way up • stephen curry [au]

xxxvii. she don't love me

i've been told three times now that, at some point, this book reached as high as #1 in Teen Fiction??? idek how that ranking works but omg that's awesome 👏🏽 this all bc of u guys so ty HERE'S A MUHFUCKIN UPDATE

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[1 month later]

As another month passed by, things were getting worse between Arzaya and Stephen. Many things changed. What used to be two people who are so in love with each other are now nothing but close to strangers.

Arzaya

"You see, there are so many ways you can look into this play and claim that it's feministic. Euripides is a famous tragedian, and hence, this play quite suggests such theme. Actually, perhaps 'suggest' is not the right term. The element of tragedy is actually innate within the characters, don't you think?" 

I scribbled on my notebook as Mr. Corey blabbered about our lecture in Medea.  It was getting really boring now, because I have read that play over and over and it still messed with my feelings.

"Alright. I want to hear your thoughts about this, class. Whose side are you on, Jason or Medea?" Mr. Corey walked along the aisle; I could hear his voice and his footsteps behind. Mr. Corey walked past me and stopped at Stephen's seat. "Mr. Curry, let's hear you talk."

He looked at Mr. Corey but I couldn't see his reaction because his back was facing me.

Wardell cleared his throat and sat properly. "I'm on Jason's side."

"And why so?" Mr. Corey asked.

"I don't know, man." Stephen sounded so disinterested in the topic. "He just did his thing. You know, he didn't leave Medea just because he doesn't love her anymore. No. He left her because he had to establish himself as a man first. He just wanted to claim power in Corinth. He wanted to rule and through that, he could watch over Medea and their children, you know? Because he finally has the power over the kingdom."

I huffed inwardly. Jason loved Medea? Please.

Mr. Corey nodded, seemingly impressed. "Nice perspective. Very well. Any other?"

I raised my hand. "Sir, I completely disagree with Stephen."

The whole class turned to me including him. It was as if I'd just summoned the demon.

I gathered my thoughts together. "Let me just say: Jason did not love Medea. After all that Medea did—she gave up everything; her family, her reputation, her whole world, and then what? When Jason finally got what he wanted, he left her. He just left her for the princess. I mean, that's so selfish?"

Stephen looked away, rolling his eyes. "If Jason did not love Medea, he never would have pursued a relationship with her. He even married her."

Yeah, right.

"But that was just an act," I countered. "He made her think that they're actually together because he's an asshole. If he loved her, he would stay. He never would have left her, whatever damn reason it is."

For some reason, the class just fell silent as they listened to us. Even Mr. Corey was lost for words.

"You see this," Stephen argued. "Even after Jason married the princess, he still looked after Medea. Why? Because he didn't really love the princess. He's just using her. He loved Medea. You think if he didn't, he would come after her and offer her and their children the kingdom he would establish once his plan was done?"