I’d promised my childhood friend, the one always getting picked on, that I’d transfer schools with him for a fresh start. But the day before the transfer agreement was finalized, he suddenly backed out. I’d inadvertently walked past his classroom door and overheard him talking to his buddies. “You sly dog! Playing the victim all this time, just to ditch Avery McEwan.” His friend’s voice was dripping with teasing. “But she’s been with you since you were kids. Can you really stand to let her go to a strange new school alone?” another voice pressed. Bobby Leslie’s reply was icy cold: “It’s just moving to another district for school. How far could it be?” “She’s always been clinging to me, it’s annoying. This way, I’ll finally get some peace.” I stood outside the door for a long time, until my legs went numb before I slowly turned and walked away. Back home, I crossed out “Oceanview High” on my transfer application and replaced it with the overseas boarding school my parents had already arranged. Turns out, everyone had forgotten that there had always been a chasm between him and me, as wide as the sky and the mud beneath our feet. 1 The truth hit me like a physical blow, my heart seizing in my chest. For the past month, Bobby had been the target of endless bullying and false accusations. I’d done my best to shield him, but there were always times I couldn’t. Finally, I’d suggested he transfer. He’d just had a bucket of ice water dumped on him, his handsome face pale and pitiful. He gripped my hand, looking utterly helpless. “Avery, I’m scared to go to an unfamiliar place alone.” Bobby and I were childhood sweethearts, practically, walking to and from kindergarten together, a routine that hadn’t changed in over a decade. Plus, I harbored a secret crush on him. So, swept up in the moment, I’d promised, “Don’t worry, I’ll go wherever you go.” But only now did I realize it was all an elaborate charade to get rid of me. I couldn’t help but wonder, did Bobby really hate me that much? The voices from inside the room continued. “Avery McEwan is totally devoted to you.” “If you send her to another school now, aren’t you worried she’ll fall for someone else?” “Her?” Bobby scoffed, as if he’d heard the funniest joke imaginable. “She’d block a group beating for me, even got her face bruised and swollen, but never backed down. You think she’d change her mind about me?” Someone murmured, “What if? Avery McEwan doesn’t look like someone to be messed with.” Bobby’s tone was lazy. “No ‘what if.’ There are plenty of rich kids at Northwood High. Have you ever seen her give anyone else a second glance?” His voice inevitably carried a hint of disdain. “Always following me around. Even a lapdog isn’t as clingy as she is.” A harsh laugh erupted from the room, like a slap across my face. I wanted to leave, but my feet felt rooted to the spot, forcing me to listen, to ache. Someone whistled. “First time I’ve seen a guy actively push away a girl who likes him. Gotta admire your game, man.” “But if you didn’t like Avery McEwan being so clingy, couldn’t you have just told her? She doesn’t seem like the type to hold a grudge.” Bobby clicked his tongue, a hint of impatience creeping into his voice. “Avery McEwan is too… intense. It wouldn’t have been easy to shake her off if I’d just told her straight.” He then changed tack. “Besides, Chloe always feels inferior and upset when she sees Avery. She only feels better when I’m with her.” “For Chloe’s sake, this was the only way. Avery will just have to be inconvenienced for a bit.” At his words, everyone immediately understood. Timing it out, Bobby’s decision to fake the bullying started about a week after Chloe transferred to Northwood High. Someone laughed, cursing Bobby good-naturedly. “You dog, you’ve been eyeing the new innocent girl since she got here?” “But Chloe is genuinely delicate and charming. Any guy would be drawn to her, it’s only natural.” “Unlike Avery McEwan. She’s got this intense personality and a perpetually cold face that keeps everyone at arm’s length. Doesn’t matter how pretty she is, that just won’t do.” The casual remarks about me in the room surged like a tide, wave after wave. And Bobby, the boy I’d secretly loved for years, offered no objection, no rebuttal, occasionally even nodding in agreement. I stood outside the door, my heart plummeting into a dark abyss, empty and aching. For a moment, I wanted to burst in and confront Bobby. Ask him why he lied to me. Ask him if he felt even a flicker of guilt or softness when he saw me getting beaten for protecting him. Ask him if he’d considered our decade-long friendship when he did all this. But ultimately, my mother’s words echoed in my ears: Don’t do anything unnecessary. People don’t just rot overnight. I turned and walked away from that room. 2 The pain, a sharp, lingering ache, hit me belatedly. Initially, I wouldn’t have been this upset. It was just a friend’s betrayal, nothing major. But that boundary, the line of ‘just friends,’ Bobby had been the first to cross it. The day we decided to transfer together, he’d dragged me to a bar to celebrate our ‘freedom’ with drinks. In the dim, ambient light, I looked at the man I’d secretly loved for years, feeling a little lost. So, when he leaned in and kissed me, I didn’t resist. Years of suppressed emotions erupted. Unable to hold back, I asked for confirmation, “Bobby, what are we now?” Bobby affectionately kissed my forehead again. “Silly, what else would we be?” Cheers erupted in the private room, the atmosphere as heated as my own burgeoning passion. It took only two days for Bobby to shatter my one-sided affection with his own words. I smiled, but tears streamed uncontrollably down my face. So, that mumbled, vague rhetorical question—was that also Bobby’s way of tricking me, trying to hurry me along for Chloe’s sake? The wind chime in my bedroom tinkled, slowly drying my tears. My broken heart began to piece itself back together. Bobby was wrong. He was merely the illegitimate son of the Leslie family, and I was the only daughter of the McEwan family. We truly shouldn’t cling to each other. Because, we weren’t a match. The transfer application in my hand was smudged by my tears, the ink bleeding, making it illegible. But it didn’t matter. If this one was ruined, I’d just get a clean one. The McEwan family never lacked alternatives. I printed a new form, and when I got to the ‘transferring institution’ section, I called my mother. “Mom, which overseas high school were you talking about wanting me to attend last time?” “Yes, I’ll go alone.” The wind chime in my room made a clear, melodious sound, as if celebrating with me. I closed my eyes briefly. This time, it wasn’t Bobby’s face that appeared before me. Instead, it was a man, three parts similar to Bobby in looks but even more striking and handsome, who smiled at me, just as he had two years ago, with the same certainty and seriousness: “Avery McEwan, you’ll give up on Bobby Leslie and choose me, eventually.” Back then, I’d thought he was joking. Now, I murmured inwardly. Bobby Leslie, I truly don’t want you anymore. After filling out the new application, I let out a long breath, my heart already quietly at peace. But then, a knock sounded at my bedroom door. I froze. I lived alone in this house; the only person who knew the code would be… I opened the door and, sure enough, saw Bobby’s face. His voice was as gentle as always. “Avery, you haven’t come to say goodbye to your friends in a while. I was worried about you.” I tried to keep my voice calm. “My stomach’s not feeling great, so I’m not going.” Just as I was about to politely dismiss him, my peripheral vision caught an unexpected figure. Chloe, petite, huddled beside Bobby. The moment her eyes met mine, she flinched. Bobby, ever attentive to her every move, immediately draped an arm protectively around her. “Avery, you’re scaring Chloe.” It was always like this. Chloe always acted fragile, as if I were some heinous villain out to harm her, even though I’d done nothing. My face grew cold. “I told you, I don’t like people coming to my house.” Bobby frowned slightly, displeased. “Chloe isn’t an outsider. Besides, she only came because she was worried about you.” Before I could argue, Chloe’s eyes suddenly welled up. “Avery, I’m so sorry. I know you’ve always looked down on me, but I shower every day.” She added, tearfully, “I won’t make your house dirty…” At her words, Bobby immediately furrowed his brow, looking at me with displeasure. “Avery, Chloe just comes from a less privileged background, she’s not as bad as you imagine. You treating her like this really disappoints me.” Chloe tugged carefully at Bobby’s sleeve, forgiving and understanding. “Bobby, it’s okay, please don’t argue with Avery…” She sniffled, offering a wronged yet stubborn smile. “After all, Avery said you two were childhood sweethearts. How could I ever compare to a relationship like that…” “What are you talking about? You’re unique.” Bobby tenderly cupped Chloe’s face, coaxing her with soft words. He then turned to me, his face as cold as ice. He spoke gravely. “Chloe isn’t feeling well. I’m taking her home first.” “You should seriously reflect on yourself. Don’t forget to get that transfer application stamped.” I did reflect on myself—on my terrible judgment of character. Then I went and changed the code to my front door. The knot of frustration in my heart finally loosened, if only for a moment. 3 The next day, I took my new application form to school for a stamp. Watching the bright red mark, signifying my departure, settle firmly on the paper, my heart felt strangely hollow for a moment. Lost in thought, someone blocked my path. Bobby frowned slightly. “Avery, did you change your door code?” “I dropped Chloe home yesterday and went straight to your place, but the door wouldn’t open…” I cut him off, succinctly. “Yep, changed it.” He seemed a little annoyed, as if nothing had happened, asking intimately, “What’s the new code? So I can come over and look after you.” I said calmly, “No need. I won’t be living around here after I transfer.” Bobby looked at the folded application in my hand, as if suddenly remembering something. “I completely forgot about this. Don’t worry, Avery, I’ll get mine stamped tomorrow.” These kinds of walk-and-talk moments with Bobby had become increasingly rare since Chloe transferred to Northwood High. I closed my eyes, indulging the lingering reluctance in my heart, and probed, “Between us, what’s there to worry about?” Bobby was silent for a long time, then abruptly spoke. “Avery, actually I…” Chloe suddenly appeared behind Bobby, carrying a stack of notebooks, complaining intimately to him. “Bobby, didn’t you say you’d help me with tutoring? How did you just disappear?” She handed him the notes. “I saw your study plan goes out two months, so I prepared the corresponding materials.” She winked playfully. “You won’t mind me peeking, will you, Bobby?” “How could I…” Bobby’s smile was strained. He glanced at me guiltily. Seeing no reaction from me, a flicker of disappointment actually crossed his face. So, while pushing me away, you had already planned a future with someone else. Just that your future, it never included me. I tried my best to maintain a dignified composure. Deep down, however, a bitter taste, like a rich, aged wine, spread boundlessly. I dug my nails into my palm, forcing myself to stay clear-headed. “You two chat. I’m leaving.” Chloe acted as if she’d just noticed me, startled. “A-Avery…” “Is it because Bobby and I are studying together that you’re unhappy?” “But I come from a humble background, unlike you with all your resources…” As she spoke, she actually started to sniffle again. I wasn’t in the mood to play along. I said coolly, “Move aside.” The thin sliver of guilt in Bobby’s eyes vanished. He grabbed my wrist, his voice laced with anger. “Avery McEwan, what kind of tone is that?” He dragged me unceremoniously in front of Chloe and roared, “Apologize to Chloe!” The last piece of sacred ground in my heart silently crumbled into rubble. This time, I didn’t hesitate. I raised my hand and slapped Bobby hard across the face. “Bobby Leslie, the one who should be apologizing is you.” “But not to Chloe. To me.”
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