Monday morning sunlight poured through the tall windows of Room 2B, warm and relentless, catching on the pale faces of students still half-asleep. The hum of conversation filled the space — laughter, whispers, the rustle of papers. Nina sat by the window, absentmindedly sketching in the corner of her notebook. Her pencil traced meaningless shapes — circles, lines, initials she'd never admit to writing.
William was running late. For once.
She glanced toward the door every few seconds, pretending to check the hallway when, in truth, she was waiting. He's probably talking to Thomas again. Or maybe he forgot his ID card. He always forgets something.
When the door finally swung open, William entered with his usual confident stride — but this time, he wasn't alone.
A girl followed him.
The room quieted almost immediately, as if every curious gaze had magnetized toward her. She had chestnut-brown hair that fell over her shoulders in neat waves, a posture that radiated self-assurance, and eyes that seemed to absorb the light rather than reflect it. Even her uniform looked different — crisp, perfectly adjusted, as though she'd stepped out of a catalog rather than a high school corridor.
William looked vaguely amused by the attention. "Uh, everyone — this is Chloé. She just transferred here. She'll be in our class."
The teacher nodded approvingly. "Welcome, Chloé. Please, take a seat."
Nina felt her stomach tighten as Chloé scanned the room, looking for an empty spot. For a brief, irrational moment, she hoped the seat beside her would stay vacant. But of course, fate was never that kind.
Chloé smiled politely. "Is this one taken?" she asked, gesturing to the seat beside Nina.
Nina forced a polite smile. "No, go ahead."
"Thanks." Chloé slid into the chair gracefully, her perfume — something soft, like vanilla and rain — filling the air between them. Nina stared at her notebook, suddenly unable to focus on anything else.
When she finally glanced up, William was watching them with that easy grin of his. He mouthed, Be nice, and Nina rolled her eyes, though her lips twitched.
---
The morning dragged on. Teachers droned through syllabi and upcoming assignments. Every now and then, Nina caught snippets of whispered conversation — She's pretty, She looks smart, She came from Saint-James Academy, right? The new girl's reputation was already being built, piece by piece, rumor by rumor.
By lunch, Chloé had become the center of a small orbit. Charlotte, ever curious, had already approached her with questions about her old school. Sophia seemed impressed by her sharp humor. Even Rose, quiet as she was, looked intrigued. Nina sat at the edge of the group, picking at her food, trying not to feel displaced.
William eventually joined them, tray in hand. "So, how's everyone surviving the first week back?"
"Barely," Charlotte said dramatically. "But at least our class got an upgrade." She nodded toward Chloé, who laughed modestly.
"Don't say that," Chloé replied. "I'm just trying not to get lost."
"You'll do fine," William said. "She's good at everything. I've known her for, what— a week? Already top of the class in math."
Nina blinked. A week? She looked at him. "Wait, you already knew her?"
William hesitated. "Oh — yeah, kind of. She moved into my neighborhood over the summer. Our parents talked. We ended up walking to school together this morning."
Something in Nina's chest shifted, quietly, almost imperceptibly — like the faint crack in a glass that no one notices until it spreads. She forced a nod. "That's… nice."
Sophia smirked, leaning closer. "You didn't tell us about your new walking buddy, William."
He shrugged with a grin. "Didn't think it mattered."
But it did.
For the rest of lunch, Nina barely spoke. She watched the dynamic around her subtly rewire — William's jokes now shared with someone new, Chloé's laughter fitting perfectly into the rhythm that had once been theirs.
When the bell rang, Nina gathered her things quietly. Chloé touched her arm lightly. "Hey, you're Nina, right? William mentioned you."
"Yeah," Nina said, voice tight but polite. "We've known each other forever."
"I can tell," Chloé said with a warm smile. "You two seem really close."
The words were harmless — kind, even — yet they landed like a spark on dry wood. Nina nodded once. "Yeah. We are."
---
That afternoon, during history class, Nina found herself sitting two rows behind William and Chloé. The teacher's voice was a dull murmur in the background, overshadowed by the quiet hum of whispers and laughter. William leaned slightly toward Chloé, showing her something in his notebook. She laughed, covering her mouth. The sound — soft and genuine — struck Nina harder than she expected.
She looked down at her own page. Her handwriting was uneven, words slipping into the margins. Why does this bother me? She's just… new. He's just being friendly.
But the logic didn't soothe her. Her pen trembled slightly as she underlined a random date on the page, trying to ignore the pang behind her ribs.
When class ended, she waited by the door as everyone packed up. William approached, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Hey, we're heading to the library for that history project. You coming?"
"'We'?" she asked.
He hesitated. "Yeah — me and Chloé. She's joining the group. I figured you'd—"
"I have plans," Nina cut in, too fast. She didn't, of course.
He frowned slightly, studying her face. "You okay?"
"Fine," she said, forcing a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Go. Don't keep her waiting."
He lingered a moment, as if unsure, then nodded. "Alright. I'll text you later."
When he left, the air around her felt heavier, thicker. She walked to her locker, every sound — laughter, footsteps, chatter — muffled by the pressure building in her chest.
---
After school, the sun was already dipping low, painting the courtyard in soft orange. Nina sat on a bench under the old oak tree, notebook open across her lap. The pages fluttered in the breeze, some filled, some blank, all messy with thoughts she'd never say aloud.
She began to write:
There's a new girl. She's beautiful, kind, smart — everything I'm not. Everyone likes her already. Even William. Especially William. He smiles differently when he talks to her. Maybe it's just in my head, but it feels real. Maybe this is what it's like when something you thought was yours starts slipping away.
She paused, staring at the words until they blurred. No, that's selfish. William isn't mine. He never was.
Still, she couldn't shake the image of him laughing beside Chloé — the easy flow, the way their energy synced. Something unspoken between them, maybe. Something new.
Sophia found her there minutes later, waving as she approached. "You disappeared after class."
"Needed air," Nina murmured.
Sophia sat beside her. "You're thinking about her, aren't you?"
Nina closed her notebook slowly. "Who?"
"Chloé. It's written all over your face."
"I'm not jealous," Nina said — though her voice cracked slightly on the word.
Sophia didn't push. She simply smiled, half-sad, half-knowing. "You don't have to be. But if you are… it's okay. It means you care."
Nina looked toward the sunset, the sky bleeding gold and crimson. Care. That word again. It always sounds innocent until it hurts.
---
The next morning, Chloé greeted her with a cheerful wave as soon as she entered the classroom. "Hey, Nina! You free after school? William said you're good at literature — could you help me catch up?"
The words hit like a dissonant note. William said that?
"Oh, um, sure," Nina replied automatically. "I guess I could."
"Perfect!" Chloé smiled, then turned to William, who was already grinning. "Told you she'd say yes."
"Of course she would," he said. "She's basically my academic backup."
Nina laughed weakly. "Lucky you."
Chloé's tone softened. "You two really are close, huh?"
There it was again — that word. Close.
It used to sound safe. Now it sounded like a warning.
---
After school, they met at the library. Sunlight filtered through the tall glass windows, casting long stripes across the wooden tables. Chloé spread her notes in neat piles, William sitting across from her, Nina on the side.
For the first few minutes, everything felt normal. They exchanged ideas, scribbled notes, joked quietly. But as time went on, Nina noticed the small things — how William leaned closer when explaining something to Chloé, how their laughter meshed easily, how he didn't notice when Nina fell silent.
Her pen stopped moving. She watched the two of them, her heart tightening with every shared smile. It's fine. It's just a study session. Stop overthinking.
When the session ended, Chloé stretched her arms with a soft sigh. "Thanks, guys. I really needed that."
"No problem," William said, gathering his books. "You're catching on fast."
Chloé grinned. "Maybe I just had good teachers."
They walked out together, laughter trailing behind them. Nina followed a few steps behind, quiet, her notebook pressed to her chest like a shield.
As they reached the school gates, Chloé turned to her. "Hey, thanks again, Nina. You're really sweet."
"Anytime," Nina replied, smiling faintly.
When Chloé left, William turned to her. "You okay? You've been quiet."
"I'm fine," she said automatically.
"You sure?"
She hesitated. "She's… nice."
He smiled. "Yeah. She is."
Nina forced a nod, pretending it didn't sting. "You two get along well."
"I guess so," he said. "She's easy to talk to."
"I know." Her voice came out as a whisper. "You always liked people who are easy to talk to."
He frowned slightly, unsure of her tone. Before he could reply, she waved him off with a small smile. "See you tomorrow."
He watched her leave, confusion flickering behind his eyes.
And as Nina walked away, the words she'd written the night before replayed in her mind — Maybe this is what it's like when something you thought was yours starts slipping away.
Only now, she knew it wasn't maybe anymore. It was real.