After that, I no longer talked to her.
I drowned myself in schoolwork, wanting only to escape this place as soon as I could.
I still kept in mind how, when we first entered high school, I once told Calliope that I would for sure study at the same University as her.
But now, I only wanted to get as far away from her as life allowed.
During the whole second half of senior year, we didn’t exchange even a single sentence.
After the college entrance exam, Calliope came to see me.
She stood at my door carrying a bunch of jasmine blooms.
“Rayne, I spoke too harshly before. Can you let it go?”
“I still don’t want us apart. I’m giving you jasmine, don’t leave me, Rayne.’”
She swore that she would never let anyone hurt me again, that I would always come first in her heart. And in the end, I softened.
We planned to head to the same city.
While filling out the application, we sat shoulder to shoulder.
We both chose schools in the capital.
She picked Hanford University, and I picked an art institute.
I thought maybe we could keep living happily like before. But I was wrong.
I forgot to logout my account on her computer.
When I didn’t get into any college, I learned that my options had changed.
All my backup choices were swapped for Universities far beyond my score.
I slipped through the system, accepted nowhere.
And the only one who could have done this, with reason and chance, was Arden.
Because he also filled his form at Calliope’s home, and he could reach her computer.
I went mad. I went to him and struck him across the face right before Calliope.
Holding his collar, I shouted, “Why?! Why ruin someone else’s future?!”
Seeing me like that, Calliope tugged my sleeve and said, “Rayne, why are you acting crazy again?”
Clearly, not long ago, she claimed she would never hurt me again, that she would put me first in everything.
But she forgot that all my applications were filled when I was beside her. Why would I destroy my own future?
I pointed at Arden and cursed like someone who lost control, yet Calliope said I was insane.
In the end, she left with Arden, leaving only me falling apart in place.
In one day, my future, my partner, everything was gone.
Later, I heard that on the same day, Arden told Calliope he liked her.
The next morning, what I got was not her apology, but a voice clip sent by Arden.
In the recording, Arden said, “Calliope, I really wouldn’t do something like that. Do you trust me?”