Chapter 2

After that meal, I never saw Matt alone again. Since Angela started dating him, she frequently skipped classes and didn't return to the dormitory. Whenever she did come back, she carried shopping bags with various luxury brand logos and excitedly told us about the places Matt had taken her.

Our roommate Mary expressed her envy, and Angela would proudly lift her head and pull a bag from her collection. "This is for you," she said.

Mary happily accepted it. "Angela, you're so generous!"

Then she looked at me. "Sue, why don't you pick one, too?"

I waved my hand in refusal. "No need."

After a moment's thought, I reminded her, "You haven't been to the dance studio in a while. The competition is coming up. Shouldn't you practice?"

She patted her head. "Sue, you're the best. I've been having so much fun lately that I almost forgot. I'll join you for practice tomorrow."

I nodded in agreement.

The next day, as soon as we entered the rehearsal room, the teacher's face darkened upon seeing her.

"Angela, come with me."

Although they went outside, from the fragmented sounds and expressions, I could guess what was being said.

Angela had always been one of the top students in our academy, and the teacher had been grooming her to be the lead in the theater. Next week's competition was crucial. Winning it would be a ticket to the national theater.

At such a critical time, she had been frequently skipping classes and missing practices. It was no wonder the teacher was furious.

About half an hour later, Angela returned and plopped down beside me, her face slightly pale.

"What happened?" I asked.

She sighed. "Miss Robertson warned me that if I skip any more classes before next week's competition, she'll disqualify me."

"Then you should stay in and practice hard. You can have fun after the competition."

"But it's Matt's birthday tomorrow. I've already planned a surprise for him. I can't miss it."

The words of advice got stuck in my throat.

During that day's class, Angela was clearly out of it. The next morning when I woke up, her bed was neatly made, and she was nowhere to be found.

As expected, Miss Robertson was furious when I arrived at the rehearsal room.

"Sue, where's Angela?"

"I don't know."

"Was she at the dorm last night?"

"Yes."

"Call her now and tell her if she's not here within half an hour, she's disqualified from the competition."

I walked to my locker, took out my phone, and dialed her number. A mechanical voice responded from the other end, "The number you have dialed is currently switched off..."

Miss Robertson looked utterly disappointed. "Fine, it's her choice. I hope she doesn't regret it later."

Angela didn't show up at school for the rest of the week. However, through her social media posts, I saw that she had meticulously prepared a perfect birthday celebration for Matt. She posted a picture of them kissing at sunset, with many friends leaving congratulatory messages below it. I liked it as well.

Shortly after, a message from Angela popped up on my phone.

"Sue, is the competition tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Oh, Matt and I will come to cheer you on."

I put my phone away without replying.