3
The guy in the back is sleeping with his face
covered by a denim jacket.
く
That’s Dean, the school’s baddest bad boy.
Rumor has it his family just donated a whole-
ass library to the school. The other day, he
beat up a teacher so bad they had to call the
president of the university to come calm him
down and get him out of the office.
I sit down softly, not wanting to wake him.
My phone vibrates on the desk.
I immediately grab it.
Dean lifts his head from the jacket, those
narrow eyes fixing on me.
My neck goes cold, and I immediately back
down. “S-Sorry.”
Those eyes stay on my face.
I think he’s about to hit me, but then Dean
says nothing, just puts his head back down to
sleep.
I breathe a sigh of relief.
I open my phone to find a bunch of texts from
Jamie.
Jamie: [I didn’t mean to side with Bethany just
now, Cleo.]
[She bombed her quiz again, and she’s running out of participation points. If the professor doesn’t like her, he won’t cut her
any slack during finals.]
[Don’t go talk to the professor after class,
okay? I’ll buy you the new labubu, I know you
want it.]
[Don’t be mad at me, okay?]
[Kitty comfort gif]
The funny thing is, Jamie’s profile picture is
two cartoon cats.
One blue, one pink, one big, one small.
That’s Jamie and me.
I drew it when I was ten and just learning to
paint.
As soon as it was done, Jamie used it as his
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profile picture, and he hasn’t changed it in
nine years.
But now, he’s using that profile picture to ask
me to forgive him for bullying me with
another girl.
The tip of my pen snaps.
I sniff and turn to look out the window.
The blood-red sunset is swallowing the blue
sky.
But…
To be wronged like this by everyone.
How can I not be angry, Jamie?
L
