Summer
The school auditorium was packed with students and teachers, along with a few proud parents, including my own. Corrine took her place at the podium with that flawless confidence she always seemed to radiate. I slouched in my seat next to Aditi, already dreading what was coming.
As Corrine began, her voice dripped with practiced charm. "At Blue Ridge, we believe in leadership, integrity, and always putting students first..." She went on, and I couldn't help but tune her out. The whole speech was exactly what I'd expected: rehearsed, robotic, and painfully self-important.
"Are we expected to survive this?" Aditi whispered, leaning close enough that her shoulder brushed mine. "If I hear her say 'key initiative' one more time, I might faint."
I stifled a laugh, glancing at her with a look that probably said, *Please, let's get out of here.*
"Let's go grab food," she murmured, tilting her head toward the door.
Without another thought, we slipped out of the auditorium and headed toward the cafeteria, laughing the entire way there.
Once inside, we claimed a table and filled it with snacks: popcorn, a couple of granola bars, and the only sodas left in the vending machine. We sat down, and Aditi looked at me with that mischievous glint in her eye. "So, is this what Corrine's like all the time? Or does she save the motivational speaking just for the election?"
"She's like this all the time," I said, rolling my eyes. "Every holiday dinner, every birthday—somehow, everything turns into the 'Corrine Show.' And our parents buy into it completely."
Aditi laughed, then nudged a bag of popcorn toward me. "That's brutal," she said, her smile softening. "My parents are all about my little brother's soccer games. I get it—it's exhausting."
I looked at her, grateful for the understanding. Before I could say anything else, though, the cafeteria doors swung open, and in walked Corrine. She spotted us instantly and sauntered over, her face a mix of annoyance and smugness.
"Oh, hey, Summer," she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Glad to see you're taking things seriously, as always. Mom and Dad are a little worried, though. I mean, you've been slipping lately, haven't you?"
My jaw clenched, but Aditi cut in smoothly. "Don't worry, Corrine," she said, her voice light. "Summer's been great company—just what we needed to get through the endless speech."
Corrine gave a tight smile, clearly irritated, and with a curt nod, she turned and walked away.
As soon as she was gone, Aditi looked back at me with a grin. "Did I cross the line?"
"Not even close," I said, laughing. And suddenly, all the frustration and tension of the day seemed to melt away as we walked back to the dorms, joking the entire way about *key initiatives* and making sarcastic campaign speeches in exaggerated voices.
And for the first time in a long time, I felt like I'd found someone who saw right through Corrine's perfect facade and liked me for who I was.
A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry for the short chapter I had to split it into two because It was too long. Hope you liked it!
YOU ARE READING
Between us
RomanceAditi didn't expect much from transferring to Blue Ridge Academy, but then she meets Summer -a competitive track star with something to prove. What begins as a friendship quickly deepens, as late-night study sessions and quiet moments spark somethin...