Love Rivals: The Day I Saw Your Tears

12. Unaffected, Like Her

Sarah's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "What are you guys doing here? Come inside."

We followed her back into the café. She handed me my wallet and said, "Check to make sure everything's in there."

I slipped it into my pocket and turned to the group. "I want to apologize for Nitya's behavior today."

Sarah shrugged. "I don't mind her behavior."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

She glanced at Vicky and added, "I told you, she's the Queen of Arrogance."

I couldn't resist teasing her. "Because you've had a close-up view of her rudeness, right?"

Sarah shot me a look with narrowed eyes, but didn't say anything.

Vicky, trying to shift the focus, asked Sarah, "By the way, when do you fit in your online job? I've seen you working late into the night."

Sarah hesitated, clearly unsure of how to answer. I jumped in to clarify, "Online jobs don't really have a regular schedule, right Sarah?"

She nodded. "Yeah, we just get assigned projects with deadlines. That's pretty much it."

I got home, shrugged off my hoodie, and collapsed onto my bed. I rested my hand on my forehead and closed my eyes, trying to push away the day's stress.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed with a notification. It was a message from Dad, listing a few venues for my engagement. He wanted me to pick the best one, though I knew he'd ultimately choose his own preference.

After a while, my phone lit up again with a message from Vicky.

"Still up?" he texted.

I replied, "You're not sleeping either?"

He shot back, "I'm still trying to figure out Sarah. She wasn't like this before. Seeing her today felt like I was meeting a completely different person."

I texted back, "I'm not surprised. I had the same feeling."

Vicky's reply came quickly. "What's keeping you up at this hour?"

I texted, "I can't stop thinking about how carefree Sarah seems now. It's like she's moved on completely from what happened between us. She's not bothered by Nitya, and she's chatting with you like you're old friends. She never talked to you so freely before."

He texted, "Either she's too wrapped up in her work to think about the past, or she might have been in so many relationships that yours just doesn't seem like a big deal to her."

I typed back, "You're saying she's a player?"

He responded, "Maybe?"

I shook my head and texted, "No way. She doesn't seem like one."

His final message was a sharp observation: "Nitya doesn't seem arrogant and egoistic either."

He wasn't entirely wrong. Maybe I should focus more on my career and future. I could be unaffected like her too.
I hit the sack, and closed my eyes, letting myself drift back to the old days.

August 15, 2016 ****************************

The sun was setting, casting a warm glow over the schoolyard as we walked towards the gates. Vicky, with his hands stuffed in his pockets, glanced at me with a teasing grin.

"So, second place in essay writing again?" he asked, his voice laced with playful mockery.

I rolled my eyes, shrugging. "Yeah, but I came first in elocution," I shot back, hoping to sound more triumphant than I felt.

He raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Only because she didn't enter the elocution contest."

I stopped, turning to face him. "What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying I always lose to her?" My voice was tinged with frustration.

Vicky chuckled, patting my shoulder like an older brother. "Hey, don't get all worked up. You've beaten her in plenty of tests too. I'm just saying... she's tough, right? What are you going to do when the final board exams roll around? She topped 11th grade, first in both exams, and she's been holding onto first place in this semester too. What if she keeps that streak going all the way through the finals?"

I looked away, feeling the pressure tighten around my chest. His words, though said casually, hit me hard. The idea of her holding onto that top spot, again, felt like a challenge I wasn't sure I was ready for. The distant chatter of other students leaving the school buzzed in the background, but my mind was already on the upcoming exams, wondering if I could finally break free from second place.

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