Sophie's Life

Chapter 47: A New Insight

### Allie's POV  

The library was always our go-to spot, but tonight, it felt cozier than usual. Maybe it was the faint autumn chill seeping through the tall windows or the quiet hum of conversations in the background. Aiden had his arm casually draped over my shoulder, and Alan, as usual, couldn't resist teasing us.  

"You know," I said, shooting him a mock glare, "for someone who has a suspicious number of notes from *one particular girl* in his locker, you don't have much room to talk."  

Alan raised an eyebrow, but the faint blush on his cheeks gave him away. "Touché."  

Riley would've loved this moment—a chance to gang up on Alan with me. She was probably off with Aaron, bickering over something ridiculous like who was better at Mario Kart. It always made me smile, seeing how they balanced each other out. Riley and I had been best friends for years, but it was Aaron who brought out her softer side, the one most people didn't get to see.  

"Speaking of Riley," Alan said, pulling me from my thoughts, "she and Aaron are inseparable these days. Do you think they'll ever actually admit they're, like, endgame?"  

I smirked. "Oh, they know. They're just too stubborn to say it out loud."  

Aiden chuckled, leaning closer. "Aaron told me once he doesn't want to mess things up. He's scared of losing her if they break up."  

"Typical Aaron," I said, rolling my eyes. "Always overthinking."  

--

 Later That Night  

After our study session, I headed to Riley's dorm. She'd texted me earlier, asking if I wanted to hang out, and I figured she could use a break from whatever argument she and Aaron had undoubtedly gotten into.  

Her room was its usual chaos—clothes strewn over the chair, half-empty coffee cups on her desk, and a stack of books precariously balanced on the bed. She was sprawled out on the floor, scrolling through her phone.  

"You know," I said, stepping over a pile of socks, "if you cleaned up once in a while, this place wouldn't feel like a war zone."  

Riley looked up, grinning. "And if you stopped acting like my mom, you might actually relax for five minutes."  

I flopped down beside her, nudging her shoulder. "Fair point. So, what's new?"  

She shrugged. "Nothing much. Aaron's being annoying, as usual. He thinks he's so clever, but I know he's planning something for my birthday. He keeps dropping hints, and it's driving me insane."  

"Maybe he just wants to make it special," I offered.  

Riley sighed, her expression softening. "Yeah, I know. That's the thing about Aaron—he always goes all out, even when I don't expect him to. It's annoying but...kind of sweet."  

I smiled, leaning back against the bed. "You've got it bad."  

"Shut up," she said, but there was no bite to her words.  

---

After a while, our conversation shifted to more serious topics. Riley was the only person who really understood how much pressure I felt to have everything figured out.  

"You ever feel like everyone expects you to be perfect all the time?" I asked, staring up at the ceiling.  

Riley snorted. "All the time. But I've learned to ignore it. People are always going to have opinions. You just have to focus on what makes *you* happy."  

"Easy for you to say," I muttered. "You're practically fearless."  

She turned to face me, her expression uncharacteristically soft. "I'm not fearless, Allie. I just...fake it until it feels real. You could too, you know. You're a lot stronger than you think."  

Her words hit me harder than I expected, and for a moment, I couldn't speak. Riley always had this way of cutting through the noise and saying exactly what I needed to hear.  

"Thanks," I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper.  

She grinned, nudging me. "What are best friends for?"  

---

By the time I left Riley's room, I felt lighter, like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I knew things weren't perfect—not for me, not for her, not for any of us. But for the first time in a while, I felt like maybe, just maybe, we were all going to be okay.  

And as I walked back to my dorm, I couldn't help but think about what Riley had said. Maybe it was time to stop worrying so much about what everyone else thought and start focusing on what *I* wanted.  

Whatever that was, I knew one thing for sure: Riley would be right there with me, every step of the way.