The faded school photograph, a relic of their shared past, stared back at Danica. In it, she and Joy, inseparable since grade school, beamed with youthful innocence. Now, the image felt like a cruel mockery.
Danica had known Joy liked Ali from the moment she'd introduced them. It was a familiar pattern; Joy, always the life of the party, attracted attention like a moth to a flame. Danica, however, had cherished her quiet crush on Ali, the senior who’d always treated her like a little sister.
Ali, oblivious to Danica's feelings, was captivated by Joy's vibrant energy. He saw Danica as a younger sibling, a perception she’d inadvertently fostered. He liked that Joy was older, more mature, and it seemed to him, a better fit.
Then came David. He was kind, attentive, and his eyes held a warmth that made Danica's heart flutter. For the first time, she felt seen, truly seen. As she spent more time with David, a flicker of jealousy ignited in Ali. He couldn't quite understand it; he'd always thought of Danica as a kid sister. Yet, seeing her laugh with David, seeing the way David looked at her, stirred a possessiveness he hadn't known he possessed.
Joy, meanwhile, had seen the growing tension between Danica and Ali, and the blossoming romance between Danica and David. Instead of addressing the elephant in the room, she chose to ignore Danica's feelings for Ali, prioritizing her own pursuit of him. It was a subtle betrayal, a slow erosion of trust.
One rainy afternoon, Ali confronted Danica. "What's going on with you and David?" His voice was sharp, a stark contrast to his usual easygoing demeanor.
"He's my friend," Danica replied, her voice trembling slightly.
"Friend?" Ali scoffed, his eyes flashing. "Is that what you call it?"
"What's it to you, Ali?" Danica asked, her voice rising.
Ali's face contorted with a mixture of anger and confusion. "I… I just… I don't want to see you get hurt."
"Hurt?" Danica laughed, a bitter, hollow sound. "You're the one hurting me, Ali. You, and Joy."
Ali’s eyes widened. He had not realized how deep Danica’s feelings ran. He had been so consumed with his feelings, and his jealousy of David, that he had been blind.
Joy arrived, her face pale. She'd overheard their conversation. "Danica…" she began, her voice barely a whisper.
"Don't," Danica said, her voice filled with a weariness that belied her young age. "Just… don't."
She turned and walked away, the rain mirroring the tears streaming down her face. In that moment, she realized that she had lost not only the boy she liked, but also the friend she had always cherished. Ali watched her go, a chilling realization dawning on him. He had been so focused on what he wanted, that he had destroyed what he already had. He was also starting to realize that his feelings for Danica had never been brotherly, but a deep love he had been denying.
