The text confirming my canceled flight popped up just as I was heading to the airport for the graduation trip Chloe and I had been planning for years. As I stood there, dumbfounded, glowing text boxes started to float in front of my eyes. 【Here we go! This is the part where the FMC, feeling bad that the MMC has never been on a plane, cancels the best friend’s ticket and gives it to him. Then the best friend totally loses his mind and they have a huge fight.】 【Even when the best friend buys a train ticket and rushes to meet them, the FMC and MMC have already had a super romantic day together. They’re inseparable, and she barely even notices the best friend is there!】 【Yep, this is the trip that makes the FMC realize how dramatic the best friend is. Every fight they have just makes her see another one of the MMC’s good qualities. Eventually, they drift apart, and the FMC and MMC get their happily ever after. I ship it!】 【OMG, look! The best friend is about to text the FMC! The plot is starting, people! Get your popcorn!】 I was still hesitating, wondering if I should text Chloe to see what was going on, when a message from her lit up my screen. 【Hey Leo, Ethan has never been on a plane before, so I refunded your ticket and gave it to him.】 【You can just buy a train ticket and meet us there. We’ll be waiting for you in Zion!】 When I didn’t reply right away, another one came through. 【Are you mad? I know you’re not used to roughing it. You can be a little sensitive.】 【But Ethan can handle anything. Why is it such a big deal for you?】 I stared at the messages on my phone. The floating text boxes were right. It was all real. I pursed my lips, opened a travel app, and bought a train ticket. Only the destination wasn't Zion. It was Denver. 1 After changing the cab’s destination to the train station, I put my phone away. 【Uh, weird. Why isn’t the best friend freaking out on her? If he doesn’t cause a scene, how is she supposed to get annoyed with him and see how amazing our MMC is? Ugh, he’s not following the script!】 【Right? Not only is he not fighting, he’s not even texting her back. And he bought a ticket to Denver? He’s totally trying to make her jealous! What a drama king. No wonder she doesn't like him. Childhood friends means nothing!】 【The best friend is so manipulative. Not like our MMC. Ethan might not have money, but he’s independent and strong. Total main character energy, hehe.】 【This stupid side character needs to get with the program! Doesn't he know he's just an NPC? His only purpose is to move the plot forward. If he doesn't cooperate, how is everyone supposed to see how great our boy Ethan is?】 【OMG you guys, look at the other feed! The main couple just checked in for their flight! In a few hours, their sweet love story officially begins! So excited!】 My hand holding the phone tensed. Ever since Ethan had transferred to our school, I couldn't count the number of times Chloe had put me second for his sake, always calling me "sensitive" or "spoiled." She said Ethan was independent and resilient, a real fighter despite his tough background. I, on the other hand, was privileged and didn't know how good I had it. We'd make plans to see a movie on a Saturday, and she'd bail at the last minute. "Ethan said a single ticket is over fifteen dollars," she’d text. "That’s like three hours of work at his part-time job. He's not going." "You can go by yourself, Leo. I agree with him. We shouldn't waste our parents' money." This, from the girl whose parents had just bought her a fifteen-hundred-dollar laptop. Lunch for two became lunch for three. The steak and salmon I ordered would somehow end up on Ethan’s plate. "Leo, you should eat more salads," she’d say. "It's good for you." I'm six feet tall and a hundred and eighty pounds. I'm not exactly overweight. The list goes on. Eventually, she even bailed on my eighteenth birthday party. I stubbornly waited for her to show up before I would blow out the candles. But eleven o'clock came and went. Then midnight. Not a single text from Chloe. I told myself she must have gotten held up, that something important came up. Then I saw it on someone’s Instagram story: a video of her and Ethan, joyriding late at night, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist as they laughed on some empty suburban street. It wasn't until the next afternoon that she finally texted, saying she completely forgot it was my birthday. Our two-person world had been invaded by Ethan. And now this. This graduation trip was something Chloe and I had promised each other three years ago, back when we were freshmen. Her grades weren't great, and I was on track for a top-tier magnet school. She begged me, practically in tears, to go to the same public high school as her. I caved. As a thank you, she promised me that when we graduated, we’d go to Zion National Park together. She said that's where she was going to officially ask me to be her boyfriend. We'd go to the same college, get married after graduation. I believed her. I spent the next three years tutoring her, pulling her grades up until she was getting the same scores as me. But the moment Ethan showed up, it was like I became invisible. It was all about tutoring Ethan, helping Ethan, doing all the things with Ethan that *he'd* never done before. 2 She did well on her SATs, but not quite well enough for the top out-of-state universities. She just assumed I’d stick to our old plan, that I’d stay in-state with her. She didn't know I'd already accepted my admission to UCLA. Honestly, I regretted giving up that magnet school for her. After being left behind so many times over the past couple of years, I wasn't the same guy who put Chloe first anymore. My original plan was to tell her on this trip, to let her know that I was moving to California. But she left me behind again. For him. 3 It was Chloe who broke our promise first. 4 Flights to Utah in the summer are a nightmare to book. After Chloe canceled mine, there was no way I was getting another one on short notice. Even the train was sold out. Luckily, I used a booking app and paid a little extra to snag a last-minute ticket to Denver. A private roomette, even. I had just settled in when a text from Chloe came through. 「Leo, you’re taking the train, right?」 「Ethan said the seats are uncomfortable and it takes like two days to get to Zion.」 「But the scenery is incredible! You can’t see this stuff from a plane. You totally lucked out!」 I let out a bitter laugh and put my phone away without replying. After the initial shock of the canceled ticket, I did wonder if I should just scrap the whole trip. But after thinking about it, I decided to go anyway. The decision to see Zion wasn't just about Chloe. It was a step in a plan I'd made for myself, and I wasn't going to give it up for her. And stopping in Denver wasn't so bad. I'd always wanted to see the Rockies. This worked out perfectly. Still, she knew how long and tiring the train ride was. But she went ahead and canceled my ticket without even asking, using my money and my time—not to mention my anxiety about traveling alone for the first time—all to give Ethan his "first flight experience." Even though I had decided to let her go, there was a dull ache in my chest that wouldn't go away. The floating text boxes appeared again. 【Hehe, you gotta admit, the side character really does love the FMC. Even after being ditched countless times, he still follows her without a second thought. He doesn’t even care that he has to go to Denver first, tsk tsk!】 【This is great! I was worried the main couple's romance wouldn't move as fast without the best friend there as a catalyst, but look at him, he’s following the plot anyway! A little detour, but he’s still chasing after her. Perfect!】 【Seriously though, this guy has no shame. Ditched so many times and he still sticks to her like glue. What a pathetic simp, hahaha!】 I glanced at the comments and then looked away. 5 The roomette was quiet and peaceful. It was more expensive, but watching the landscape transform outside my window, the knot in my stomach slowly started to unwind. The next day, I got off in Denver. I bought a map, circled a few spots I wanted to see, and looked up some travel guides online. It was already late when I arrived, so I booked a hotel near a scenic overlook I wanted to visit in the morning. Just as I was about to fall asleep, I saw Ethan’s new Instagram post. 【Had to give up the last room to a cute couple, so I guess I'm stuck sharing with this one... ?】 The picture was of their hotel room. He wasn't aiming the camera at the bed, but you could clearly see Chloe's reflection in the window, leaning against the pillows on the *one* bed in the room, scrolling on her phone. My hand tightened on my own phone. At the same moment, it buzzed. It was Chloe. 【Where are you? Ethan said the views on the way are amazing, send me some pictures.】 When I didn't answer, a single【?】followed. I scoffed. I set my alarm for the morning, turned off my phone, and went to sleep. 【Ooh, look at him, playing hard to get. Does he really think ignoring her is going to make her worry?】 【And he’s looking up tourist stuff? Like he’s planning to stay in Denver for a few days? What is wrong with this guy? Doesn’t he know the main couple is waiting for him in Zion? So selfish, only thinking about himself!】 【Yeah, didn’t you see? Chloe was totally distracted when he didn’t text back, she was barely listening to Ethan. Can this side character stop being so extra? Will he die if he doesn’t try to ruin their relationship? Such a jerk!】 【Whatever, let him be dramatic. By the time he gets to Zion, the main couple will have already fallen for each other, hahaha. Let's see how he feels then!】 【Right? It’s so annoying seeing him all relaxed and happy. The more of a brat he is now, the more heartbroken he’ll be in Zion. Can't wait.】 【Let him have his fun. We’ll get to see him lose his mind soon enough, lol!】 I ignored the comments and closed my eyes. 6 After a fantastic day exploring Denver, I finally opened my phone to book my next train ticket. There were plenty of options to get to Utah from here. But I didn't buy a ticket to Utah. I bought one to Flagstaff, Arizona. In the meantime, Chloe had tried calling me since I wasn't answering her texts. I fumbled my phone and accidentally answered. "Leo? Where are you?" Hearing her voice on the other end, I paused. "What's up?" I asked, my tone flat. There was a silence on the other end. She must have noticed my coldness. She tried to sound cheerful. "Leo, where are you? I can come pick you up from the station." "No need," I said. "You guys have fun." Predictably, she exploded. "Leo, what is that supposed to mean? 'You guys have fun'?" "Wasn't it your dream to come to Zion? I canceled my trip to Florida with my friends to come to this godforsaken desert with you, and now you're giving me an attitude?" When I still didn't say anything, her anger seemed to cool slightly. "Leo," she asked, her voice uncertain, "are you actually mad? Just because I gave Ethan your plane ticket?" Before I could answer, she let out a cold laugh. "Leo, that's enough! How long are you going to keep this tantrum up?! I already told you, I just wanted to help Ethan fulfill his dream of flying on a plane! You're really going to hold a grudge over that?! You are so impossible! No one else would ever put up with your terrible attitude!" I listened to the dial tone, and sighed. My terrible attitude? She was the one who abandoned me. I hadn't even said a single rude thing to her. 【Hahaha, look at the side character, he's so confused. He really thought she'd keep coddling him, especially with our understanding and kind MMC as a comparison.】 【Acting all high and mighty, deliberately staying in Denver, now going to Arizona! He really thinks he's that important to her, lmao!】 【Tsk, tsk, doesn't this guy know when to quit?】 I ignored the floating text and spent three days in Arizona, then took a bus up to the Grand Canyon. The scenery was something I could never have imagined back home in Illinois. The vast, sweeping canyon and the endless sky were breathtaking. I even took a tour to see the ancient petroglyphs. It was absolutely worth the trip. After another three days there, I finally boarded a shuttle bus to Zion. The strange thing was, over the past week and a half, I had barely thought about Chloe. It was like the moment I decided to let her go, she really did fade from my mind. I read an article once that said it only takes twenty-one days to break a habit. I think they were on to something. Even in the quiet of the night, she rarely crossed my mind. After that angry phone call, Chloe hadn't contacted me again. Her Instagram, however, was a different story. She posted constantly. It was all her and Ethan. They were sharing a room. Making heart shapes with their hands in front of the cliffs. Posing at all the famous trailheads. They even took pictures in matching hiking outfits. Eight posts a day, and every single one was a photo of the two of them. But when I saw them, I felt surprisingly... nothing. In fact, I thought they looked pretty good together. 7 The moment I got a cell signal in Zion, a text from my mom came through. 「Leo, your acceptance letter from UCLA arrived!」 「By the way, Chloe’s mom just called to ask if we wanted to do a joint graduation party. Does Chloe not know you’re going to California?」 I was trying to figure out how to reply when someone slapped me hard on the shoulder. "Leo! It's really you!" Standing in front of me were Chloe and Ethan. Chloe’s eyes lit up when she saw me, and she started to walk toward me. I gave them both a brief, indifferent glance and headed to the lodge’s front desk to check in. Ethan, seemingly oblivious to my cold shoulder, followed me. "Dude, what took you so long? Zion is awesome! Chloe and I have seen almost everything. Where do you want to go next? I'll have Chloe take you." I got my room key and started walking toward the elevators with my suitcase, ignoring him. As I passed Chloe, she grabbed my arm, her grip tight. She was frowning, her face clouded over. "Leo, are you done with your little tantrum? I've been deliberately ignoring you for days. Haven't you figured out what you did wrong yet?" Her voice grew sharper. "What is your problem? Didn't you hear Ethan talking to you? Or do you think you're too good for him?" Ethan suddenly looked frightened, waving his hands and trying to defend me. "Chloe, don't yell! You're being so mean to him!" Then he looked at me sheepishly. "Leo, don't get the wrong idea. She’s like this with everyone... except me. She doesn't have much patience. I know you guys are childhood friends, and I know I can't compare to you in her heart. I would never try to get in the way of your relationship, I promise!" He reached out to grab my arm again. But as I pulled my arm back, he stumbled backward dramatically, falling to the ground in a heap. "Ethan!" A hard shove sent me staggering. I lost my balance, and my suitcase and I went down with a crash. "Leo! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Chloe shrieked, standing over me. "You're going to bully him right in front of me?! After he spent all this time worrying about you, wondering when you'd get here? If I'd known you were this toxic, we would've left days ago! Who cares what happens to you!" A sharp, fiery pain shot through my knee. I took a deep breath and pushed myself up. When I looked up, Chloe was cradling Ethan in her arms, glaring at me with pure disappointment. "Leo, apologize to Ethan. Right now." Her voice was ice. "Otherwise, you can forget about us having a joint grad party." I froze.
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