The night before Prom, our class Snapchat group chat suddenly blew up. "Oh my god! Ashton, Why'd you switch your Prom partner to Hailey? Weren't you supposed to dance the opening waltz with Chloe?" Ashton replied casually, "So I changed it. What's the big deal? It's not like she'll get mad." "She's easy. She can just come tomorrow and be Hailey's and my personal photographer." My mind went completely blank. I was still clutching the designer tie I had specially bought for Ashton. I exited the group chat and threw the tie straight into the trash can, and blocked him on everything. Then I scrolled to the bottom of my contacts to find the one guy in school nobody dared to mess with—Ryder, the top-tier F4 racer. "Ryder, do you need a date for Prom tomorrow night?" **Chapter 1** Ashton's words felt like cold knives cutting my heart to pieces. In Santa Monica High, everyone knew I was basically Ashton Miller's "exclusive shadow." To match his Prom suit, I had ordered a custom-made couture gown in the exact same color palette three months in advance. And now, he just changed his mind. Without even telling me to my face. Someone in the group chat asked him. "Aren't you afraid Chloe will find someone else? You literally have to bring a date tomorrow." Ashton replied with a mocking sneer. "No way. Chloe has been following me around since ninth grade. She's head over heels for me." "Giving her a spot as our photographer is doing her a favor. She’ll show up tomorrow with her camera, guaranteed." The chat quickly filled with guys hyping him up, sending "Bro is a legend" texts. Then, someone else chimed in. "Don't be so sure, man. What if Chloe actually finds someone else?" "She’s pretty popular in school too, you know. Plenty of guys want to ask her out." Another text popped up immediately: "Did you guys forget about Ryder?" "He’s always had a thing for Chloe." "He's a US F4 racer. Half the girls in school are lining up to get his attention. You sure Chloe won't give him a chance?" Ashton paused for a few seconds before typing back, his tone noticeably colder. "Bullshit." "Ryder is nothing." "Chloe would never look at him." "She only cares about me. Just last week, she canceled all her plans just because she didn't see me for a single day." "In her world, I’m the only one who matters." "Don't worry. Tomorrow night, she’ll be there, happily taking pictures of me." After that, the group chat went quiet. A long moment passed before someone cautiously typed. "Bro, that's kind of messed up to do to Chloe." "You should have at least told her first." Ashton let out an annoyed "ugh" before replying. "Annoying. I'll deal with it later." The chat quickly went back to joking around. "To be honest, Chloe is a bit plain compared to Hailey." "Ashton is living the dream." ... Those teasing words felt like they were crushing me. I scrolled to the very bottom of my contacts. Ryder—the resident bad boy of Santa Monica High, a rising star in the US F4 racing circuit, and the guy Ashton had unilaterally declared his arch-nemesis for the past three years. The phone rang twice before he picked up. "Chloe? Wow, you finally decided to call me. What's up?" I spoke flatly. "Ryder, do you still need a date for Prom tomorrow?" On the other end of the line, I heard the sharp screech of car brakes. After two seconds of dead silence, Ryder’s voice came through: "For you... I’m always free." I hung up and threw myself onto my bed. **Chapter 2** Staring at the ceiling, my thoughts began to drift. How could someone change so quickly? From ninth grade to twelfth grade, we spent four whole years together. We stayed up late studying for the SATs, and just a few months ago, he was excitedly planning our first dance at Prom. Back then, he said he wanted the entire school to envy him that night. But now, when the finish line we had both waited for was right in front of us, he suddenly let go of my hand and ran toward someone else. If he wanted to change dates, why couldn't he just tell me? Was I really that insignificant to him? If he found me so annoying, what about his late-night promises when he whispered about our future? Were those all lies? Or was it just because the night was too dark for him to see who was actually standing by his side? I hugged my knees tightly, hiding myself in the dark, and let the tears flow. Honestly, it wasn't like I couldn't live without him. And I definitely wasn't "head over heels" for him like he claimed. Every time our opinions differed, he would throw a temper tantrum. He only smiled when I went along with whatever he wanted. So, while I quietly kept up with my own life goals, I constantly made compromises for him. Ashton wasn't wrong about one thing—I had built my future plans around him. As long as it didn't cross my boundaries or hurt my self-respect, I was willing to compromise for the sake of love. But that didn't mean I would let him walk all over me. I unlocked my phone, opened the meticulously planned "Prom Itinerary" and our reservation for two at the rooftop restaurant, and tapped **[Cancel All]** without hesitation. He made his choice, and I have my pride. From now on, we go our separate ways. Right after I washed my face, Ashton tried to FaceTime me. "Chloe, pick up! I need to see you!" When I didn't answer, he sent several more FaceTime requests before finally texting. "We’re at our usual spot. Everyone is waiting for you. Hurry up, get an Uber." But I didn't want to go. "Tired. Staying in." The moment I sent it, a reply popped up. "Are you sick? I'll come over." "No. Don't come." Just as I replied with a frown, Hailey sent me a Snapchat message. "I’m so sorry, Chloe. I was the one who begged Ashton to let me come. I didn't know it would make you upset. I’m leaving right now." "As long as you come, I don't mind whatever happens to me." Before I could even reply, people started spamming my name in the group chat. "Chloe, what is your problem? You can't stand Ashton having other friends? Your jealousy is getting ridiculous." "You’re just jealous because Hailey is prettier than you." I froze, instinctively wanting to explain, when a message from Ashton popped up. "Chloe, I was the one who invited Hailey. If you're mad, take it out on me. Why are you making Hailey feel bad?" "Whatever. Stay home if you want. We’re having more fun without you anyway." Right after, they sent a bunch of photos of them partying. Someone added sarcastically: "It’s so much more fun when certain people aren't here." What a bunch of psychos. I immediately left the group chat and blocked Ashton's Snapchat. In the past, no matter how much we fought, I always accommodated him. Now, out of sight, out of mind. **Chapter 3** Honestly, when Hailey first transferred to our school, she was actually my friend. Back then, Ashton even warned me, saying Hailey seemed shady and that I shouldn't get too close to her. To help her feel included, I brought her into my friend group and even put in a lot of effort to help her get along with Ashton. But during the Homecoming pep rally, Hailey took off her nerdy black-rimmed glasses and showed up in a stunning red dress. After that night, Ashton never told me to stay away from her again. He and Hailey got closer and closer. He even took the initiative to add her to our core group chat. By the time I realized what was happening, my old friends had all turned into Hailey’s personal bodyguards. Ashton treated Hailey way too well. Once, Ashton and I had a massive fight over it and didn't speak for three months. I told him, "If you like Hailey, I'll step aside." But Ashton got so panicked his eyes went red, and he held me tight, apologizing. "You're the only one I care about." "Hailey comes from a broken home and gets bullied at school. I just felt bad for her and wanted to help her out." I believed him. But Ashton was just treating me like a fool. Their interactions became more and more frequent, using the word "friends" as a pathetic cover-up. Until last night, when he officially replaced me as his Prom partner with Hailey. Making me look like a complete idiot! By the time I snapped out of my thoughts, the sun had already set. My mom had come home at some point, and she smiled as she looked at me. "Did you fight with Ashton again? He said you blocked him." "He wants you to unblock him." I gave a vague answer and walked out the door. Our school counselor, Mr. Davis, had asked us to come in for one final check on our college enrollment portal before the system shut down. When I arrived, there was an empty seat next to Ashton. Usually, that was my spot, but Hailey sat right down in it. Ashton didn't say anything. Instead, he naturally took Hailey's designer handbag and set it on his lap. He kept glancing over at me. He was waiting for me to bow my head and apologize. Too bad for him, he was dead wrong this time. I turned around and sat down right next to Ryder, far away from them. "Make sure you double-check everything, guys. The college portal closes tonight, and once it’s locked, there’s no going back," Mr. Davis yelled from the front of the classroom. Seeing me sit next to him, Ryder stopped spinning his car keys. "Well, look who finally decided to talk to me." "Aren't you afraid your precious Ashton will get jealous?" I didn't offer a long explanation. My voice was calm. "I’m done with him." Suddenly, someone tapped my shoulder. "Chloe, don't you have anything to say to me?" I ignored him. But Ashton grabbed my arm and dragged me out into the hallway. "Chloe, are you serious right now?" "You're throwing a tantrum and blocking me over this?" "I’m warning you, unblock me right now, or don't ever bother texting me again." I forced myself to look at him for a few seconds. "Okay. I wasn't planning on texting you ever again anyway." Ashton's face instantly turned incredibly pale. "Fine! Don't come crying back to me later!" I turned to walk away, but he suddenly grabbed my hand again, his eyes filled with a desperate seriousness. "Stop acting like a child. Go check your enrollment portal again, make sure you didn't make any mistakes..." He wanted to say more, but Hailey walked up and interrupted him. "Ashton, I don't really understand this part of the form. Can you help me look at it?" "Sure, let me see." Ashton immediately looked down at Hailey's tablet. I let out a sarcastic laugh and walked away. By the time he looked up to say something else, I was already back inside the classroom. "Chloe, make sure you double-check it! Carefully!" **Chapter 4** Actually, when I was checking the portal earlier, I saw the enrollment changes Ashton had made. He had secretly logged into our shared portal and changed the college preferences we had agreed on. He changed his to a school in the same city as Hailey’s. He probably thought that as long as he didn't tell me, I would just submissively change my choice to match his, like I always did. What a joke. Since he didn't want to bring it up, I played dumb. After all, he thought I was obsessed with him, and I found explaining things to him too exhausting. Luckily, I finally opened my eyes. Back in the classroom, Ryder saw my terrible expression but didn't pry. He just told me to focus on getting ready for Prom tonight. That evening, I showed up at Prom as Ryder’s date. The moment we walked into the decorated venue, almost every eye in the room locked onto us. Right ahead of us stood Ashton, his face dark. I treated him like thin air, walking right past him without a second glance. When I walked past the hallway near the restrooms, I ran into Ashton and one of his friends. "Ashton, you need to tell Chloe about changing your college choice. Are you really okay with her going to a different state alone?" "Look how close she’s getting with Ryder now." Ashton let out a dismissive snort. "What she does has nothing to do with me." "Besides, she definitely changed her college choice already. She’s just using Ryder to make me jealous. It's so annoying." I froze, stepping out of the shadows and running straight into them. Ashton told his friend to leave and cornered me against the wall. "Going to Prom with Ryder without telling me? You're really trying to test my patience, aren't you, Chloe?" "You think this petty little stunt is going to make me jealous?" He grabbed my wrist, his voice arrogant. "Fine, I’ll let it slide. Can we make up now?" "Did you check your college portal?" Then, he added with a slight hesitation in his voice. "Did you... change yours to match mine?" I kept my mouth shut, and the silence became painfully awkward. As we stood there, Hailey walked over. "Ashton, the guys out there are teasing me. Come help me." Then, she acted as if she had just noticed me, her voice dripping with fake surprise. "Oh, Chloe, are you here alone?" "Please don't misunderstand, I only asked Ashton to be my date because I didn't have one, and I've been looking forward to Prom for so long." I was too exhausted to play along with her drama. Taking advantage of Ashton’s distraction, I slipped away. But before I could run off, Hailey reached out and blocked my path. **Chapter 5** "I'm so sorry, Chloe. Did I make you upset?" "I’ll leave. I just don't want you and Ashton to fight because of me. He’s been in such a bad mood these past few days because of you, and it hurts me to see him like this." "As long as he’s happy, I'll do anything." With tears welling up in her eyes, she looked like she was about to drop to her knees and beg. "What are you doing? Hailey, get up!" Ashton shoved me aside, pulling Hailey into his arms with an expression of pure worry. "Chloe, can you stop acting crazy every time you see Hailey?" "We’re going to be in the same city for the next four years. Why do you have to be so incredibly petty?" I stared at him, finding the whole thing hysterical. "Do you honestly think the way you two act is how 'just friends' behave?" He froze for a second, then sneered. "Oh, so you're finally dropping the act?" "Weren't you the one who said she was pitiful and told me to look out for her? You were the one who brought her into our circle!" I stared at his face—a face I had looked at for over ten years—and realized he looked like a total stranger. "If you love playing savior so much, why don't you guys just date!" I turned and walked away, completely ignoring Ashton's furious shouts behind me. "If you walk away now, don't you ever come back!" I didn't even look back. During the interactive game segment of Prom, the spotlight suddenly landed on Ashton and Hailey. The screen above the stage flashed the words: *“Truth or Dare / Take a Shot.”* The crowd started chanting and cheering. Hailey looked at Ashton, seemingly flustered. His friends shouted from the crowd: "Hailey, everyone is watching! If Ashton rejects the dare, you have to down three shots of tequila!" With all the cheering and whistling around them, Hailey’s face flushed red. She tried to explain, looking like she was on the verge of tears. Ashton stood there, completely still. "Ashton doesn't want to do it. I’ll just take the shots," Hailey said, closing her eyes and reaching for the cup. Suddenly, a hand reached out and stopped her. "You have a severe alcohol allergy. Do you want to end up in the ER?" Ashton muttered. "But what else can I do? I don't want to ruin the vibe for everyone." Looking at Hailey's tearful face, Ashton lifted her chin. "You couldn't have picked anyone else besides me?" "No." Hailey, overcoming her shyness, grabbed Ashton's lapels, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him. This time, Ashton didn't pull away. Instead, he wrapped his hand around her waist and deepened the kiss. The cheers and whistles from the crowd grew deafening, but my heart felt like it had been dropped into a boiling pot of oil, burning with a searing ache. Even though I had told myself I didn't care anymore, seeing this still hurt. Ten years of friendship and feelings can't be ripped out without drawing blood. When I finally got home, a small pebble suddenly hit my bedroom window. It was our secret signal. For a split second, I wished I had amnesia. I leaned out the window. Standing down there was Ashton, the same guy who had just been passionately kissing Hailey at Prom. He spoke with a pleading tone. "Chloe, stop playing games. Go change your college commitment." **Chapter 6** When I walked downstairs, I could smell the alcohol on Ashton. He was slurring his words, looking completely different from his usual arrogant self. Why couldn't he have acted this desperate earlier? Thank God he didn't. "Chloe, we promised we’d go to the same college." "You've never been away from me. You cry if you don't see me for a single day. I don't want you to cry, so I'm letting you follow me..." I knew I should have slapped his face and walked away like a badass. But my feet felt glued to the driveway. I took a deep breath and shoved him away. "Let go of me." A flash of pure panic crossed his eyes, but he quickly masked it with a clueless expression. Ashton, you are such a disappointment. Why are you still so cowardly and dishonest? "It's almost midnight, Chloe. We need to fix this first." He grabbed my hand, trying to use my face to unlock my phone. "Be good. The school I chose is really good. Once this is done, you can throw whatever tantrum you want." I stood frozen. "So even now, you refuse to tell me the truth?" "You didn't just change your Prom date. You changed the college we decided on together, too." "Is there even a point? You already know everything anyway." I was crazy to be wasting my time out here. I forcefully pushed him, sending him falling onto the grass. I ignored him as he screamed my name desperately from behind. "Chloe, you're going to regret this!" Even now, he was still trying to threaten me. I turned around and waved my phone at him. "The portal is closed. It's too late." The expression on Ashton's face was priceless. I went back to my room and threw myself into the darkness. One last time. I would let myself cry for him one last time. But just as the sky was turning gray, my bedroom door was pushed open by my mom. "What is going on with you two? Ashton has been waiting downstairs since dawn."
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