their drinks and said their goodbyes, Natalie realized that she had found a true friend in Alex. She was grateful for her help with the exam, but even more grateful for the chance to get to know her better.

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!!!!! A NEW FACE APPEARED IN THE STORY !!!!!

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The next morning, Natalie was walking down the hallway on her way to class when she saw Alex standing with a girl she didn't recognize. The  girl with long dark brown hair and piercing dark brown eyes. She was dressed in a neat blazer and skirt, and she looked like she belonged on the cover of a fashion magazine.

As Natalie approached, she realized that the girl was Fyara, their class president. She had heard of Fyara before - she was known for her beauty, her intelligence, and her popularity among the student body.

"Hey, Natalie," Alex said, noticing her approach.

"This is Fyara. Fyara, this is Natalie."

"Nice to meet you," Fyara said,

extending her hand to Natalie. "Alex has told me a lot about you."

Natalie smiled politely, but inside she felt a pang of jealousy. She had never seen Alex with another girl before, and she didn't like the way that Fyara was looking at her - with admiration and interest.

As they walked to class together, Natalie tried to push her feelings aside and focus on the task at hand. But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. She had always thought that she and Alex had a special connection, but now she wasn't so sure.

Over the next few days, Natalie watched as Alex and Fyara grew closer, working together on class projects and spending more and more time together. Natalie tried to be happy for them, but she couldn't help feeling left out and alone.

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As the days went on, Natalie found herself becoming more and more distant from Alex. She couldn't bear to see her with Fyara, and she didn't want to be a third wheel in their budding relationship. So she began to avoid her, skipping their usual study sessions and sitting with different friends at lunch.

At first, Alex didn't seem to notice. She was caught up in her own world, spending all her time with Fyara and working on their projects together. But as the weeks went by, she began to realize that something was wrong.

One day, after class, she approached Natalie in the hallway. "Hey, Natalie,"

he said, smiling at her. "I haven't seen you around much lately. Is everything okay?"

Natalie tried to put on a brave face, but she could feel her eyes filling with tears. "Yeah, everything's fine," she said,

looking away from her. "I've just been busy with other things."

Alex didn't believe her for a second. She knew that something was bothering her, and she couldn't stand to see her in pain.

"Come on, Natalie," she said gently. "You can tell me. What's wrong?"

Natalie took a deep breath and looked up at her.

"It's just...I don't know," she said, her voice trembling. "I guess I'm just feeling a little left out. I see you and Fyara together all the time, and I feel like I don't belong anymore."

Alex's heart sank as she realized how much she had hurt Natalie without even realizing it.

"I'm so sorry, Natalie," she said, taking her hand in his.

"I never meant to make you feel that way. You're my friend, and you always will be. Fyara is just a classmate - she doesn't mean anything to me like you do."

Natalie looked up at her, her eyes shining with tears.

"Really?" she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Really," Alex said, squeezing her hand. "I promise."

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After Natalie opened up to Alex about her feelings, she immediately took action to try and make things right between them. She made sure to spend more time with Natalie, just the two of them, so that she didn't feel left out or like a third wheel. She also made sure to include her in conversations and activities with Fyara, so that she didn't feel excluded from their group.

Alex also made a point of telling Natalie how much he valued their friendship and how much she cared about her. She apologized for not realizing how much her behavior had been affecting her and promised to be more mindful.