Chapter 1: Just a Normal Day (Not Really)
"Elj! Wait for me!"
Keith was still struggling with her shoelaces while running out the gate. Her hoodie was half-zipped, and her hair? Chaos.
"You’re late again,” Ljay said, not even looking back.
She finally caught up, panting. “My sister didn’t wake me up. She's literally useless. I told her I had an 8AM.”
Elj raised a brow. “Isn’t that your responsibility?”
Kit glared at him. “Shut up.”
They started walking side by side. Their houses were just a street away from campus, so walking was pretty normal. Still, Kit hated being late.
“You could’ve waited at my door, you know,” she grumbled.
“I did wait,” Elj smirked. “Five minutes. Then I figured you'd be crawling out of bed, cursing the world.”
Kit rolled her eyes. “You love being annoying.”
“I love being right.”
Kit smacked his arm. “Anyway—did you finish the dungeon last night?”
“Yeah,” he said casually.
Her jaw dropped. “You did?! Without me?!”
“You kept dying,” he shrugged. “You’re holding me back.”
“YOU’RE SO ANNOYING.”
Elj laughed, all smug. “Try not dying next time.”
They were still bickering when they reached the school gate. Their friend group was already chilling near the bench like usual—Sue, Mei, Kai, Zed, June, and Ren all looked up when they arrived.
Sue grinned. “Kit, you look like a zombie.”
“She is a zombie,” Elj said.
Kit gave him a death glare.
Then, like clockwork, Cole showed up—basketball bag slung over one shoulder, walking like he owned the world. He spotted her instantly.
“Babyyyy,” he said, all smile.
Kit lit up like a lamp. “Coleee!”
She rushed over and practically melted into his arms. He kissed the top of her head and started telling her about his early morning drills.
The rest of the group just went back to their convos. They were used to this. Kit was always Kit—until Cole showed up. Then she turned into someone’s girlfriend.
Classes passed smoothly. Nothing special. Just lectures, group works, and Kit almost falling asleep once but Elj kicked her chair.
Lunchtime came, and everyone squeezed into the long table in the canteen. Their trays clattered with food, voices overlapping, laughter loud.
And then she arrived.
Tammy.
She came from a different class but somehow always showed up exactly on time for lunch. She walked straight to Elj and, without a word, locked her arms around his like she owned him.
“LJAYYY,” she said in a whiny voice. “I missed youu.”
Sue blinked. “Here we go again.”
Mei leaned to June. “Snake mode activated.”
Tammy ignored everyone and started feeding Elj small bites of her food. He just sat there, chewing silently. Kit didn’t say anything, but her eye twitched.
She was sitting with Cole’s group today, a few tables away. His friends were loud and mostly talked about parties and girls from other colleges. Kit tried to fit in, laughed when they laughed, smiled when she had to.
But she didn’t feel like she belonged.
She was there for Cole. That’s it.
Last class flew by, and when the bell rang, someone suggested eating out.
“Let’s go to that new k-bbq place,” Kai said.
Everyone cheered.
“I’ll ask Cole to come,” Kit said, pulling out her phone.
But Cole shook his head. “I have practice. Coach’ll kill me if I skip again.”
“Oh,” she said, trying not to sound too disappointed. “Okay. Next time?”
“Yeah, yeah. Have fun though,” he said, already turning away.
They didn’t invite Tammy. No one really wanted her there. Even Elj didn’t say anything.
At the restaurant, they were halfway through grilling meat when Kit saw something—someone—outside the window.
It was Cole.
With his group.
And a girl hanging onto him like glue.
Kit’s stomach dropped.
She stood up. “Be right back.”
Sue looked confused. “Where you going—”
But Kit was already out the door, quietly trailing behind them. They stopped two blocks down at another restaurant.
She peeked through the glass.
Cole was laughing.
The girl leaned on his shoulder, whispering something.
Then he kissed her.
Right there.
Right on the mouth.
Everything froze.
Kit pushed the door open, anger flooding every inch of her.
“COLE.”
He looked up, shocked. So did the girl.
Kit marched straight to their table.
“Who is she?” she demanded.
The girl blinked. “Who are you?”
Cole stood up, looking guilty. “She’s no one.”
Kit froze.
No one.
That’s what she is.
Her hands were shaking. “No one?”
Her voice cracked. Her chest tightened.
And then—SLAP.
Cole stumbled a bit. The girl gasped.
“We’re done,” Kit said, eyes wet with tears.
She didn’t wait for him to respond. She turned and left. Her legs were moving fast, then faster, then running, until she was out of breath and outside the gates of her own house.
She went straight to her room.
Ignored every message. Every ping. Every call.
Even when she heard Elj knocking outside her door, she stayed quiet.
She climbed into bed.
Pulled her blanket over her head.
And pretended to fall asleep.
