Forever

Chapter Thirteen

Dana fidgeted with the strap of her backpack as she walked down the hall to the library. She'd been dreading this all day. The thought of sitting across from Rachel—Chandler's ex, the girl who could step into any room and command attention—made her palms sweat. She didn't understand how her name, of all names, got paired with one person out of dozens.

The library was quiet except for the occasional sound of pages flipping and whispered conversations. Rachel was already there, seated at one of the long wooden tables, her blonde hair gleamed under the fluorescent lights. She was scrolling on her phone, her expression unreadable.

Dana approached cautiously, clutching her notebook like a shield. "Hi, Rachel."

Rachel glanced up, her sharp blue eyes locking onto Dana. Her lips curled into a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Dana. There you are."

Dana slid into the chair across from her, her heart pounding. She tried to match Rachel's confidence, but the moment she sat down, she felt like a child playing dress-up. Rachel exuded the kind of poise that Dana could only dream of.

"So," Rachel said, setting her phone face down on the table. "Let's get this over with."

Dana swallowed. "Okay. Um, did you get a chance to look at the assignment?" She started to reach in her bag to get the instructions but she saw they were already laid out on the table.

Rachel leaned back in her chair, crossing her long legs. "Yeah. Interview questions about differences between general and advanced classes, right? Pretty straightforward." She tilted her head, her expression turning curious. "I guess you're in advanced English, huh?"

Dana nodded, unsure how to take Rachel's tone. Was that a compliment? An insult? A casual observation?

"Figures," Rachel added, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Chandler's always been into smart girls."

The air seemed to shift. Dana's chest tightened, and she gripped her pen until her knuckles turned white. "Oh, um... I didn't know that."

Rachel smirked, her eyes glinting. "Really? You didn't know?" She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. "He talks about you, you know."

Dana blinked, her stomach flipping. "He does?"

Rachel shrugged, as if it were no big deal. "Yeah. He said you helped him with his essay. Said you're really good at that kind of stuff. I guess he thinks you're nice or whatever."

Dana's cheeks flushed, and she couldn't tell if Rachel's tone was sincere or patronizing. "I—uh—well, yeah. He needed help."

Rachel let out a soft laugh. "Of course he did. It's not like Chandler's exactly Mr. Academic." She picked up her pen and twirled it between her fingers, her smile sharpening. "But, hey, don't let him fool you. He's pretty good at charming people into doing what he wants."

Dana's stomach sank. Was that a warning? A dig? She couldn't tell. She felt like she was walking a tightrope, unsure of where to step.

"Well," Dana said, forcing herself to sound calm, "he's been really nice to me."

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Has he?" There was a pause, just long enough to feel heavy. Then Rachel leaned back again, her casual demeanor returning. "Anyway, let's get started. I've got cheer practice in an hour, so we need to finish this fast."

Dana nodded, but her mind was spinning. She opened her notebook and focused on writing down questions for their interview, trying to block out Rachel's words. But they lingered, like tiny thorns digging into her thoughts. Was Rachel trying to warn her? Or was she just being petty?