The Competition

Viktor

After lunch we had math, where I couldn't talk to her. Carson's question was, "What was the big deal yesterday?"
"Where the hell were you, Car?" I spit back at him a little annoyed.
"Wow okay tiger, I was at the party, where exactly I was doesn't matter. Math got cancelled so, I'll see you in P.E. We have our majors now," he says, sounding hurt by my tone. I didn't mean it to sound so harsh. Taking one last look at him, I turn and walk to my class. As I walk in I see her at what used to be our lab station, busy with her notebook. I take a deep breath and go over to her.
"Yelena, about the project..." I begin, hoping to get her attention. She doesn't look up, her concentration is unwavering. Finally she says in a low, controlled voice, "I finished the project." I breathe a sigh of relief.
"Wait. You did? Weren't-" Her next words cut me off.
"It wasn't accepted." I look at her, confused. She finally looks at me, her eyes cold.
"It's the rule. We have to work on it together. Professor Albert said it wasn't acceptable otherwise. Now we'll have another project, but you have to come back after P.E. so we can finish it for good." I try to contain my frustration.
"Okay, we'll make it work..." Yelena just nods, her eyes going back to her notebook.
"Nice move you did on Noah by the way..."
"Nice move you did on Sofia," she deadpans, clearly done talking.

-❦-❦-❦-

"Remember class," Professor Albert announces, "This project is individual, but feel free to discuss ideas with the person next to you if you get stuck." I look over at Yelena a second time. The 'person' next to her happens to be Noah. Her expression tightens as she looks at me for a second. I can't help but feel a pang of guilt as Sofia moves to claim her seat next to mine. As we begin to work, I try to concentrate, but my eyes keep drifting to Yelena. She's clearly upset, her movements sharp and deliberate. Every now and then she glances over at Sofia and me, a flicker of jealousy in her eyes. Sofia leans in and asks for help with her project. I agree to help, but my mind is elsewhere.
"Can you hand me that beaker?" Yelena asks, her voice tense, and I look back. Noah hands it to her, but not before putting his hand over her shoulder and giving her an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry about yesterday... I was a little drunk," Yelena doesn't answer, but I notice the annoyance in her eyes. I walk over to her and Noah's station and pretend to grab a reagent nearby.
"Everything okay here?" I ask, my eyes briefly meeting Yelena's. She glares at me. "We're fine, Viktor. Just concentrate on your own project." I nod, feeling the sting of her words. As I walk back to Sofia, I can't shake the feeling of helplessness. She said they were fine. Yelena's jealousy and my own frustration with the situation make it hard to concentrate. As the class progresses, I steal glances at Yelena, watching her work next to Noah. Despite the tension, she's brilliant, her focus unwavering. I just wish I could be at her side, working through our problems together, instead of being stuck in this mess.