Sean and I were almost breaking up. Again. The day I planned to apologize, I drew a dare at a party: steal food from the top student’s plate. Everyone expected Sean to stop me. Sean, always ranked second, just scoffed. "Go ahead. Why not seduce him while you’re at it? Tank his grades. I don’t care." Comments flashed before my eyes—phantom spectators of my life: 【Classic prideful jerk. One kind word from Ava and he’d crumble.】 【He’s been obsessively scrolling your chats since the fight, yet pushes you away.】 【Just dump him. The top student’s had a crush on you forever.】 I glanced at indifferent Sean, then picked up my fork. "Fine," I said, voice steady. "I’ll try." Then, softer: "Besides… I’ve wanted to meet him anyway." 1 Sean and I were on the verge of breaking up. Again. It started with a game of Truth or Dare. Sean drew a dare: kiss your girlfriend in front of everyone. Sean was my childhood best friend and, as of this summer, my boyfriend. He had a touch of separation anxiety; growing up, we’d never been apart for more than five days. We’d made things official over the summer break, and I thought we were solid. Our friends erupted into a chorus of cheers. “Kiss her! Kiss her!” My heart hammered against my ribs. I clutched the hem of my shirt, hoping this was my chance to make up with him after our latest fight. But his face went cold. “I’m not kissing her. It’s embarrassing.” His gaze drifted over me, light and dismissive. “Her grades on the last test were a disaster. I don’t want people knowing I have a girlfriend who’s that dumb.” Olivia, sitting next to him, let out a little snort of laughter. “Ava can be a bit slow, can’t she? You should really help tutor your own girlfriend, Sean.” She nudged him playfully. “You helped me catch up when I transferred here, remember?” Sean leaned back in his chair, a smirk playing on his lips as he looked at her. “It’s not the same. She is what she is—all beauty, no brains. You’re different. Tutoring her would be a waste of time.” I froze, the words hitting me like a physical slap. A hot wave of shame washed over my face, burning all the way to my ears. The truth was, I consistently aced English and History, topping the school rankings, and my other subjects weren’t that bad. I’d only fallen behind because I was out sick for half a semester. Olivia wrapped her arm around his shoulders, her hair brushing against his neck in a way that was far too familiar. “You know, it’s like one of those steamy stories online. The hot couple studying together, and when she gets a question wrong, you pull her over your knee and… teach her a lesson.” Sean chuckled. “What are you talking about? She’s not a kid anymore.” Olivia tilted her head, her expression a mask of innocence. “Then how come you only tease me like that? You threatened to do the same thing to me when I messed up on that problem set.” I sat there, feeling small and utterly out of place. Come to think of it, Olivia was the reason Sean and I were fighting in the first place. Last week was my birthday. Sean had promised to celebrate with me, but he never showed up. In the middle of my party, I video-called him. Olivia was the one who answered. “What do you want?” she’d asked, a bored look on her face. I was stunned. “Is his phone… with you?” “Yeah, so?” she shot back, annoyed. A knot formed in my stomach. Sean was fiercely territorial about his things. I was the only person he ever let touch his phone. A moment later, Sean took the phone from her, his voice softening. “Ava? What’s up?” Before I could speak, Olivia cut in, her voice loud enough for me to hear clearly. “It’s all your fault, Sean. I told you not to worry about it, but you insisted on celebrating with me. Now you’d better explain yourself to your little girlfriend.” Sean’s attention immediately snapped back to her, his voice full of an unconcealed joy that twisted my gut. “Ava, you won’t believe it! Olivia made huge progress this time. She was only one point behind me in physics! We’re celebrating.” Olivia playfully punched his shoulder, pouting. “Hmph. That was just a fluke. I’ll beat you next time for sure.” Her cute act made Sean laugh out loud. “Alright, we’ll see. But if you do, I’m not tutoring you anymore.” “Jerk! Who asked you to tutor me anyway? I don’t need your help to win!” “Okay, okay. We’ll see about that.” They bantered back and forth, completely lost in their own world, as if I wasn't even on the call. It was a long moment before Sean seemed to remember I was there. “Oh, right. Ava, what did you call for?” I bit my lip. “Sean, actually, today is my birth—” But again, Olivia interrupted. “Sean, oh my god, I can’t open this soda bottle…” Naturally, Sean’s hand reached out. “You’re so helpless,” he said, his voice laced with affection. Watching them, a sudden wave of exhaustion washed over me. It all felt so pointless. I didn’t bother asking him to come to my birthday party. I just hung up. Sean didn’t find out it was my birthday until the next day. When he came to find me, I thought he’d at least be a little sorry. Instead, he just gave me a cold look and said, “Why didn’t you tell me yesterday was your birthday? Olivia’s been upset all day. She was crying, saying she thinks you’re targeting her.” He glared at me. “Is it just because her grades are better than yours? Are you really that jealous? You can’t even tell me it’s your birthday? If you keep throwing these tantrums, we’re done.” This was the first time we’d gone more than five days without making up. 2 As a penalty for losing the dare, Sean treated everyone to a weekend night out at a club his family owned. Someone joked with him, “Dude, you’d rather lose the game than kiss Ava. Aren’t you afraid she’ll dump you?” He just laughed, a look of absolute confidence on his face. “Why would I be? She’s obsessed with me. She’s not going to break up with me over a stupid game.” Everyone laughed along. “True. Your girl knows how to handle things. She’s not gonna sweat the small stuff.” I lowered my head, fighting back the urge to cry, my face a carefully constructed mask of indifference. Don’t cry, I told myself. Not here. Not in front of everyone. The game continued. This time, it was my turn to draw a dare. I unfolded the slip of paper. It read: [Go and eat a piece of food from the top-ranked student’s plate.] I stared at the words, stunned. Adrian was the new transfer student. He’d shown up and immediately snatched the number-one rank from Sean, his picture plastered on the school’s honor roll display. Someone had even snapped a photo of it and posted it online. Thanks to his criminally handsome face, it had over a million likes. A few troublemakers immediately started hooting. “Ooh, this is a good one! Go on, Ava!” “That’s Adrian we’re talking about! The cold, untouchable genius who transferred into our class. He’s the reason Sean got knocked down to second place for the first time ever.” “He’s seriously cold, though. A bunch of girls confessed to him already, and they all came back crying.” Olivia covered her mouth, a sly grin on her face. “I hear Adrian’s single. With Ava’s figure, if she wore something a little more revealing tonight and wrapped herself around him, he probably wouldn’t be able to hold his books straight.” A couple of people shot her a warning look. “Hey, don’t talk like that. Ava’s Sean’s girlfriend.” “Yeah, everyone knows she’s head-over-heels for Sean. She’s been following him around like a puppy since they were kids.” Olivia feigned surprise, sticking her tongue out playfully at Sean. “Oops, my bad! I totally forgot she was your girlfriend.” I dug my nails into my palms, the sharp points nearly breaking the skin. I waited for Sean to say something, anything. I couldn’t believe he’d just let her talk about me like that, making crude jokes at my expense. Sean just looked at Olivia, a smirk tugging at his lips. “It’s fine. I don’t have a problem with it.” He shrugged. “Sounds good to me. While you’re at it, why don’t you go up to him with nothing on under your dress? Seduce him, tank his grades. I don’t mind.” His voice dripped with arrogance. “Ava’s crazy about me, right? It’s perfect. Her body might be with the top student, but her heart will still be with me. Works for me.” He let out a short, harsh laugh. “Besides, she’s so wrapped around my finger. I haven’t even had a taste, why would I let someone else get a free sample?” Olivia was the first to burst out laughing. In that moment, my heart seemed to skip a beat, then stop altogether. I couldn’t believe the boy I’d loved my whole life could be so utterly disrespectful. A tremor ran through my body, an uncontrollable shudder of hurt and anger. The phantom comments appeared again. 【There he goes again. Can he just drop the tough-guy act? He’s saying all this horrible stuff just to push our girl into apologizing and making up with him!】 【He spends all his time scrolling through their old chats. He thinks we don’t know? His thumb must be raw by now.】 【But damn, that number one is a total masterpiece. Even more of a heartthrob than Sean. I kinda want Ava to have a little taste of something new.】 【Sean has no idea. The new guy didn’t just steal his top rank; he’s been coveting his girlfriend for a long, long time.】 【Wait, isn’t the top student supposed to be the villain of this story? And isn’t he the sole heir to the Sterling Corporation or something?】 【Seriously, Ava, stop wasting your time on Sean. Give Adrian a chance! His study is filled with your photos. He probably keeps the pens you’ve touched in a freaking safe.】 【If you so much as brush a finger against him, he’d probably tremble with excitement!】 I stared at the floating text, my eyes wide. Adrian… was like that? Seeing my hesitation, Olivia tugged on Sean’s sleeve, pouting. “Look at Ava, she’s gone all quiet. Girlfriends are so much trouble. Can’t even take a little joke. And you,” she said, turning on Sean, “you should at least try to comfort her. Girls like her are so sensitive. What if she starts crying?” Sean’s brow furrowed in annoyance. “What’s there to comfort? It’s just a game. Acting like it’s the end of the world. Such a buzzkill.” Olivia giggled, inching closer to him. “Oh, so you can take a joke? What if the dare was for you to kiss me? Would you do it?” Sean raised an eyebrow. “Of course. It’s just a game.” Olivia laughed and shoved him playfully. “Ugh, shut up. I wouldn’t want to kiss you anyway.” Watching them flirt, completely oblivious to my presence, I felt a wave of bitterness so strong it threatened to drown me. Maybe the comments were right. Maybe all I had to do was soothe his ego, and he’d instantly soften and we’d be fine. That’s how it always was. Sean would push my boundaries, and I would be the one to retreat. But I knew if I backed down one more time… I’d be nothing more than a spineless doormat. Under the weight of everyone’s stares, I suddenly stood up, my bowl and fork in hand. “Fine,” I announced, my voice clear and steady. “I’ll give it a shot. He’s smart. I’ve been wanting to get to know him anyway.” The smile vanished from Sean’s face, replaced by a dark, thunderous expression. The comment-feed went wild. 【LMAO, Sean finally overplayed his hand. She’s actually going to do it!】 【Did you guys see Adrian’s face when he found out Ava was dating Sean? He looked like he wanted to commit murder. And speaking of commitment, his commitment to her is…】 【He hasn’t taken his eyes off her this whole time. And speaking of time, he could probably go for…】 【He’s been dying to have her. Watching Sean and Ava together has been torture for him. He must be starving. And speaking of starving…】 The comments grew more and more outrageous. I walked over to the other table, half-believing, half-skeptical. “Hi, sorry to bother you,” I began, my voice trembling slightly. “Can I… try some of your food?” Adrian looked up, and for a split second, his dark eyes seemed to glitter. I was taken aback. I’d never noticed before, but he was breathtakingly handsome. His friend started to run interference. “Adrian, another fan. Try not to be too harsh this time, you might make this one cry too. Hey,” he said to me, “you probably don’t know, but he’s a total germaphobe. He really doesn’t like people touching his…” “It’s fine,” Adrian cut in suddenly, his voice smooth and deep. He shot his friend a look. “I’m not a monster. This young lady is so thin. What’s wrong with her having a little of my food?” Before I could say anything, he pulled out the chair next to him. “Don’t listen to him. Sit. What else do you like? I saw you staring at the sweet and sour pork earlier. We can order some more.” So much for the cold, unapproachable genius. I’d been worried it would be awkward, but he was making it easy. Adrian pushed a plate of peeled shrimp in front of me and effortlessly kept the conversation going. “You’re amazing at English, right? I heard you got the highest score in the city on the mock exam.” I nodded, still a little dazed. He looked up, a warm smile gracing his lips. “That’s great, because my essays always lose points. I was wondering if you could help me with them. In exchange, I can help you with your other subjects. As you know, I get perfect scores in everything but English and History. It wouldn’t be a bad deal for you.” He paused. “Here, let’s trade numbers. It’ll be easier to coordinate.” The comment-feed was losing its mind. 【Look at him! The villain is fanning his tail feathers like a proud peacock!】 【This is perfect. Sean was just trying to force Ava into apologizing, and instead, he sent her straight into the villain’s arms.】 【LMAO, Sean thought she was going to get publicly humiliated. Now he’s so mad he’s about to bite his fork in half.】 【Nooo, I don’t want angst! Ava, just go back and apologize. If you just give in a little, he’ll totally make up with you tonight!】 3 After dinner, I packed my bag and got ready to head back to the classroom for evening study hall. Olivia suddenly appeared behind me and slapped my back with a grin. “Ava, can you do me a favor and tell the teacher Sean and I won’t be at study hall? He’s going to help me with my homework at his place.” She casually tossed her backpack to Sean, who caught it without a second thought. This was at least the tenth time I’d covered for them. In the past, seeing Sean carry Olivia’s bag or give her a ride home on his bike for a “study session” would have torn me up inside. But tonight, my mind was buzzing with Adrian’s offer to tutor me. I just mumbled, “Oh, okay.” “Wait a minute.” Sean’s voice, sharp and commanding, stopped me in my tracks. “You’re coming to my house tonight, too. I’ll help you with physics.” Olivia’s smile instantly vanished. I shook my head. “No, thanks.” He frowned. “Why not? Isn’t this what you’ve always wanted? For me to tutor you? What about that last problem on the physics test you said you couldn’t solve?” I met his gaze directly. “Thank you,” I said, enunciating each word. “But it’s too late. I already figured it out on my own. Besides, Adrian said he’d help me tonight. I can’t flake on him.” Sean’s expression darkened. “Ava, stop being difficult. You’ve always wanted me to tutor you. What is this, some new game you’re playing? Stop it. I don’t have time for these push-and-pull theatrics.” He held out his hand to me. “Come here. Whether we get back together or not depends on your performance tonight.” I took a step back. “I’m not playing a game. I really don’t want to go.” His hand hung in the air. He let out a cold, humorless laugh. “Fine,” he said, his voice laced with smug confidence. “Then let’s break up.” He’d said those words so many times before. Each time, they’d sent me into a week-long spiral. I’d be unable to focus in class, and I’d spend my nights crying while writing him long, rambling apologies. Maybe if I just bowed my head, soothed his ego like I always did, he’d let this all go. But suddenly, I just felt… tired. No one can keep retreating forever. I took a deep breath and summoned all my strength. “Okay,” I said. “Let’s break up.” The color drained from Sean’s face. He sneered. “Are you serious?” I clenched my fists, forcing myself to nod. The next second, he kicked a nearby chair with a vicious thud. The loud crash made me flinch. “Fine,” he spat, his voice like ice. “I hope you don’t come crawling back to me like a stray dog, begging me to take you back.” With that, he snatched his bag from the floor, turned on his heel, and stormed away. “Wait,” I called out. A tiny, almost imperceptible smile touched the corner of his lips. He glanced back at me over his shoulder. “What? Regret it already? Too late.” I pulled the matching couple’s ring he’d given me from my finger. “Since we’re broken up, I don’t want this anymore. You can have it back.” It was the gift he’d given me the day he asked me to be his girlfriend. Our names were engraved inside. I used to adore it, never taking it off. But now, it was just a piece of metal. Sean froze, his voice growing even colder. “Fine. If you don’t want it, just throw it away.” I nodded and tossed the ring into a nearby trash can, where it landed among leftover scraps of food. Then, without a second glance, I picked up my bag and walked away. For years, I had always been the one watching his back as he left. Maybe being the one to walk away wasn’t so hard after all. Sean’s face was a mask of fury. His friend tried to smooth things over. “Dude, she’s just trying to get a reaction out of you. You know how girls are, they love playing these little games.” “Yeah, man, don’t let her get to you. If you give in now, you lose.” “I bet you as soon as we leave, she’ll come running back, crying her eyes out and digging through the trash like a clown.” Sean gave a nonchalant laugh. “You’re right. She won’t last a few days.”
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