Chapter 3

Just before class started, Ryan and Sophie barely made it to the classroom.

Sophie plopped down in her seat and dropped two sandwiches onto my desk with a grin. "Here's your breakfast," she said.

"Thanks," I replied.

Sophie looked at me with exaggerated admiration. "Wow, Emily, you're awesome. You can actually finish two sandwiches at once?"

Honestly, I could just tell Sophie didn't like me.

It started from the very first day she showed up and took the seat next to me. The moment she gave me that first look, I felt it.

Girls have this sixth sense about stuff like this. Sophie's whole vibe screamed ''I don't like you,'' but she kept it just subtle enough that no one else would notice.

I had extended an olive branch, but it was pointless.

Sophie's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Hey, don't take it so hard, Emily. This whole 'game' only lasts for a year, and Ryan still likes you best."

I kept my head down, working through my exercises. Upset? Not even close.

The bell rang and, just as I was shifting my focus to the lesson, Sophie leaned in closely. She muttered, dripping with mockery, "Tsk, Ryan's got real skills. Ever gotten a taste?"

I stared, floored by her words, and she instantly raised her voice, sounding all hurt. "Emily, why are you glaring at me like that?

"I get it; you're upset. But come on, it's just a game. I'm only playing along, it's not even real."

And then the whispers slithered through the classroom like snakes, hissing right into my ear.

"They're just childhood friends. She's getting all possessive over a dumb game?"

"Seriously, Ryan's not even hers. Why does she act like she owns him?"

"Such a fake goody-two-shoes. She's obviously losing her mind with jealousy."

"She's basically the homewrecker here. She knows she's the third wheel, but still butts in. So shameless."

I clenched my pen, nails biting into my palm.

This was that silent kind of hostility I just knew deep down. If I even tried to say something back, I'd only end up looking jealous.

Sophie turned to look at Ryan, who sat behind us, and said, "So, Ryan, what's your take?"

Ryan snapped, frustration edging his voice, "Never mind. It's not like I belong to anyone."

I just acted like I couldn't hear a thing, burying my nose in my workbook.

Since that day, things between Ryan and me got frosty—we barely even spoke. To make it worse, he booted me from their group chat.

Meanwhile, Sophie was all over social media, posting her weekly photo collages right on schedule.

One of her posts showed her and Ryan kissing on a Ferris wheel, with the caption: [Ryan says it's a relationship milestone for every couple.]

I threw myself into studying and couldn't be bothered with Sophie anymore.

When the exam results came out, I actually ranked first in the whole year. I'd always been just a top-ten student before.

While my teachers showered me with praise, they also warned Ryan and Sophie, who were both near the very bottom of the class rankings.

All those classmates who used to gush over Ryan and Sophie's romance as if they were star-crossed lovers suddenly went dead silent.

After class, Ryan tried to lighten the mood for Sophie, who was practically on the verge of tears. He joked, "No worries. Emily can be our study coach from now on."

I was taking a sip of water and nearly choked right then. Seriously? Guess I would just treat tutoring them as a free review session for myself.

After school, Sophie just muttered that she wasn't feeling up to anything, so Ryan took her out for some fresh air to lift her spirits.

As for me, I stayed home, working my way through test papers one after another, feeling totally refreshed.

On Monday, I found myself up on stage, sharing my study hacks with everyone.

Ryan was down in the crowd, his eyes locked on me, looking super proud.

I let my gaze slide past him like he wasn't even there.

That night, Joss came home and realized Ryan was nowhere to be seen.

While I was sitting at the dinner table, my phone buzzed—a message from Sophie. It was a photo of her and Ryan, making out right at the top of the Ferris wheel.

Joss was glaring at the score, totally furious. "You two are on opposite ends when it comes to grades. The longer you stick around here, the more Ryan acts out. You might as well just transfer out."

Transferring would mean starting fresh, getting used to a whole different vibe. Sure, heading back to my grandma's house sounded tempting, but the teachers here were way better than the ones in my old small town, and staying here gave me a real shot at getting into Chantonelle University.

I didn't really want to leave. With SAT just around the corner, being in my comfort zone helped me stay on track and actually concentrate.

Just then, Ryan walked in with Sophie. Spotting Joss, he quickly explained, "We were out studying with some classmates, and it got late, so I brought her back."

Joss's gaze wandered back and forth between me and Sophie.

When Ryan saw me, his gaze flickered away.

Sophie, on the other hand, was all smiles. "Good evening, Mrs. Evans. I hope we're not disturbing you this late?"

Once Joss found out Sophie was from Chantonelle, she actually softened up a bit. With a smile, she said, "It's fine to hang out with friends, but remember, schoolwork comes first."

Ryan jumped in, "Relax, Mom! Emily's gonna coach us through everything."

Sophie chimed in right away, "Yep, Emily's a genius. She's totally got this tutoring thing down."

They were all smiles and nods, but honestly, Ryan just wanted me to tag along to keep up appearances and make it look like group study.

Ryan was all over Sophie, arm around her waist as they went for a stuffed toy, even gently wiping away some ice cream from her lips.

Sophie ducked her head, cheeks pink. "You're the best, Ryan," she murmured.

I just wanted to get home and power through my homework. Ryan finally gave in with a helpless sigh. "Alright, let's get to work," he said.

Sophie flashed a fake smile, agreed, and then whipped out her phone to snap a shot of us "studying" at the coffee shop.