The Competition

Yelena/Viktor

The moment I set foot in school, everyone had their eyes on me, murmuring about the incident of the day before. its been the talk of the school, however let me dig up how many fucks I give. My blood still boils at the thought of what I saw yesterday. Entering English class, I take my seat and wait for the lesson to begin. The stormy thoughts clear when I get a light nudge from...Carson. "Morning," I greet him, earning a smile.
"How was the party? Why did you leave so early?" he bombards me with questions.
My eyes flick to Viktor.
"I wasn't feeling well."
Lie.
"Okay...did something happen or?" his eyes ping pong between me and his friend.
No answer.
"You know what? Never mind," he gives me a half-smile before heading for the back.

-❦-❦-❦-

Thank God the English lesson went well. No one said a word, everything was fine.
Third period, art. I walk into the artroom with a heavy heart because I can't erase that feeling since I saw him. I sit down, avoiding his gaze, and concentrate on setting up my supplies. Mrs. Thompson announces the assignment for the day: express an emotion through art. Natalia sits next to me. "Hey, are you okay?" she asks quietly. I force a smile. "Just tired," I reply, not ready to share more. Lost in my emotions, I begin to paint, my hand moving almost by itself. I become entranced, creating a dark, intricate image of a girl standing in front of a broken mirror, surrounded by shadows. The drawing is haunting, reflecting my inner feelings. It reflects the people I love. Mrs. Thompson pauses at my desk, her eyes widening. "Yelena, this is remarkable," she says, a mixture of admiration and concern in her voice. I avoid her gaze. "Just an expression of my feelings," I mutter. Natalia looks at the drawing almost in horror. "It's amazing, Yelena. But if you ever need..." she trails off. "Thanks, Nat," I answer softly. As the lesson ends, Viktor approaches, but I quickly leave, not wanting to face him. Outside, I take a deep breath as I wait for Natalia.

-❦-❦-❦-

At lunchtime, still lost in her own world, I find Yelena with my sister at our usual place. I can't let her go. I have to tell her what happened and how it happened, even if she ignores me. I approach her table, my heart pounding.
"Yen, can we talk..."
"Don't call me that." she deadpans. Well, that didn't go as planned. "I need to clear something up," I say, trying to sound as calm as possible. She doesn't look up, continuing to poke at her lunch. "I don't really have time," she mumbles, clearly dismissing me. "Please, just listen," I insist, feeling a pang of frustration and worry. Her silence is like a wall, but I continue. "At the party, I..." The words die in my mouth. "It was a mistake. I didn't mean for it to happen."

"What happened at the party after I left?" a puzzled Carson asks, his brow furrowed.

Yelena glances up briefly, her expression softening despite herself.
"Nothing." Lies. I sit down next to Carson, determined to make things right, but knowing it will take more than a simple apology to mend what's been broken.