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Sarah's room felt colder than usual.
She sat on the edge of her bed, fingers trembling slightly as she wiped the last of her tears. The laughter, the music, the warm excitement from earlier… all of it had been swallowed by the chaos that destroyed her farm. Her birthday party had ended not with cake and joy, but with fear and embarrassment. The guests had quietly slipped out one by one, their faces tight with discomfort, leaving behind an empty silence that felt heavier than the night itself.
After a long breath, Sarah stood and walked to the living room.
Balloons drooped, ribbons hung crookedly, and the soft glow of party lights flickered weakly. She reached up to remove a decoration from the wall—but her hand shook. She didn't cry again. She refused to.
Behind her, Adrian stood quietly.
He watched her pull down another ribbon, his own thoughts tangled and restless. He wanted to say something—anything—but the words stuck in his throat. Finally, he stepped forward.
"Sarah…" his voice came out softer than he expected.
She didn't turn. "It's okay," she said, forcing a small, tired smile. "I really liked the party. Thank you for everything."
Adrian swallowed the guilt burning in his chest. "No… It's not okay. It was my fault. I told everyone in class about your birthday. Maybe they overheard… maybe their friends heard from someone else. I didn't think it would turn into this." His voice cracked. "I'm really sorry, Sarah. I didn't mean to ruin anything."
She paused, lowering the decoration slowly.
"If you hadn't said anything… nobody would've come," she said quietly. "And then… I wouldn't have had any birthday at all." She exhaled. "You tried your best."
Adrian looked at her, wanting so badly to believe her… but the guilt wouldn't leave.
Then he said, "I'll clean the farm tomorrow. Everything they messed up—I'll fix it."
Sarah immediately turned around. "No," she said quickly. "Don't. It's fine."
"But they threw paint on the scarecrow," he argued gently. "Someone has to wash it off. It looks—"
"Adrian, stop." Her voice was soft, almost frightened. "Just leave it alone. Please. My mom warned me… never to go near it. And I don't think you should either."
He blinked, surprised. "Sarah… you're scared of it?"
"No," she said, looking away. "I just don't want to bring back any problems for my mom. I don't want to remind her of things she's trying to forget. I'll deal with it later. Just… don't worry."
Adrian nodded slowly, even though his heart felt heavier.
And her words from earlier still echoed in his mind:
"I've done nothing but love you."
He wished she had meant it for him.
But he knew… she hadn't.
She still felt something for Kim.
And that realization twisted inside him like a blade.
---
Meanwhile…
Rose yanked her hand out of Kim's grasp the moment they stepped away from the house.
"What was that for?!" she snapped. "Why did you drag me away so fast? I wasn't finished with her! I wanted to tease her more."
Kim didn't respond at first.
He stood still, staring at nothing, Sarah's broken voice replaying in his head over and over.
"Kim?" Rose demanded. "Are you even listening?!"
He finally turned to her. "Did you hear what she said?" His voice was low, shaken. "She said she loves me."
Rose stiffened.
"And you keep telling me she's a creep," Kim continued. "That she's using me. But… why do I feel like I did something wrong to her?"
"Because you're being fooled!" Rose snapped. She grabbed his face, forcing him to look at her. "Kim, stop falling for her stupid pretense. She's crying to manipulate you."
"But… she was really crying," he whispered.
"That was fake," Rose hissed. "People who want something will do anything to get it. Don't fall for her tricks."
Kim looked away, her words calming him—but only a little.
The unease inside him didn't disappear.
After a moment, he muttered, "My mom is calling. I'll be back."
He walked off without waiting for her reply.
---
Rose's Thoughts (Internal)
Why… why is he always thinking about her?
Her jaw clenched so tightly it hurt.
I thought I finally pulled him away from her. I thought he finally belonged to me. But the moment he sees her… everything changes again.
Why does she take everything? Why does she get to be the sweet one, the kind one, the one everyone likes? And me? I'm always the bad one. The loud one. The jealous one.
Her fingers trembled with anger.
I took him away from her… and it still wasn't enough. He still thinks about her. He still feels something for her.
Her heartbeat quickened, fury rising like fire.
I need to do something. Something stronger. Something worse than before. Maybe this time, he'll hate her completely.
But beneath the anger… she felt a small, aching fear.
I need to be the star of his eyes again.
And I don't know how to do it.
---