Stella snapped several pictures of Tia while she was still on the ground. "How do you like being down there in pain?" Her voice dripped with malice, and the statement ignited a white-hot anger in Tia's chest.
Slowly, Tia raised her head and looked at the monster standing over her. She forced herself to stand, approaching Stella with a steady gait, refusing to let even a flicker of agony show on her face.
"Apologize. Right now," Tia said, her voice dangerously calm.
Stella hissed, "Or what?"
Tia's hand blurred through the air. The slap echoed across the pavement. Stella gasped in pure shock, her hand flying to her stinging cheek.
"How dare you push me, you fool?!" Tia's eyes blazed with a fire Stella had never seen before.
"Did you—did you just slap me?" Stella's voice shook, her bravado crumbling.
Tia raised her hand again, looming closer. "And I'll do it again if you say one more thing to annoy me."
Stella scrambled back in genuine fear, shielding her face.
"What did I ever do to you, Stella? I never even thought of hurting you, yet all you want to do is cause me pain. Even when I try my best to avoid you, you still find a way to crawl back into my life."
"But you started it!" Stella shrieked. "You spilled coffee on my beautiful clothes and made that post!"
Tia snapped, "Stop playing the victim! You know you were the one who tried to drench me, and I wasn't about to watch you ruin my things. And for the last time, Stella—I didn't make that post."
Tia bent down and gathered her belongings from the ground. She felt a surge of relief seeing her phone screen hadn't cracked, but she stayed alert in case Stella tried something that would hurt her again.
"By the way," Tia added, looking her up and down. "I know you deleted my project from my laptop. I'm actually glad you did—it proved to me that you aren't nearly as 'brilliant' as you claim."
Stella opened her mouth to argue, but Tia cut her off with a sharp gesture. "I don't want to listen to any more trash from you."
She turned and began to walk away. Every step sent a jolt of pain through her knee, but she refused to limp. She wouldn't give Stella the satisfaction of seeing her struggle. Behind her, Stella groaned in fury, stamping her feet like a child. She looked down at the photos she'd taken, but they were a blurry mess—completely useless for a post. She nearly smashed her phone against the pavement in a rage, only stopping when she remembered she couldn't afford a replacement.
*****
Back in her room, Tia realized she had a nasty scrape on her knee. After treating the wound, she tried to take a nap, but sleep eluded her. Even playing soft music didn't help; it only made her head throb. She knew Clara would have a solution to help her relax, but her roommate wasn't back yet.
The injury was a constant reminder of Stella's shove, but Tia felt a quiet satisfaction. At least she hadn't let the girl go unpunished. Checking her phone, she saw a message from Xavier asking how her day went. She didn't feel like replying yet, so she set the phone aside and closed her eyes, waiting for the darkness to pull her under.
The sound of the door flying open, followed by a high-pitched scream from Clara, made Tia bolt upright. She scrambled to the top of her bed as if a flood were rushing across the floor.
"What are you screaming about?!" Tia cried in terror. "Is there a rat? Please don't tell me there's a rat in here! I hate them, they mess up everything and they're terrifying—"
Clara, looking bored by the outburst, snapped, "Tia! Calm down! There isn't a rat in the room."
"Phew." Tia let out a massive sigh of relief, her heart slowing down. "Then why were you trying to give me a heart attack?"
Clara's face lit up with pure joy. "There's a campus ball coming up, Tia! I can't wait!" she paused, her voice turning dreamier. "And the reason I'm this happy? Tyler asked me to go with him!"
Tia stared in disbelief. "Wait, you mean your crush?"
"Mhmm!"
"The one you said gives you goosebumps even though you've never spoken to him?"
"Mhmm!"
"The one you said you'd die a million times for?"
Clara frowned. "Girl, I never said anything that dramatic."
Tia giggled. "I'm just pulling your leg. I'm so happy for you! But how did I miss the announcement?" She checked her phone and scrolled through her notifications. "Oh, it was sent a while ago. I just didn't see it."
"So, who are you going with?" Clara asked, leaning in.
Tia ran her fingers through her hair. "I don't know. Maybe I'll just show up alone."
"That's a terrible idea, Tia. You'll be a laughingstock. Why don't you ask Xavier?"
Tia's eyes widened. "The Ice Prince? Are you crazy? I'm sure he's already going with someone, and what would people say if they saw him with me?"
"You worry too much. Who cares what they say? Your happiness is the only thing that matters. I'm telling you, ask him before someone else does."
Tia's hand shook as she tapped on her phone. "Are you sure? I don't want to regret this."
Clara sighed. "Just do it! It's not like you're going to lose an arm just by asking."
Gathering her courage, Tia dialed Xavier's number, her pulse racing as she waited for him to pick up.
*****
Xavier had just stepped out of the shower when his phone began to ring. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Tia's name on the screen. He didn't hesitate.
He took a deep breath to steady his voice. "Hello?"
"Hey, Xavier," Tia said softly.
"I can't believe you're actually talking to him!" Clara whispered nearby. Tia signaled her to be quiet.
"You're distracting me," Tia muttered, though it was loud enough for Xavier to hear.
"What do you mean?" he asked, confused
Tia jumped, realizing she was still on the line. "No! I was talking to someone else—I mean—sorry about that." She decided to stop beating around the bush. "Would you like... to... would you like to go with me to the campus ball?"
Xavier hesitated, the silence stretching out. "I'm sorry. I can't go with you."
Tia's heart shattered instantly. I knew it, she told herself. I knew he wouldn't want to.
"Okay, no problem," she said, her voice thick with disappointment. She was about to hang up when she heard Xavier start to laugh. She paused, frowning. Is he actually laughing at me?
"What's so funny?" she asked, trying to keep her composure.
"I can't believe you fell for that. I was just kidding. Of course I'd love to go with you."
Xavier had actually decided not to attend the ball at all because he didn't have anyone to go with. He had thought about Tia, but he assumed a beauty like her would already have a line of suitors waiting.
Tia couldn't contain the explosion of joy inside her. "Really?"
"Yes."
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" She was so excited she forgot to hang up and let out a loud, piercing scream.
"Um, Tia? The phone," Clara whispered.
"What about it?"
"You haven't hung up yet."
"Oops!" Tia scrambled to end the call before Xavier heard anything else embarrassing.
"So... what did he say?" Clara asked.
Tia nodded, and Clara began jumping up and down as if she were the one going with the Ice Prince. But her joy was nothing compared to Tia's. In her past life, she had asked Michael to the ball, and he had laughed in her face, telling her she wasn't in his class. She had gone alone and forgiven him anyway, blinded by love.
She smiled to herself, feeling a weight lift. This time, history wasn't going to repeat itself.