Find your faith

Chapter 60: Restoring the compass glass

Anika's POV
"Have you considered that we may have inflicted the disbanding?" I asked John and Nicole randomly. They just flipped their heads at me in shock, never considering that I'd have a perspective like this.

"Could it be possible that when we confronted her, we might have said things that defined her worth, and not be objective about the issue—that her questioning a welcome party for someone that injured was wrong? Did we end up protecting someone we shouldn't be protecting?"
Flashback
you know you don't always have to fill that void in my heart by making me look bad, hm? All of us have to apologise about the ruined atmosphere on your behalf, and you just stand there, looking like a stunned dumb Luna. The smiles the elderly had on their faces are completely gone and it's all because you brought your personal drama into the VIA project. The glass covering the compass is now broken.
Present day
John: Nicole, I think you know Chloe best. Step out of your comfort zone and talk to her. Get her side of the story. Maybe there was a deeper reason. I guess when I said those things, I guess I was trying to be more assertive and confident like you. Sigh...first timer issues.

Anika: I think that was perfect for the issue. But yes, you're going to need a lot more practice to get to Crystal's level of assertiveness. And maybe Nicole can help her best. She's like Chloe's best female friend.

Nicole: you think I can do it? I'm just scared it's going to—

Anika: I know your stone theory matters a lot to you but this right here—this counts as a medium stone. You may want to get that done after all your homework or arrange a time to catch up during your study break. Capitalise your time, I fully know about the theory you're talking about. And please start call it the pickle bottle theory if you're serious about it.

Nicole: ok, I get it. I'll talk to her.
Chloe's POV
"Finally, I get to work on drafting my departure messages!" I declared, going onto my phone to plan out what I wanted to say. Yes, I found 4 groups I didn't feel that connected to and decided to leave them. All of a sudden, Nicole called me up and I answered her call. It was weird for her to call me one to one, so I knew it was serious.

But it wasn't as bad as I thought. We just had a heart to heart about the comparisons I have been subjected to. The comparisons that I received over the past semester, the ones in my family too, how they have affected me and even my friendship. My heart stopped a few times and I got out of breath too. I wasn't expecting the burden of the comparisons to end up tearing the group apart, and I can't seem to find a way out now. The fact the remaining members were running around to find solutions to let our normal life as 8 resume as soon as possible didn't make me feel better. It was like it was my fault that all of this happened and this wasn't a problem I could solve like being disciplined. Even Nicole's reassurance to wait till the time was right didn't help.
Lucas' POV
"So Nicole told me that Chloe had some misconceptions about popularity thanks to her extensive experience of being her outcast," I announced. "Now we can understand the reason on why she did what she did which was wrong. But I still think making all those remarks and comparing her to Crystal is just...so wrong on so many levels. We didn't know how serious those comparisons were."

"So I think the best solution right now would be that I help her to clarify her misconceptions, because I've had a lot of experience being popular," Ethan remarked. "More than Crystal. I can tell her how to truly be popular. And I suggest until we have the Bali trip, we shouldn't talk as 8. Maybe we ended up bickering because we spent too much time together we weren't able to take it."

"Now that you mention it. We keep spamming the 8 point compass chat even after school, only talking to other people when it's not time for the common subjects and during our CCAs and the like. Actually, if you and Chloe want to spend some time together, you should. I'll encourage John to spend time with YZ, Nicole and Anika since all came from the same primary school then."