At prom, Jack’s friend grinned at me. “Clara, don’t forget to invite me to your wedding!” Before I could answer, Jack slammed his fork down, scowling. “I have a girlfriend. And it’s not Clara.” The table went dead silent. Oddly enough, I felt nothing. That was just who Jack was. “Actually, I have a boyfriend too.” Illara froze, totally shocked. "Wait, why haven't you mentioned him?" “I was busy with college apps. But yeah, we’re together.” I kept my tone flat. Jack scoffed. “Making things up, Clara? Who would want a boring girl like you?” Dinner ended fast and tense. But I wasn’t lying. I really did have a boyfriend. ... Later, Jack caught me at the parking lot. “Enough, Clara.” His tone was sharp. I stopped. Turned to face his obvious impatience He thought I lied to save face. “I know you’re pissed.” He added, “Lila bombed her SAT. She’s a mess. I need to be there for her.” “Quit making up a boyfriend, Clara. You’re embarrassing yourself.” I stared at him with zero emotion. Ever since Lila—the pale, fragile transfer student—arrived, Jack’s universe shrank to fit only her. He’d gladly step on my neck to lift her up. So this? This was expected.
“Remember that football game sophomore year?” “You tangled with the QB and his boys. I rushed in and drew them off you.” He blinked, trying to remember. I kept talking. “I broke my wrist that day.” “You cried in the hospital, grabbed my hand, and swore you’d be my knight—that you’d protect me forever.” Jack frowned and cut me off. “I remember. Don’t guilt-trip me. I keep my promises.” His voice softened. “But Lila needs me, too.” “She has no one else in this town. Clara, I swear—when she’s settled at college, I’ll marry you. I’ll take care of you.” I held his gaze. The whole thing felt ridiculous. “No need. I said it once. I have a boyfriend.” He shoved me away for Lila, time after time. So I no longer needed him.
Jack blinked, still looking stunned. "Clara, your lies are getting better." “You’ve been busy since graduation. Where’d you meet this guy?” His phone rang. It was Lila. His voice softened in a way I’d never heard before. “What’s wrong, baby? Grades don’t matter... don’t cry. I’m coming...” Jack left without a word to me. Good. We weren’t anything anyway. I pulled out my phone, texted Noah: “I’m on my way. Free tonight?” He replied fast. “Anytime. I’ll get you.” Smiling, I walked toward the parking lot exit.
At first, I thought he was joking. Senior year, he said he’d fallen for Lila. She’d just transferred into town. People said she came from a poor family and depended on grants. She was quiet, always sitting in a corner, always needing someone to protect her. When he said he liked her, his voice went serious. I asked, “What about us?” We grew up side by side. Everyone believed we were meant to be. He said, “Clara, you’re different. You have everything. Lila has nothing. I can’t ignore her.” “After college, I’ll be with you. But now, I have to take care of Lila.” I thought it was teenage drama. Turns out he meant it. I became a dusty toy tossed in the back of his closet. Convenient to grab, but never worth cherishing. Soon, ‘us’ devolved into a trio. And I became the spare part.
Jack dumped Lila’s backpack, homework, and lunchbox on me. I looked like a joke. Three is a crowd. But Jack loved it. To him, I was just a tool. In his eyes, I was strong, independent, and could do it all. Lila was the opposite—fragile, helpless, always needing someone to look after her. One day, I snapped. "If you want to date, go by yourselves. Why drag me along?!" He shot back, “Lila faced gossip over her transfer and grants. If people think she’s too close to me, the rumors get worse. I don’t care, but Lila does.” So I became their cover. With me, they were just “friends hanging out.” Inside, I drowned in disappointment. Once, Lila skipped a paper. With the teacher demanding it, Jack sneaked my backup from my flash drive, handed it to Lila. The history teacher called me to the office, chewed me out for half a period, and failed me. He came to me after, shrugged. “Clara, you’re good. One F won’t hurt. Lila’s mom’s strict. If she finds out, there’ll be hell.” I looked at him, totally speechless.
They went to a fast-food spot off campus—and dragged me along. They sat close, heads bent over his phone, watching stupid videos, laughing so hard they almost fell over. Halfway through, he got up to go to the bathroom. As he passed me, he bent down and whispered, “Clara, can you keep it down? Lila says you’re kind of loud.” “She’s too nice to say it herself, so she made me do it.” Then he left. I didn’t eat a bite. I left early. He chased after me, firing accusations. “You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you? Lila barely gets a break, and you storm out on her. You’re bullying her because she has no one else.” I didn’t get how he twisted everything into me bullying Lila. The worst was the night they went to watch a movie in the next town—“on the way,” he said—and brought me along. Halfway through, he said he’d drive Lila home first and left me there. He dumped me at a desolate crossroads, ten miles from home. Nothing but dead farmland everywhere. My phone signal cut in and out. I tried hailing an Uber for half an hour. Nobody accepted. I ended up walking nearly three hours down the highway before I got home. Next day, the first thing he said to me: “Lila said you got home by yourself last night. She’s worried about you—thinks you’re not safe by yourself.” “I got home. Tell her thanks.” He nodded, satisfied, then went off to find Lila. That moment, I woke up. No dramatic moment. Just a part of me going cold. From then on, nothing moved inside me.
After prom, Noah asked me to dinner. He went to the neighboring high school. We met at summer camp back in middle school, stayed in loose touch. Not close, but not strangers. He’d just gotten into a great college and had a few beers that night. His cheeks flushed. He asked awkwardly, “Clara, do you have a boyfriend?” I shook my head. His flush deepened. “Then… do you want to give us a try?” I hesitated. “You know me?” He whispered, “A little. But I want to know everything.” That’s how we started. We both made it into our dream colleges—in the same city. Jack could’ve gone somewhere better but lost focus senior year because of Lila. He ended up at a state school nearby. Lila picked a community college next to his so they could be close. By some cruel joke, we all landed in the same city. Weekends, Noah and I hit cafés and thrift shops downtown. We tried new coffee spots. Life was quiet, yet beautifully grounding. Jack lived in the same city but we barely crossed paths. If we brushed by, he never looked my way. We were strangers. Maybe he feared Lila’s jealousy. So we never spoke in college. From then on, Jack was nothing to me.
One day at the mall, I passed a bubble tea shop. Jack and Lila were inside. I planned to avoid them, but Lila spotted me first. She nudged Jack. They stood and walked toward me. Lila smiled. “Clara, what a surprise. Shopping too?” Jack stayed silent, looking me over with a smirk. Lila tugged his sleeve, voice soft. “Jack, you forgot you promised me a bubble tea for Clara.” She turned to me, sincere. “Clara, please don’t misunderstand. I know your... history with Jack. But we’re just friends. Jack is just a kind person. Please don't be mad.” Classic pick-me behavior. The fake sweetness made me nauseous. I cut in, “Mad? Why would I be mad?” Lila blinked, smile softening. “I just don’t want you to think I’m coming between you two. Because I’m not.” Jack’s voice cut in, sharp. “Clara, don’t think you can treat Lila badly just because we grew up together.” I half-smiled. “What exactly did I do? I was just passing by. You two called me over.” “Clara...” I cut him off. “You and Lila do what you want. I don’t care.” I turned and walked away.
I barely took two steps before Jack caught up. “I’m having a birthday dinner next week near campus. Just old friends. You should come.” His tone wasn’t an invite. More like tossing me a bone. I didn’t think twice. “No.” His brow furrowed. “Still mad?” “No. I have plans.” He sneered. “Plans? Clara, pick a better excuse. You think I’ll buy it?” He tossed one last line as he turned away. “I’m not begging. Come if you want. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Then he spun and hurried back to Lila.
I skipped Jack’s birthday party. I met Noah for dinner at our favorite Italian spot. I got there early and wandered the mall. Past a stationery store, I grabbed the limited-edition leather notebook he’d mentioned last month. The clerk wrapped it in vintage brown paper, tied it with a dark green ribbon. I carried it, lighthearted, toward the restaurant. As I rode the elevator up, the doors opened into a noisy crowd. At the end of the hall, Jack stood surrounded by college buddies, old high school friends, Lila clung to his side. Our eyes met. I froze. I didn’t expect his party here. Jack’s eyebrows rose. He called out loudly enough for everyone to hear, “Clara. Mouth says no, but here you are anyway.” Heads swiveled to me. I opened my mouth, but his eyes caught the gift bag in my hand. He strode over and snatched it. “I like this. Thanks.” I snapped, “That’s not for you!” He smirked. “Clara, stop playing hard to get. You crash my party with a gift, then pretend it’s not for me? Seriously?” Laughter broke out around me. A few old classmates who knew our history laughed the loudest. Their laughter cut deep. In that moment, I felt like the biggest joke in the room. Lila tugged Jack’s sleeve, lowering her eyelashes. “Jack, don’t be like that… Clara meant well. You’re making her uncomfortable.” Jack glanced at her, voice cold. “See? Lila’s way more generous than you.” He draped an arm around her and announced, “This is Lila, my girlfriend. The only one I want in my life.”
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