The Boy Next Door

Sacrifice

"How was the competition yesterday, Kat?" Nathan asked, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

"It was fun," Kat replied, her tone lacking its usual enthusiasm. "I heard they're gonna announce the results today."

"I bet you'll win!" Lisa chimed in optimistically, trying to uplift Kat's spirits.

Nathan seized the opportunity to offer a celebratory gesture. "Can't wait to take you out to celebrate."

But Kat's response was unexpectedly curt. "I'll pass," she replied tersely, her mind clearly elsewhere.

Lisa seized the opportunity to discreetly dispose of the movie tickets, crumbling them in her hand before tossing them into the nearby trash bin.

Later that evening, Kat received a call from Ms. Riley,

"Yes, Ms.. Riley?" Kat answered the call.

"Could you come meet me at the music room, please?" Ms. Riley's voice echoed through the phone.

Kat agreed to the request, informing Lisa and the others of her impending meeting.

"Looks like I'll have to go meet Ms.Riley at the music room first," Kat announced, her tone tinged with resignation. "You guys can go home first."

Despite Lisa's offer to wait, Kat insisted they proceed without her. "No, it's fine! I can wait," Lisa reassured her.

As Kat made her way to the music room, Lisa silently disposed of the tickets and took a seat on the bench alone, her thoughts swirling with uncertainty and concern.

"Are you okay?" Zoe's voice broke through the silence, her concern evident in her tone as she approached Lisa.

"I'm okay, everything's okay," Lisa replied, her voice lacking conviction as she forced a smile.

Zoe arched an eyebrow skeptically. "Don't tell me you got into a fight with Seth."

Lisa shook her head, her gaze fixed on the ground as she struggled to find the right words to express the feeling inside her. "It's not that..."

"What's on your mind, Lisa?" Zoe prodded gently, taking a seat beside her friend.

"What do you do, Zoe... when your problem and your solution are the same thing?" Lisa finally voiced the question that had been weighing heavily on her heart.

Zoe's brow furrowed in concern as she considered Lisa's words. "That's a tough situation," she admitted. "But I guess you have to figure out what's more important to you."

"And...what would you do if someone likes your boyfriend?" Lisa asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she voiced her deepest fears.

"Is it Kat?" Zoe's question hit Lisa like a bolt of lightning, leaving her momentarily speechless.

"How did you know?" Lisa stammered in shock, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"It's pretty obvious," Zoe replied with a sympathetic smile. "But seriously, it must've been tough for you. Does Seth know that Kat has a crush on him?"

Lisa shook her head, her heart heavy with uncertainty. "I have no idea..."

"He's clueless anyways," Zoe reassured her. "It would take a while for him to notice."

Lisa let out a sigh, her shoulders slumping with the weight of her worries. "I guess so, but will he change his mind?"

"What do you mean by changing his mind?" Zoe inquired, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"You see... I'm just scared that he'd change his mind if he knows that Kat also has feelings for him and will go love Kat instead," Lisa confessed, her voice trembling with fear.