The words that was left unsaid

Chapter 8

It was Monday morning, and the school halls buzzed with chatter and the sound of slamming lockers. Rue strolled along the hallway, her thoughts a whirlpool of Cara—her laugh, the way her golden hair caught the light, the way her smile seemed to brighten even the dullest corners of the school. Rue barely noticed the chaos around her as she replayed moments from the weekend in her mind.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice the girl standing by the bulletin board until she bumped into her.

"Oh! Sorry about that," Rue said, stepping back.

The girl laughed, brushing a strand of dark hair from her face. "No worries. I was just trying to make sense of this club schedule."

Rue glanced at the board, then back at the girl, who had warm brown eyes and an easy smile. They struck up a conversation, Rue explaining which clubs were worth joining and which were just excuses to eat snacks after school.

Cara stood a few feet away, watching the scene unfold. She had been walking with Rue, though Rue seemed too distracted to notice. Now, she watched Rue laugh and talk with the girl—a little too animatedly for Cara's liking.

A strange twinge settled in her chest. Jealousy? No, that couldn't be it. Why would she be jealous? Rue was her friend.

But the irritation didn't fade, and she felt her mood sour. Crossing her arms, she tried to shake it off, reasoning with herself. Rue could talk to anyone she wanted. It wasn't a big deal.

Still, the feeling lingered. Cara frowned, silently berating herself for being so ridiculous.

Eventually, Rue turned back to Cara, her face lighting up when she realized Cara was still there. "Oh, hey! Sorry, I got distracted. This is Mia."

Cara forced a smile, nodding at the girl before looking back at Rue. "You ready to go to class?"

"Yeah, let's go," Rue said, oblivious to Cara's mood.

As they walked to class together, Cara tried to focus on anything else, but her mind kept returning to the question: Why had she felt that way? Why did it matter so much who Rue talked to?